Meadowlands USA - April

2017 Connecting New Jersey Businesses

Grassroots Community Banking: BCB Bank Continues to Grow & Give Back to the Communities it Serves

Economic Development: Metrics & Resources Bergen Business Expo Preview: Trade Show Checklist Optimism Rising: Small Business Optimism Surges to Pre-Recession Levels

April $4.00

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Health • Dental • Vision Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The Blue Cross ® and Blue Shield ® names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The Horizon ® name and symbols are registered marks of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. © 2017 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Three Penn Plaza East, Newark, New Jersey 07105.

contents

Connecting New Jersey Businesses

L EADERSHIP C OUNCIL Allstate BCB Community Bank Bergen Community College Bergen Engineering/Branca Properties Boiling Springs Savings Bank Bruinooge & Associates Comfort Guard Contracting LLC Edison Properties Ernst & Young, LLP Eastwick Colleges Forsgate Industrial Partners FORT Group Goya Foods Hackensack University Medical Center Hartz Mountain Industries Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ-NYC In Thyme Catered Events J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc. Kearny Bank MassMutual New Jersey-NYC Meadowlink Commuter Services MetroMultiMedia MWW Group NAI James E. Hanson, Inc. New York Jets NJM Insurance Group NJSEA Onyx Equities, LLC PSE&G Russo Development Scarinci Hollenbeck Skanska USA TD Bank Suez Water New Jersey Inc. Verizon Wacoal America

Publisher: Meadowlands Publishing, a division of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber 201 Route 17 North Rutherford, NJ 07070 (201) 939-0707 Managing Editor: Joe Garavente Email submissions: jgaravente@meadowlands.org Advertising Director: Martha Morley, Greer Enterprises, Inc. (201) 493-7996

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Meadowlands Business Report Harmon Meadow Retail, Restaurants & Hotels Directory Meadowlands Restaurants & Dining Meadowlands Transportation Event Planning & Catering Services Explore the Meadowlands Stay in the Meadowlands Destination Meadowlands News From the Meadow

DEPARTMENTS

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Business Wise Investments, Banking & Financing Lessons in Leadership Featured Member: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Featured Member: Arcari & Iovino Tourism & Hospitality Real Estate Small Business Corner Tech Talk

Design: Evan Eagleson & Sandra Torres, Eighty6 Printing: Action Graphics

FEATURES

Meadowlands USA Magazine Distribution: MTM Resources

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Pruning The Office Market: Demolition projects help lower availability in Northern New Jersey

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Economic Development: Metrics, measurements & resources for Meadowlands businesses

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Grassroots Community Banking: BCB Bank continues to grow & give back to the communities it serves

Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any artwork, editorial material or copy prepared by Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce and appearing in this publication is strictly prohibited without written consent of the publisher. Additional magazines and reprints of articles are available.

The views expressed in this magazine are those of the submitting authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and may not be attributed to the Meadowlands Regional Chamber, Meadowlands USA or Meadowlands Publishing.

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Tradeshow Tips: The full nitty-gritty list of what you need to bring

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Business Report From the Desk of Jim Kirkos

President & CEO, Meadowlands Regional Chamber

W

ith the pleasant Spring weather finally here upon us in the Meadowlands, I am very pleased to welcome you to this latest edition of Meadowlands USA! At this time of year, it can sometimes become all too easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our busy work and personal lives—and we consequently forget to appreciate the beautiful blooming nature around us! Especially here in the Meadowlands, where we are so fortunate to have a wealth of nature and ecotourism opportunities right on hand. I highly encourage you to check out the nature walk and pontoon tour schedules from New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (www.njsea.com) and the canoeing/kayaking, cleanups, eco-cruises, and birding tours with Hackensack Riverkeeper (www.hackensackriverkeeper.org). Please see if you and co-workers, family or friends can partake in any of these programs this Spring and Summer.

On the note of appreciating scenic and experience-based opportunities in the Meadowlands, this issue introduces a new series in our Tourism & Hospitality section called ‘Scenes From The Meadowlands’, where we will highlight nature, cultural and historic sites in the Meadowlands. This issue looks at DeKorte Park on one of the first warm Spring days of this year. Stay tuned for more!

Speaking of Spring, this is of course the time of year that we present our Bergen Business Expo, the region’s premier platform for developing business opportunities and bringing North Jersey’s business resources together under one roof! This expo sells out every year and we highly encourage anyone who does business in Bergen County (or is interested in doing so) to consider participating. At the time of publication, there are still a few booths, tables and sponsorship opportunities available. Attendance at Power Networking Lunch is also highly recommended. Please see the ad on page 41 and visit www.bergenbusinessexpo.com for more information.

Just as a reminder, the content in this issue (plus even more!) is also available on our blog at www.meadowlandsusa.com.

This blog allows you to comment on published news stories—and submit your own online! I hope to see more members take advantage of this function by contributing business intelligence you feel can help organizations save money and operate more efficiently. Contact Managing Editor Joe Garavente at JGaravente@meadowlands.org if you have any questions about submitting content.

I wish your business much growth, flourishing and success this Spring!

Respectfully,

Jim Kirkos Follow me on twitter: @JimKirkos To stay informed about more activities from the Meadowlands Regional Chamber please visit www.meadowlands.org.

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BUSINESS WISE

Cyber Breach Protections

Why CEOs, corporate executives & boards should be concerned about IT security

E

xecutive management is typically focused on how to grow a company’s revenues and increase shareholder value. Today, executives also need to focus on protecting the company’s IT systems to retain shareholder value. As recent events at Yahoo have shown, the executive team was primarily focused on increasing the sale price of the company. Had the management team taken sufficient time to ensure that their information technology systems were secure—rather than focusing on increasing the company’s valuation—shareholders would have enjoyed a far better outcome.

To date, the security breach has cost Yahoo shareholders $350 million which Verizon took as a discount to their purchase price due to the IT security breach. This also cost Yahoo’s Chief Legal Counsel his job and CEO Marissa Mayer her annual bonus.

Why did the Chief Legal Counsel lose his job when it was an IT security breach? IT breaches, usually falling within the domain of the company’s CTO, CSO or CIO, affect data which compromises customer information. That falls squarely under the responsibly of Chief Legal Counsel who has primary responsibility to ensure that customer information is protected. An important lesson to learn from this event is that executive management needs to be in tune with middle management and IT personnel requests and needs— especially when it comes to IT security.

Being in the industry for 30 plus years, I have attended countless meetings where recommendations have been made to protect a company’s networks and information, only to find that executive management feels that the costs are too high or would rather spend money on other parts of the business where they can see a clear return on investment. Typical answers I hear from corporate executives when asked about IT security are: “Our IT department handles that” or “You need to talk to our IT guy.”

What does that mean? Executives must have some basic knowledge regarding IT security to give shareholders assurance that the company’s IT systems are protected. Would an executive give the same type of answer if asked, “How does the company ensure that proper accounting practices are followed?” The same scrutiny executives give to ensure that a company’s financial records are in order should apply to IT security. In the case of Yahoo and a myriad of other companies that have suffered breaches, executives cannot pass the buck when it comes to IT security and can’t always make decisions based solely on a return on investment when it comes to securing IT systems.

In retrospect, would Yahoo’s CEO have approved additional security measures to protect customer information regardless of the cost? Even assuming those measures cost $35 million to harden Yahoo’s systems, that cost is “a drop in the bucket” compared to the $350 million valuation that Yahoo lost. Furthermore, it is quite likely that those funds are now being spent to harden their IT systems as a condition of the sale to Verizon.

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While there are no unbreachable systems, companies can significantly mitigate risks by providing security with layers to protect valuable and sensitive data. Recognizing and accepting that there is no magic bullet that will make this problem go away, getting middle management and IT personnel involved in the decision making process—identifying the types of expenses that will enhance mitigation—will go a long way toward protecting corporate systems.

In summary, executives should not and cannot roll the dice when it comes to information technology and security. Experts must do their job when it comes to protecting a company’s data by using the most updated tools available to combat these challenges. IT security threats change daily and security technology becomes obsolete very quickly as hackers study what is out in the marketplace and figure out how to exploit system vulnerabilities. IT security measures must be changed often and should be layered to keep hackers from figuring out what you have introduced to mitigate their attacks.

The Yahoo example should put all executives on notice that their company can be next. Executives need to make IT security a priority and not just a line item in a report.

Richard Picolli, CISSP, is the president and owner of GTBM Inc., a computer technology, radio communications and software development firm with over 30 years of experience serving the needs of municipalities, police agencies, and corporations with software, hardware and network integration services.

Mr. Picolli has developed several patented technology products, including software that has gained Designation and Certification by the Department of Homeland Security as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology under the Safety Act, and he is recognized throughout New Jersey for his leadership in creating and deploying technology and services to support critical communications infrastructure for public safety purposes.

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BUSINESS WISE

The ‘Everything Company’

Outsourcing mundane tasks to make your time more efficient

T

he personal home assistant, like Alexa from Amazon, is one of the first in a growing series of devices that will eventually relieve you of mundane tasks allowing you to utilize your time more efficiently. Alexa is the next in Amazon’s perpetual strategy to be the “Everything Company” to the world.

Amazon represents the ultimate brand building example. It is not only becoming the “everything store” but now it is an “anytime everywhere” store. Google is anticipating your needs and Amazon is providing the only place you need to go to fulfill those needs. Google tees it up and Amazon delivers.

It is also the beginning of the elimination of the screen. Voice recognition will rapidly be the easy choice, as Siri from Apple and other devices have pioneered.

Amazon is capitalizing on the laziness of the mind. When faced with a choice the mind will always select the easiest alternative.

Instant gratification has always been a prime motivator for consumers. These new devices are providing the vehicle for thoughtless gratification and constant consumption.

Amazon is now the leader in home automation with Alexa and the Amazon Dash devices. Amazon was keenly aware of the fact that there were few other attractive new electronic devices on the market this Christmas season. By offering Alexa at an attractive price they enticed a mass market to buy and try this futuristic convenient device. Consumers “love it”—the ultimate goal for achieving brand equity. Amazon has a unique advantage in this race for “owning the customer” because they already have consumers “trust.”

Alexa, in combination with Google, has access to information about the world and is the initial “all-knowing device.” The interface with the “everything store” is the ultimate draw for consumers. You can order almost anything e.g. food, Uber, control home appliances, check your financial

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information, play music and complete a host of other routine daily routine activities.

In addition to being able to read a book to you, Alexa can also guide you through a recipe as you prepare for and cook a dish. That’s better than listening to Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray. If you run out of something you now can either tap that product’s Amazon Dash device or tell Alexa to order a replacement for you.

This is just the beginning of what will be. By collecting and storing your routine habits, preferences, and interests, these devices will eventually know what you want and need before you do. It is the ultimate strategy in the battle for the customers mind—immediate gratification over longer term gains.

To support their strategy, Amazon is investing in their infrastructure with new fulfillment centers, supply trailers, new retail outlets, delivery drones and a host of collaborations with firms like P&G and others to support their Dash devices.

APRIL 2017

It’s hard to imagine how their competitors can keep up with this perpetual introduction of consumerfriendly innovations that cement Amazon’s relationships with their global customers—making it easier and easier to do business with Amazon.

Robert M. Donnelly Donnelly is an author, educator and brand builder for businesses and individuals. His corporate life was spent in executive positions with IBM, Pfizer and EXXON and then as the CEO for several U.S. subsidiaries of foreign multinational firms.

Professor Donnelly is on the faculty of Saint Peters University as well as Rushmore University, a global online university. His latest book is Personal Brand Planning for Life, available on Amazon. He also functions as an interim executive. You can contact him at rdonnelly@saintpeters.edu.

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INVESTMENTS, BANKING & FINANCING

Improving Credit Score

Small changes can make a big difference in your credit score

D

id you know that making small changes on a credit report— and how you use your available credit lines—can make big differences in your scores?

Here are 10 things every consumer should know about credit: 1. Paid tax liens can be removed.

Paid (Released or satisfied) federal tax liens can be deleted from a credit report and all other public records within 30 days.

2. Some unpaid tax liens can be deleted.

Federal tax liens can also be deleted if they have balances of less than 25k with on time payments to the IRS. 3. Add authorized users to increase scores.

Adding authorized users can increase credit scores in as little as 3 weeks for free! No fees and no credit checks. Best of all, they cannot be denied.

4. Fix inaccurate or additional personal information.

Ninety-percent of credit reports have additional personal information that is either inaccurate or dated. Make sure your credit report is showing accurate information. If there is inaccurate information showing, there are typically phone numbers associated with credit agencies directly on your credit report. Call and set it straight—it will be worth the time.

5. Add secured cards.

Adding secured cards can help improve the credit profile and ultimately help a borrower get a loan approval. This needs to be structured a certain way but is extremely effective within a couple months.

