Irish-founded Company to Bring Hundreds of New Jobs to NJ

In Ireland today, Gov. Phil Murphy and Applegreen, one of the largest on-highway service plaza operators in the United States and Europe, have announced an investment worth $126 million, delivering some 800 skilled new jobs to the Garden State over the coming years. Applegreen, an Irish-founded company, also announced that it will relocate its Travel Plaza Headquarters to Glen Rock. The opening of the new headquarters – where the company already has a presence – will add at least 100 new jobs in finance, administration, development, and logistics to the region.

Applegreen will redevelop all of the New Jersey’s 21 on-highway service plazas. The first two redevelopments, at the Woodrow Wilson and Molly Pitcher travel plazas, are expected to be completed before the July 4th holiday.

Gov. Murphy is currently on a four-day economic mission in Ireland to promote investment in New Jersey. At today’s joint announcement in Dublin, he welcomed Applegreen’s commitment to New Jersey and said the company’s investment was an important step in providing best-in-class travel infrastructure to residents of the Garden State.

“As a proud Irish-American, I am thrilled to be in Dublin and joined by Applegreen, Ireland’s foremost service plaza operator, to announce the relocation of its US Travel Plaza Headquarters to New Jersey,” said Governor Murphy. “Applegreen is a world-class travel infrastructure partner who will generate significant economic growth for the state and bring innovation and expertise to the redevelopment of New Jersey’s 21 on-highway services plazas. We welcome the hundreds of new jobs that Applegreen will bring to New Jersey and look forward to building a strong partnership that drives our state’s innovation economy forward.”

Applegreen is the largest highway service plaza operator in the US, operating more than 250 sites across 18 states including New Jersey, where the redeveloped plazas will offer commuters the latest technologies and highest standards of customer service including a focus on electric vehicle charging. In the US, Applegreen is installing EV infrastructure throughout the northeast, in addition to its existing EV infrastructure portfolio in Europe. Applegreen was taken private in March 2021 by a partnership comprised of its founders, Bob Etchingham and Joe Barrett, and Blackstone Infrastructure Partners, a leading investor in U.S. infrastructure assets.

“We are thrilled to announce our new Travel Plaza Headquarters in Glen Rock, New Jersey,” said Elizabeth Pierce, President of Applegreen USA Operations. “Northern New Jersey proved an ideal location for our headquarters as it is centrally located amidst many states in which we operate, is close to several major airports and offers top talent for our rapidly growing business.

“Our northeast footprint is expanding rapidly and the opening of our new Headquarters and redevelopment of 21 service plazas will enhance connectivity and convenience for our many customers,” Pierce added. “The creation of hundreds of new jobs through these exciting projects will deliver a significant boost to the New Jersey economy, and, as such, today’s announcement is a genuine Irish-American win-win.”

“We’re delighted to play a lead role in updating New Jersey’s infrastructure to better serve the needs of modern travelers and state residents,” said Sebastien Sherman, Senior Managing Director, Blackstone Infrastructure. “Governor Murphy’s leadership is a national model for effective public-private partnerships. Blackstone Infrastructure looks forward to deepening our ties to the Garden State, working with government agencies and local stakeholders to deliver high-quality infrastructure benefiting local communities and the environment for decades to come.”

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