Meadowlands USA - March 2015

2015 Connecting New Jersey Businesses

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CBHCare’s Wellness & Support Center Immediate help is a phone call away in a mental health crisis

Building The Region: Planned & Completed Projects From Local Architect Firms Local Banks: Small Business is Big Business Freedom & Dangers of Wi-Fi: Protect Your Business

Your Source For Commercial Real Estate  Brokerage Services  Property Management  Tenant Representation  Financing  Investment  Property Valuations  Corporate Services  Government Services  Logistics

Winter2015 Meadowlands Industrial Report

Hackensack  201 488 5800 Parsippany  973 463 1011 naihanson.com

Visit www.naihanson.com/flyers/mmr.pdf to view our Winter 2015 Market Report

We help make business less taxing.

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HUNTER GROUP CPA LLC Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors 17-17 Route 208 Fair Lawn, New Jersey 07410

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Developers win when Operating Engineers and Employers work together

Contractors and Local 825 employees who understand their common interests deliver the best construction results by striving for greater efficiency, productivity and profitability.

An atmosphere of trust Some of the best suggestions for innovations, cost savings and costavoidance have come from the people who perform the work. In an atmosphere of trust, everyone is a partner in success.

Thriving on challenge Local 825 members thrive on challenging work and employment stability that allows them to provide for their families. Contractors take pride in challenging projects, knowing they can deliver on time, on budget and above expectations.

Investing in success Local 825’s state-of-the-art training centers are open to members and contractors in two states. They help keep our members highly skilled, fully licensed, credentialed and ready to work when you are.

Learn how we can help.

Contact ELEC Director Mark Longo at 973-630-1010 or visit WWW.ELEC825.ORG

Building On Common Ground The Engineers Labor-Employer Cooperative (ELEC) is comprised of: International Union of Operating Engineers Local 825, Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey, Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley and the Construction Contractors Labor Employers of New Jersey.

Left photo, Revel Casino Hotel; center photo, MetLife Stadium, courtesy of Skanska USA; right photo, Montclair rail station & municipal parking lot, courtesy of Prismatic Development Corporation.

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Connecting New Jersey Businesses

L EADERSHIP C OUNCIL Allstate Bergen Community College Boiling Springs Savings Bank Bruinooge & Bowman Comfort Guard Contracting LLC Ernst & Young, LLP Eastwick Colleges FORT Group Goya Foods Hackensack University Medical Center Hartz Mountain Industries JACOBS Kearny Federal Savings Bank Lincoln Equities, Inc. Meadowlink Commuter Services MetroMultiMedia MWW Group NAI James E. Hanson, Inc. New York Jets NJSEA PNC Bank Prime MSP PSE&G Skanska USA TD Bank United Water NJ Verizon Wilenta Carting, Inc. Publisher: Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, Inc. 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 Design: Evan Eagleson, Eighty6, LLC.

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Meadowlands Business Report Letter From the Chairman Harmon Meadow Retail, Restaurants & Hotels Directory Meadowlands Restaurants & Dining Event Planning & Catering Services Meadowlands Hotels & Accommodations Destination Meadowlands News From the Meadow

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Economic Update Environmental Update International Business Spotlight Accounting Business Wise Legal Human Resources & Operations Continuing Education & Business Learning Tech Talk Chefs of the Meadowlands Featured Member: NJM

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Copyright 2015. 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.

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The Times, They Are a Changing Compassionate & Professional Mental Health Services Building the Region

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

Cover: Compassionate & Professional Mental Health Services, Comprehensive Behavioral Healthcare, Inc.

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Business Report From the Desk of Jim Kirkos

President & CEO, Meadowlands Regional Chamber

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elcome to the latest edition of Meadowlands USA, the first issue of 2015 and the first ever to be fully launched alongside our new blog: www.meadowlandsusa.com

This is a landmark event in the history of our publication and it reflects the steady growth we have experienced over the past several years! The development of this blog will even further increase our progress by: • Enhancing our overall digital footprint • Expanding our readership, both within and beyond the regional business community • Engaging and leveraging the expert knowledge of our diverse membership • Enabling even greater visibility for the entire Meadowlands business community This last function is perhaps the most important as the blog circulates the content of Meadowlands USA to readers not just in our own region but the entire state, country and beyond. As the blog gains readers and reputation, we project that search results pertaining to business news in New Jersey will direct World Wide Web users straight to our content! This further asserts Meadowlands USA as a vehicle for regional economic development.

The blog also allows our content to be more readily available, rather than waiting for the next print edition to come out. This means that time-sensitive information can be transmitted to readers quicker and more efficiently.

And speaking of content, a key feature of this blog calls upon our members to submit news items and “how to” content to the editorial staff. I invite you to take advantage of this function by contributing business intelligence you feel can help organizations save money and operate more efficiently. This is an ideal opportunity to showcase your knowledge and expertise to our readers—and prospective customers!

If you have thought about advertising in this publication to yield your business greater visibility, I want to assure you that now is probably the best time to get on board. We are developing packages that will offer exposure in both print and the blog—but these opportunities will be limited. Please reach out to Managing Editor Joe Garavente at JGaravente@meadowlands.org if you are interested in learning more.

Though much emphasis here is on the new blog, I also want to proudly point out that we will maintain the circulation of our print edition as we have for almost four decades. The current media landscape today mandates both of these formats—and we know our loyal readership and advertisers will help drive both print and digital!

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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From The Chairman Rick Dabagian

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Meadowlands Regional Chamber

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s you read this, we are off to another chapter in time: 2015. I am reminded of a discussion around the topic of how long at the beginning of a new year do we say “Happy New Year.� Upon further thought, one might question, what makes it a new year? What is the difference between 12/31/14 and 1/1/15?

Listening to this question posed by a friend prompted me to stop and think. Just what makes it a new year? Often, the answer lies with each of us.

In the world of the Meadowlands Regional Chamber, we will witness and participate in many new things. For those who recently joined as members, new contacts and friendships will develop. However, those that have been members for years will also have opportunities to make new contacts and associations. Consider making this a new part of your 2015.

We will begin to realize the results of a revamped Board of Directors. Referred to as a board re-structure, your Chamber is committed in calling upon our passionate board leaders to ensure the growth of the Meadowlands region while seeking new areas of opportunity.

This year we will develop new events and initiatives that have been in the planning stages. It is imperative we offer new strategies and ways to help member businesses develop, improve and prosper. Our monthly membership meetings continue to introduce new formats but we will never forget why many attend: networking!

From the renewed activity and development provided by American Dream Meadowlands, to the newest discussion about gaming, a convention center and hotel in the Meadowlands, 2015 promises to deliver a number of new ideas, trends and successes. Will you be part of it? Your Chamber is here to help you and your business. Let us know how we can help you achieve some of these goals.

And if I may for the last time this year: Happy New Year!

Respectfully,

Rick Dabagian

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ECONOMIC UPDATE

State Partners with UCEDC

1,700 entrepreneurs trained & mentored in 2014

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nhancing the state’s commitment to economic growth and entrepreneurial development, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) continued its support of small businesses in 2014 through its partnership with UCEDC. In 2014, UCEDC trained or mentored more than 1,700 entrepreneurs, conducted 55 business training workshops across the State, and provided $4.1 million in loans to 45 small businesses, 40-percent of which were minority or woman-owned enterprises.

The EDA’s partnership with not-forprofit economic development corporation UCEDC has helped to expand the array of training, technical and financial assistance services available to entrepreneurs and small businesses throughout New Jersey.

The EDA also provided a $250,000 loan to UCEDC in 2014 through its Loans to Lenders program, which allows the Authority to make capital available to financial intermediary organizations who can effectively reach small businesses in local markets.

“The state understands how critical small businesses are to New Jersey’s economy,” said Tim Lizura, EDA President and Chief Operating Officer. “Through its longstanding strategic partnership with UCEDC, the state has deepened its reach into underserved communities, and provided more access to resources for burgeoning entrepreneurs and small business owners.”

UCEDC offers a wide variety of free and low-cost training workshops, including a series of courses that help develop financial and business literacy for business owners at all stages of maturation and a comprehensive program that walks entrepreneurs through all aspects of starting a business, culminating in the development of a business plan. Through its microloans, SBA 7(a) loans and SBA 504 Commercial Real Estate program, UCEDC also offers a range of financing vehicles to address business needs at every stage of growth.

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Loan clients receive individualized business mentoring to ensure they stay on their growth track.

“Through its broad continuum of programs, for over 35 years, UCEDC has helped new companies get started, established businesses expand into new markets, and has provided technical support to small businesses and entrepreneurs in all stages of growth,” said UCEDC President Maureen Tinen. “Our partnership with the state has helped us to expand our ability to provide entrepreneurs with the technical and financial support they need to grow their businesses in New Jersey.”

In addition to its business training workshops, UCEDC conducted seven Entrepreneurship 101 classes in 2014, supporting 75 small businesses and entrepreneurs in Cranford, Totowa, Asbury Park, Trenton and Hamilton.

Dianne Grossman, owner of Carpet Girl, is a recent graduate of UCEDC’s Entrepreneurship 101 program. The Springfield-based business offers flooring project management, featuring sales consultants who make house calls. “The class was an eye-opener,” she says. “You have no idea what you don’t know until you know it!”

Pastore Music, an instrument and audio equipment retailer and musical lessons studio, is a Union City icon. But the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy left it cashpoor due to lost customers, threatening MARCH 2015

its viability and its plans to participate in the creation of an Arts District in the City.

UCEDC’s $50,000 storm recovery microloan gave owner Jerry Pastore the working capital he needed. “There was a culture of performance in this town and it’s important to keep that alive. UCEDC helped us get back on track and even begin developing new lines of business.” Pastore said.

With EDA support, UCEDC established a satellite office in Camden last year at the Camden Co-Lab, a co-working and business accelerator community for entrepreneurs, businesses, and students.

UCEDC’s business mentors are providing individualized counseling/mentoring services to the Co-Lab’s tenants while presenting workshops at the location for the general small business community.

Other unique partners include the Newark Community Asset Preservation Corporation, which asked UCEDC to conduct specialized entrepreneurial training for emerging local contractors and developers, and the REPENT program, an initiative to provide entrepreneurial training to formerly incarcerated men in Trenton.