6. Keep balances below 30 percent of available credit.

Credit card balances should be below 30 10

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percent of credit all the time. If you need more credit, get more trade lines (lenders like to see 3-5 trade lines).

can turn a terrible payer into a perfect credit consumer for the rest of their lives.

7. Consolidate student loans.

If student loans are in default, they can be consolidated and transferred to the U.S. Department of Education. This will make a huge difference in score and overall approval strength.

Marc Demetriou, CLU, ChFC is a branch manager and mortgage consultant at Residential Home Funding Corp. – Bloomingdale Branch. He recently was named a Five Star Mortgage Professional for superior customer service and professionalism in New Jersey Monthly magazine (March 2017). In 2014, 2016, and again in 2017, Marc was selected as one of the top 100 mortgage experts in the United States by Mortgage Professional America Magazine on their “Hot 100” list and was just named as one of the Top 1% Mortgage Originators in the United States (Mortgage Executive Magazine, Winter 2017 edition). He is a mortgage and reverse mortgage expert with over 11 years of experience in the mortgage industry, and over 25 years in the finance and banking industries.

He can be reached at (973) 492-0117 or mdemetriou@rhfunding.com.

8. Put burden of proof back on creditor.

Collections and charge-offs are deleted at roughly 70 percent. They generally don’t have the documentation to support the account properly and our system puts the burden of proof back on the creditor.

9. Limit credit inquiries.

You should only have seven inquiries a year. Anything more than that can affect the score.

10. Set up automatic bill pay.

If you’re not good at paying bills on time on a monthly basis, set up direct withdrawal of the fixed payment accounts.

Every creditor offers this option and it APRIL 2017

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Pruning The Office Market

Demolition projects help lower availability in Northern New Jersey

T

his report is from findings by Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF). Other NGKF Research Reports are also available at www.ngkf.com/research.

Key Findings: • More than half of the Northern New Jersey office market was built prior to 1990, while over 75 percent of the inventory is located in suburban submarkets.

• Demand trends are favoring urban and high-amenity buildings.

• The abundance of obsolete suburban buildings contributes to Northern New Jersey having one of the highest office availability rates in the US. • There is more than 3.9 million square feet of recent and planned office building demolition and adaptive reuse projects, which is helping to lower the market’s stubbornly high availability rate.

The aging office market Office buildings in New Jersey are showing their age. In fact, 71 percent of the inventory in Northern New Jersey was constructed prior to 1990. Tenants in the market are seeking upgraded amenities and working environments that are not typically provided by older facilities. Current demand drivers for office space include high ceilings, open floor plates, maximum window line exposure, ample parking and modern building amenities such as food service, fitness centers and conference areas. Availability for buildings built during the 1980s averaged 24.6 percent over the past five years, which is significantly higher than the trailing five-year availability rate of 20.1 percent for properties built since 2000.

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The trend of companies squeezing more employees per square foot has created parking challenges for older properties. A typical 1980s office building was built with three to four parking spaces per 1,000 square feet. Modern efficient floorplates require upwards of five spots per 1,000 square feet. Landlords are responding by adding parking decks, but this can cost $20,000 to $35,000 per space.

Marcus Partners built a new 222-car parking deck at 500 Plaza Drive in Secaucus—a 466,718-square-foot building originally completed in 1985. This helped attract Quest Diagnostics, which leased 130,200 square feet in June 2016. The building is now 98 percent occupied. A new parking deck is also being added at 5 Giralda Farms in Madison to accommodate Allergan, which leased the 431,495-square-foot property in August 2016.

Tenants with strict requirements are leaving obsolete buildings behind for build-to-suit opportunities. Bristol-Myers Squibb’s 555,000-square-foot build-to-suit facility in Lawrenceville is slated to deliver in early 2017. The company currently occupies over 2.0 million square feet in the Princeton area, a portion of which it will be vacating once the new building is complete.

The Northern New Jersey office market is primarily suburban, which is another factor contributing to its relatively high availability rate. National trends have favored CBD office markets in recent years, as a growing number of companies want to be in live/play/ work environments with transit access. The national CBD vacancy rate is 11.9 percent compared with the national suburban vacancy rate of 14.1 percent.

Northern New Jersey’s two major urban submarkets (Newark and the Hudson Waterfront) represent less than one-quarter of the market. Availability in New Jersey’s urban submarkets has aver-

aged 9.7 percent lower than the suburban submarkets over the past 10 years, while the average asking rent is nearly $10.00/SF higher.

Over the past few years, companies such as Pearson Education, Nice Systems and New York Life have relocated/consolidated into offices along the Hudson Waterfront, leaving behind suburban facilities. Newark has also attracted new corporate tenants from the suburbs, including Panasonic and Genova Burns.

Some suburban properties have stayed competitive with extensive renovation programs and the addition of modern amenities.

Mountain Development’s 56 Livingston Avenue in Roseland was a vacant, isolated suburban asset when it was acquired in 2011.

Following a $50.0 million upgrade that included the addition of a full-service cafeteria, fitness center and conference area, the property is 82.3 percent leased by tenants such as Connell Foley, Lowenstein Sandler and Brown & Brown.

“Bell Works” is the rebranded and redeveloped 2.0 million-square- foot former Bell Labs building in Holmdel. The property has seen 514,445 square feet of leasing activity since its renovation, including major leases with iCIMs, WorkWave and Jersey Central Power & Light. In addition to gutting the building, Somerset Development is adding 75,000 square feet of retail space and a 250-key hotel to help create a mixed-use urban environment in the suburbs.

Other landlords, especially those with buildings in secondary locations, may find that redevelopment with alternative land uses such as apartments or industrial is a more lucrative option.

Pruning the office inventory The remedy to the stubbornly high availability rate of Northern New Jersey’s office market may be redevelopment and repurposing

of its many obsolete suburban assets.

Adaptive reuse projects are recycling and repositioning land sites and effectively “pruning” the office inventory, as obsolete buildings are replaced by new office buildings or other land uses such as apartments. This pruning is making the market on average newer and less suburban, which in turn is helping to lower availability and lift rents.

For every 2 million square feet of empty office space in the Northern New Jersey market that is torn down and/or converted to an alternative use, availability declines by approximately one percentage point. The impact is even more pronounced at the submarket level.

NGKF has been tracking 2.7 million square feet of office space that was redeveloped or converted to non-office uses since the beginning of 2013. In addition, there are more than 1.2 million square feet of planned/proposed projects of this nature. During the fourth quarter of 2016, three vacant office buildings left the inventory because of demolitions and conversions. Pearson Education’s former office at 1 Lake Street in Upper Saddle River was taken down to make way for 208 luxury townhomes. 280-286 Prospect Plains Road was an empty 500,000-square-foot office building in Cranbury, which is a secondary office location but a prime industrial market near Exit 8A of the NJ Turnpike. It is being redeveloped as 757,500 square feet of warehouse space.

The strong apartment and industrial markets are aiding this process. Availability in the industrial market is 8.7 percent as of the end of 2016, which is the lowest level in more than 10 years, while rents have shot up 13.8 percent year-over-year. This has prompted developers to start building and 11.3 million square feet of industrial space is under construction. The apartment market is also Continued on pg. 14

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Continued from pg. 13

very strong nationally and in New Jersey.

According to REIS, the Northern New Jersey apartment market has a vacancy rate of 3.8 percent as of fourth-quarter 2016. Moreover, CoStar reports there are 23,571 units currently under construction in the Northern New Jersey market, more than at any time since 2000.

Recent affordable housing rulings by the New Jersey Supreme Court may also encourage apartment development. In January, the court reaffirmed its commitment to the series of Mount Laurel cases dating back to 1975.

The high court ruled that towns must factor in “gap years” from 1999 through 2015 when calculating their affordable housing obligations. This is expected to lead to rezoning to allow for more residential development in undersupplied suburban towns. For example, Paramus revised its zoning and land use laws in December 2015 to help improve its tax base. It now allows apartment buildings of up to five stories across large swaths of the town, including a number of sites with high-vacancy office properties.

Outlook The Northern New Jersey office market is beginning to clean house, as obsolete buildings in secondary suburban locations are taken out of the inventory due to redevelopment.

Strong demand for apartments and industrial space is aiding this process, which is helping to lower availability in the office market. This office market pruning is expected to continue as long as the current economic expansion cycle continues. It will be counterbalanced by greenfield development and conversions from industrial to office in urban settings, such as 110 Edison Place in Newark. Over the long term, this trend should improve the overall quality of the inventory in New Jersey and result in lower availability and greater potential for rent growth.

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LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

Closing The Loop

Proactive communication is part of being a leader

I

was recently talking with a colleague who manages a large number of direct reports with several supervisors in between him and those team members.

Even though those supervisors are technically the managers of these approximately 80 staff members, my colleague—we will call John—finds himself consumed by communicating and managing information, assignments and tasks with virtually all of these people on a regular basis.

According to John, “It’s driving me crazy. I feel like if I don’t proactively communicate and reach out to find out where we are on a particular project, things will get stuck.” When I asked John why the five managers he had in place weren’t playing a more active role in leading and managing the other team members, his frustration grew and he said, “I don’t know what it is. They go only so far on a particular project and then they leave me hanging. They don’t close the loop.”

When I asked what he meant by “closing the loop,” John said: “All I ask is that they keep me updated on the status of a particular task, even if it is not complete. Just tell me where we are. But instead, I find myself having to track things down. All I want them to do is close the loop at the end of the day with an e-mail or a phone call. But most just don’t do it.”

As I thought about my conversation with John and his description of the need for us to “close the loop”, it hit me how pervasive this problem is. Too many professionals at every level wait for their managers, clients and others to track them down and ask the question: “Where are you with XYZ project?” Great communicators understand the need to be proactive. They understand that most people on the other end are expecting you to proactively reach out and let them know where

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things stand without that person having to follow up with you.

The simple concept of “closing the loop” is so significant, not just in terms of client service, but also for professionals who report to their managers and leaders of organizations. Ask yourself the question, if you were the head of a department or division in a company with many people reporting to you dealing with numerous projects, would you rather chase down information about where things stand or have your team members proactively communicating with you about the status of those projects and the projected completion of them? The answer is obvious.

But in spite of this, too many people are too passive in their communication and wait to be asked, prodded, begged and, sometimes, pushed very hard by their boss to do what is essentially their job. Simply put, keep your boss in the know. Close the loop. Doing this will reduce your boss’s anxiety level, will make you look good and, further, will allow the leader of your team to focus more on the bigger picture and decisions he or she needs to make rather than micromanaging APRIL 2017

the information flow.

Even if the project you are working on is not completed, or you are facing real challenges, close the loop by sending an e-mail or communicate via phone or in person to those who need to know about the situation. This way, you can deal with the situation together. So start closing the loop. Your boss will appreciate it.

How do you “close the loop” with your manager or team leader? Write to me at sadubato@aol.com.

Steve Adubato Ph.D., is the author of numerous books including his latest, “You Are the Brand”, and his upcoming book, “Lessons in Leadership”. He is also an Emmy Award-winning anchor on Thirteen/WNET (PBS) and NJTV (PBS) who regularly appears on CNN, FOX News and NBC’s Today Show. Steve also provides executive leadership coaching and seminars for a variety of corporations and organizations both regionally and nationally. To read more Lessons in Leadership visit www.Stand-Deliver.com. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveAdubato and Facebook @SteveAdubatoPhD.

Tune in Saturdays 8:30am Saturdays 12:30pm Saturdays 11:30am Sundays 11:30am

www.SteveAdubato.org

/SteveAdubatoPHD

@SteveAdubato

Economic Development Section

Meadowlands Economic Snapshot: Measurements, magnitude & movement in the Greater Meadowlands region This piece originally ran in the 2017 Meadowlands Economic Development & Relocation Guide. The next edition of the guide will be released in September 2017.

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he Greater Meadowlands Region stands strongly on its own, and we are also a gateway to nearby metropolitan economies and markets abroad. Although we are just a few miles away from Manhattan and we are well-connected to New York City, we do not just live and work in the shadow of the city. We are a well-established, vibrant, thriving and welcoming business community in our own right.

We are home to the largest business growth & GDP growth in New Jersey, according to SmartAsset. Businesses choose the Meadowlands for location, business connections, transportation, workforce, cultural diversity and quality of work & life.

Home to the largest business growth & GDP growth in New Jersey.

–SmartAsset (Hudson and Bergen Counties)

We of course have Metlife Stadium, the Giants and the Jets— our legacy in sports & entertainment has put us on the map. And we host a prosperous community of prominent businesses in our region: Goya Foods, NAI James E. Hanson, Russo Development, J. Fletcher Creamer, JR., Hartz Mountain Industries, Samsung, HackensackUMC and The Children’s Place just to name a few. We also have a growing community of startups and small businesses that call the Meadowlands home.

