Safety Upgrades and Improvements Will Help Cultivate More Secure Environment at Morris County Facility

Trenton, NJ –  Continuing the Christie Administration’s Season of Service outreach to those in need, Michele Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), today visited Jersey Battered Women’s Service (JBWS) to announce that the organization has been awarded a $24,571 Shelter Support grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA). 

This grant will enable JBWS to undertake various improvement and upgrading initiatives at its transitional living facility, which is at a confidential location in Morris County.  This includes the replacement of lighting in the parking lot, upgrades to the hot water heater system and an evaluation of its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to identify any potential safety issues and opportunities for increased energy efficiency.  

“From a small group of determined women in Morris County to the full-service domestic violence and abuse prevention agency it is today, JBWS provides an invaluable service to this State by  protecting and supporting countless women and families,” said EDA CEO Michele Brown.  “The grant funding will allow the organization to make various upgrades to its facility to ensure a more safe and secure environment for the staff, volunteers and victims they serve.” 

Founded in 1978, JBWS services include a 24-hour hotline; counseling; safe house; transitional living; children’s services; life skills education; vocational counseling; batterers’ intervention; legal assistance; teen dating violence services; and professional training, education and youth prevention programs.  The mission of JBWS is the prevention of domestic  violence through the protection and empowerment of  the victim, the rehabilitation of family members, and the education of the public about domestic violence and its consequences. 

“It is critical that we maintain safe and comfortable facilities for families fleeing from domestic violence,” said JBWS Executive Director Patty Sly.  “We rely on capital grants to accomplish facilities projects and are grateful for the DCA’s support.”  

In October 2012, the DCA awarded over $4 million in Shelter Support grants to 28 nonprofit and local government agencies operating emergency homeless shelters and transitional housing facilities located throughout New Jersey. These grants will be used to create new emergency shelter beds, abate code violations, address life safety issues in emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities, support existing shelter beds, and purchase equipment, furnishings and vans, resulting in improved living conditions for homeless individuals, victims of domestic violence and military veterans. It is estimated that the shelters and transitional housing facilities receiving Shelter Support grants will assist more than 3,000 households over the next year. 

Funding for the grants is a combination of state appropriation and money from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development. The grants are administered through the DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources. 

Today’s event in Morris County is part of the Christie Administration’s second annual Season of Service. Last year, Cabinet members participated in approximately 60 events across the state — from serving meals on wheels to shut-ins and helping to serve and stock food pantries to stuffing care packages for military service members overseas and holiday letter writing to troops abroad to collecting and delivering coats to homeless shelters. 

Governor Christie has emphasized the importance of community service since his inaugural in 2010. Today, approximately 1.5 million New Jerseyans contribute about 170 million hours of service each year, bringing a positive influence to neighborhoods and communities throughout the Garden State through local groups, houses of worship and civic organizations.

$100 Million in Assistance Approved to Grow New Jersey Businesses and Generate Jobs

TRENTON, N.J. (Dec. 12, 2012) – In support of the Christie Administration’s efforts to spur small business growth and encourage community investment, the Board of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) yesterday approved more than $100 million in assistance at its monthly meeting and agreed to extend and enhance the New Jersey Business Growth Fund to help more businesses access capital.  In total, approved projects are expected to leverage over $300 million of investment in the State’s economy and lead to an estimated 2,870 new and retained jobs, as well as 570 construction jobs.  

“EDA funding continues to provide an important financial boost to a broad range of projects critical to New Jersey’s economy,” said EDA Chief Executive Officer Michele Brown.  “December’s Board meeting is marked by a breadth of support for the State’s small business and manufacturing sectors, which is essential to our efforts to create jobs for New Jersey residents.”

Launched in 2004, the New Jersey Business Growth Fund is a partnership between the EDA and PNC Bank.  Under the program, creditworthy companies in New Jersey may be eligible for up to a $3 million PNC Bank loan with a 25-percent or 50-percent EDA guarantee. Funding can be used for machinery and equipment or real estate.  The program had required that one new job be created for every $50,000 in guarantees.  To assist a greater number of businesses, the program now requires that the job either be created or maintained by the company.  Since inception, the program has supported over 300 businesses with $150 million in bank loans and approximately $46 million in EDA guarantees.  

Three companies approved last month will use the New Jersey Business Growth Fund to help purchase buildings to house their businesses.  This includes Camden County-based Greenlight Auto Specialist Corporation, an auto insurance brokerage agency; Wiso Promo & Uniform, Inc. of Saddle Brook, a uniform wholesaler that provides screen printing and embroidery services; and Nellie’s Provisions Inc., a wholesale meat broker in Gloucester City providing deli products to specialty shops.  Together, these companies will maintain their workforce of 26 and create a total of 29 new jobs.    

The EDA Board also approved financing and incentives to assist manufacturing projects across a range of industries.  

Deep Foods Incorporated was approved for an award of up to $26.9 million over ten years through the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program to encourage this family-owned manufacturer of Indian cuisine to expand in New Jersey, rather than relocate out of state.  The company is considering leasing space at two facilities adjacent to its current building in Union Township or moving to Pennsylvania. If the New Jersey location is chosen, Deep Foods expects to create 175 new jobs and maintain its 275 existing employees.    Another food manufacturer, Tropical Cheese Industries, was approved to participate in the Urban Enterprise Zone Energy Sales Tax Exemption Program (U-STX). It is estimated that the annual U-STX benefit to the Perth Amboy-based manufacturer of Hispanic style cheeses and dairy products will total $45,000. 