For more information on UCEDC, visit www.ucedc.com or call (908) 5271166. To learn more about opportunities for business growth throughout New Jersey, visit the state’s business portal at www.

NewJerseyBusiness.gov or call the Business Action Center at (866) 534-7789.

ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATE

Spring is Just Around the Corner

Experience the natural beauty & wildlife of the Meadowlands

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t’s time to celebrate spring in the Meadowlands! As we prepare to put winter’s frigid temperatures and snowfalls behind us, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) invites everyone to experience the region’s amazing natural beauty and wildlife and to participate in our wide array of informative and engaging public programs for all ages.

This season you can experience the region’s breathtaking scenery during the Commission’s guided nature walks, get expert advice on preparing your plant gardens through our new Lunch ‘n’ Learn series, enjoy wildlife education programs with live animal visits, enroll in art classes with nature as your canvas, receive valuable boating safety tips and take NJMC guided pontoon boat cruises and canoe trips.

The Meadowlands Commission is proud to introduce its new Lunch ‘n’ Learn programs. We invite you to pack your midday meal and head to the Meadowlands Environment Center (MEC) for nature-themed discussions in a casual setting. The series kicks off on Wednesday, March 18, at noon, with “Passion for Plants.”

NJMC plant expert Lisa Cameron will tell you all you need to know about how to determine the best flora to grow in your garden with the characteristics you want, including size, shape, color, and wildlife value.

On Tuesday, April 14, at noon, Don Torino of the Bergen County Audubon Society will discuss how to “Build a Better Butterfly Garden.” Don will explain how to create a butterfly habitat in your backyard and talk about how people can help the stunning Monarch butterfly, whose numbers have de8

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clined precipitously in recent years. Both Lunch ‘n’ Learn programs cost $6; MEC members $5.

This spring the NJMC is also hosting a number of live animal programs that aim to entertain and educate visitors of all ages. Owls, bees— don’t worry, they will be enclosed in an observation hive—and rainforest critters are among our guests. The Commission also encourages you to join our twice-monthly guided nature walks. The free, two-hour excursions co-sponsored by the NJMC and the Bergen County Audubon Society (BCAS) are held on the first Sunday and third Tuesday of each month at various Meadowlands District parks and natural areas.

The leisurely, family-friendly walks are a great way to spot some of the more than 280 bird species that can be seen in the area, including many on the State’s threatened, endangered and species of special concern lists.

Beginning in June, you can explore the Meadowlands’ stunning scenery and wildlife from the unique vantage point of a pontoon boat or canoe.

The Commission’s guided, two-to-three-hour pontoon boat and canoe tours of the Hackensack River are led by experienced NJMC staff. The schedule will be announced in May. For more information, call 201-460-4677. As a prelude to the launch of our boat trips, the Commission will host a Boating Safety event on Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the NJMC’s River Barge Park in Carlstadt.

Please see the following schedule for a complete listing of our upcoming programs. Pre-registration is recommended and appreciated, though walk-ins are welcome. For more details, including registration information, visit www.njmeadowlands.gov or call 201-777-2431. All events are held at the Meadowlands Environment Center (MEC), 2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, unless otherwise noted.

Those interested in group outings should call 201-460-4692. To receive email alerts about NJMC programs, contact communications@ njmeadowlands.gov.

By Senator Marcia Karrow, Executive Director of the NJ Meadowlands Commission. Senator Karrow has served as executive director of the NJ Meadowlands Commission since January 2011.

Her proven ability to work with various stakeholders to support economic development and sustainability mirror’s the NJMC’s dual mandates of promoting economic growth and protecting the environment.

March Sunday March 1, 10 a.m.

Nature Walk Mill Creek Marsh, Secaucus

Sunday March 8, 2 p.m.

Owls Alive!

Saturday March 14, 10 a.m.

Art Class: “Textural Expressions”

Saturday March 14, 2 p.m.

The Buzz About Bees

Tuesday March 17, 10 a.m.

Nature Walk, Harrier Meadow, North Arlington

Wednesday March 18, Noon Lunch ‘n’ Learn: Passion for Plants

April Sunday April 5, 10 a.m.

Nature Walk, DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst

Sunday April 12, 1 p.m.

Birding for Beginners: Bird Identification

Tuesday April 14, Noon

Lunch ‘n’ Learn: Build a Better Butterfly Garden

Saturdays April 18 and 25 and May 2, 2 p.m.

Three-part Art Class Series: The Art Safari

Sunday April 19, 1 p.m.

Birding for Beginners: Optics and Field Guides

Tuesday April 21, 10 a.m.

Nature Walk, Harrier Meadow, North Arlington

Wednesday April l 22, 10 a.m.

Earth Day Nature Walk, DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst

May Sunday May 3, 10 a.m.

Nature Walk, Losen Slote Creek Park, Little Ferry

Saturday May 9, 10 a.m.

Boating Safety Day, River Barge Park, Carlstadt

Sunday May 10, 10 a.m.

Mother’s Day Nature Walk, Ridgefield Nature Center, Ridgefield

Tuesday May 19, Nature Walk DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst

Thursday May 21, 7 p.m.

Conserve Wildlife Foundation Osprey Talk

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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Bring Your Business Abroad

Resources to help you crack the export market

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.S. businesses are selling more goods and services abroad than ever before, reaching an alltime record of $2.3 trillion in 2013—and 98 percent of American companies that export are small businesses.

Despite the statistics, many small businesses still face big challenges when it comes to financing and managing their export business. A recent trade seminar, hosted by the Department of Commerce and several other federal agencies, identified three commonly cited financial obstacles small businesses have to going global: 1) How to obtain working capital and financing to support export transactions 2) Where to seek assistance for entering, growing and succeeding in global markets 3) How to get paid by foreign buyers overseas Helping entrepreneurs overcome such challenges are key priorities for the SBA (www.sba.gov) and the International Trade Administration (www.trade.gov), which supports the President’s National Export Initiative.

Here is how they can help:

Getting export financing

Securing a business loan is not easy and many small businesses find that they do not qualify for traditional bank loans.

While banks may look upon small businesses as a high risk investment, that does not mean they have nothing to offer small busi-

nesses. Many participate in SBA’s lending programs, including financing programs designed to help small business exporters.

The simplest and quickest SBA exporting loan product is the SBA Export Express Loan Program, which offers financing up to $500,000. Loans can be approved in 36 hours or less and are available as term loans or a revolving line of credit, meaning you draw on the funds only when you need them.

It is important to know that the SBA does not actually lend businesses the money; instead it provides a guarantee to the lending bank or institution that in turn lends your business the money—alleviating the investment risk for the bank.

Other SBA finance programs include the International Trade Loan Program, which helps businesses entering highly competitive international markets where investments are needed to better compete.

Finally, SBA also offers its Export Working Capital Program, which provides advances to fund export transactions from purchase order to collections.

Not sure which SBA Lending Program is for you? Contact your local Export Assistance Center to learn more. Again, this information is available online at www.sba.gov.

The federal government has several additional loan programs, grant and contract opportunities, and insurance programs for exporters. To find the program that best suits your export needs, visit Business.

USA.gov.

Getting help entering global markets

If you need help getting started with exporting, look no further than the wealth of resources online and in-person: • Business.USA.gov/Export: This government site offers a wide range of resources to help small businesses being and expand into exporting.

• Export Assistance Centers: Located in major metropolitan areas across the U.S., each center is staffed by experts from the SBA, Department of Com-

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merce, Export-Import Bank and other public private organizations.

• Trade Information Center: You can also contact a Trade Information Center at 1-800-USA-TRADE. These centers are staffed by international trade specialists who provide information about government export programs; the export process; market research; statistics and trade leads; trade events and activities; public and private export financing; and referrals to federal, state and local resources.

Getting paid by foreign buyers overseas

Finally, getting paid by an overseas buyer is naturally a big concern for cash flow aware small businesses. Furthermore, if you do not get paid on time, then you can become a credit risk yourself.

But how do you even get reliable credit information about a foreign buyer and how secure are international payments anyway?

To help understand the payment options available to small business exporters, check out the “Export Guide” from www. export.gov.

Of course, preventing bad debts before they occur is always favorable to attempting to resolve them after the fact.

But if you do run into payment issues and disputes, Business.USA.gov offers useful advice and resource in its “Help Getting Paid” guide.

If you do not get answers or need to talk to someone, contact a U.S. Export Assistance Center.

Caron Beesley is a small business owner, a writer and marketing communications consultant. Caron has worked with organizations including the Small Business Administration (SBA. gov) and private companies to promote essential resources that help entrepreneurs and small business owners start-up, grow and succeed. Follow Caron on Twitter: @caronbeesley.

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ACCOUNTING

Fixing Tax Mistakes

Avoid penalties & minimize interest

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e all make mistakes and when it comes to taxes it is all too easy to slip up. Recognizing mistakes and fixing them as quickly as possible is the key to minimizing interest and penalties and getting back on track.

Employer tax mistakes

Unless you are a very small employer (with quarterly employment taxes under $2,500), you must deposit employment taxes (income tax withholding, FICA, FUTA) on a regular schedule (this depends on the size of your payroll).

If you fail to do so, there is a penalty.

This penalty is designed to encourage your correcting a delinquent deposit as quickly as possible because it is only two percent if you are one to five days late. But the penalty escalates over time—more than 10 days late and you are looking at a 15 percent penalty.

What to do: Deposit your tardy employment taxes as soon as possible, making this a priority payment over your other payment obligations (e.g., pay the treasury before some vendors) when you are in a cash crunch.

Note: If you use an outside payroll service, you are on the hook even if the mistake is theirs so be sure you are working with a reliable agent. Check to see if the payroll agent passed the IRS’s Assurance Testing System (www.irs.gov).

You also have to timely file employer tax returns. If you make errors on employer tax returns, file a corrected one: • To correct Form 940 for FUTA taxes, file a new Form 940 and check the box to indicate that it is an amended return.

• To correct Form 941 for withholding and FICA taxes (the quarterly return) or Form 944 (the annual return), file Form 941X, or Form 944X.