Here are some key facts, figures & information for the Greater Meadowlands Region:

“View and study a map of the world and zero in on where the earth’s economic sphere of influence exists and the NJ Meadowlands and its surrounding region glows as the world’s economic center of gravity” –Senator Anthony Scardino, Jr. 18

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People The total population covered by The Greater Meadowlands Region is 968,765 people (691,034 people without Jersey City, the second largest city in the state) and the median age is 38, which is slightly younger than the 39 year median age of New Jersey overall, according to Census data.

Educational Attainment We have a highly educated population and the majority of the people in the Greater Meadowlands has completed at least a high school degree. 41 percent of the population has completed a college degree, compared with approximately 33 percent of the American population overall according to Census data.

There are 20 colleges and universities in the Greater Meadowlands, and 198 colleges and universities within 50 miles.

Labor & Workforce The Greater Meadowlands engages 450,605 total employees in over 43,000 establishments across a diverse spectrum of industries.

“The Meadowlands is a growing region of opportunity. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of all it has to offer—reasonable real estate prices, close proximity to New York City, convenient mass transportation and lower taxes than New York state and city taxes It makes sense to establish your business presence now and create an identity that will be easily recognized by businesses established in the region—and those that move here in the future.”

Industry & Jobs The Greater Meadowlands has a total of 43,075 businesses. The leading industries in The Greater Meadowlands are Retail & Hospitality, Manufacturing, Professional/Scientific/Technical Services and Education.

–Patti Goldfarb, Employee Benefits Advisors Group “The concentration of business in the Meadowlands makes it very efficient to run your business—proximity means you don’t have to travel far to do a lot of business in a short period of time.”

–Mike Mahoney, The Alternative Board Bergen County

66 percent of the workforce is white collar/professional service while 33 percent of the workforce covers blue collar sectors. In the United States as a whole, white collar/professional service employees cover 40 percent of the workforce and other occupations account for 60 percent of the workforce, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

“This central location, with easy access to various transportation hubs and close proximity to New York City, provides Felician University students with exposure to the arts and culture, a broad field of internship opportunities and interaction with a diverse population. These enhancements to the education experience, along with Felician’s commitment to providing our students with a premier, high quality education, all work together to ensure Felician graduates will be well prepared to excel in a diverse, global workforce and become the ethical leaders of tomorrow.”

–Anne M. Prisco, Ph.D., President, Felician University Office & Industrial Office Space The Greater Meadowlands region hosts over 40 million sq. ft. of office and industrial space, according to data from OfficeSpace.com.

The Greater Meadowlands region excluding Jersey City has over 25 million sq. ft. of office and industrial space and Jersey City alone has 14.5 million sq. ft.

“When talking about North Jersey, the region with the most to offer is the Greater Meadowlands footprint. From endless business opportunity—located next to the greatest city in the world—the Greater Meadowlands Region continues to display an economic engine that supports community, business and family while sensitive to economic development and infrastructure.”

–Rick Dabagian, Action Graphics Continued on pg. 20

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Meadowlands Economic Snapshot Continued from pg. 19

Diversity of Business Sizes: From Startups to Corporations The Greater Meadowlands is home to businesses of all different sizes, from small startups to mid- and large-sized corporations.

“Opening our first location for our business, Pole Position Raceway, in the Meadowlands region was the best decision we could have made. Our business hosts both consumers as well as the business sector. The business relationships we’ve cultivated through the Chamber have enabled us to introduce our venue to hundreds of companies in a short span of time. We have created lasting and trusted partnerships with sponsors, vendor and suppliers. The region has so much opportunity and we have grown much faster than we ever imagined as a result!”

-Karen Davis-Farage, Pole Position Raceway spending indicator that is 22 percent higher than the national average in the United States.

Income & Spending

The median household income is 40 percent higher than the median household income for the overall United States.

Household spending is 22 percent higher than the national average in the United States.

The median income is 40 percent higher than the median household income for the overall United States.

Households in The Greater Meadowlands earn a median yearly income of $70,000, with more households in the ‘greater than $100,000’ income bracket than any other bracket. The median income is 40 percent higher than the median household income for the overall United States. It matches the median income for New Jersey, which is the second highest income state in the country.

Household expenditures average $62,994.00 per year, a strong

“Due to a mature transportation infrastructure, highly educated workforce and quality of life, many or our client’s gravitate toward the Meadowlands region.”

–Frank Recine, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank 20

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Transportation More information about transportation in the Greater Meadowlands Region can be found in the feature story on page 22 but here are some fast facts: The average resident’s commute time is 25 minutes, less than the rest of the New York City metropolitan area which has an average commute time of 36 minutes. This includes residents of the Meadowlands who commute to work inside as well as outside the region, including those who work in New York City. Residents of the Meadowlands commute to work by car, bus or train. Jersey City has the second highest usage of mass transit for work commuters in the United States of America, just behind New York City.

The Greater Meadowlands Region is serviced by several state and interstate highways, as well as the New Jersey Turnpike which runs right through it. The Garden State Parkway borders the western part of the region. The Greater Meadowlands region connects three Hudson River crossings into Manhattan—the Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel and the George Washington Bridge.

Teterboro Airport is located right in the heart of the region, Continued on pg. 22

The Meadowlands Economic Development & Relocation Guide

30% CIRCULATION INCREASE

BE THE FIRST TO REACH NEWCOMERS & INCOMING BUSINESSES TO THE MEADOWLANDS See Last Year's Guide: www.meadowlandsusa.com

Competitive advertising rates starting at $740

ABOUT THE GUIDE This is the essential resource guide for site selectors, consultants and business decision-makers interested in starting, expanding or relocating business operations within the Greater Meadowlands Area. The guide, which we produce in response to high demand from incoming businesses, showcases the Meadowlands Region’s vibrant marketplace through descriptive and statistical overviews on the regional economy. The circulation is 20,000 copies. The guide also provides information about economic trends in the area and insight into the area’s highly advanced workforce, distinguished educational resources and prime location. Key economic sectors that are critical to the region’s future prosperity are identified.

DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS New Jersey Economic Development Authority Choose New Jersey Bergen County Hudson County Municipal Governments Meadowlands Regional Chamber Meadowlands Liberty Convention & Visitors Bureau Municipal Chambers of Commerce

DEADLINE Space Deadline: June 23 Materials Due: July 7 Delivery: September 2017 (released at 2017 Thought Leaders Conference)

ADVERTISING SALES Martha Morley (201) 493-7996, greerentps@aol.com All space reservation forms and insertion orders should be faxed to (201) 939-0522 or mailed to: Meadowlands Publishing 201 Route 17 N, 2nd Floor, Rutherford NJ 07070

WITH:

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ADDED VALUE DIGITAL EDITION linked on multiple partner websites and distributed to local & prospective businesses

Meadowlands Economic Snapshot Continued from pg. 20

home to many private aviation charter companies that fly nationally and globally. Newark Liberty International Airport is just 10 miles away. There are 25 airports within 50 miles of the region, including LaGuardia Airport (16 miles) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (21 miles) in New York City.

Mass transit is abundant. NJ Transit services the Greater Meadowlands Region with several train lines, bus lines and the Hudson–Bergen Light Rail. Jersey City and Harrison are serviced by the PATH train, which goes directly to World Trade Center in Manhattan and also Newark Penn Station. There are also several private services available, including EZ Ride through Meadowlink, which offers shuttle transportation around the region. A NJ Transit train ride from Secaucus Junction to New York Penn Station can take as little as 8 minutes.

$3,000 per job, per year through New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Grow NJ Assistance Program. More information about this can be found in the feature on page 34.

Business Incentives There are over $1 billion from identified incentive packages going toward investment projects across companies, industries and municipalities in the Meadowlands, according to WAVTEQ which tracks incentive programs across the United States. This number also represents 29 percent of all incentive investments in the entire state of New Jersey, despite the Meadowlands region representing a relatively small geography.

“This is a very densely populated area, so you don’t have to go far to find clients for one thing. And there’s a lot of different types of businesses in this area—there’s a complete cross section of everything here. So whatever your customer base is, you can find it around here.”

“Goya Foods has invested almost $1 billion dollars in a new 650,000 square-foot headquarters facility and state of the art distribution center here in the Meadowlands. The future of the region is critically important to our business and our family.”

-Peter Unanue, COO of Goya Foods

–Suzanne Buggé, A Focused Advantage Data for this piece was compiled from ZoomProspector, a subsidiary of GIS Planning, Inc., as well as other sources that are cited in the text.

“We relocated our office to the Meadowlands area years ago after recognizing the relative ease of access to the highway system in North Jersey. In addition, we have found a strong base of local businesses to serve and from which we benefit.”

–Anthony Iovino, Arcari + Iovino Architects, PC Tax Information Business organizations that are creating or retaining jobs in New Jersey may be eligible for tax credits ranging from $500 to $5,000 per job, per year; with bonus credits ranging from $250 to

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Economic Development Section

Bergen County’s Sweet Success Expanding big business & bridging relations

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n Bergen County, business is sweet.

Literally. Bergen is home of the “big 07652” (Paramus) where you’ll find the Garden State Plaza—a mall attracting 19 million shoppers per year. Oreo cookies are made every day in Bergen (Fair Lawn) along with a delicious beverage to wash them down, Yoo-hoo (Carlstadt).

But it’s more than the success of the shopping and sugar sectors that make Bergen County so appealing to site selectors and prospective businesses; it’s our highly skilled workforce, close proximity to Manhattan, outstanding colleges/universities and top-rated hospitals and medical centers—not to mention assistance from the Bergen County Division of Economic Development (BCDED) connecting them to these assets.

In some places, the economic development team meets with companies once, then refers them to the next organization.

In Bergen County, we take an expansive, continuing approach. We get all the key people, from both the public and private sectors, together in one room so a company feels 100 percent supported. What comes out of this process? Ongoing conversations, comprehensive services and strategic solutions. More specifically, the BCDED helps companies identify sites for relocation/expansion projects, hire and train skilled workers, apply for Grow NJ’s tax incentives and secure transportation for employees. The BCDED also serves Bergen’s municipalities in repurposing antiquated office buildings, revitalizing downtowns, establishing improvement districts and more.

“Right now we’re in the process of helping an international manufacturer open a facility here,” says Joanne Cimiluca, BCDED director. “So far, we’ve partnered with the Bergen County Workforce Development Board, Bergen Community College, Meadowlands Regional Chamber and the mayor. And we’re not done,” she added.

As former mayor of Paramus, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco has seen

firsthand the powerful impact of strong public-private partnerships. “Bringing together the resources and talent of government, business and nonprofit sectors benefits all of us,” he says.

Companies and municipalities often face challenges when taking on major economic projects, as do developers and builders. In Bergen County, we help wherever we can, from start to finish and beyond.

Some of Bergen County’s economic development projects are Wesmont Station (Wood-Ridge), Hudson Lights (Fort Lee), Skymark Town Center (Ridgefield Park) and American Dream at the Meadowlands.

Company newcomers include outdoor prehistoric theme park Field Station Dinosaurs (Leonia), Memorial Sloan Kettering (Montvale), Amazon (Moonachie), Platinum Press (Oakland), Brainsway USA (Hackensack) and LuLu Hypermarket (Lyndhurst).

Many marquee corporations call Bergen home, including Becton Dickinson, Stryker, Jaguar, Unilever, Samsung, Das-

sault Falcon, Quest Diagnostics, Volvo, Sharp, Konica Minolta, LG Electronics, BMW and others. Thousands of small businesses and Main Street shops line our 70 municipalities, and there are over 1,500 manufacturers. With figures like this, Bergen County’s looking sweeter than ever.

But never do we at the BCDED take this for granted. Our goal is to have ongoing conversations with CEOs, mayors, business administrators, site selectors and commercial real estate brokers each week.

We want to play a part in a company’s or town’s prosperity.

This kind of advocacy makes all the difference in the world. Or in the county, anyway.

Joanne Cimiluca is the director of Bergen County’s Division of Economic Development (BCDED). For assistance with BCDED’s services, please contact (201) 3367500 or visit http://www.co.bergen.nj.us/ index.aspx?nid=155

Bergen County is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family. Nearly one million people live in one of our 70 unique and vibrant municipalities. Our county attracts thousands of visitors each day to our businesses, educational facilities, historical sites and special events. Our retail shopping facilities are second to none. Bergen Community College attracts students from across the county and state. Places to visit include the Meadowlands, Steuben House (home to the Bergen County Historical Society), Overpeck Park, the Bergen County Zoo in Van Saun Park and the New Jersey Naval Museum—just to name a few.

As the largest county in NJ, Bergen County offers a sizable pool of diverse, well-educated, highly skilled workers. Our business community is a thriving mix of Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike. My administration is proud to partner with the Meadowlands Regional Chamber and other agencies and organizations to grow our economy and capitalize on opportunities for public-private partnerships.

