Daniel J. Munoz//March 31, 2021//
Pool equipment manufacturer Hayward Holdings is moving its corporate offices out of Berkeley Heights and folding it into several existing facilities in North Carolina, the company announced on Monday, March 30.
The move will cost the state 90 jobs – all from the corporate side – and it will join the existing 850 employees at the North Carolina facility. None of the employees will remain in New Jersey as of next year, according to Hayward spokesperson Monty Hagler.
“It will also result in long-term cost savings that will be redeployed back into the business, put us closer to our largest production facility and create easier access to connect with our customers, distributors and channel partners,” said Hayward Chief Executive Officer Kevin Holleran.
In February 2019, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority approved a nearly $2.3 million, 10-year tax break for Hayward, but the agreement was never executed.
According to public records, they were considering moving out of Elizabeth and either to a Berkeley Heights office or down to Clemmons in North Carolina, where many of their manufacturing operations are currently based.
They never completed the closing process and never received any funds, said NJEDA spokesperson Jake McNichol.
Hayward said it had gotten assistance from several public agencies and the area’s chambers of commerce, having “evaluated multiple relocation sites before determining North Carolina best fit the interests of the company.”
They had gotten “valuable support and assistance” from NJEDA’s equivalent in that state, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, as well as several local county governments.
“New Jersey has been a wonderful home for Hayward Holdings and we value our experiences in the state,” Hagler added in an email. “The decision to relocate to North Carolina was driven by a business need to bring our corporate functions closer to our largest production facility to improve collaboration and increase efficiency.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on March 31, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. EST to correct a prior headline to this item which incorrectly stated Hayward was leaving NJ due to failed tax break deal.