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Four billboards on Route 80 and Route 17 in Bergen County implored longtime corporate neighbor - and employer of 1,000 New Jerseyans - Mercedes-Benz not to relocate from its Montvale headquarters, where it had been been based since 1972. Bergen-based Judge Outdoor donated the ad space in an effort to retain the town's second-largest private employer. (Judge Outdoor)

TRENTON -- The Senate Labor Committee approved a bill Monday that would offer employers closing up shop or relocating out of state an exit interview in hopes of finding out what ails New Jersey businesses.

The committee unanimously approved the legislation introduced by Sen. Anthony Bucco (R-Morris), which would require the state's Department of Labor and Workforce Development to survey certain employers ending their New Jersey operations and compile the responses in a publicly available report.

Under the bill (S1207), the labor department would work with the state's Economic Development Authority to develop the anonymous survey and will annually produce a report on employers' responses.

It was approved, 5-0.

"There are many anecdotes relating why people, employers and businesses cease operations in this state and leave to conduct business in other state," according to the bill. "These anecdotes also touch on the reasons why businesses struggle to grow their operations or retain their workforce.

"However, beyond these anecdotes, there is a dearth of information to help guide the state in understanding and responding to instances in which businesses terminate their operations or transfer their operations to another state. The state must move past anecdote and begin gathering as much data as possible to understand why businesses struggle or fail."

Bucco said Monday the analysis will give lawmakers the information they need to correct any shortcomings "so we don't continuously lose more businesses."

"We've seen over the years of our state losing businesses, we hear of them moving to other states, whether it is bordering states or down South," Bucco said. "Why? Why are they moving? Is there a common thread that's causing it to happen? And I think the only way we can find out what the reasons are that companies have decided to move out of our state is by having what I call an exit interview."

Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced it was moving its corporate headquarters from Bergen County to Atlanta. The company planned to move about 1,000 employees in phases. It had called New Jersey home since 1972.

The president and CEO said at the time the relocation was necessary "to achieve the sustained, profitable growth and efficiencies we require for the decades ahead."

A corporate site selection specialist predicted Mercedes-Benz, which received tax incentives from Georgia, would see a 20 percent reduction in annual operating costs by departing Bergen.

And nearly 400 workers will be out of a job in south Jersey by 2018 after General Mills announced earlier this month it is closing its Progresso Soup facility in Vineland. Soup production will be transferred to another facility in the United States.

Progresso has operated in Vineland since 1942 and General Mills took over in 2001.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.