Mistakes on income tax returns

Say that while preparing your 2014 tax return, your accountant notices a mistake on your 2013 return that could have lowered your tax bill. To claim your refund, you

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must submit an amended return within the limits fixed by law, and use the right form.

Let’s say the error was on your S corporation’s return. The corporation files an amended Form 1120S and checks a special box indicated that it’s an amended return.

Then you as the shareholder file an amended Form 1040 to reflect the correction on the corporate return; use Form 1040X to amend your personal return.

But what if the flip side applies and you mistakenly omitted income or made some other error that increases your tax bill? If you are a freelancer who failed to report some income that was included on a Form 1099-MISC, the IRS likely will catch up with you and send a bill. But the sooner you report omitted income, the smaller your interest cost will be. I know that the interest charge today is very low, but it is still an expense you can avoid by prompt action.

Information reporting slipups

Forgot to send 1099s to contractors or failed to issue W-2s on time? Or you didn’t include all the necessary information on the forms you issued? You may be able to avoid penalties for your mistakes by showing reasonable cause, but merely forgetting is not an acceptable excuse.

Good excuse? Maybe you thought you did not have to issue a 1099 because you are dealing with a limited liability company, but you really did have to issue one if there’s only one member in the LLC because this is viewed as a “disregarded entity.”

If you can’t avoid penalties, you are looking at $30 per 1099 if you correct your MARCH 2015

mistake within 30 days of the original due date. The penalty goes up to $60 per 1099 if you act after 30 days but before August 1. Miss this date and you’re facing a $100 per-1099 penalty.

Find more details about penalties from the IRS. What to do: Let’s repeat: correct the mistake as soon as you can to minimize any penalties.

Conclusion

If there is a mistake on your return or you fail to comply with tax requirements, in some cases (as mentioned earlier) you may be able to avoid costly penalties by showing that your failure was due to reasonable cause: you didn’t do it on purpose.

But the ball is in your court to tell the IRS before it contacts you. Work with a knowledgeable tax pro to make sure you handle any mistakes properly.

Barbara Weltman is an attorney, prolific author with such titles as J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes, J.K. Lasser’s Guide to Self-Employment and Smooth Failing, as well as a trusted professional advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs. She is also the publisher of Idea of the Day®, and a monthly e-newsletter Big Ideas for Small Business®. She hosts Build Your Business Radio and has been included in the List of 100 Small Business Influencers for three years in a row. Follow her on Twitter @BarbaraWeltman.

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BUSINESS WISE

Build Trust, Build Your Brand

Tips to strengthen the reputation of your business

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he most valuable business commodity is trust. Richard Branson, author and founder of multinational Virgin Group says, “Building trust in your brand isn’t easy to achieve and it may take time, but it doesn’t have to come at a high cost. With honesty, ambition, hard work and attention to detail you can instill a level of trust that will enable you to move forward.”

The fact is that integrity impacts all aspects of business and is among, if not the most important character trait for a company to have. It is the barometer by which your customers, lenders, potential business partners and employees evaluate you and your business.

Trust in a business speaks volumes on how a company services and communicates with its customers.

A trustworthy business can be defined many different ways depending upon the person, business or organization reviewing it. Here are five ways you can build trust in your business:

1. Deliver on your promises

Doing what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it is crucial to building trust. Famous entrepreneur and motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, “One customer well taken care of could be more valuable than $10,000 worth of advertising.”

2. Have a solid reputation

Potential customers and business partners will search for information about you and your business online. According to a survey conducted by Dimensional Research, 90 percent of respondents who recalled reading online reviews claimed that positive online reviews influenced buying decisions, while 86 percent said buying decisions were influenced by negative online reviews. It’s crucial to manage your online reputation and es14

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tablish an active social media presence, website and blog.

3. Communicate effectively

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful company. In today’s fast paced business world, having a range of communication channels available such as phone, e-mail, instant messaging, fax, etc. is key to maximizing your ability to communicate effectively with customers.

4. Stay in compliance

Staying up to date and compliant with all federal state, and local rules required to keep your business in good standing where it conducts business is essential.

Failure to meet the necessary requirements can cost you loss of good standing, not to mention fines, penalties, reinstatement costs and even business closure.

5. Creditworthiness

Lenders, potential business partners and investors will check your company’s credit reports. With positive business credit reports and ratings with a credit agency such as Dun and Bradstreet, a creditor can assess how your company handles its financial obligations.

“All of this can be done by taking MARCH 2015

the initiative. Increased credit affords businesses better relationships with partners, vendors, trade sources and the community at large” says Jeff Stibel, CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp.

Let this be a guide for you in building and maintaining trust in your business.

Integrity and credibility are invaluable business commodities. Take the time to study the habits and behaviors of those businesses who have gained trust in the business world. Adopt or adapt those that you can authentically incorporate into your own behavior. With time and consistency, you can build up trust and credibility for your business in the marketplace.

Marco Carbajo is a business credit expert, author, speaker and founder of the Business Credit Insiders Circle. He is a business credit blogger for Dun and Bradstreet Credibility Corp, the SBA.gov Community, About. com and AllBusiness.com. His articles and blog, BusinessCreditBlogger.com, have been featured in Fox Small Business, American Express Small Business, Business Week, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The San Francisco Tribune, Alltop, and Entrepreneur Connect.

BUSINESS WISE

Tradeshow Tips

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

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The Meadowlands Regional Chamber will once again present BizFest in May of this year (stay tuned for further details!) so 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 BizFest and other tradeshows you may participate in.

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BUSINESS WISE

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The Times, They Are a Changing Investing in our small businesses

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} “Yes, the small business community is finally feeling the love and the respect. There is a balance and equity in the capital and financing marketplace that has changed the processes and the dynamics that, once upon a time, underserved the small business community.�

} Continued on pg. 20

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Continued from pg. 19

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“I can get a free business checking account plus unlimited

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This Cash Back rewards factor is variable and may change at our discretion. To be eligible, qualifying point-of-sale signature-based transactions must be posted to and cleared through your Provident BusinessAdvantage Checking account as of the last business day of the statement period.

Cash Back rewards will be redeemed, deposited and available on the first business day of the following statement period. 2 Free BusinessAdvantage Checking account includes 1,000 free transactions per statement period, with 12 statement periods per year. Free transactions include checks paid, deposited items, debits and credits. Fees will apply if the transaction limit is exceeded. 3No minimum account balance required, however, you must deposit a minimum of $50 to open this account. 4Does not include Cash Management accounts and services. Ask for details.

Protecting our environment.

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LEGAL

Revised Definition of “Spouse”

Recognizing same-sex, common law & foreign marriages

I

n a July 2013 Alert, Archer & Greiner reported on the United States Supreme Court’s landmark case of United States v. Windsor, wherein the Court declared that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional. The invalidation of DOMA’s definitions of “marriage” and “spouse” granted same-sex couples a host of federal benefits that they had been previously denied.

However, in the case of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the effect of DOMA’s defeat was not uniform for all same-sex couples. A revision to the FMLA regulations issued in February 2015 rectifies that situation and brings uniformity across the states with respect to how same-sex marriage is treated under the FMLA. The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. At the time of the Windsor decision, the FMLA defined “spouse” as a husband and wife.

The Department of Labor (DOL)’s FMLA regulations further clarified that “spouse” meant “a husband or wife as defined or recognized under State law for purposes of marriage in the State where the employee resides, including common law marriage in a State where it is recognized.”

With the enactment of DOMA in 1996, it limited the definition of “spouse” to a “person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife.” DOMA had superseded the DOL regulations, and therefore, FMLA benefits were only available to opposite-sex married couples - the benefits were not available to same-sex married couples.

Since DOMA was overturned by the Supreme Court back in 2013, the DOL regulations were back in effect. Thus, following Windsor, same-sex married couples who resided in a state that recognized same-sex marriages were considered married for FMLA purposes. However, because the regulations looked to the in-

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dividual’s state of residence to determine the definition of “spouse,” employees who lived in a state that did not recognize samesex marriage were not eligible for FMLA leave benefits.

This discrepancy created an issue for many employers because opposite-sex couples only had to show (1) his/her spouse is suffering from serious medical condition or qualifying exigency, and (2) s/he is legally married, while same-sex couples had to show (1) and (2), but also (3) that he or she resided in a state that recognized samesex marriage. This was of great concern for employers who did not want to violate state anti-discrimination laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Almost immediately following Windsor, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued guidance that extended FMLA leave rights to spouses of federal employees without regard to the individual’s state of residence. However, while the DOL revised its guidance documents to eliminate references to DOMA, it did not immediately revise the definition of “spouse,” and therefore, for quite some time, the FMLA did not equally apply to same-sex married couples.

In June of 2014 the DOL announced that it would change the FMLA regulations to extend FMLA coverage to employees of same-sex marriages, even in states where same-sex marriages were not yet legal.

And, recently, the DOL announced that it will issue a Final Rule today - February 25, 2015 - revising the regulatory definition of “spouse” under the FMLA. The definition will no longer be based on the employee’s “state of residence,” but rather, on the employee’s “place of celebration” - where s/ he got married.

Accordingly, all employees who enter into a legal same-sex marriage will now be eligible for FMLA benefits. Additionally, the final rule’s definition of “spouse” expressly includes individuals in lawfully recognized same-sex and common law marriages, as well as marriages that were entered into outside the Unites States, if they could be entered into in at least one state.

MARCH 2015

The effective date for the final rule will be March 27, 2015. Therefore, prior to that date, it would be wise for covered employers to recognize and acknowledge the changes being made to the FMLA, and ensure that: (1) moving forward, eligible employees are not improperly denied FMLA benefits, (2) their FMLA policies, posters and notices are all up to date, and (3) individuals responsible for administering the FMLA are made aware of/trained on this change.

If you have questions or concerns related to this ruling or other labor & employment matters, please contact a member of Archer & Greiner’s Labor and Employment Department in Hackensack, N.J., at (201) 342-6000, in Haddonfield, N.J., at (856) 795-2121, in Flemington, N.J., at (908) 788-9700, in Princeton, N.J., at (609) 580-3700, , in Philadelphia, Pa., at (215) 963-3300, or in Wilmington, Del., at (302) 777-4350. Visit www.archerlaw.com for more information.

