REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION INTERVIEW
Good bet From its airport to the cannabis industry and the new winds blowing in the energy sector, opportunities are emerging in Atlantic City
Joe Jingoli CEO – JINGOLI when done right, can be a redevelopment tool and a way to entice more visitors to Atlantic City. In addition, the expansion of eds and meds in Atlantic City is also presenting great opportunities for growth and jobs. Also, we can’t underestimate the importance of the e-gaming sector. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement’s e-gaming lab, one of the best in the country and the world, is located in Atlantic City, highlighting the state’s commitment to providing key resources needed to fuel the growth of that industry. The offshore wind industry is also coming to New Jersey, right off the southern coastline. There is a lot of capacity in our construction industry to support the onshore segments of offshore wind, which are significant.
What opportunities do you foresee going forward? I am hopeful the Atlantic City International Airport, a South Jersey jewel, will evolve into a major hub of activity. Where other airports have space constraints and may have to sacrifice certain services to handle increased passenger numbers going forward, that is not the case for this airport. We’re hoping that as a major New Jerseybased construction company, we can be part of the plans to expand Atlantic City Airport. In the long and short term, development of that airport would create a source of new jobs. There is also opportunity within the state’s cannabis sector. Take Atlantic City as an example. I think the cannabis sector could be a part of the Atlantic City experience but how the opportunity is presented and introduced is critically important. Access to cannabis, 74
| Invest: South Jersey 2021 | REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
How are you developing and training your workforce? The JINGOLI companies stand firm and focused on developing and maintaining a workforce by applying the doctrines set forth by our Competitive Edge programs. On any given day, we have hundreds of young people from urban areas working for us. They start as summer workers, and when I say summer jobs, I mean jobs that pay $15 an hour and that’s just the first step. Then comes job training that includes specific training for specific jobs within a variety of our business sectors. We are fortunate that we have a high degree of success in recruiting young people to work for us because we also provide the necessary support for them to have long-term careers with us. What is your outlook for the South Jersey economy? We’re going to have a lot of infrastructure work with the onshore offerings related to offshore wind energy. Our medical sector is going to continue to grow and expand and that is positive. The gaming industry is going to have some challenges but there is pent-up demand, so I think it’s going to be great for the next 18 months.
