It was still known as RPS in 1992 when company officials approached SBWE's Paul Cohen about finding them a hub site. "Patience is useful in my line of work, and in this case it was absolutely essential," laughs Cohen, now that the deal is done and the facility is open for business. Over the next five years the project will translate into a total of 1,400 new jobs.

Cohen represented FedEx Ground in negotiations to develop part of the 2,500-acre former Raritan Arsenal site that had lain dormant since the 1920s. Cohen showed FedEx Ground more than 75 properties before the company leased an 81-acre parcel of reclaimed brownfields for 90 years including renewal options. The project was helped along in 1996 when the state legislature changed the laws to make brownfields cleanups more economically feasible.

Next, Cohen had to shepherd the project through a series of negotiations with township officials, FedEx execs and landowners' reps to work out a tax program. The outcome was a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement, under which the township will get annual payments from the company for 30 years while giving the company a major tax break. The tax break will cover the costs of cleaning up the site, estimated to be more than $4 million.

When all was said and done, FedEx Ground had its facility of choice and tax breaks, Woodbridge had the economic benefits, and the landowner (unnamed) the ground lease revenues. "It's an excellent opportunity for all involved," Cohen concludes. "It was a slow and complex process, but it's certainly been worth the effort."