DISCLAIMER: This client advisory is for general information purposes only. It does not constitute legal or tax advice, and may not be used and relied upon as a substitute for legal or tax advice regarding a specific issue or problem. Advice should be obtained from a qualified attorney or tax practitioner licensed to practice in the jurisdiction where that advice is sought.

LEGAL

Addressing Employee Theft

Policies & procedures to protect your business

F

rom stealing merchandise to inflating expenses, employee theft costs U.S. businesses billions of dollars every year. However, as evidenced by the recent lawsuit against Target, companies must proceed carefully when they address employee theft.

As detailed in the media, a Pasadena mother has filed a wrongful death suit against Target, alleging that the retailer’s handling of a suspected employee theft caused her son to commit suicide. She alleges that her son, 22-year-old Graham Gentles, who worked as a cashier, was handcuffed and “paraded” through the store in front of coworkers and customers, in what the suit calls a “walk of shame.”

While he was taken into police custody, he was never charged. The suit maintains that the emotional trauma caused by the incident ultimately caused Gentles to take his own life.

The suit highlights the importance of having comprehensive employment policies and procedures in place to deter, detect, and investigate theft. Below are a few tips:

Accounting protocols

Many cases of employee theft are socalled “crimes of opportunity” that take advantage of lax company oversight. If your business has the proper accounting practices in place, it should be easy to detect employee theft as soon as it occurs.

Examples include revolving accounting duties among staff members; regularly auditing bookkeeping records and inventory; limiting the amount of petty cash;

reviewing bank statements monthly; requiring supporting documentation prior to disbursing funds; and never providing employees with blank checks.

Security measures

Businesses should also implement security measures that are designed to deter and detect theft. Examples can range from locking up check and deposit slips to installing security cameras in high-risk areas. Ultimately, the goal should be for employees to be aware that your company is actively monitoring for theft, without feeling like “big brother” is always watching.

Employee policies

Every business should have written policies in place that address employee dishonesty and theft. At minimum, the policy should expressly state that employee theft and dishonesty will not be tolerated; outline the type of conduct that will be considered theft, i.e. unauthorized use of company services or facilities or the taking of any company property for personal use; and set forth the potential consequences of violating the anti-theft policy, which may include suspension, termination, and prosecution.

Investigation safeguards

Employers should conduct theft investigations confidentially on a “need to know” basis until they have gathered all of the evidence. This not only helps ensure that you collect all of the pertinent

facts prior to taking any action against the employee, but can also help avoid a defamation lawsuit if the suspicion turns out to be unfounded. Businesses should also have internal whistleblower procedures in place that encourage workers notify management about potential theft without fear of retaliation.

Legal action

Businesses should report employee thefts to the appropriate law enforcement agency, particularly if their policy states that workers who are caught stealing will be prosecuted. If such policies are not enforced uniformly, it may not only render them ineffective, but could result in a discrimination lawsuit. Companies may also pursue a civil suit to recover any financial losses associated with the theft.

Ramon Rivera is a partner at Scarinci Hollenbeck and chairs the firm’s labor & employment law group.

He is a member of the executive committee of the section on Labor & Employment of the New Jersey State Bar Association. Ramon represents four of the largest school districts in NJ. Scarinci Hollenbeck is a full-service, general practice law firm that provides a broad range of legal services to a diverse group of clients. The firm has offices in Lyndhurst and Ocean, New Jersey and New York, New York. For more information on the firm, please visit the firm’s website at www. scarincihollenbeck.com.

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HUMAN RESOURCES & OPERATIONS

Entrepreneur Travel Guide

Getting work done while you’re on the road

I

f you travel in your work, it can be a challenge to get much done in between catching flights, attending meetings and trying to get a little shuteye. And yet, the wheels of your business are still churning.

Here’s how to stay on top of your email and task list so that it does not overwhelm you when you get back into the office:

Don’t overestimate your capacity

Most people vastly overestimate how much work they will get done while traveling.

I find I almost never have as much time to handle my regular workload while traveling as I expect to. That’s because we don’t account for all the little things that eat up our time—such as trying to find a restaurant to get something to eat, figuring out how to get online at that hotspot, dealing with a slow connection in your hotel room, or trying to figure out how to get from point A to point B in your rental car in an unfamiliar city.

We also don’t have our same level of energy, because travel can sap it.

So step one to managing your business while traveling is not to assume you can carry on much of your regular workload remotely while you are away. You won’t be able to enjoy your conference or have productive meetings if you have to spend all your time holed up in a hotel room trying to keep your business going.

Plan several weeks out

You must plan in advance, at least several weeks out. If you wait until two days before you are about to leave, you will not have enough time to make arrangements.

Take care of any assignments that will be due during your travel period by working harder ahead of time.

Let your clients know they should not expect any work from you that week— and for a day or two after you return. Cer-

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tainly, you may be available for a phone call or to answer a quick email, but you do not want them pressing you to deliver that huge presentation or important proposal in the middle of your trip.

ees, and handle any issues with confidence. Keep in mind that your replacement will likely need more than a day or two to learn what he or she needs to know to take over for you, so plan accordingly.

Hand over the keys

Use snippets of time wisely

If you have staff, select someone to take your place in your absence. Sometimes delegating is the hardest part for business owners. However, consider this a good opportunity to evaluate whether an employee is ready for more responsibility on a permanent basis.

This person should be able to answer questions from clients and other employ-

MARCH 2015

If you are traveling to attend a conference, consider planning some time to work quietly in your hotel room. You certainly do not want to travel just to sit in a hotel room and work, but some conference schedules build in extra time. Rather than frittering it away by sitting in a lounge at a convention center for two hours, use it to get some work done.

Don’t neglect plane time on long flights. Many planes offer Wi-Fi, so subscribe to a service like GoGo Inflight Internet if you need an Internet connection to work. And if nothing else, plane time is great for strategy planning and thinking about your business.

You can also wake up an hour earlier to sort through your email before your day begins.

Prioritize your emails

In a given week, you might receive hundreds of emails. When you are busy with work travel, focus just on the important emails. Save the rest to read when you return.

The easiest method is to quickly skim the emails in your inbox and delete any newsletters or promotional emails. Then open the ones from your clients or contacts based on the level of urgency or importance you feel they have.

Google Mail has a Priority Inbox feature that allows you to sort your mail based on who they are from and level of priority.

Don’t forget your email autoresponder

If your contacts are accustomed to receiving a response via email from you quickly, it is wise to let them know you might be slower to respond while traveling. Set up your autoresponder to let people who email you know you are traveling, with limited access to email.

Conclusion

While you will not get as much done while traveling as on a typical work week, you do not have to come back to the office to find stacks of work to do.

With a little planning, you can better manage your workload and ensure the smooth continuation of your business— no matter where you happen to be.

Anita Campbell manages several online communities and information websites, reaching over 6 million small business owners, stakeholders and entrepreneurs annually—including Small Business Trends, a daily publication about small business issues, and BizSugar. com, a small business social media site.

NEW

JERSEY BUSINESS

SCARINCIHOLLENBECK.COM

www www.scarincihollenbeck .scarincihollenbeck .com .com MEADOWLANDS USA

2 0201-896-4100 12.01 8 9. 89 6 .64. 410 100 meadowlands.org

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Compassionate & Professional Mental Health Services CBHCare, helping the people of our community meet life’s challenges

A

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Continued on pg. 28

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Continued from pg. 27

When you’re having a mental health crisis, immediate help is just a phone call away.

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Helping People Meet Life’s Challenges

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Il Villaggio_3rdQ_V2:Il

10/9/09

1:54 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

Jim Polito, Bartender of 27 years

Wait and Captain Staff, Mario, Sebastian, Donato, Marco, Seth, and Dennis (in center of top photo)

Owner Ralph Magliocchetti and Banquet Director John Yessis

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

CONTINUING EDUCATION & BUSINESS LEARNING

Project Management Boot Camp

Special two-day program offered to working professionals

R

amapo College’s Center for Innovative and Professional Learning is offering an intensive 8-hour Project Management Bootcamp for working professionals at two Bergen County locations: attend either on the Ramapo College campus in Mahwah on March 26 and April 2, 1-5 p.m. or at the Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst on April 1 and April 8, 2-6 p.m.

Over the two half-day sessions, participants will learn the basics of project management, create tools to effectively manage projects such as a project scope statement, work breakdown structure and project schedule, and review risk analysis and how to develop prevention strategies. Three hours of online prework is also required.

The Project Management Bootcamp tuition is $325 per attendee. Three or more employees from one employer each receive a $25 discount. Registration is completed online at: www.ramapo. edu/cipl/pmbootcamp Employers interested in customized training solutions at their work site should contact Rosanne Rosty, director of customized training, workforce development and outreach at Ramapo College at 201.684.7217 or at rrosty1@ramapo. edu.

The Project Management Bootcamp instructor is Professor John Thomas, director of professional business certification programs in the Ramapo College Anisfield School of Business. Thomas also teaches the Project Management Certification program classes held in both Mahwah and Lyndhurst that prepare participants to pursue the Project Management Institute credentials of Project Management Professional (PMP®) and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®).

Used extensively in information

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technology, construction, energy, government, manufacturing, accounting and entertainment, Project Management is a rapidly growing career field with a high number of current job openings for credentialed individuals.

To learn more about the Project Management Bootcamp or the Ramapo College Project Management Certification program approved by the Project Management Institute, please visit:www. ramapo.edu/cipl/pmbootcamp, or call the Ramapo College Center for Innovative and Professional Learning at (201) 684-7370.

About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as sixth in the Best Regional Universities North category for public institutions. It is sometimes viewed as a private college.

MARCH 2015

This is, in part, due to its unique interdisciplinary academic structure, its size of approximately 6,000 students and its pastoral setting in the foothills of the Ramapo Mountains on the New Jersey/ New York border.

Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include nursing and social work. In addition, Ramapo College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels. The College also offers eight graduate programs as well as articulated programs with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New York Chiropractic College, New York University College of Dentistry, SUNY State College of Optometry and New York College of Podiatric Medicine.

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Advance your career in this high demand field. Convenient evening program. Preparation for taking the PMP® and CAPM® exams, plus MS Project and Visio. Individual resume coaching, in-depth interviewing preparation, and extensive job skills training included. Attend in Mahwah or Lyndhurst!