We continue to strive every day to make Bergen County the best place for our residents, businesses and visitors. This guide is a valuable resource of information for anyone who lives or works in Bergen County. I urge you to take advantage of the programs and opportunities available in Bergen County government for future growth and opportunities. Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office by contacting (201) 336-7300 or emailing countyexecutive@co.bergen.nj.us. My staff and I are here to help.

Sincerely, James J. Tedesco, III Bergen County Executive

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Economic Development Section

Hudson County Works For You

Location & amenities make Hudson County a prime spot for business

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ituated on the Hudson River directly across from Manhattan, you cannot find a better location for your business than Hudson County. We are the direct center of the nation’s number one dominant market area and we enjoy easy access to New York City, Philadelphia and Connecticut. We have desirable commercial, industrial and residential space along the Hudson River and throughout Hudson County, and we are a central transportation hub for both commuter and freight traffic.

A close second to location is Hudson County’s diversity. Hudson County is a community of more than 600,000 residents and is the fourth most ethnically diverse county in the nation today. This rich diversity translates into a highly effective workforce with fluent, multilingual capabilities, a strong sense of community and international business ties.

For quality of life look to Hudson County for its old world brownstones, glamorous condos and luxury apartment living along the county’s sparkling waterfront. Our proximity to New York City’s wealth of entertainment venues and easy access to professional football and world class soccer games in nearby MetLife Stadium and Red Bull Arena are a tremendous asset to enjoy personally and to share with business clients.

Hudson remains a transportation hub, boasting a modern light rail system that runs north-south throughout the County, and serviced by several major transportation arteries, including the New Jersey Turnpike, I-280, and U.S. Route 1 & 9.

We are within short travel distance of Newark Liberty, Kennedy and LaGuardia International Airports. And we also continue to build on our proud history in the shipping industry with recently improved deep-water ports, now ready to handle the super-freighter traffic of the 21st Century.

The Hudson County Economic Development Corporation (HCEDC) plays a

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key role in encouraging business development here in Hudson County, lending over three million dollars in low cost financing to small businesses throughout the county.

HCED also administers the County’s award winning Brownfields programs, and serves the business community with site location and relocation services.

Business Loans Do you need a loan for your business?

Looking to grow your business in Hudson County?

The Business Loan Program through HCEDC provides below-market funding to small businesses. These loans are blended to the Prime Rate. Loans vary between $25,000 and $100,000 and may be used for working capital, purchase of inventory, machinery/equipment and building acquisition/expansion.

Repayment terms are flexible and can range to a maximum of ten years. We have originated more than $3 million in loans to

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local businesses.

We now offer a MicroLoan Program that provides loans to commercial enterprises with five or fewer employees. Contact the HCEDC at (201) 369-4370 to learn if your company is eligible. Loans can range from $5,000 to $25,000. These loans are available to businesses in Bayonne, East Newark, Guttenberg, Harrison, Hoboken, Kearny, North Bergen, Secaucus, Union City, Weehawken and West New York. Application fees do apply.

Bonding is also available through the NJ Economic Development Corporation.

Our loan coordinator will be happy to visit your company and answer any questions you may have. Simply fill out the form below to begin getting more information.

Put Hudson County To Work For assistance with any of HCEDC’s services, please contact us at (201) 369-4370 or visit hudsonedc.org.

Hudson County offers a range of partnership opportunities to help you grow your business.

The Hudson County Economic Development Corporation offers crucial small business loans; the Hudson County Office of Minority & Women Owned Business Enterprise can provide valuable technical expertise; and our Workforce Development One Stop Center can provide you with trained, prequalified workers with the training and skills you need.

We’re also proud of the many civic institutions we work with to create a strong and stable business environment in Hudson County, like the Meadowlands Regional Chamber. This economic development guide is one of many services they provide to deliver quality information to their members and the larger community.

If you would like to know more about why Hudson County is your address for business success, please contact the Hudson County Economic Development Corporation at (201) 369-4370.

Let’s get together and get to work.

Sincerely, Thomas A. DeGise Hudson County Executive

Resources:

Economic Development Partners For Your Business

The Meadowlands Regional Chamber The Meadowlands Regional Chamber is a dynamic business service organization that serves over 1,100 organizations in the region through advocacy, events, entrepreneurial development, transportation/infrastructure planning, education/workforce development and tourism development.

(201) 939-0707, www.meadowlands.org The Meadowlands 2040 Foundation The Meadowlands 2040 Foundation is an economic development “think tank”, comprised of C-Suite level business leaders from small to large companies who have invested mightily here in the Meadowlands. The mission of the 2040 Foundation is to provide a business perspective and long-term vision to plan for a growing and sustainable economy through the year 2040. http://www.meadowlands.org/content/meadowlands-2040-foundation Meadowlands Liberty Convention & Visitors Bureau The Meadowlands Convention and Visitors Bureau (MLCVB) is the tourism & hospitality division of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber and is the destination marketing organization for the region.

(877) MLCVB-US, mlcvb.com

Bergen County Economic Development Corporation The Bergen County Economic Development Corporation (BCEDC) is a not-for-profit public/private partnership between the County of Bergen and the business community. As an organization, we strive to provide the necessary tools to business owners.

(201) 336-7500, co.bergen.nj.us/index.aspx?nid=155 Hudson County Economic Development Corporation Hudson County Economic Development Corporation (HCEDC) is a not-for-profit that focuses on business attraction and retention within Hudson County, and job creation for Hudson County residents.

(201) 369-4370, hudsonedc.org Bergen County Workforce Development Board The Bergen County Workforce Development Board oversees the One-Stop Career Center, and acts as a liaison between the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) and local businesses. It connects employers to incentive programs, training grants, tax credits, on-the-job training for workers and other business-related services.

(201) 343-8830, bergenworkforce.org

Meadowlands USA/MeadowlandsUSA.com Meadowlands USA is a North Jersey regional publication that reaches people who live and work in and around the Meadowlands.

Available in print and blog format.

Hudson County Workforce Development Board The mission of the Hudson County Workforce Development Board is to provide employer-driven training programs that connect residents effectively to available jobs. It also coordinates and aligns the County’s various workforce development resources, programs and strategies in order to best serve jobseekers, workers and employers.

(201) 939-2942, www.meadowlandsusa.com

(201) 420-3000 ext. 2636, www.hudsonworkforce.org,

New Jersey Economic Development Authority The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) is an independent State agency that finances small and mid-sized businesses, administers tax incentives to retain/grow jobs and revitalizes communities through redevelopment initiatives. It also supports entrepreneurial development by providing access to training and mentoring programs.

NJ Business Action Center The New Jersey Business Action Center (BAC) serves as a “onestop” shop for businesses, helping companies to stay and grow in New Jersey as well as locate to our great state.

(866) 534-7789, www.njeda.com New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority The New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (NJSEA) is the zoning and planning agency for the region, and aims to promote economic growth and development through initiatives that attract and retain businesses. They also oversee many of the parks and nature programs in the region. The NJSEA also develops and manages the premier sports, convention and entertainment facilities in New Jersey.

(201) 460-1700, www.njsea.com

(866) 534-7789, nj.gov/state/bac/ Choose New Jersey Choose New Jersey’s mission is to encourage and nurture economic growth throughout New Jersey, with a focus on our urban centers.

(609) 297-2200, www.choosenj.com The Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Talent Network The Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Talent Network (RHTTN) works with employers in the retail, hospitality and tourism space to help identify valuable skills in potential employees. They then assist future employees with getting the training they need to qualify for these retail, hospitality, and tourism jobs.

(201) 692-7266, www.rhttn.com MEADOWLANDS USA

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Grassroots Community Banking

BCB Bank continues to grow & give back to the communities it serves

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hen thinking of an organization that gives back to society, raises money for causes and co-sponsors events that bring the community together, one might assume such an organization is a local charity of some kind.

And when thinking of a bank that offers great customer service, advanced technology and a wide variety of banking options, one might imagine a large national brand with hundreds of branches across the country.

But one business, born in Bayonne, has reached its hand out to over 20 different locations from the Meadowlands to Monmouth County. It brings the elements of “local” and “bank” together to create something that is a benefit to the community, to the economy and to all of

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its customers.

BCB Community Bank has been proudly providing individuals, businesses and nonprofits with invaluable banking services since 2000, and along the way has tirelessly given back to the communities that access those services. It has uplifted a variety of social, cultural, health and other community causes, including efforts to help military veterans, senior citizens, disabled people, children and the hungry.

“What you give to BCB, BCB gives back,” says Thomas Coughlin, President and CEO of the bank. According to Coughlin, the bank partners with several organizations throughout its branches, including Meadowlands branches in Rutherford, Lyndhurst and, most recently, Lodi to co-host fundraisers, health

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and wellness events, cultural events and more.

BCB was recently recognized by Assemblyman Raj Mukherji for its contributions to the South Asian and Indian-American communities of New Jersey.

In addition, Jersey City Council President Roland R. Lavarro, Jr. presented Coughlin with official recognition for the bank’s contributions to the city, which is home to another one of its branches. This is just a fraction of the impact BCB has had.

“Born from the community, BCB remains committed to the well-being of those we serve,” states the company’s website, which describes BCB’s banking style as “grassroots community banking.”

“As we have grown, our community support has remained rooted in our local communities and includes support

for education, disease prevention and awareness, food pantries, those with special needs, veterans, the military and neighborhood recovery from natural disasters.”

From roots to branches BCB Community Bank began as the dream of a group of businesspeople in Bayonne who saw the need for a new community bank, according to Coughlin.

The first location, called Bayonne Community Bank, was opened in Bayonne in November 2000 and in June 2009, with three branches of its own in Bayonne and Hoboken, BCB acquired Pamrapo Savings Bank, opening 10 new branches and extending its “footprint” to Monroe and Jersey City.

BCB further grew, branching out into South Orange and Woodbridge after acquiring Allegiance Community Bank in April 2011—and also growing outside of New Jersey by opening two branches in Staten Island and a loan production office in New York City. In the past year, the bank has been growing organically, says Coughlin, opening up six new branches in Lyndhurst, Lodi, Edison, Carteret, Holmdel and Union. With plans to open its newest branch in Maplewood later this year, BCB will have a total of 23 branches by 2018.

“We take great pride in investing in businesses to help them grow and helping people achieve their dreams of homeownership and financial security,” Coughlin said at the most recent branch opening in Union this February. As of this writing, there are a total of 40,000 accounts across all of BCB’s branches.

BCB also has a total of over 350 employees.

“Part of our mission statement is to grow within the company,” Coughlin says. “We constantly are training our employees to get to that next level.

BCB prides itself in having an internal training room and trainer to help our employees exceed and succeed.

A bank that gives back “I’m very proud that our employees all have that same passion that the founders had initially—giving back to the community as much as you can,” Coughlin says.“A few years back, we had a 5K race and the proceeds went to buy two all-terrain wheelchairs for two veterans. It changed their quality of life,” he recalls.

He also mentions that the bank has worked as a sponsor to provide service dogs to veterans with PTSD. In addition to multiple charity causes, BCB supports recreational

community activities and the arts, having recently co-sponsored the 10th Annual Woodbridge Charity Chili Cook Off and the 2017 St. George Theatre Red Carpet Gala.

A program currently run by BCB to support local nonprofits is the Pay It Forward program, which allows nonprofits banking with BCB who have supporters with accounts to receive a quarterly donation directly from the bank based on how many supporters sign up. The program is free for both the nonprofits and their supporters, so Coughlin says it is an easy way to get community members and bank customers involved in helping the causes they care about.

“Just by signing a paper you can participate and help your favorite nonprofit,” he says.

The personal connection BCB has with members of its community, and the support it can offer through gestures both small and large make all the difference when it comes to fulfilling their mission of serving the community.

“We donated a swing for children with special needs, and the mom of the child sent a picture to us saying ‘My child’s never been on a swing,’” Coughlin recalls. The swing, at Kidspot in Rutherford, was the result of a collaboration between BCB Community Bank and Continued on pg. 28

BCB sponsored the Bergen Volunteer Center’s Fifth Friday event which featured Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal as the keynote speaker.

Pictured are BCB’s Maria Villaman, Carmela Simone and Jose Figueroa at the Meadowlands Regional Chamber’s Nonprofit Vendor Fair.

Pictured are Michael Rizzo, Business Development Officer at BCB; Kathleen Hansen, Branch Manager at BCB; and Lynne Algrant, CEO of the Bergen Volunteer Center as part of the Backpacks For Veterans drive.

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BCB participated in the Meadowlands Regional Chamber’s Bergen Business Expo.

Pictured are Michael Rizzo, BDO; Josephine Bonfrisco, CSR of the Rutherford Branch; and Jose Figueroa, CSR of the Rutherford Branch.

