Three: Location, location, location...
OK. So every state seems to be optimally located for your food manufacturing business, but New Jersey has a better claim than most, give its proximity to Port Newark, the largest transportation hub on the east coast, and the fact that it has a whopping 130 million consumers located within a day's drive.
As for raw materials, the Garden State is a major producer of cranberries, bell peppers, spinach, peaches, blueberries, cucumbers and tomatoes, and is home to well over 10,000 farms.