Ramapo College is a Registered Education Provider for Project Management Certification by PMI.

Sign Up for an Information Session: Lyndhurst Wednesday, March 25, 5-6 pm Wednesday, April 15, 5-6 pm Wednesday, April 22, 5-6 pm Monday, April 27, 5-6 pm Mahwah, ASB-527 Tuesday, March 31, 5-6 pm Tuesday, April 7, 5-6 pm Thursday, April 16, 5-6 pm Thursday, April 23, 5-6 pm Tuesday, April 28, 5-6 pm Join us on our Mahwah campus in ASB-527 or at the Meadowlands Environment Center, 2 DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071

www.ramapo.edu/cipl/project-mgmt N EW! PROJECT MANAGEMENT BOOTCAMP An open enrollment class conveniently scheduled over two half-days.

Lyndhurst: Wed., April 1 & April 8, 2:00-6:00 pm Mahwah: Thurs., March 26 & April 2, 1:00-5:00 pm

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TECH TALK

Freedom & Dangers Protecting your Wi-Fi network

W

i-Fi gives us freedom from wires, but it is not secure by default. Data is transmitted through the air and anyone nearby can easily capture it with the right tools and knowledge.

Whether you have a Wi-Fi network at home or your business, employing security measures is necessary to protect company files, online accounts and user privacy.

Why Protect Your Wi-Fi Network?

By default, Wi-Fi routers and access points are not secure when you purchase them. Unless you enable encryption, people nearby can easily connect to your network. At best, they just use the free wireless Internet for browsing and downloading— possibly slowing down your connections.

However, if they wanted to, they could possibly access your PCs and files. They also could easily capture your passwords or hijack your accounts for websites and services that don’t use SSL encryption, such as some Web-based email clients, Facebook and Twitter.

If your Internet service provider (ISP) set up your Wi-Fi, they likely enabled encryption. This version of encryption, however, may be an older security option that is now easily breakable: wired equivalent privacy (WEP).

Why protect your connections on other Wi-Fi networks? When you connect to outside networks, such as hotspots in coffee shops, airports, and other public places, the connection is almost always insecure.

Eavesdroppers don’t even have to connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot to capture your traffic.

And as with using any other unencrypted Wi-Fi network, they could possibly get hold of your passwords or hijack your online accounts.

To check the security status of your Wi-Fi and raise its security level as need-

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ed, follow these best practices:

1. Choose the Right Wi-Fi Security Options

You can use any of several separate protocols that provide different levels of security: WEP, WPA, and WPA2.

You see these options when enabling or changing the wireless security on your wireless router or access points (APs).

WEP is easily breakable and protects you only from casual Wi-Fi users. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) has two versions: the first is simply WPA, for a reasonable level of protection, and the second is WPA2, which provides the best protection to date. You can implement both WPA and WPA2 in two very different modes: Personal, aka Pre-Shared Key (PSK), and Enterprise (802.1X, RADIUS, or EAP). Most wireless routers and APs support both modes.

The Personal mode of WPA/WPA2 is easier to set up, but is subject to “dictionary” cracking. This means that someone could potentially come up with your passphrase by running software that repeatedly tries to guess it from a dictionary of common words, passwords and combinations.

Create a long and strong passphrase when setting up the encryption.

The Personal mode, though, is not suitable if your organization has more than a couple of Wi-Fi users. In this mode, all computers and devices connecting to the network are set with the same encryption passphrase. This creates issues when employees leave the company or a device becomes lost. You would want to change the passphrase when such occasions arise— but that means you must change it on all access points and every Wi-Fi device.

The Enterprise mode of WPA/WPA2 is much more complex to set up and re-

MARCH 2015

quires a server but it provides better security for organizations. Along with the security itself being stronger, this mode provides each Wi-Fi user with their own username and password for logging onto the Wi-Fi instead of a global passphrase. This means that if an employee leaves the company or their device is stolen, you just have to change their password on the server.

The Enterprise mode also prevents users on your network from snooping on each other’s traffic, capturing passwords or hijacking accounts since the encryption keys (exchanged in the background) are unique to each user session.

If you aren’t sure that your Wi-Fi is encrypted, you can quickly check. On a PC or device that is connected to the Wi-Fi network, simply open the list of available wireless networks and find the name of the network you use. In Windows, click the network icon in the lower right corner of your screen. Hover over the network you are connected to and see what, if any, encryption is in place.

2. Have a Separate Wi-Fi for Guests

Never allow an untrusted or unfamiliar person have access to your private WiFi network. If you want to offer visitors or guests wireless Internet access, make sure

that such access is segregated from your company’s main network so they can’t possibly get into your computers and files.

3. Physically Secure Your Network Gear

Make sure that your wireless router or APs are all secured from visitors. An intruder could easily plug into the network if it is in reach or reset it to factory defaults to clear the security. To prevent this, mount the hardware high on walls or above a false ceiling. Also, if your office has ethernet network ports on the walls, make sure that they are not within the reach of visitors, or disconnect them from the network. If you have a larger network with a wiring closet, make sure it is locked and secure.

4. Secure Your Wi-Fi outside the office with VPN

You also need to secure your Wi-Fi connections when on other untrusted networks, such as public hotspots. You can use a virtual private network (VPN) connection, which secures all your Internet traffic by redirecting it to the VPN server

via an encrypted tunnel. This ensures that if local eavesdroppers are hanging around a Wi-Fi hotspot, they will not see your real Internet traffic, capture your passwords or hijack any accounts.

If such a VPN is not available, consider hosted services. Many free ones are designed for Wi-Fi security such as Hotspot Shield. However, for better reliability and better speeds, you might consider a paid service, such as Comodo TrustConnect.

5. Ensure Websites Are Encrypted Outside the Office

If you do not use a VPN connection to secure all your traffic when out of the office, ensure that any websites you log in to are encrypted. Highly sensitive websites, such as banks’, use encryption by default, but others, such as social networking sites and email providers, do not always do so.

To ensure that a website is using encryption, access it via a Web browser. You can see if the site supports SSL encryption by adding the letter s to its address: https:// instead of http://. If it is encrypted, you will also see some sort of notification in

the browser about the security—such as a padlock or green-colored address bar. If you do not see any notification or it shows an error, it may not be secure. You should therefore consider waiting to access the site until you are on a private network at home or in the office.

As the demand for mobility and instant access become more in demand, it is important to be vigilante regarding security so the risks do not outweigh the rewards.

Submitted by Nick Pascarella, partner at TruBambu (www.trubambu.com), a business technology consultancy company.

Committee Chairs: Nick Pascarella, Trubambu nickp@trubambu.com | (201) 445-8790 Art Hendela, Hendela System Consultants, Inc. Art.hendela@hendela.com | (973) 890-0324

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Building the Region Planned & completed projects from local architect firms

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Continued on pg. 36

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Building the Region Continued from pg. 35

P.S. 117

P.S. 81

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6 issues

Plus 2 Supplements Online & In Print!

Every issue of Meadowlands USA magazine is packed full of useful information to help you grow your business and to help other businesses find you.

Talk about value? With readership at an all time high you’ll receive great exposure while paying very affordable advertising rates, much lower than any other New Jersey business publication.

It’s a great investment since each issue has a shelf life of two months and appears on our website Meadowlands.org at no additional cost to advertisers.

For more information and a complete 2015 editorial calendar, please contact Martha Morley, Advertising Sales Director at (201) 493-7996.

608 Ridge Road • Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 Phone: 201-939-1446 • Fax: 201-939-1448

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CHEFS OF THE MEADOWLANDS

Fresh, Local & Seasonal

Award-winning chef serving the best of the Garden State

A

s an 11-year veteran of Hilton Hotels, Executive Chef Sebastian Matheja has achieved many Hilton Corporate awards and certifications including the Spirit of Hilton Award in 2011, which is one of the highest recognition awards within the global hotel company.

Luckily for us, Chef Sebastian has brought his global culinary experience to the Meadowlands—he is now at Executive Chef of BISTRO SIX FIVE ZERO at the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights Meadowlands. But for Chef Sebastian, being located in the Garden State means easy access to quality ingredients from local farmers and suppliers so he is enhancing international flavors with homegrown ingredients.

We interviewed Chef Sebastian to understand find out more on his culinary inspirations and how he is incorporating these local ingredients in eclectic American fare.

When did you know you wanted to be a chef?

It started very early when I was about 10 or 11 years old, as I would always help my Mom and Grandma cook or bake at home when I had the chance. When I was still in school back home in Germany, I also took advantage of internships at a local hotel which made me want to become a chef even more.

What is your favorite food to eat?

Any types of seafood—from fish and crustaceans to mollusks like scallops, oysters or periwinkles—are some of my favorites.

What dish do you recommend at BISTRO SIX FIVE ZERO? I would recommend our freshly made French onion soup and being a big seafood eater I would also recommend our Atlantic scallops.

What is your favorite dish to cook and why?

To prepare and cook, it is definitely any part of the lamb.

The taste is very mild and the meat has its own great flavor and texture. Prepared with a fresh lemon-thyme rub and paired with some chanterelles or porcini mushrooms, it makes a perfect dish for any occasion.

What is the inspiration behind the food that you cook?

There are many things that inspire me when coming up with new menus or dishes but just to list a few, the main ones are: traveling, going out to local restaurants, roaming around farmers markets and reading cookbooks. Having worked in 38

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different places and countries the past 11 years also gave me some great insight and inspirations from other food cultures.

I could go on and on here but the best inspiration is still just being in the kitchen and working with all the fresh ingredients and products.

What do you do to ensure the quality of the food going out to your customers?

First of all it’s very important to know where all my products come from and to get the best quality of products as possible.

Being in the “Garden State” of New Jersey, I source as many of my fruits and vegetables as possible from local suppliers and farmers. This also gives me the option to check out and visit their facilities and see how they operate and handle the products before they arrive in my kitchen. Products are checked daily before and during food preparation and the whole kitchen team is aware of our standards and quality we serve to our customers.

