Open House at Bergen Community College Lyndhurst Campus Draws Large Crowd and Recognizes the NJ Small Business Development Center’s Role in Serving Small Businesses
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SBA District Office Director and Regional Administrator Attend to Support Regional NJSBDC
June 8, 2015 (Lyndhurst, NJ) – On June 3, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) District Office Director, Al Titone, accompanied by Kellie LeDet, SBA regional administrator (Region II), and Harry Menta, SBA project officer joined Vincent Vicari, regional center director of NJSBDC at Bergen Community College and Deborah Smarth, chief operating officer and associate state director of America’s SBDC New Jersey at the College’s Continuing Education Division Open House in support of small businesses.
The event promoted the fact that the NJ Small Business Development Center and the Business Accelerator on the affiliate campus of Bergen Community College in Lyndhurst are focusing their collaborations in assisting small business owners and entrepreneurs, as well as new collaborations with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Carlos Medina, the Chamber’s chairman, also attended.
Just a month earlier, the NJSBDC at Bergen held its open house at its new affiliate office at Ramapo College of New Jersey in Mahwah. The Center’s main office is located in Hackensack NJ.
The grand opening of the Center’s satellite office in Lyndhurst was welcome by many of the attendees at the event which was a packed house with more than 275 people attending. This service location in Lyndhurst offers entrepreneurs and individuals developing new businesses the ability to work in an office space while also tapping other resources like mentoring workshops, classes, WI-FI, meeting rooms and other invaluable support services.
“SBA was on hand to offer our support and enthusiasm for the affiliate office in Lyndhurst, expanding service locations for small businesses,” said Al Titone. “Both the Regional Administrator, Kellie LeDet and I thought it was important to be present to support the leadership of Vincent Vicari, the regional center director of the NJSBDC at Bergen Community College. The center does a great job in providing services for entrepreneurs.”
“This is yet another example of how collaborations can enhance the environment and offerings for small business owners,” Deborah Smarth of America’s SBDC New Jersey commented. “The Center is a high producer for our network of SBDCs statewide, impacting on the successes of small business development, growth and jobs.”
“We had an opportunity to dialogue with many small business owners at this event,” said Vince Vicari, chief of the Center. “Getting out there, communicating our assistance and services, and then helping small businesses get to the next stage of growth drives our operations. We are grateful to the College for the formal opening of the Center’s affiliate office in Lyndhurst.”
The SBDC attracted the sponsorship of ADP which was represented at the event. Rick Martinez, who founded the company Senor Sangria in Maplewood NJ, and who serves on the statewide Small Business Development Centers network Board of Advisors was also in attendance. Martinez was a past client of NJSBDC at New Jersey City University. His company now distributes his products in the northeast seaboard with a few million dollars a year in sales.
“We’re very glad that Rick has been so successful,” said Smarth. “He’s one of many success stories.”
About America’s SBDC New Jersey (NJSBDC)
The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers network provides comprehensive services and programs for small business in New Jersey, helping businesses expand their operations, manage their growth, or start new ventures. Expert staff and practicing business consultants help small business owners and entrepreneurs to develop business plans, find financing, accounting and financial analysis, identify new markets, initiate marketing strategies, find procurement and international trade opportunities, commercialize technology and develop an E-commerce presence. This non-profit network, a federal-state-educational partnership, leverages funding from the Small Business Administration (SBA), the N.J. Business Action Center, the educational institutions that host the 12 centers as well as other private sponsorships and additional grants. The NJSBDC Headquarters, located at the Rutgers Business School in Newark, NJ, oversees the network which is an accredited member of America’s SBDC. Approximately 1,000 centers and satellite offices serve small businesses across the country, generating jobs and economic development. Visit www.njsbdc.com.
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