NJ: Merck's relocation could have lasting impact on its former hometown
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When Merck & Co. announced last week that it was leaving Whitehouse Station in Readington Township, taking its headquarters staff to Summit, the eastern part of Hunterdon felt the ground shake.
Corporate giants like Merck cast a giant shadow over the places they call home. From little restaurants on Main Street to the impact they have on town services and school budgets, big companies bring big business to small towns.
And when they leave, they leave even bigger holes — not only in lost tax revenues and local business but in huge, empty properties that are almost impossible to fill.
Merck’s impact is felt throughout the region. The company’s employees not only spend money in the local towns and pay local taxes, but Merck itself pays $5 million in local, school and county taxes. Its ratables provided nearly 8 percent of Readington’s municipal budget.
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http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/10/mercks_relocation_ensures_last.html#incart_river_default