BCB sponsored the First Access for All Rutherford Event. Pictured are Councilwoman and Access for All Chair Stephanie McGowan; Rutherford Branch Staff; James Rizzo, Director of BCB; and Councilman Frank Nunziato.

BCB sponsored Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative’s (BVMI) Wine & Welcome.

Pictured are Michael Rizzo, Business Development Officer at BCB; Kathleen Hansen, Branch Manager at BCB; and Amanda Missey, Executive Director at BVMI.

BCB organized an Adult Brief Drive at the Rutherford branch, collecting adult briefs for low income residents of Bergen County. Pictured are Marlene Ceragno, Founder of the Adult Brief Bank, and Kathleen Hansen, Branch Manager at BCB.

Continued from pg. 27

Access for All, a diversity initiative and committee out of Bergen County. “It was just very heartfelt and it was great that [with] something as simple as that, we gave so much back to the community.”

Why bank with a community bank?

According to Coughlin, the answer to “Why bank with a community bank?” is “Why wouldn’t you bank with a community bank?”

“Because we are a community bank, we’re more flexible with the rates and with fees, and you get that one-on-one personal banking experience,” Coughlin explains. “Our customers walk in and for the most part we know their name, we know their kids, we know where they work, we grew up with them—it’s fun.”

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BCB offers a wide array of services, including checking and savings accounts, CDs, loan products for individuals and businesses, safety deposit boxes and notary. BCB is a participant in the Small Business Administration Preferred Lender Program, offering lower cost loans for small businesses to get started or expand through the SBA Loan Guarantee program. Businesses with accounts at BCB have the further benefit of free advertisement on media screens at the bank’s locations.

The bank also offers many of the conveniences of larger national banks that some might not expect from local bank—including a 24-hour ATM, drive-thru services, free-to-use coin redemption machines and a mobile banking APRIL 2017

app that allows account holders to check their balance and make deposits, transfers and payments all on the go. This is in addition to BCB’s online banking service, which allows individuals and businesses to manage their accounts through the internet. The bank even offers safe, convenient online domestic wire transfer services so clients can easily take care of their business needs.

“We have everything,” Coughlin says. “I think people don’t realize as a community bank we offer all the same services, products and technology as our larger competitors.”

With everything it has to offer, BCB is busting myths about local, community banking—and building its own legend in the process.

One

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FEATURED MEMBER

Decades of Dedication

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey celebrates 85 years in the Garden State

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ob Marino is one of New Jersey’s most decorated corporate leaders. He’s landed on high on the NJBIZ lists for New Jersey’s most powerful people in business and healthcare.

He was just inducted into Junior Achievement’s NJ Business Hall of Fame. Under his watch, his company, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, was rated as the country’s “Best Insurance Company” by Insure.com. In recent years, the company has been recognized nationally for being a welcoming employer for working mothers, veterans and talented workers of every cultural background.

But when it comes to bringing attention to all that he has accomplished as Horizon’s Chairman and CEO, Bob Marino is simply not a big fan of fanfare. That is, unless it’s the company that is the subject of the celebration.

Such was the case on April 11, when Mr. Marino joined with his employees in unfurling a banner from atop the company’s Newark headquarters lobby, commemorating Horizon’s 85 years of doing business in New Jersey.

Horizon BCBSNJ was founded in 1932—in the midst of the Great Depression—as one of the very first health insurance companies and Blue Cross plans in the nation. The first policies sold by Associated Hospitals of Essex County, Inc., as the company was then known, cost $10 a year for 21 days of in-patient hospital care.

“New Jersey is one of the birthplaces of health insurance, and our company made it possible to provide people with security during one of the most insecure economic times of our country’s history,” Marino said. “Providing security, peace of mind and serving our policy-holders with excellence were the hallmarks of our heritage, and they remain the guiding principles of our company today.”

The 85-year milestone has special meaning to Mr. Marino, who was born in Newark. That’s because for eight-and-a-half decades, Horizon has called the city of Newark its home. To Horizon, “home improvement” is not a name for a television series or part of a hardware store slogan; it’s a code of conduct.

Horizon has for decades invested in the people, places and things that make Newark great. The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey – the corporate philanthropy arm of the company that Mr. Marino chairs, has provided more than $13 million in grants to nonprofit organizations based in Newark and Essex County, including the Newark Boys Chorus School, Newark Boys and Girls Club, Covenant House, NJPAC, St. Benedict’s Prep, the Newark Museum, the Newark Y and the Ironbound Community Corporation.

The community organizations Horizon supports are rebuilding downtowns, redeveloping the waterfront and keeping the city’s parks beautiful.

But for Mr. Marino, giving is far more than just writing a check: “Horizon has been enriched in many ways through the relationships

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we have developed with organizations that are preparing urban residents to become tomorrow’s leaders.”

Through the intern relations the company has built with Junior Achievement, Christ the King Preparatory School, NJ LEEP, INROADS, Cristo Rey and other organizations, hundreds of young people from inner city roots are gaining valuable on-the job work skills while helping Horizon deliver service excellence to its members.

The company’s approach to giving back is also part of Horizon’s employee culture. The company has formalized a program that encourages workers to donate their time and talents to the communities in which they live and work. They use their volunteer time to help out at local food pantries, clean up the Jersey Shore, plant trees in urban parks, build playgrounds and participate in fund-raising causes like the MuckFest.

The company is committed to ensuring that the men, women and children who have placed their trust in Horizon BCBSNJ receive high quality care, have a positive health care experience and know that their care is delivered in a coordinated and cost-efficient manner.

Continued on pg. 32

© 2016 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved. ED None.

Serving communities.

Changing lives.

What matters to you matters to us.

At EY, we’re proud to support The Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce. It’s one of the ways we’re helping to make our community a better place to work and live. A better and brighter future starts with all of us.

Visit ey.com

Photo by Asbury Park Press Continued from pg. 30

“Those three values are commonly referred to as the ‘triple aim’ of health care, “ Marino explains, “And Horizon is collaborating with thousands of physicians, hospitals and specialist doctors to achieve this aim through value-based, patient-centered programs. When they do, the providers are rewarded for the value of the care, not just the volume of care, they deliver to our members.”

This approach contrasts sharply with the traditional fee-for-service system, which bases payment not on positive patient outcomes, but on the number of tests doctors and hospitals order and services they render. Marino explains that the fee-for-service system is not sustainable and commends the five health systems and a large multispecialty physician group for partnering with Horizon to form the OMNIA Health Alliance and change the status quo.

Today, about 1.4 million Horizon members are receiving this care through one of these value-based programs

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Eighty-five years after buying their first policies, New Jerseyans continue to turn to Horizon for peace of mind, access to large networks of doctors and hospitals and service excellence. Horizon BCBSNJ is the market leader in New Jersey, and has achieved its status by responding to the needs of its business and individual customers. OMNIA Health plans, which feature lower premiums than Horizon’s broad network products, and lower out of pocket costs, are one example of how Horizon is providing relief to consumers from the crushing expense of health care.

Horizon is proud of the impact it is making in the communities it serves; its efforts to transform health care and being New Jersey’s “home team insurance company.” Here’s to another 85 years of serving the Garden State.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide

APRIL 2017

array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services to more than 3.8 million members. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at www.

HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ and the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The Horizon® name and symbols are registered marks and OMNIASM is a service mark of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. © 2017 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Three Penn Plaza East, Newark, New Jersey 07105.

Tom Vincz is PR Manager for Horizon BCBSNJ.

FEATURED MEMBER

Silver Anniversary

Arcari + Iovino Architects celebrates 25 years of service

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rcari + Iovino Architects, a leading architectural firm serving New Jersey and the tri-state area, celebrates a milestone anniversary in 2017 as it reaches its 25th years of continuous business.

Firm Principal Anthony Iovino addressed reaching this milestone, “It is truly hard to believe that 25 years have passed. We started our business from scratch with just a handful of small projects but with a vision toward the future. Architecture encompasses many fields such as planning, problem solving, engineering, graphic design and construction. We enjoy all of these creative areas of thinking. I guess that is why this adventure still interests us and always feels new.”

Arcari + Iovino Architects opened its doors in 1992 under the same leadership that exists today. The principals started their business with just two employees, today’s firm principals. The firm has enjoyed steady growth and success and today, the firm employs 13 people, five of which are licensed architects.

Through the years, the firm has been recognized as a leader and innovator in the industry and it was awarded Firm Of The Year in 2011 by the New Jersey American Institute of Architects. In addition, the firm has won numerous design awards for individual projects for their work at Felician University and Monroe Township Library, just to name a few.

Reflecting on his 25 year in business, Mr. Iovino states, “One of the keys to our success is that we believe in quality over quantity. We were never interested in being the biggest company, but we certainly wanted to be successful and to be the best in what we do. As a service business, we go out of our way to help our clients and that results in them thinking of us first when they need another design solution. We have been fortunate to have great clients as well as dedicated and talented staff throughout these years. We are thankful for all those who we have helped and who have helped us in our journey.”

Arcari + Iovino Architects will celebrate its 25th year in business throughout 2017 with reflections on these 25 years highlighted on the company website, www.aiarchs.com.

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One of Arcari + Iovino Architects’s current projects is the Berkeley Heights Municipal Complex which will feature a 60,000 s.f two-story building housing the public library and community center with the township’s administrative offices and police department. Construction is scheduled for Fall 2017.

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TOURISM & HOSPITALITY

The Presidents Cup

A global tradition of golf & goodwill

W

hen the Presidents Cup returns to the United States for the 2017 edition it will be hosted by Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, one of the most spectacular courses in the world of golf and only the fourth golf course in the United States to host the prestigious team match-play event. The Presidents Cup will take place September 25 through October 1.

“Standing in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty today to announce Liberty National as our next U.S.-based host of the event is really icing on the cake,” said former PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem back in 2014 when Liberty National Golf Club was announced as the 2017 host. “The Presidents Cup has come so far in its relatively short history, and seeing the world’s best players compete in this market, on this incredibly fantastic venue with such an amazing backdrop in 2017 is something fans of this great game will never forget.”

Announcing a commitment of $5 million over five years to The First Tee, co-founder of Liberty National Paul Fireman, commented: “Being chosen by the PGA TOUR to host the 2017 Presidents Cup is every golf course’s dream.”

One of the United States’ most picturesque golf courses, Liberty National is located along the Hudson River in Jersey City with striking views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Manhattan skyline. The golf club fittingly opened on July 4, 2006. Designed by former U.S. Open Champion Tom Kite and esteemed golf course mastermind Bob Cupp, Liberty National has been the proud host to the first event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs, THE

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NORTHERN TRUST, in 2009 and 2013 which were won by Heath Slocum and Adam Scott respectively. That event will be played at Liberty National again in 2019 and 2022.

This year, the magnificent Liberty National will welcome 24 of the finest players on the planet to contest the 12th installment of the Presidents Cup in the spirit of sportsmanship that represents all that is good about the game of golf.

Unlike most sporting events, players are not paid for their participation in the Presidents Cup There is no purse or prize money.

Instead, each competitor designates charities or golf-related projects of his choice to receive a portion of the funds raised through the staging of each Presidents Cup. With players, captains and captains’ assistants hailing from dozens of countries, their donations have positively impacted a variety of charitable causes around the world. From providing medical care for neglected animals in Greenville, South Carolina to school lunches for underprivileged children in South Korea; from funding for teachers and facilities in earthquake-ravaged Haiti to support for programs that bring golf to the disabled in South Africa; from scholarships for children of fallen California firefighters to addiction recovery programs in Australia—these are but a few examples of the myriad ways those involved in the Presidents Cup have been able to affect change in their communities, home countries and globally.

Since the inception of the 1994 Presidents Cup, more than $38.4 million has been raised for charity from event proceeds, including a record-breaking $6 million for charitable causes around

the world following the 2015 Presidents Cup. Over the past 21 years, the Presidents Cup has impacted more than 450 charities in 15 countries worldwide and 35 states in the U.S. But more compelling than numbers and dollar figures are the stories from those whose lives have been touched by the generosity of the event’s participants.

It’s often said that the Presidents Cup represents all that is good about the game of golf: sportsmanship, international goodwill and friendly competition. When a sporting event is contested within this framework, there are only winners—on and off the golf course—no matter what the outcome of the competition.

A look at the captains Nick Price and Steve Stricker will serve as captains of the International and U.S. Teams, respectively, for the 2017 event. Price, two-time captain of the International Team and a World Golf Hall of Famer, joins Stricker, a first-time captain who is a five-time U.S. Team member and 2015 captain’s assistant.

“Steve Stricker and Nick Price are two of the most highly-regarded players by their peers, and bring a wealth of experience to their respective teams for the 2017 Presidents Cup,” said Finchem.

“While this is Stricker’s first year as a captain, he has been invaluable as a team member and has had earned the respect of his contemporaries. His calm and collected personality will help guide his team at an amazing course in the one of the most beloved U.S. cities the competition has visited to date.”

