Mondelēz International recently opened the doors to its brand new, $50 million R&D facility in Whippany, expanding its North American headquarters, located in nearby East Hanover, and doubling down on New Jersey as its prime location for business.

It’s a little surprising, considering what the company must be paying in property taxes, but only a little. I still argue that New Jersey’s assets outweigh its liabilities. We continue to lead in education and workforce growth, with the result being a highly educated and capable workforce.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise that such complex, tech-driven companies choose to plant roots here. Mondelēz made a wise decision.

The new facility will conduct all the research and development that goes into making Oreos, Nutter Butter, and Sour Patch Kids, to name a few. The team there will also specialize in the development of electronic baking technology, which features prominently on Mondelēz’s virtue signaling goal of zero net emissions by 2050.

“I’m thrilled to celebrate Mondelēz International’s investment in New Jersey with the opening of this Global Innovation Center,” said U.S. Senator Robert Menendez. “Not only will this facility be a hub for research and innovation, but it will also provide a boost to the state’s economy and create job opportunities for New Jerseyans.”

Indeed, it will, which is so much more helpful than any environmental agenda. This new addition is likely to create around 100 new jobs. The R&D team alone is composed of 50 “makers and bakers”, but think of all the support jobs that have to be created to help them. Support positions that will help more people break into Mondelēz with the hope of growing their careers.

“This strategic investment in our new Global Innovation Center will enable us to pilot exciting new snacking breakthroughs and bring about the next generation of innovation for Mondelēz snacks around the world,” said Daniel Ramos, Executive Vice President and Chief Research & Development Officer at Mondelēz International. “We’re proud to bring together industry-leading talent and capabilities in this facility to create new products, packaging and process developments across our portfolio of beloved snacks.”

Snacking is a huge business. Certain changes took place during the lockdowns, and some of them stuck around, reliance on cookies and crackers being one of them. Of course, we reap the benefits of those corporate responses when we go to the store, but now we’ll be able to boast that New Jersey residents are the ones coming up with all those new flavors and brands. More importantly, we can be sure that with this move, New Jersey is still seen by major companies as a winning place to do business.