Annie D'Agostino, Author at NJEDA

By Katie Eder/NJBIZ
December 11, 2012

An indicator of businesses’ outlook on the state economy reached positive territory for the first time in five years, but companies still balk at the cost of doing business here, which is holding back hiring, according to a survey released by the New Jersey Business & Industry Association at its annual public policy forum today in the Iselin section of Woodbridge.

According to the NJBIA 2013 Business Outlook survey, 17 percent of the 1,470 respondents hired additional workers in 2012, while 22 percent laid off employees this year. However, NJBIA President Philip Kirschner called that an improvement from 2011’s numbers which were 15 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

By Harvey Lipman/The Record
December 10, 2012

Low-income victims of superstorm Sandy suffered some of the most devastating financial damages from the hurricane.

Many who owned their homes lacked flood insurance or had inadequate coverage. Those whose rental housing was washed away or left uninhabitable often lacked the financial wherewithal to afford security deposits and other expenses they needed to move into new apartments. And many whose homes were undamaged found themselves unable to continue paying the rent when the businesses where they worked were shut down due to storm damage.

Now two major non-profits are funding efforts to provide legal assistance and home rebuilding help to those victims.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s next public Board Meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 36 West State St., Trenton, NJ 08625. A copy of the proposed agenda can be found prior to the meeting at www.njeda.gov/Board. Following the Board Meeting, minutes and the full agenda will also be available at www.njeda.gov/Board.

A meeting of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority has been scheduled for Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at 7:00 pm at the Eatontown Municipal Building, 47 Broad Street, Eatontown, NJ. Formal action may be taken at this meeting. A copy of the proposed agenda can be found 48 hours prior to the meeting at the websites of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority: www.nj.gov/fmera, and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority: www.njeda.gov.

Larger state of the art facility to support continued growth and innovation

HAMILTON, N.J. – November 28, 2012 – Sparta Systems, Inc., the market leader in enterprise quality and management solutions, today announced the grand opening of its new global headquarters in Hamilton, N.J. Sparta will celebrate the official opening with state and local officials, business partners and representatives from the Company’s Fortune 500 customers, at an all day event on Wednesday, November 28. The event will showcase the new facility and feature customer workshops on industry trends and new products.

Originally based in Holmdel, N.J., Sparta has called New Jersey home for the past 18 years. Proving its value to the region, Sparta recently received Business Employment Initiative and Business Retention and Relocation Assistance grants from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), totaling more than $2 million, to add and retain jobs in the Garden State. “From competitive business incentives to significant tax reforms, our ongoing efforts to make New Jersey a home for job creation and economic growth are producing the kind of tangible results that lead pioneering, world-class companies like Sparta Systems to remain and grow in our state,” said EDA CEO Michele Brown. “The EDA is happy to have supported this innovative company in opening its new headquarters and further expanding New Jersey’s vibrant technology sector.” Eileen Martinson, CEO of Sparta Systems further commented, “As companies grow and expand, it is their responsibility to help grow the local economy as well. At Sparta, we felt it important to maintain our New Jersey heritage and continue on our already established growth path in the region. The State’s unwavering support made our decision to move to Hamilton an easy one, and we look forward to what lies ahead in our company expansion.”

Sparta has a strong presence in the region having recently been named the 2012 Software Company of the Year by the New Jersey Technology Council (NJTC). The award recognizes Sparta as a leader among New Jersey technology vendors based on its industry impact, growth rate and success in the marketplace. With an extensive install base in the pharmaceutical, medical device, electronics manufacturing and consumer packaged goods industries, the new headquarters and state of the art training facility will help Sparta reach more customers and enable them to safely and efficiently deliver products and services to market.

About Sparta Systems

Sparta Systems’ global quality management solutions enable high-value organizations to safely and efficiently deliver products and services to market. Its TrackWise^® Enterprise Quality Management Software, a trusted standard among highly regulated industries, is used by quality, manufacturing and regulatory affairs professionals to manage compliance, reduce risk and improve safety across the global enterprise. Headquartered in Hamilton, N.J. and with locations across Europe and Asia, Sparta Systems maintains an extensive install base in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology, medical device, electronics manufacturing and consumer packaged goods markets. Read more about Sparta Systems and TrackWise software on the corporate website and blog: www.spartasystems.com / blog.spartasystems.com

Sparta Systems and TrackWise are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sparta Systems, Inc. All other marks are trademarks of their respective companies.

By James Queally and Eunice Lee/The Star-Ledger
November 27, 2012

Most New Jerseyans have had their fill of “Black Friday,” “Small Business Saturday” and “Cyber Monday.”

But after a weekend spent stuffing stomachs and swiping credit cards, charities around the state and country are hoping residents emerge from their post-Thanksgiving shopping blitz believing it is better to give than receive.

More than 2,000 nonprofit organizations across the nation are championing today as “Giving Tuesday.” They hope they can use the popularity of the weekend consumer craze to remind people to donate to organizations, such as The Salvation Army and Red Cross as they approach their busiest time of the year.

“I really do think going forward it will ingrain itself as a part of the post-Thanksgiving culture,” said Bram Applin, community relations manager for The Salvation Army in New Jersey. “We have a day to give thanks, we have a day to get deals, and now we have a day to give back.”

By Esther Surden/NJ Tech Weekly
November 27, 2012

On November 14, 2012, TechLaunch — the first tech accelerator supported by the state of New Jersey — graduated its first class of companies during a Demo Day that clearly showed how an intensive education and mentoring program can help entrepreneurs turn an idea into a business.

It goes without saying that the 10 teams enrolled in TechLaunch have come a long way since they presented their ideas, hoping to be accepted, to Mario Casabona and his group at the accelerator.

Some background: in the summer of 2011, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA), in conjunction with the New Jersey tech and angel investment communities, devised the idea for the Edison Innovation Tech Accelerator Initiative. Under the plan, the state would contribute $150,000 per year for three years to partially finance a program through which innovative tech start-ups could be nurtured and receive funding. An industry partner would contribute equity and administer the program.

By Katie Eder/NJBIZ
November 27, 2012

While Black Friday sales met the expectations of New Jersey retailers as a whole, the state’s mom-and-pop stores saw a bigger boost than anticipated for Small Business Saturday.

According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses and American Express, which have partnered to entice consumers to shop small for the past three Christmas seasons, consumers spent a total of $5.5 billion at independent merchants on Nov. 24, though surveys had estimated the total would be $200 million less than that. And while American Express offered the same promotion as last year, providing cardholders a $25 statement credit if they spent $25 at an independent store, Amex transactions at small-business merchants rose approximately 21 percent compared to last year’s Small Business Saturday.

Before the initiative was launched in 2010, Doris Crater, owner of clothing boutique DJ Crater, in Chatham, would see her sales drop to around $2,000 on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving — nearly $2,000 less than a typical Saturday for the store, as “people stayed away from downtown because they were busy shopping at the malls and online.”

By Beth Fitzgerald/NJBIZ
November 21, 2012

Banks are calling their customers to tell them loans are available to repair and rebuild from the damage wrought by Hurricane Sandy.

Chase is committing $5 billion in loans to small and midsized businesses in addition to its usual business lending, and said in the past two weeks its business bankers have called nearly 90,000 customers in the storm’s path.

“We realize many business owners may still be assessing Sandy’s impact on their operations, and our message is that we’re here to help,” said Scott Geller, CEO of Chase Business Banking.