“Nick remains one of the most passionate ambassadors for the International Team and the Presidents Cup. He has been an avid advocate for the Presidents Cup from his playing days through his tenure as the International Team captain, both domestically and abroad,” Finchem said. “We’re thrilled that he’s continued with his role as a captain and I’m confident that his team would say the same.”

Both Price and Stricker are on a level playing field, having an equal amount of Presidents Cup experience as players. Price competed for the International Team a total of five times (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2003), while Stricker’s five appearances are slightly more recent (1996, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013).

Stricker and Price actually matched up against each other once during the 1996 Presidents Cup. Stricker and Tom Lehman squared off against Price and Peter Senior in the day one morning four-ball match, with Stricker/Lehman coming out on top, 4 and 2. Stricker

compiled a 14-10-0 record during his Presidents Cup career, compared to Price at 8-11-4.

Stricker owns 12 victories on the PGA TOUR, including the 2001 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, two FedExCup Playoff events (2007, 2009) and the Memorial Tournament in 2011. In addition to his five appearances on the U.S. Presidents Cup Team as a competitor and captain’s assistant in 2015, he competed on the U.S. Ryder Cup Team three times (2008, 2010, 2012), served as a captain’s assistant in 2014 and 2016. After turning 50 earlier this year, Stricker joined the PGA TOUR Champions and nearly won in his first start.

An 18-time winner on the PGA TOUR—including three major championship triumphs—Price also collected 29 international victories in a professional career that began in South Africa in 1977.

After claiming the 1992 PGA Championship, Price enjoyed his best season in 1993, winning four times with a highlighted five-stroke victory at THE PLAYERS Championship—and was named PGA TOUR Player of the Year. As an encore in 1994, Price enjoyed one of the most prolific seasons in TOUR history, winning six times— including the Open Championship and PGA Championship— en route to being named PGA TOUR Player of the Year for a second consecutive season and reaching No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Price, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003, has four PGA TOUR Champions titles on his impressive resume.

“It’s an honor for me to continue to serve as International Team captain once again in 2017,” said Price. “The Presidents Cup has meant so much to me and to my career, both as a player and a captain, and I’m excited to have another chance to be a part of this great event. I am so looking forward to leading what I’m sure will be another very strong International Team and having another opportunity to win the Cup, after such a close finish last year. Steve will be a tremendous captain for the U.S. Team in 2017, as he has always been a tenacious competitor and is respected by so many of us who play the game. I know he will be a tough opponent as well as a very popular captain.”

Stricker said, “I’m incredibly honored to have been selected as a U.S. Team captain for the Presidents Cup, and am looking forward to it coming to Liberty National, one of my favorite venues. This event has meant a lot to me, and I’m looking forward to leading what will be a very promising U.S. Team in 2017.”

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TOURISM & HOSPILITY

Scenes From The Meadowlands

DeKorte Park paths lead you into the heart of the Meadowlands

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heck out these scenes from the Meadowlands at DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, featuring 3.5 miles of walking paths into the marshes, sweeping landscapes of our prized wetlands, panoramic glimpse waterways and nature views galore—all framed by the iconic New York City skyline.

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REAL ESTATE

Small Home Boom

Americans want to downsize, not supersize their homes

T

he American Dream of owning your own home remains. But the home itself appears to have gotten smaller.

Your credit score may be used to determine the approval or denial of car loans, mortgages and other major credit purchases, as well as the interest rates available to you. Many individuals do not know their score or how it is calculated.

As American homes grow larger in size (and higher in price) many people say if they decided to move, they’d want to downsize. More homeowners would rather have a smaller house than a larger one (37 percent compared to 23 percent), according to research from real estate site Trulia.

Here’s how it breaks down: Some 60 percent of people living in large homes of 2,000 square feet and over said they’d rather pick a smaller one next time around.

Sixty-nine percent of people in the smallest of homes under 800 square feet said they’d like to supersize their accommodations.

Older Americans, more of whom are homeowners, are obviously more likely to want to downsize than millennials. The same percentage of baby boomers (37 percent) said they plan to move at some point in their life, and 42 percent of that number said they would prefer to live in a smaller home, according to a separate study released last December by the Demand Institute, operated by the research groups The Conference Board and Nielsen.

But there are bigger forces at play too. “Those living in the biggest of homes know what the downsides are of living in those homes,” said Ralph McLaughlin, chief economist at Trulia. The expenses are large — utilities, taxes, maintenance and furnishing — in those homes and there’s greater potential for something to go wrong and need repairs. In theory, anyway. Older homes are more likely to have problems regardless of the size, like a California couple who moved to a 1929 home that was sinking and had rotten foundations.

Small homes are gaining in popularity

and are showcased in television programs like HGTV’s ‘Tiny House Hunters’ and the number of townhouses being built — often closer to public transport, smaller and less expensive than detached homes — also increased by nearly 13 percent last year to 97,000, according to a National Association of Home Builders analysis of Census Bureau housing starts and completions data released last week.

Marc Demetriou, CLU, ChFC is a branch manager and mortgage consultant at Residential Home Funding Corp. – Bloomingdale Branch.

He recently was named a Five Star Mortgage Professional for superior customer service and professionalism in New Jersey Monthly magazine (March 2017). In 2014, 2016, and again in 2017, Marc was selected as one of the top 100 mortgage experts in the United States by Mortgage Professional America Magazine on their “Hot 100” list and was just named as one of the Top 1% Mortgage Originators in the United States (Mortgage Executive Magazine, Winter 2017 edition). He is a mortgage and reverse mortgage expert with over 11 years of experience in the mortgage industry and over 25 years in the finance and banking industries. He can be reached at (973) 4920117 or mdemetriou@rhfunding.com.

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Tradeshow Tips

The full nitty-gritty list of what you need to bring

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he Meadowlands Regional Chamber will once again present Bergen Business Expo (www.BergenBusinessExpo.com) on May 16. We are publishing this comprehensive list of what to bring so you can best show off your business! We highly encourage you to reference this list as you prepare for Bergen Business Expo and other tradeshows you may participate in.

When I worked as an employee, exhibiting at tradeshows was part of my job. But since I was usually a speaker and schmoozer, I did not really deal with the nitty-gritty like setting up the booth, unpacking boxes and hanging signs—we had a tradeshow division for that!

I started my own business in 2008, and the first tradeshow I attended as an entrepreneur was a big reality check. With no “tradeshow division” to help out other than my two inexperienced partners, I was unaware of so many little things that could have made a big difference in my tradeshow experience.

With that in mind, here is my nitty-gritty list of 35 things to bring when exhibiting at a tradeshow.

In addition to the basics —registration information confirming your booth location and other details, your booth signage, your marketing materials and any promotional items — you will want to contact the venue to find out what is available from them, including what they provide as standard and what is extra. For example, if you need a dolly to bring your boxes into the venue: Will they provide one? Will you have to rent one? Will you have to bring your own?

Items you can often rent include curtains, lights, TV stands, chairs and tablecloths. One thing you should never rent: any type

of computer equipment. Bring your own tech tools. That way you know they will work properly.

Pack the items the venue is not providing, as well as: 1. Duct tape, electrical tape, masking tape, Scotch tape. This will sound like overkill until you find yourself standing on a chair struggling to tack your banner up with used chewing gum.

2. Refreshments. Bottled water, soda, nuts and other snacks that travel well will keep you and your team going. Pick foods you can eat unobtrusively and without dropping crumbs or getting sticky (nuts are ideal).

3. Stapler and staple gun (or a heavy-duty stapler that serves both purposes). Make sure it is full of staples.

4. Pens. Take five times as many as you think you’ll need. You won’t believe how many people will walk away with your pens.

5. Sharpies or large markers. Can be used for signage in a pinch.

6. Business cards. Again, take five times more than you think you’ll need. Also bring some blank ones (with just your company’s logo, website, address and main phone number, but no one’s name on them) in case anyone runs out. They can just write on the blanks.

7. Post-It notes.

8. Legal pads or blank note pads to write on.

9. Clipboards. If you will have people fill out forms, handing out clipboards means you can take several people’s info at once, instead of everyone crowding up to the table.

Continued on pg. 42

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Continued from pg. 40

1. Containers for your giveaways. Having your brochures, business cards or flyers in attractive displays looks a lot better than scattering them on the table. Simple clear acrylic holders work great.

2. Tablecloths. If bringing your own, be sure you know the measurements of the booth tables, and bring cloth—not plastic—tablecloths. Plastic looks cheap.

3. Twine or heavy-duty string. Invaluable in tying up banners or looping around cords.

4. Cord keepers. Big plastic trash-bag ties work well to keep cables and cords out of the way.

5. Rubber bands and paper clips.

6. Boxes/containers. Something to put all the paper you’ll gather into, like lead sheets, survey forms or business cards.

7. Scissors.

8. Small tool kit with screwdrivers, a box cutter to open all the boxes you shipped—and other basic tools you might need to set up.

9. Laptops (always have a backup computer).

10. Tablet computers (ditto).

11. Chargers for the above.

12. Phone charger.

13. Phone backup battery.

14. Cables to connect devices to each other.

15. Extension cords (several).

16. Surge protector/plug-in strip.

17. Jump drives or other portable data storage.

18. Small first aid kit with bandages, cough drops, ibuprofen/acetaminophen, cold medicine, nail file/clipper.

19. Hand sanitizer and lotion. Stay healthy despite shaking all those hands. Keep your hands smooth despite all the hand sanitizer.

20. Breath mints. Do not chew gum in the booth.

21. Safety pins. Prevent wardrobe malfunctions.

22. Cleaning supplies. Glass cleaner, cleaning spray, paper towels and trash bags help you keep the booth looking good.

23. Floor pads. Pads (like those sold for kitchen use) can make it a lot more pleasant to be on your feet all day.

24. Change of shoes. You will want comfortable shoes for setup and breakdown.

25. Plastic container. A big plastic tub with a lid is a better place for the booth staff’s personal belongings, such as purses and jackets, than shoving them under the display table. (More theft than you might think takes place at tradeshows).

26. Plastic zip-lock bags. You never know when you will need one.

Rieva Lesonsky is CEO and President of GrowBiz Media, a media company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

Follow Rieva at Twitter.com/Rieva and visit SmallBizDaily.com to sign up for her free TrendCast reports. She ha been covering small business and entrepreneurial issues for more than 30 years, is the author of several books about entrepreneurship and was the editorial director of Entrepreneur magazine for over two decades.

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SMALL BUSINESS CORNER

Optimism Rising

Small business optimism surges to pre-recession levels

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mall business owners are the most optimistic they have been since the start of the Great Recession, according to the latest findings from the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, conducted Feb. 6-10.

In the quarterly small business survey, which measures the optimism of small business owners, the overall Index score increased significantly to 100 in February, up from 80 in November and up 33 points from a year ago. This marks the highest optimism reading since July 2007 when it was also 100, and represents a return to pre-recession levels.

Small business index key drivers Several factors contributed to the jump in small business optimism this quarter, most notably, how business owners rate their current business conditions. The present situation score—how business owners gauge their perceptions of the past 12 months— shot up 16 points to 40 in February, representing the largest quarter-over-quarter increase in the history of the survey. The future expectations score—how business owners expect their businesses to perform over the next 12 months—climbed four points to 60.

Other key drivers this quarter included: • Better financial situation: Seven in 10 (71 percent) said their current financial situation is very or somewhat good, up from 66 percent in November • Increasing revenues: Almost half (45 percent) said their business’s revenue increased a little or a lot over the past 12 months, up from 37 percent in November • Stronger cash flow: Sixty-four percent said that their cash flow was very or somewhat good over the past 12 months, up from 55 percent in November • Access to credit: Forty percent said that credit was somewhat or easy to obtain over the past 12 months, up from 34 percent in November “As small businesses are the backbone of our economy, it’s promising to see that business owners have entered 2017 feeling confident and that many are seeing positive trends in their businesses,” said Lisa Stevens, Wells Fargo head of Small Business. “Our latest survey shows us that more business owners are reporting stronger current financials and are well positioned for the coming year, which is helping boost the Index score to its highest mark in nearly a decade. There are many reasons for small business owners to feel optimistic about the future in today’s economy, and we hope this momentum continues in the year ahead.”

Looking through a long-term lens Small business owners were asked about their retirement plans in February, and overwhelmingly the survey found that most plan to work for as long as possible with 73 percent expecting to either cut back on work but always maintain some involvement in the

business, or never retire until they are unable to work. Another 19 percent expect to sell or transition the business in order to do something else and just six percent said they expect to retire and stop working completely. In fact, more than half of survey respondents said that if money were no object today, they would continue working in their business either full or part-time; 27 percent said they would retire completely and 17 percent said they would start another new business.