About Chef Sebastian

Chef Sebastian started cooking at a very young age and completed his three-year apprenticeship training in Germany at the age of 18 in 2001. His passion for food and traveling led him to assignments in Germany, London, Southern California and Saint John (Canada) before moving to Hasbrouck Heights in Summer of 2013.

Sebastian has been part of Chefs for UNICEF, The Fundy Food Festival and other local fundraisers here in New Jersey.

Incorporating local ingredients where he can, Sebastian’s favorite products include fresh figs, lamb, monkfish and chanterelles. He also enjoys experimenting with molecular cuisine, having prepared such novel dishes as hot maple ice cream and goat cheese ravioli prepared in a calcium lactate bath!

“My philosophy is to use the fresh and seasonal products that are available right here in our own backyard. Being in the ‘Garden State,’ New Jersey farmers have lots of great ingredients and products to offer that I incorporate in our seasonal restaurant and banquet menus,” he says. “I’m also more than happy to work with our clients to customize and fulfill their menu needs and make sure they leave with a great dining experience.”

About BISTRO SIX FIVE ZERO

BISTRO Six Five Zero, located in the lobby of the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights Meadowlands, offers a diverse menu of Eclectic American Cuisine in a fresh setting. Located right in the lobby, bring the family or unwind in the BISTRO Lounge and sip your favorite cocktail. Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner and check out their daily specials.

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FEATURED MEMBER

Service, Integrity & Financial Stewardship A conversation with NJM’s Mike Van Wagner

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The old NJM building in Trenton.

Continued on pg. 42

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FEATURED MEMBER

Continued from pg. 41

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MEADOWLANDS RESTAURANTS & DINING Cheeseburger In Paradise Secaucus 201.392.0500

Flaming Grill & Supreme Buffet East Rutherford 201.438.1115

Chili’s Restaurant Secaucus 201.319.0804

Gabriel’s Grill and Bar Hasbrouck Heights 201.288.9600

Al Di La Italian Bistro East Rutherford 201.939.1128

Bonefish Grill Secaucus 201.864.3004

Angry Coffee Bean Coffeehouse & Cafe North Arlington 201.772.5554

Boogie Woogie Bagel Boys Weehawken 201.863.4666

Annabella’s Fine Foods, Inc. East Rutherford 201.804.0303

Buffalo Wild Wings Secaucus 201.348.0824

Chipotle Mexican Grill Secaucus 201.223.0562

Café Four Fifty Five Secaucus 201.864.5391

Chit Chat Diner Hackensack 201.820.4033

Café Matisse Rutherford 201.935.2995

Colonial Diner Lyndhurst 201.575.1696

Caffe Capri East Rutherford 201.460.1039

Cosi Secaucus 201.330.1052

Candlewyck Diner East Rutherford 201.933.4446

CUPS frozen yogurt that’s hot Secaucus 201.351.5140

Bagels Plus & Deli Secaucus 201.330.0744 Bareli’s Secaucus 201.865.2766 Bazzarelli Restaurant & Pizzeria Moonachie 201.641.4010 Bel Posto Hackensack 201.880.8750 Biggies Clam Bar Carlstadt 201.933.4000 Bistro Six-Five Zero Hasbrouck Heights 201.288.6100

Carrabba’s Italian Grill Secaucus 201.330.8497 Chart House Weehawken 201.348.6628

Dunkin Donuts/ Subway Secaucus 201.206.6660 Elegant Desserts Lyndhurst 201.933.0770

Fresh Fish. Flown in Daily.

Experience our spectacular new location with contemporary décor and indulge in tantalizing chef creations, exceptional wines and exquisite desserts.

Call or visit us online and make your reservation today.

The Shops at Riverside 175 Riverside Square Mall • Hackensack, NJ 07601 201.343.8862 • theoceanaire.com

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Gainville Cafe Rutherford 201.507.1800 Giovanni’s Restaurant Elmwood Park 201.791.3000 Good Chinese Kitchen North Bergen 201.295.0806 Harold’s New York Deli Lyndhurst 201.935.2600 Houlihan’s Hasbrouck Heights 201.393.9330

I Am Cupcakes Little Ferry 201.440.4249 Il Cafone Lyndhurst 201.933.3355 Il Villaggio Carlstadt 201.935.7733 Jerry’s of East Rutherford East Rutherford 201.438.9617 Kilroy’s Sports Bar Carlstadt 201.896.8900 La Reggia Ristorante Secaucus 201.422.0200 Little Italy Cafe Secaucus 201.348.1400

Houlihan’s Secaucus 201.330.8856

Marco Polo Pizza/Breakfast Grill Weehawken 201.863.0057

Houlihan’s Weehawken 201.863.4000

Martini Grill Wood-Ridge 201.393.2000

PRIME STEAKS. LEGENDARY SERVICE. Prime Steak • Fine Wine • Exceptional Menu

The Shops at Riverside One Riverside Square • Hackensack, NJ 07601 (201) 487-1303 • mortons.com/hackensack

MEADOWLANDS RESTAURANTS & DINING

Masina Trattoria Italiana Weehawken 201.348.4444

Medieval Times Dinner Tournament Lyndhurst 201.933.2220 Morton’s Steakhouse Hackensack 201.487.1303

Outback Secaucus 201.601.0077

Sabor Latin Bistro Weehawken 201.943.6366

Subway Weehawken 201.865.2500

Thistle Restaurant Lyndhurst 201.935.0004

Panera Bread Secaucus 201.348.2846

Saladworks East Rutherford 201.939.8886

Subway Secaucus 201.325.0300

Tokyo Hibachi & Buffet Secaucus 201.863.2828

Penang Malaysian & Thai Cuisine Lodi 973.779.1128

Sal’s Good Eats Teterboro 201.375.4949

Subway North Bergen 201.869.4469

Urban Plum Secaucus 201.520.0574

Segovia Restaurant Moonachie 201.641.4266

Tandoor on the Hudson Weehawken 800.221.6721

Varrelman’s Bakery Rutherford 201.939.0462

Muscle Maker Grill Lyndhurst 201.935.6644

Perkins Restaurant and Bakery Lyndhurst 201.934.9100

Nanina’s In The Park Belleville 973.751.1230

Redd’s Restaurant & Bar Carlstadt 201.933.0015

New China Inn Rutherford 201.438.0234

Red Lobster Secaucus 201.583.1902

Oceanos Restaurant Fairlawn 201.796.0546 Olive Garden Secaucus 201.867.3543

Taverna Mykonos Elmwood Park 201.703.9200

Vesta Wood Fired Pizza and Bar East Rutherford 201.939.6012

Starbucks Coffee East Rutherford 201.438.0584

The Balcony Carlstadt 201.933.0071

Volares Restaurant Rutherford 201.935.6606

Rutherford Pancake House Rutherford 201.340.4171

Stefanos Mediterranean Grille Secaucus 201.865.6767

The Oceanaire Seafood Room Hackensack 201.343.8862

Waterside Restaurant and Catering North Bergen 201.861.7767

Ruth’s Chris Steak House Weehawken 201.863.5100

Subway Hasbrouck Heights 201.727.0373

The Original Pita Grill Hoboken 201.217.9777

Whiskey Café Lyndhurst 201.939.4889

Son Cubano at Port Imperial West New York 201.399.2020

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EVENT PLANNING & CATERING SERVICES 4 Wall New York Moonachie 201.329.9878 16W Marketing Rutherford 201.635.8000 AAA Giants Limousine & Car Service Secaucus 201.679.2860 Adam Leffel Productions / Petals Premier Event Design Hackensack 201.487.1300 Annabella’s Fine Foods, Inc. East Rutherford 201.804.0303 Any Excuse for a Party Fairfield 973.808.8700 Audience Pleasers Upper Montclair 888.283.7532 Bayway Catering Red Bank 908.862.3207 Brennan’s Secaucus MeadowlandsFlorist Secaucus 201.876.0580 Bounce Music & Entertainment Fort Lee 201.490.1091 CeCe Productions, LLC Rutherford 201.672.0050

Chit Chat Creative Caterers Hackensack 201.820.4033 Classic Party Rentals Secaucus 201.809.4840 Content Party Rentals East Rutherford 201.623.0400 Culinary Conference Center At HCCC Jersey City 201.360.5303 DDM Production Jersey City 917.418.8625 Elan Catering & Events Lodi 973.777.0503 ELS Limousine Service Meadowlands Area 877.435.9733 Entenmann’s Florist Secaucus 201.864.2320 Evelyn Hill Events New York 212.344.0996 Event Journal, Inc. Bethpage 516.470.1811 Fabulous Foods Meadowlands Area 800.365.4747 NJ 212.239.6700 NY Fiesta Banquets Wood-Ridge 201.939.5409

Nanina’s In The Park Belleville 973.751.1230

Flyte Tyme Limousine Mahwah 201.529-1452 Freeman Kearny 201.299.7400 Garden Vista Ballroom Passaic 973.777.6655 Graycliff Catering Inc. (The Graycliff) Moonachie 201.939.9233 Heights Flower Shoppe Hasbrouck Heights 201.288.5464 In-Tents Party Rentals Wood-Ridge 201.282.2026 In Thyme Catered Events Rivervale 201.666.3353 Jimmy’s Artistic Creations East Rutherford 201.460.1919 Kismet Limousine Teaneck 973.876.3410 Meadowlands Exposition Center Secaucus 201.330.7773 Metropolitan Exposition Services Moonachie 201.964.1800

New Meadowlands Sportservice, Inc. East Rutherford 201.916.3568 NY NJ Car Service, LLC Lodi 201.283-9400 Outsource Incentive Consulting Corp.