An award through the Business Employment Incentive Program (BEIP) was approved to encourage Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to establish its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Parsippany-Troy Hills. The global biopharmaceutical company, which is also considering a location in New York, would create an estimated 175 new jobs and invest $87 million.  The Rosenwach Group was also approved for a BEIP to relocate from New York and consolidate its manufacturing, service and distribution operations in Franklin Township.  The company, a “one stop shop” for new water technologies, historic building preservation, and outdoor site furnishings, would create an estimated 90 new jobs and invest more than $11.4 million if it moves to New Jersey. 

EDA Board meetings are typically held at 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at 36 West State Street in Trenton.  The Board meeting schedule, as well as Board agendas and minutes, are available at www.njeda.gov. All Board actions will take effect at the expiration of the statutory period for the Governor’s review and consideration of the meeting minutes. 

The EDA is part of the state’s results-driven Partnership for Action.  Created by Governor Christie and led by Lt Governor Guadagno, the Partnership is the hub for all economic development activity in New Jersey and is comprised of three interconnected and highly focused organizational elements: Choose New Jersey, the Business Action Center and the EDA.   

To learn more about opportunities for business growth throughout New Jersey, visit the state’s business portal at www.NewJerseyBusiness.gov.

RECOVERY4JERSEY, SKILLS4JERSEY & OPPORTUNITY4JERSEY LAUNCHED TO AID BUSINESSES AND WORKERS

TRENTON, N.J., DECEMBER 11, 2012 – Governor Chris Christie today announced the release of $26 million to support three economic recovery initiatives designed to assist businesses and workers in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and to additionally invest in New Jersey’s future growth. 

The three initiatives, Recovery4Jersey, Skills4Jersey and Opportunity4Jersey, involve the investment of training dollars by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) into New Jersey businesses and the state’s workforce with the goal of connecting the unemployed to job opportunities in the Sandy recovery effort while also building the skills of existing workers for jobs in the state’s key industry clusters. The $26 million, to be offered to New Jersey employers as grants, is coming from a restructuring of long-standing LWD training programs to focus not only on the Sandy clean-up, but also to ensure that all future programs designed to enhance the skills of the state’s workforce are driven by the needs of the Garden State’s businesses. 

“These initiatives embody another step in New Jersey’s journey to recovery from the devastation of Sandy, but also represent a transformation of how New Jersey prepares its workforce,” said Governor Christie. “We know the industries that offer the most promise for moving our economy forward, and it only makes sense for us to train our job seekers for professions in those industries.” 

“As we spend public funds training unemployed residents for new jobs and enhancing the skills of our existing workforce, we should also give each job seeker the knowledge and tools that are most valued by our industries,” said Labor Commissioner Harold J. Wirths. “This approach ensures we are offering our unemployed residents opportunities for meaningful careers and at the same time invest in the industries that are building New Jersey’s future.” 

The three initiatives include: 

Recovery4Jersey

This involves a two-prong approach.

The LWD will provide $4 million to support private sector recovery and rebuilding efforts required in the wake of Hurricane Sandy by offering funds through which businesses can train newly hired workers. Grants will be available to companies involved in recovery and rebuilding efforts, including utilities, construction companies and other clean-up related businesses. This funding program serves as a private-sector complement to the federally-funded $15.6 million National Emergency Grant under which local government agencies are being able to hire unemployed people to help clean up the debris left behind by the storm.

The LWD will make $7 million in funds available for local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to provide for on-the-job training (OJT) for unemployed individuals hired in recovery related industries and occupations, as well as in occupations where there is an increased demand due to the recovery effort.  Focusing on OJT ensures that training funds are directly connected to employment. The funds will provide a hiring incentive to employers and will defray the costs of providing training to new employees. Grants will be a capped at $4,000 per individual trained. Local WIBs are well positioned to identify local companies interested in participating.

Skills4Jersey

Under this initiative, $11 million in training funds will be made available in grants to help New Jersey employers upgrade the occupational, literacy and safety skills of their current employees and/or train new employees for purposes of retaining highly skilled and high wage jobs in New Jersey. The grants will be made available to individual employers, labor organizations and a consortium of two or more employers organized by industry associations, educational institutions or other groups. The training may consist of OJT and/or classroom training. Training may be provided by the employer or by a training provider selected by the employer. Each employer who receives a grant must contribute a minimum of 50 percent of the total cost of the training services received.  Any wages paid to employees during the training period may be utilized to fulfill that requirement.

Opportunity4Jersey

This initiative is intended to fill a “skills gap” reported by New Jersey employers, who indicate that they have difficulty finding qualified workers with the specific skills needed for their industries. LWD will provide $4 million for this initiative, which is designed to address such gaps through training programs that are directly connected to the hiring needs of multiple employers. The initiative is based on a pilot training program conducted earlier this year in which all 10 graduates of a fabricated metal product training class were successfully placed into jobs. Training grants will be made available to colleges and approved training institutions working in conjunction with pre-identified New Jersey employers or a consortia of employers from one of the New Jersey state’s targeted industry clusters. 

The targeted industry clusters on which the training funds are focused were the basis of LWD’s “Talent Networks,” which were established last year to help employers in those industries better identify the skills they seek in prospective employees. The Talent Networks also have served to identify ways the state can improve the business climate and enable companies to hire more of New Jersey’s unemployed residents. 

To find out more about the Talent Networks, go to: http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/lwdhome/content/TalentNetworkNJ_Index.html 

To learn more about the grant opportunities made available through the economic recovery initiatives, please go to:  http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/roles/legal/index.html