The February survey also found that most small business owners do not have a clear strategy for business succession, as 70 percent said they do not have a formal, written plan in place to outline what they’ll do with their business when they retire or are unable to work. When asked the main reason why they do not have a transition plan for their business, more than half (51 percent) said it is not a priority at this time and 17 percent said they don’t know today how they’ll transition the business. Twenty-one percent cited some other reason, and seven percent said they do not have time to work on a plan. Of the small business owners who do not currently have a formal, written plan, 59 percent plan to create one before they retire or stop working.

“A great challenge for small business owners can be developing a business transition strategy for how to handle business operations when they are ready to retire,” said Tony McEahern, head of Wealth Planning for Wells Fargo Private Bank. “Building a transition plan should be part of the overall business planning process from the beginning. It’s important to put a formal succession plan in place, which outlines the management roles as their business grows, evolves and changes.”

Small business owners are saving for the future Small business owners also said they are actively saving for retirement. In the February survey, 82 percent of small business owners said they are currently saving or investing money toward

their retirement, and 76 percent said they think they’ll have enough money to live comfortably in retirement, up 10 percentage points from when this question was last asked in January 2014. Small business owners also reported fewer concerns regarding their financial Continued on pg. 44

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matters in retirement: • Forty-six percent said they are very or moderately worried about being able to pay medical costs of a serious illness or accident in retirement, down from 57 percent in January 2014 • Less than half (42 percent) are very or moderately worried about being able to build back retirement savings lost during the recent economic downturn, down from 50 percent in January 2014 • Just 21 percent said they are very or moderately worried about being able to sell their business when they are ready to, down from 33 percent in January 2014 Small business challenges When business owners were asked to identify the most important challenges facing their business today, government regulations rose to the top of the list (14 percent) followed by attracting customers and finding new business (12 percent) and taxes (9 percent). Hiring and retaining quality staff, the economy and financial stability/cash flow were also reported as top concerns (8 percent). These challenges have been consistently reported as the top concerns of small business owners since early 2013, although the order of concerns shifts from quarter to quarter.

About the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index Since August 2003, the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index has surveyed small business owners on current and future perceptions of their business financial situation.

The Index consists of two dimensions: 1) Owners’ ratings of the current situation of their businesses and, 2) Owners’ ratings of how they expect their businesses to perform over the next 12 months. Results are based on telephone interviews with 602 small business owners, with annual revenues up to $20 million, in all 50 United States conducted February 6-10, 2017. The overall Small Business Index is computed using a formula that scores and sums the answers to 12 questions — six about the present situation and six about the future. An Index score of zero indicates that small business owners, as a group, are neutral – neither optimistic nor pessimistic – about their companies’ situations. The overall Index can range from -400 (the most negative score possible) to +400 (the most positive score possible), but in practice spans a much more limited range. The margin of sampling error is +/- four percentage points. The highest Index reading was +114 in the fourth quarter of 2006, and the lowest reading was -28 in the third quarter of 2010.

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 

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

 

  & B

Navigating the Redevelopment and Revitalization of

For Three Decades

WWW.SH-LAW.COM LYNDHURST | RED BANK | JERSEY CITY | NEW YORK CITY | WASHINGTON, DC

TECH TALK

The Inner Workings of LinkedIn

How to promote & network your professional self via social media

A

t the beginning of March, the Emerging Leaders Network (ELN) and Technology Committee joined forces to bring you Bagels and Business: LinkedIn. The event was sold out with standing room only and, after reading this summary of the information packed session, I’m sure you’ll understand why. The goal of the event was to provide the ‘ins and outs’ of LinkedIn and discuss how businesses can leverage LinkedIn for growth. This impactful information was presented by a group of panelists.

What is LinkedIn? • A professional network.

• Profile and expertise showcase.

• Searchable database.

• Publishing channel.

• Advertising platform.

• e-Learning resource.

LinkedIn can be used for lead generation and business development, but how do we accomplish that?

First, have a great profile! Here are the ingredients: 1. Get a customized URL. 2. Use professional background photos and headshots.

3. A specific headline helps people find you in search. Make it diverse but simple so that potential clients and customers know your expertise.

4. Your description should tell what you do and how you do it. Highlight what you can do and use first person point of view.

5. You can add media as examples of your work, or how to use your product.

The way to best use LinkedIn is by finding, understanding, and growing your relationships with people you have met or want to meet. LinkedIn facilitates this with highlights and experience. Highlights show who a person and yourself have in common in your network. The experience section is written as a standard resume format. This is where you can find other points of commonality such as education, volunteerism, interests, and work history.

Endorsements and recommendations are big advantages of LinkedIn. Endorse-

ments allow you to easily attest to someone’s skills by simply clicking a box. This can be thought of as something like references on resumes and applications. Recommendations take more effort and are basically testimonials. If you want to receive more recommendations, you can ask people in your network.

If you are uncomfortable with that, start by writing a few recommendations for others in your network. You may find that some return the favor.

Once you have a great profile, start connecting so people can see it! A great way to showcase your product, expertise, or industry is by having content on your site regularly.

You should provide content on your page four to five times per week. There are three types of content for your page: • Posts: Can share industry information, advertise or promote upcoming events.

The easiest post is to share content from pages you follow and information in your newsfeed.

• Updates: Can be original content, links to other information or articles that may be of interest to your audience.

• Articles are the biggest time commitment but also receive higher newsfeed rankings and increase followers. Articles should have ‘hashtagged’ key phrases for searching with a maximum of three to five tags. Articles also allow you to attach images, but be sure you own the images you use.

There are several ways to use LinkedIn for prospecting in conjunction with networking.

If possible, find an attendee list of the event you will be attending. Research attendees and find commonality and talking points for people you want to meet. If you are looking for big companies, research event sponsor employees to find the person from that company who is a decision maker. Use keyword search to find people in the industry on which you are focusing. Mine your LinkedIn network for extended connections and warm introductions to people you want to meet. If you cannot meet them in person but want to connect via LinkedIn to start the relationship, be sure to personalize the message you send.

There is a paid service level for LinkedIn. This service provides the following: • Send messages to anyone.

• See who has viewed your profile.

• Provides expanded search filters.

• You can see more than 100 results in a people search.

• Provides business sales insights.

• Access to LinkedIn learning.

Sales Navigator offers a one month free trial. It is a powerful tool that suggests leads for you based upon information you provide about the type of lead you want. At $79 - $99 per month after the free month, you need to determine for yourself if it is a Continued on pg. 46

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good investment for your business.

The panelists Heather Reimels is the CEO and co-founder of Hybrid Interactive (HI), a creative services agency designed for managers, directors, trainers and entrepreneurs who—while responsible for developing engaging, interactive and educational programs— just don’t know how to roll it all out. As the firm’s business development director, Reimels provides solutions utilizing creative communication technologies for companies seeking to train and retain staff, and for business leaders to increase their client or membership base. She develops strategies within client ideas and sensitivities to create an advanced mixture of graphic design, video production, interactive development and other communication techniques to engage and invigorate employees, sales teams, members, or clients.

Suzanne Buggé is a seasoned and goal oriented professional who has been in sales and marketing for over 25 years. Buggé worked extensively in project management, promotional programs and new product initiatives for major retail accounts. Upon leaving the retail arena, she devoted several years to building her own direct sales business and won awards for top performance several years running. Buggé’s success in marketing her own business and those of others lead to the creation of A Focused Advantage.

Sandie Pardey is a Commercial Lines Business Development Representative at New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance (NJM) Group. A Montclair State University graduate, Pardey grew up in Carlstadt here in the Meadowlands region, and has many family members that reside in surrounding towns. These ties to the area motivate her to become better acquainted with local businesses and see them succeed. Pardey’s participation in the Meadowlands Regional Chamber has given her numerous opportunities to work with these businesses, while also helping her grow professionally and personally through the friendships and networks she has developed.

Stan Robinson Jr. has over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing with organizations ranging from start-ups to Fortune 1000 companies in industries such as publishing, computer hardware, software, and business consulting. He is a member of the New Jersey NAACP Economic Development Committee, a board member with the Workforce Development Board of Union County and a member of the Wells Fargo Community Advisory Board. Robinson has a BA in Psychology from Harvard College and a Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University. In addition, he has completed several continuing educational courses on social media and digital marketing.

If you have further questions about LinkedIn and what it can do for your business, feel free to contact any of our knowledgeable panelists, the Emerging Leaders Network, or the Technology Committee.

Nina Johnson Nina Johnson is Co-founder and Chief Business Officer at Singularity LLC (singularityknows.com). She also serves as co-chair of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber’s Technology Committee.

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EAST

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MEADOWLANDS RESTAURANTS & DINING 3rd Wave Cafe & Crepes, The Lyndhurst (201) 528-8163 Al Di La East Rutherford (201) 939-1128 Annabella’s Fine Foods, Inc. East Rutherford (201) 804-0303 Bagels Plus & Deli Secaucus (201) 330-0744 Bareli’s Restaurant, LLC Secaucus (201) 865-2766 Bazzarelli Restaurant & Pizzeria Moonachie (201) 641-4010 Bergen Burger Rutherford (201) 460-1895

Biggies Clam Bar Carlstadt (201) 933-4242

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Chevys Clifton 973-777-6277

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Chit Chat Diner Hackensack (201) 820-4033

Carrabba’s Italian Grill Secaucus (201) 330-8497

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Legal Sea Foods, LLC Paramus (201) 843-8483 Little Italy Café Secaucus (201) 348-1400 Marco Polo Pizza/ Breakfast Grill Weehawken (201) 863-0057 Martini Grill Wood-Ridge (201) 939-2000 Masina Trattoria Italiana Weehawken (201) 348-4444 McDonalds North Bergen (201) 868-9888 Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament Lyndhurst (201) 933-2220 MIX Rutherford (201) 507-9696 Morton’s The Steakhouse Hackensack (201) 487-3614

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Houlihan’s Weehawken (201) 863-4000

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Redd’s Restaurant & Bar Carlstadt (201) 933-0015

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Stout’s Transportation Services (609) 883-8891

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U.S. Coachways, Inc. (718) 477-4242

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Explore the Real Meadowlands!

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EVENT PLANNING & CATERING SERVICES 16W Marketing Rutherford (201) 635-8000 4 Wall New York Moonachie (201) 329-9878 Adam Leffel Productions / Petals Premier Event Design Hackensack (201) 487-1300 Annabella’s Fine Foods, Inc. East Rutherford (201) 804-0303 Audience Pleasers Garfield 973-773-0953 Bounce Music & Entertainment Englewood Cliffs (201) 482-8191 CeCe Productions, LLC Rutherford (201) 672-0050

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Sweet Dreams Studio Photo Booth Madison (703) 585-4704

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Positive Impact Partners Cranbury (609) 395-1972 Seasons Catering Washington Township (201) 664-6141

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Party tents, picnic tables, and unique BBQ catering highlight our outdoor event space, The Backyard. The sprawling 2.5 acres showcases exciting summer events, live music, and front row views of our live horse racing. For our full catering guide please email catering@playmeadowlands.com or call 201-The-BigM.

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Ramapo Valley County Reservation Mahwah (201) 327-3500

Dahnert’s Lake County Park Garfield

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Columbus Park Hoboken (201) 915-1388

NJSEA Parks

Liberty State Park Jersey City (201) 915-3403

Richard W. DeKorte Park Lyndhurst (201) 460-1700

Lincoln Park Jersey City (201) 915-1388

Mill Creek Point Park Secaucus (866) 927-6416

Washington Park Jersey City/ Union City (201) 348-5700

Losen Slote Creek Park Little Ferry

West Hudson Park Kearny (201) 217-5482 Braddock Park North Bergen (201) 915-3188

Laurel Hill Park Secaucus 201-915-1386 River Barge Park and Marina Carlstadt

STAY IN THE MEADOWLANDS AVE CLIFTON Clifton 973.859.3200

Fairfield Inn By Marriott East Rutherford (201) 507-5222

Holiday Inn Express Paramus (201) 843-5400

La Quinta Inn & Suites Secaucus (201) 863-8700

Candlewood Suites Hotel Secaucus 201.865.3900

Hampton Inn Carlstadt (201) 935-9000

Courtyard by Marriott Edgewater 201-945-5440

Hilton Garden Inn Secaucus (201) 864-1400

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Carlstadt (201) 460-9292

Marriott at Newark Liberty International Airport Newark (973) 623-0006

Courtyard by Marriott Lyndhurst (201) 896-6666

Hilton Hasbrouck Heights Hasbrouck Heights (201) 288-6100

Courtyard by Marriott Secaucus (201) 617-8888 Econo Lodge Carlstadt (201) 935-4600 Element Harrison (862) 234-4922 Embassy Suites Secaucus (201) 864-7300

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MEADOWLANDS USA

Hilton Meadowlands East Rutherford (201) 896-0500 Holiday Inn Hasbrouck Heights Hasbrouck Heights (201) 288-9600 Holiday Inn Secaucus Meadowlands Secaucus (201) 809-4746

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APRIL 2017

Home2 Suites

by Hilton Hasbrouck Heights Hasbrouck Heights (201) 552-5600 Homewood Suites

by Hilton East Rutherford (201) 460-9030 Hyatt Place Secaucus/ Meadowlands Secaucus (201) 422-9480 La Quinta Inn & Suites Clifton/ Rutherford Clifton (973) 778-6500

Red Roof Inn Secaucus (201) 319-1000 Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel Rutherford (201) 231-3100 Residence Inn East Rutherford (201) 939-0020 Residence Inn Saddle River (201) 934-4144 Saddle Brook Marriott Saddle Brook (201) 843-9500

Sheraton Lincoln Harbor Hotel Weehawken (201) 617-5600 Station at Lyndhurst Apartments Lyndhurst (201) 252-4036 Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe Teaneck (201) 836-0600 The Meadowlands River Inn Secaucus (201) 867-4400 W Hotel Hoboken (201) 253-2420 Westin Hotel Jersey City (201) 626-2900

Il Villaggio_Oct2015_V1_Il 10/20/15 4:29 PM Page 1

“A diamond in the shadow of the Meadowlands, old-style cuisine that never disappoints” Zagat Survey, America’s Top 1000 Italian Restaurants 2008

“Best of Award of Excellence” - Wine Spectator Magazine

Come experience Il Villaggio’s distinguished cuisine in our newly renovated restaurant Since 1979, Il Villaggio has been consistently providing guests with truly memorable dining experiences.