Lyndhurst 800.842.2855 Party Makers West New York 201.580.1736 Pegasus Worldwide Limousine Carlstadt 800.877.3427 Personal Touch Caterers Hackensack 201.488.8820 Positive Impact Partners East Rutherford 201.939.8601 Premier Entertainment East Rutherford 201.842.1698 Saint Peter’s University Conferences & Events Jersey City 201.761.7414

SBI Productions Secaucus 201.939.6005 Seasons Catering Washington Township 201.664.6141 Showstoppers Plus North Brunswick 732.297.0031 Sireno Communications Sussex 973.875.4079 Smooth Sailing Celebrations Oak Ridge 973.409.4456 Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island New York 212.344.0996 Sterling Affair Caterers Carlstadt 201.372.0734 Stout’s Transportation Trenton 1.800.245.7868 Sweet Dreams Studio Photo Booth Madison 703.585.4704 The Balcony Carlstadt 201.933.0071 The Viv Experience Ridgefield 201.390.2311

Overhead Door Company of The Meadowlands For all your Loading Dock and Overhead Door Needs Commercial • Industrial CORPORATE OFFICE: 20 Meta Lane I Lodi, NJ 07644 I 973-471-4060 CONTACT: Jai Patel I Jai@DockNDoor.com I www.overhead-doors.com Other Offices Serving: Westchester County, All Boroughs of New York City Recent Jobs: MetLife Stadium • Yankees & Citifield Stadium • World Trade Center

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MEADOWLANDS HOTELS & ACCOMMODATIONS AVE CLIFTON

by Korman Communities Clifton 973.859.3200 Candlewood Suites Hotel Secaucus 201.865.3900 Clarion Hotel Empire Meadowlands Hotel Secaucus 201.348.6900

Econo Lodge Carlstadt 201.935.4600 Embassy Suites Hotel Secaucus 201.864.7300 Fairfield Inn by Marriott East Rutherford 201.507.5222

Holiday Inn Express Paramus 201.843.5400

Hyatt Place Fair Lawn/Paramus Paramus 201.475.3888

Holiday Inn Express Hotels & Suites Carlstadt 201.460.9292

La Quinta Meadowlands Suites Secaucus 201.863.8700

Holiday Inn George Washington Bridge Fort Lee 201.944.5000

Courtyard byMarriott Lyndhurst 201.896.6666

Hampton Inn at The Meadowlands Carlstadt 201.935 9000

Courtyard by Marriott Secaucus 201.617.8888

Hilton Garden Inn Ridgefield Park 201.641.2024

Days Inn North Bergen 201.348.3600

Hilton Garden Inn Secaucus 201.864.1400

DoubleTree by Hilton Fort Lee - GWB Fort Lee 201.461.9000

Hilton Hasbrouck Heights Hasbrouck Heights 201.298.2417

Homewood Suites

by Hilton East Rutherford East Rutherford 201.460.9030

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Jersey City 201.499.2578

Hilton Meadowlands East Rutherford 201.896.0500

Hyatt Place Secaucus/Meadowlands Secaucus 201.422.9480

Holiday Inn Hasbrouck Heights Hasbrouck Heights 201.288.9600 Holiday Inn Secaucus Meadowlands Secaucus 201.348.2000

Residence Inn Saddle River 201.934.4144 Saddle Brook Marriott Saddle Brook 201-843.9500 Sheraton Lincoln Harbor Weehawken 201.617.5600

Marriott at Newark Liberty International Airport Newark 973.623.0006

Springhill Suites Newark 973.624.5300

Quality Inn Lyndhurst 201.933.9800

Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe Teaneck 201.836.0600

Red Roof Inn Secaucus 201.319.1000

The Meadowlands River Inn Secaucus 201.867.4400

Renaissance Meadowlands Hotel Rutherford 201.231.3100

Westin Hotel Jersey City 201.626.2900

Residence Inn East Rutherford 201.939.0020

T.M. Rybak & Associates, P.C.

(201)-460-0473

www.tmrassociates.com Architecture Engineering Planning Interior Design Site Analysis Site Envelope Evaluation

General Construction Project Management Real-Estate Consultant Remediation of Existing Property Management Life Cycle Analysis

DESIGN | BUILD

Boiling Springs Group, Inc.

(201)-460-8339

www.boilingspringsgroup.com

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W e s t

E r i e

A v e n u e

R u t h e r f o r d , N J MEADOWLANDS USA

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DESTINATION MEADOWLANDS Recreation, Sports & Entertainment AMF Wallington Lanes Wallington 973.773.9100

Kerasotes Showplace 14 Secaucus 201.210.5364

New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (Main Ticket Number) 201.935.8500

Smooth Sailing Celebrations Oak Ridge 973.409.4456

LA Fitness Signature Club Secaucus 201.751.9940

Calvin Klein Company Store Secaucus 201.223.9760

Liberty Science Center Jersey City 201.200.1000

North Arlington Bowl-O-Drome 201.998.9621

Statue Cruises Jersey City 201.432.6321

NY Giants 201.935.8222

The Players Club Paramus 201.483.9690

Meadowlands Athletic Club Lyndhurst 201.933.4100

Country Whimsey Rutherford 201.438.0488

New York Sports Club Hoboken 201.222.5771

East Rutherford Jewelry Exchange East Rutherford 201.507.0009

Planet Sun, Inc. Rutherford 201.941.6000

Gucci Secaucus 201.392.2670

Simply Face & Body Ramsey 877.57.SIMPLY

Heights Beer & Wine Emporium Hasbrouck Heights 201.426.0555

The DOJO Rutherford 201.933.3050

Raymour & Flanigan Secaucus 201.809.1353

Aviation Hall of Fame Museum of NJ Teterboro 201.288.6344

Make Wine with Us Wallington 201.876.9463

Bergen Performing Arts Center Englewood 201.816.8160

Meadowlands Area YMCA Rutherford 201.955.5300

Chuck E. Cheese’s North Bergen 201.861.1799

Meadowlands Museum Rutherford 201.935.1175

Field Station Dinosaurs Secaucus 855.999.9010

Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament Lyndhurst 201.933.2220

GolfTec-Englewood Englewood 201.567.0103

Nereid Boat Club Rutherford Hackensack Riverkeeper 201.438.3995 Hackensack NJ Meadowlands 201.968.0808 Commission Environment Center Harlem Wizards Lyndhurst Secaucus 201.460.1700 201.271.3600

NY Jets 516.560.8100 NY Red Bulls Harrison 201.583.7000 Pole Position Raceway Jersey City 201.333.7223 River Barge Park Carlstadt 201.460.1700 Rock Spring Club West Orange 973.731-6464 Six Flags Great Adventure Jackson 732.928.2000

World Golf Network RiverVale 973.509.3111 Youth1 Media Montclair 973.509.3111

Health, Fitness & Beauty Alternative Two, Inc. Lyndhurst 201.729.1217 CKO Kickboxing Lyndhurst 201.438.5425 European Wax Center Rutherford 201.935.9299

Title Boxing Club East Rutherford 201.933-2800

Retail & Outlet Shopping Best Buy Secaucus 201.325.2277

Tommy Hilfiger Clearance Secaucus 201.863.5600 Westfield Garden State Plaza Paramus 201.843.2121

Explore the Real Meadowlands!

Join us for an Eco-Cruise, paddling tour, or a river clean-up on YOUR Hackensack River. reservations 201-968-0808

www .Hackensack RIVERKEEPER . org

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10% OFF Group & Corporate Events for Meadowlands Regional Chamber Members

NEWS FROM THE MEADOW

Business Volunteer Council Volunteers at Homeless Shelter

O

n the frigid morning of February 4th, hundreds of people of various ages, from teens to seniors, were huddled outside and in the entryway of the Bergen County Housing and Employees form Hudson City Savings Human Services building Bank, Five Star Premier Residences of in Hackensack. Moments Teaneck and Community Bank of Bergen later, volunteers from the County volunteered their time to serve a hot Volunteer Center of Berbreakfast to hundreds of people experiencing homelessness as part of a project sponsosred gen County’s Business by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County’s Volunteer Council were Business Volunteer Council. busy serving them a filling, hot breakfast as part of an effort called Project Homeless Connect, an event that provides resources for people experiencing homelessness.

The Business Volunteer Council has been participating in Project Homeless Connect since 2011, coordinating volunteers from local corporations to prepare and serve breakfast to people in need.

The volunteer project was sponsored by Business Volunteer Council corporate partners Sealed Air, Five Star Premier Residences of Teaneck and Community Bank of Bergen County. Hudson City Savings Bank brought six employees to volunteer, including bank teller Amy Giacchi, who stated, “I’m proud to work for a company that cares.”

Five Star Premier Residences of Teaneck donated and prepared all the food for the breakfast. “We’ve been doing this as a staff for the past five years”, says Marc Sturiale, Director of Human Resources.

“It’s great to be able to help in some small way. We want to give back in honor of our employees.” Carole Feeney of Community Bank volunteered along with several of her employees. “As a company, we are always looking to help in our community, and the Business Volunteer Council helps us to do that.”

The Volunteer Center’s Business Volunteer Council gives businesses a platform to successfully engage employees through volunteer service and workplace giving. The BVC provides customized volunteer projects, including skills-based volunteering and support for corporate social responsibility initiatives. The BVC makes doing good a good part of doing business by building high-impact employee led-programs that are locally significant and socially relevant.

Companies with the right engagement tools and guidance can create incredible social change, while having a fun, memorable team building experience!

For more information, contact Erica West, Director of Corporate Engagement, at ewest@bergenvolunteers.org or call 201-489-9454, x133 or visit nnjbvc.org.

The Volunteer Center of Bergen County strengthens the community by connecting people through service and developing civic leaders.

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Environmental Attorney Todd Terhune Joins Scarinci Hollenbeck

S

carinci Hollenbeck is pleased to announce that Environmental Attorney Todd W. Terhune has joined the firm as a partner in its Environmental & Land Use Group. He will also serve as Co-Chair of the firm’s Brownfields and Infrastructure Subgroup. Terhune brings more than two decades of experience in the environTodd Terhune mental field, practicing first as a licensed Professional Engineer and, for the past 15 years, as an environmental attorney. His practical, business-oriented approach to environmental problems makes him a welcome addition to the Scarinci Hollenbeck team.

Terhune says, “I was honored when Scarinci Hollenbeck asked me to join their team. They have a highly respected environmental and redevelopment practice and have handled some of the largest and most complicated brownfield projects in the State. Scarinci Hollenbeck provides a platform for me to expand my own practice while adding additional depth to their team.”

Terhune has worked on a wide range of environmental issues arising out of real estate and business transactions, as well as in regulatory compliance and enforcement matters. He routinely appears before the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, although he has worked with environmental matters on almost every continent.

Terhune’s notable projects include the purchase and remediation of a 400-acre former munitions facility in Cranbury and a 130-acre chemical facility in Burlington Township. He also assisted with the sale of 80 fast food franchise stores across the region, many of which were previously occupied by gas stations or dry cleaners.

