ExxonMobil will close a large research facility in Hunterdon County as part of a plan to consolidate its corporate research operations at its Houston headquarters.
Most of the employees at the Exxon Mobil Research and Engineering division will be offered jobs at the new facility in Texas. The Clinton Township campus, along with a research facility in Ontario, Canada, will close as part of the consolidation, which will be done in phases that will continue until 2028, according to a report by Bloomberg.
“We are incredibly disappointed to learn that ExxonMobil has chosen to close this facility over the next few years,” Clinton Township Mayor Brian Mullay said in a statement. “We will work closely with our partners at Hunterdon County Economic Development & Tourism, the NJ Highlands Council and ExxonMobil to ensure that the developable portion of the property continues to contribute to our area’s economic success and that the ecologically critical areas are preserved to protect our environment.”
In October 2022, ExxonMobil informed the township it had partnered with Prologis do a feasibility study that looked at redeveloping a portion of the property as a warehousing complex. The idea met was met with opposition from the community, according to Clinton Township Council meeting minutes.
In September of last year, Joe Wong, a commercial portfolio manager for ExxonMobil, told the township council that the company was not going to expand beyond the 150 acres that make up its current campus. It last underwent an expansion there in 2017.
The facility employs between 500-600 and pays $3.5 million a year in property taxes, Wong said during a presentation before the council.
Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners Director Jeff Kuhl said the board was “disappointed” to learn about ExxonMobil Corp. plans to close its Clinton Township facility.
“Hunterdon County and ExxonMobil Corp. have enjoyed a long-standing relationship and we valued ExxonMobil Corp. not only as a large employer but also as a partner and supporter of many local community events,” Kuhl said. “We wish that management would reconsider the move ... Hunterdon County will continue to work with the state of New Jersey to develop new options for the site that benefit residents and the local economy.”
The closures of the Clinton Township and Ontario facilities will affect about 700 employees, according to Bloomberg. ExxonMobil previously announced plans to cut costs by about $15 billion by 2027.