Our menu specializes in classic northern Italian dishes, which include a wide variety of fresh fish & seafood specials that change daily. Complete your dining experience with our wide selection of homemade desserts.

Il Villaggio caters to Bar/Bat Mitzvahs,Weddings, and Private/Corporate Events.

Monday-Friday: 11:30 am -11:00 pm • Saturday: 5:00 pm - 12 Midnight Sunday: Private Events Only 651 Route 17 North, Carlstadt, NJ 07072 Telephone: 201.935.7733 • info@ilvillaggio.com • www.ilvillaggio.com

Recreation, Sports & Entertainment AMF Wallington Lanes Wallington (973) 773-9100

DESTINATION MEADOWLANDS Hi-Tech Billiard Club & Lounge Weehawken (201) 624-8240

Kerasotes Showplace 14 Secaucus Aviation Hall of Fame & (201) 210-5364 Museum Of NJ Liberty Science Teterboro Center (201) 288-6344 Jersey City Bergen Performing Arts (201) 200-1000 Center (bergenPAC) Meadowlands Racing & Englewood Entertainment (201) 816-8160 East Rutherford (201) 460-4166 Chuck E. Cheese’s North Bergen Medieval Times Dinner (201) 861-1799 & Tournament Lyndhurst Durkan Fencing (201) 933-2220 Company South Hackensack MetLife Stadium 201-880-9585 East Rutherford Field Station Dinosaurs (201) 559-1562 Leonia Nereid (855) 999-9010 Boat Club Rutherford GolfTec (201) 438-3995 Englewood (201) 567-0103 North Arlington Bowl-O-Drome Harlem Wizards North Arlington Secaucus (201) 998-9621 (201) 271-3600

King’s Court Health & Sports Club Lyndhurst (201) 460-0088

Calvin Klein Company Store Secaucus (201) 223-9760

LA Fitness Signature Club Secaucus (201) 751-9940

Country Whimsey Rutherford (201) 438-0488

NY Giants East Rutherford (201) 935-8111

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island (212) 344-0996

NY Jets Florham Park (516) 560-8100

Water Journey Lyndhurst (973) 994-4577

NY Red Bulls Harrison (201) 583-7000

World Golf Network RiverVale (201) 489-2240

NY Waterway Weehawken (201) 902-8700

Ecotourism

Mary Kay Cosmetics Rutherford (201) 528-7578

Hackensack Riverkeeper Hackensack (201) 968-0808

Perfume & Cosmetics Outlet Secaucus (201) 617-7555

NJSEA Meadowlands Environment Center Lyndhurst (201) 460-8300

Sally Beauty Supply North Bergen 201-295-0020

Pole Position Raceway Jersey City (201) 333-7223 Six Flags Great Adventure Jackson (732) 928-2000 Sofive Carlstadt 347-790-5032 Space Farms Zoo & Museum Sussex (973) 875-5800 Statue Cruises Jersey City (201) 432-6321

Health, Fitness & Beauty

Title Boxing Club East Rutherford (201) 933-2800

GNC Live Well Secaucus (201) 348-9549

The DOJO Rutherford (201) 933-3050

Haircutter in the Meadow Secaucus (201) 863-3900

Retail & Outlet Shopping

Jenny Craig Secaucus (201) 330-0110

Best Buy Secaucus (201) 325-2277

Gucci Secaucus (201) 392-2670 Heights Beer & Wine Emporium Hasbrouck Heights (201) 426-0555 Mason’s Cellar Rutherford (201) 935-1212 Raymour & Flannigan Secaucus (201) 809-1353 Tommy Hilfiger Secaucus (201) 863-5600 Westfield Garden State Plaza Paramus (201) 843-2121

10% OFF Group & Corporate Events (20 people or more)

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APRIL 2017

NEWS FROM THE MEADOW

Hunter Group CPA LLC Director Maria C. Plucinsky Honored By the Borough of Fair Lawn

M

aria C. Plucinsky, CPA, a Director (Owner) of Bergen County-based CPA firm Hunter Group CPA LLC was recently honored as a “Trailblazing Woman in Labor and Business” by the Fair Lawn Mayor and Council. The proclamation, presented at the March regular borough council meeting by Mayor John Cosgrove and fellow council members, celebrates Women’s History Month and represents the Borough’s participation in the National Women’s History Project’s 2017 theme honoring trailblazing women in labor and business.

“American women have served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement,” Mayor Cosgrove notes, adding that, “Women have played and continue to play a crucial economic, cultural and social role in every sphere of the life of the nation.”

In honoring Maria Plucinsky, Mr. Cosgrove recognized her many business and civic achievements, including rising to the position of owner in a leading northern New Jersey CPA firm—a profession that is, as Mr. Cosgrove suggests, “Still predominantly a male-dominant environment.” In addition, he noted her nonprofit financial expertise, which has positively benefited the Fair Lawn Community Center as well as several other local nonprofit entities.

“The firm is very proud of Maria and delighted to see this important recognition of her work,” said Hunter Group co-managing director Kevin Hansen, CPA. “She continues to serve as a key member of our management team as well as a mentor to the young staff and other emerging leaders in our profession,” Hansen states.

Hunter Group CPA LLC is a full service Certified Public Accounting firm that serves closely-held, small to middle-market businesses that are entrepreneurially-managed or family operated enterprises. Established in 1956 in Paramus, the firm provides bookkeeping, tax preparation and auditing services, as well as accounting and consulting on a wide range of business and financial issues.

Additionally, the firm provides audit services for non-profit organizations as well as audits for benefit plans, including 401(k) plans.

Hunter Group also operates two affiliated companies, a financial planning and wealth management firm and a recruitment firm dedicated to placing financial professionals. To learn more, click www. thehuntergroup.com.

Ramapo Readers Program Honored by the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey and COMMERCE Magazine

T

ickets are now on sale for the first of many celebratory events planned to mark the Twentieth Anniversary of Hackensack Riverkeeper, the clean water advocacy organization founded

by Captain Bill Sheehan in 1997.

On Thursday, March 30, friends and supporters of Riverkeeper are invited to join Captain Bill, his staff and Trustees for a “Cabin Fever Beefsteak” at the Holiday Inn Hasbrouck Heights Meadowlands, located at 283 Route 17 South in Hasbrouck Heights. The venue is known for its well-attended beefsteak dinners and as the home of New Jersey’s premier comedy showcase—Bananas Comedy Club.

“While our river and its watershed lie in both New York and New Jersey, I’m a Jersey boy at heart so we decided to kick off the celebration with a traditional Jersey beefsteak,” said Sheehan. “Traditional as in a messy, all-you-can-eat meal and as a fundraiser,” he added.

Humorist, author and Record columnist Bill Ervolino, a North Jersey fixture since he started at the newspaper in 1990, will provide the evening’s entertainment. Ervolino is also a regular headliner at Bananas, where audiences enjoy his unique perspectives on growing up in a lovingly dysfunctional Italian-American home as well as his quirky thoughts regarding family, friends and living life in the NY-NJ metro area.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.hackensackriverkeeper.org or by calling 201-968-0808. Individual tickets are $55 each; a pair is available for a discounted price of $100. All tickets include a full beefsteak dinner, unlimited beer/wine and dessert. A chicken option is available for those who would prefer it to the traditional fare of sliced beef in melted butter.

“While the event doesn’t focus on clean water advocacy or environmental education, it does focus on bringing like-minded people together,” explained Sheehan. “And since that’s at the heart of everything we do, we hope lots them will join us on March 30th.”

MEADOWLANDS USA

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NEWS FROM THE MEADOW

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

I Fish Restaurant in Tenafly Celebrates Grand Opening

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Arcari & Iovino, www.aiarchs.com.......................................................................... 34 Atlantic Stewardship Bank, www.ASBnow.com.....................................................14 AVE, www.aveliving.com...........................................................................................1 Bergen Business Expo, www.meadowlands.org...................................................41

aime Weiss, president of Weiss Realty, announced that I Fish, located at 114 County Road in Tenafly, has officially opened its doors to the public. The ribbon cutting ceremony took place on March 30.

I Fish, a self-described upscale and unique Asian/Chinese fusion restaurant, leased the 2,500 sq. ft. former Friendly’s restaurant in Tenafly in September. The property has undergone extensive renovations since then. Jaime Weiss, president of Weiss Realty, arranged the long-term 10 year lease with Opus 114 Realty, LLC, the restaurant’s owner and operator.

“The menu promises to have something for everyone and offer a new, exciting dining option in Bergen County,” commented I Fish Owner Eddy So. “It’s a unique menu accentuated by fusion flair and, given the areas affection for Asian and Chinese cuisine, it should be well received.”

I Fish will have an open kitchen concept so patrons will be able to view the chefs preparing their dish on the other side of plexiglass partition. The restaurant operators have had extensive experience in Texas, but this is their first restaurant in the tri-state area.

Recognized for its expertise and total client commitment, Weiss Realty provides comprehensive industrial, retail, leasing, sales and investment services to both owners and tenants. Weiss Realty’s current portfolio comprises almost two million square feet of space.

For more information on Weiss Realty or to arrange an inspection please call Jaime Weiss at (201) 814-1800. To view a complete list of Weiss Realty’s listing visit www.jweissrealty.com.

Chart House, www.chart-house.com......................................................................48 Economic Development & Relocation Guide, www.meadowlands.org.............21 Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative, www.elec825.org....................................7 Ernst & Young, www.ey.com.....................................................................................31 Forsgate Industrial Partners, www.forsgate.com......................................Back Cover Frank’s GMC, www.FranksGMC.net........................................................................37 Hackensack Riverkeeper, www.hackensackriverkeeper.org...................................49 Harmon Meadow Plaza............................................................................................5 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ....................................................................2 Hunter Group, www.TheHunterGroup.com............................................................11 Il Villaggio, www.ilvillaggio.com...........................................................................53 International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825, www.elec825.org...........9 Jewel Electric, www.jewelelectric.com...................................................................35 Kearny Bank, www.KearnyBank.com.....................................................................29 Lincoln Harbor, www.lincolnharbor.com................................................Inside Cover MBAF, www.mbafcpa.com......................................................................................35 Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment, www.playmeadowlands.com...................50 MeadowlandsUSA, www.meadowlandsusa.com...................................................33 Medieval Times, www.medievaltimes.com............................................................54 NAI James E. Hanson, www.naihanson.com...................................Inside Back Cover Nanina’s In The Park & The Park Savoy, www.naninasinthepark.com...................51 Paramount Exterminating, www.ParamountExterminating.com..........................46 Pole Position Raceway, www.polepositionraceway.com........................................54 PSE&G, www.pseg.com..........................................................................................15 Scarinci & Hollenbeck, www.scarincihollenbeck.com...........................................44 State of Affairs with Steve Adubato, www.SteveAdubato.org.................................17 SUEZ Water New Jersey Inc., www.mysuezwater.com...........................................29 The Table: Metropolitan New Jersey Dining Guide, www.mlcvb.com..................46 Weiss Realty, www.jweissrealty.com......................................................................35

For more information on advertising in Meadowlands USA magazine or online advertising at www.meadowlands.org please contact Martha Morley at (201) 493-7996 or email: greerentps@aol.com Call for new items! If your organization has news or announcements to share with our audience, please send to Joe Garavente at JGaravente@meadowlands.org or call (201) 939-0707

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