Working as an environmental engineering consultant and a licensed Professional Engineer, Terhune handled environmental due diligence, environmental permitting, soil and groundwater contamination assessment, and landfill gas assessment and control. Terhune notes that his technical background is an invaluable skill when navigating technically driven legal issues and negotiating with environmental consultants, LSRP’s, regulators and adversaries.

Scarinci Hollenbeck (www.scarincihollenbeck.com)is a law firm with offices in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. that serves a diverse group of clients in numerous industries. The full service, general practice law firm retains a highly trained legal team with expertise in several areas, including Corporate Transactions and Business Law, Environmental and Land Use Law, Commercial Real Estate, Insurance Law, Cyber Security & Data Protection Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor’s Rights, Litigation, Public Law, Sports and Entertainment Law, Labor & Employment Law, ERISA Law, and Tax, Trust & Estate Law. Top-tier personnel, innovative technology and superior client service adds to the national reputation of Scarinci Hollenbeck.

Glenn Herman Joins CohnReznick as a Partner

G

lenn Herman, CPA, CGMA, has joined CohnReznick LLP, one of the leading accounting, tax, and advisory firms in the U.S. Based in the Firm’s Roseland, NJ office, Glenn will serve as a tax partner and member of the Firm’s Financial Services Industry Practice and Manufacturing and Wholesale DisGlenn Herman tribution Industry Practice.

With over 30 years of tax and accounting experience, Glenn has significant domestic and international experience, having advised companies, individuals, and business groups on tax and commercial matters within the United States and abroad.

Glenn’s expertise encompasses federal, state and local, and foreign taxation with significant emphasis on strategic planning, problem solving, structuring, and risk management. On occasion, he has provided commentary and assistance to the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department on existing and proposed legislation.

His work experience includes public and private companies, which he has served in such areas as domestic/overseas compliance and audits, mergers and acquisitions, transactional planning, and information reporting. He has also worked extensively on transfer pricing issues, expatriate taxation and program management, cost segregation, compensation planning, and financial statement issues under FIN 48 and ASC 740.

“Glenn’s experience and expertise in these areas will only serve to strengthen our tax services, as well as broaden the scope of knowledge for our industry practices,” said Ken Kanter, CPA, Managing Partner of CohnReznick’s Tax Department.

Prior to joining CohnReznick, Glenn was a senior managing director and the global head of tax for The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc., then a leading investment and brokerage firm. He created that firm’s worldwide tax function and was responsible for the company’s global tax affairs, as well as its international assignment program, serving U.S. expatriates and overseas nationals worldwide. He had also served as partner-in-charge of global tax services for a large, New York-based regional accounting firm, as vice president and tax director for a specialty chemicals manufacturer operating in 40 countries, and as a tax manager with a Big Four accounting firm.

Glenn is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, former president and treasurer of the Wall Street Tax Association, as well as a former federal tax committee member of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. Glenn received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Master of Business Administration in Finance from Lehigh University, as well as a Master of Science in Taxation from Seton Hall University.

Children’s Aid and Family Services Appoints New CEO

T

he Board of Trustees of Children’s Aid and Family Services has announced the appointment of Jerrold B. Binney, Esq. as President and CEO, effective February 9, 2015. He will assume responsibility for managing all aspects Bob Jones, Ph.D., President & CEO of the agency’s operations. of Children’s Aid and Family Services Mr. Binney most recently and Jerrold (Jerry) Binney. served as Acting Administrator for the County of Bergen. Formerly, he was a partner in the Teaneck office of DeCotiis, Fitzpatrick & Cole, LLP. where he specialized in public/private partnerships and governmental affairs. He has had an extensive career in public service, and has served as a Legislative Aide, NJ General Assembly; Assistant Director, Department of Human Services and as Chief of Staff for the County of Bergen.

Mr. Binney has served as a member of Children’s Aid and Family Services’ Board of Trustees for 12 years, and as Chair of its Government Relations Committee. He has significant experience in human services and transition management. “We are extremely pleased that Jerry is joining Children’s Aid and Family Services as President and CEO,” says Bruce Brady, Chair, agency Board of Trustees. “He has a thorough understanding of the organization and its partnership with government in serving the needs of the community. Jerry has a passion for the agency’s mission, and is dedicated to helping improve the lives of vulnerable children and families. I look forward to working alongside Jerry as we continue the important work of Children’s Aid and Family Services.”

Mr. Binney received his B.A. with honors in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University, and his J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law. He also studied at the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has been a resident of New Jersey for over 33 years, and has been active in numerous nonprofits, including serving as a Trustee for the Northern New Jersey Gilda’s Club Inc., and as pro bono counsel to the NJ211 Partnership.

Longtime President & CEO Bob Jones, Ph.D., is retiring from the agency after a nearly 30-year career. He will be available to assist in the transition process.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank Bob for his nearly 30 years of distinguished service to our organization and to the community,” says Mr. Brady. “His leadership, professional contributions and commitment to meeting the needs of vulnerable children and families act as a true measure of community service at its best.”

About Children’s Aid and Family Services Children’s Aid and Family Services is a leading nonprofit human services organizations serving northern New Jersey. The agency is fully accredited and has served the community for more than 110 years. Its mission is to preserve, protect, and when needed, provide families. Motivated by compassion and in partnership with the community, we make positive lasting differences in the lives of those we serve. We provide high quality, innovative services to children and their families that advance social, educational and emotional development and wellbeing. For more information on Children’s Aid and Family Services, call 201.261.2800 or visit www.cafsnj.org.

MEADOWLANDS USA

meadowlands.org

MARCH 2015

51

NEWS FROM THE MEADOW

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

HackensackUMC Receives 2015 Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™

H

ackensackUMC today announced that it has received the 2015 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ for the 13th year in a row, according to Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. No other hospital in New Jersey, New York or New England has achieved this feat.

This distinction places HackensackUMC in the top five percent of the more than 4,500 hospitals evaluated nationwide based solely on its outstanding clinical performance.

“We are honored to receive the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for the 13th consecutive year,” said Robert C. Garrett, president and chief executive officer of the Hackensack University Health Network. “This award demonstrates our team’s commitment to providing safe, effective care that is measurable. Patients who choose HackensackUMC for their treatment can expect lower mortality rates and lifesaving care, as confirmed by Healthgrades’ rigorous evaluation criteria.”

From 2011 through 2013, Healthgrades Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence, as a group, had a 27.7 percent lower risk adjusted mortality rate across 19 procedures and conditions where in-hospital mortality was the clinical outcome, compared to all other hospitals. During this same period, if all other hospitals performed at the level of Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence across these 19 procedures and conditions, 163,488 lives could potentially have been saved. For example, patients treated at a hospital that achieved the Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence Award had, on average, a 26.6 percent lower risk of dying from a stroke than if treated at a hospital that did not receive the award.

Variation in hospital performance exists locally as well as nationally. For example, of the 61 hospitals evaluated located in the New York, NY metropolitan area for treatment of Stroke, risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality rates ranged from 3.1 percent on the low end to 25.2 percent on the high end, which is more than an eight-fold difference in mortality rates.]

“Consumers today are assuming more and more responsibility for healthcare decisions and are increasingly relying on objective measures of quality to inform their selection of hospitals and physicians,” said Evan Marks, chief strategy officer, Healthgrades. “It is important for consumers to understand the variability in the nation’s hospitals so that they can make more informed choices. By selecting a hospital that has achieved the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence, consumers can be confident that this hospital has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to exceptional clinical quality care.”

The 261 recipients of the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ stand out among the rest for overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of care. During the 2015 study period (2011-2013), these hospitals showed superior performance in clinical outcomes for patients in the Medicare population across at least 21 of 32 of the most common inpatient conditions and procedures —as measured by objective clinical outcomes performance data (risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications). To learn more about how Healthgrades determines Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ recipients, please visit www.healthgrades.com/quality.

52

MEADOWLANDS USA

meadowlands.org

MARCH 2015

AVE, www.aveliving.com.........................................................................................33 Chart House, www.chart-house.com.......................................................................45 Comprehensive Behavioral Healthcare, Inc, www.cbhcare.com......Front Cover & 28 DMR Architects, www.dmrarchitects.com...............................................................37 Elec, www.elec825.org.............................................................................................2 Ernst & Young, www.ey.com....................................................................................17 Frank’s GMC, www.FranksGMC.net.........................................................................11 Goya, www.goya.com................................................................................................7 Guzzo+Guzzo, www.gg-architect.com....................................................................37 Hackensack Riverkeeper, www.hackensackriverkeeper.org....................................48 Hunter Group, www.TheHunterGroup.com..............................................................1 Il Villagio, www.ilvillagio.com................................................................................29 Jewel Electric, www.jewelelectric.com....................................................................11 Meadowlands Benefit Partners, www.meadowlands.org.......................................31 Meadowlands USA Magazine, www.meadowlands.org.........................................37 Meadowlands Race Track, www.playmeadowlands.com........................................11 Morton’s Steakhouse, www.mortonsteakhouse.com.............................................44 NAI James E. Hanson, www.naihanson.com...........................................Inside Cover Nanina’s In The Park & The Park Savoy, www.naninasinthepark.com......................49 Nick’s Towing Service, www.NicksTowingService.com............................................13 Oceanaire Seafood Room, www.theoceanaire.com................................................44 Overhead Door, www.DockNDoor.com...................................................................46 Paramount Exterminating, www.ParamountExterminating.com...........................45 Pole Position Raceway, www.polepositionraceway.com.........................................48 Provident Bank, www.providentnj.com..................................................................21 PSE&G, www.pseg.com.............................................................................Back Cover Ramapo College, www.ramapo.edu/certificates.....................................................31 RCM Ceberio, LLC, www.rcmceberio.net.................................................................13 Scarinci & Hollenbeck, www.scarincihollenbeck.com.............................................25 TD Bank, www.tdbank.com.....................................................................Inside Cover TM Rybak, www.tmrassociates.com........................................................................47 United Water, www.unitedwater.com.....................................................................21 XCEL Credit Union, www.XCELfcu.org.com.............................................................16

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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