NJBIA Honors 13 NJ Companies with Awards for Excellence

On Sep 2, 2016

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association announced the 13 winners of its Awards for Excellence competition, which honors companies whose energy and vision have made a significant contribution toward improving the economy, the environment, their employees and their communities.

“NJBIA’s member companies, who provide 1.1 million jobs in New Jersey, do a tremendous amount of good work for their employees and our state,” said NJBIA CEO & President Michele Siekerka. “The NJBIA Awards for Excellence is our way of recognizing the very best of the best for their outstanding achievements.”

The Awards for Excellence (AFE) program honors achievements in four categories: Business Success, Community Service, Environmental Quality and Outstanding Employer. This year one company—Earth Friendly Products—won awards in two categories. The AFE awards will be presented to the 13 winning companies at NJBIA’s Oct. 19 Awards For Excellence reception at the Pines Manor in Edison.

AFE winners in the Business Success category are:

• Artech Information Systems, LLC, of Morristown. Artech is the nation’s largest women-owned IT staffing company and its clients include more than 70 Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies. Last year, Artech increased revenues by 10 percent and created more than 200 new jobs.

• Garvey Corporation, of Blue Anchor. A manufacturing company that is thriving in the age of global commerce, Garvey saw sales of its material-handling equipment jump from $10.9 million in 2014 to $15.7 million last year and is on pace to break the $20 million mark in 2016. Garvey has also expanded its workforce 18 percent during that same time period.

• iCIMS Inc., of Matawan. iCIMS is one of the fastest growing talent acquisition software providers in the industry today. iCIMS added 220 employees in 2015, on top of the 198 new hires it had in 2014 and 2013, and has experienced more than 30 percent year-over-year revenue growth.

AFE Winners in the Community Service category are:

• AH, of Mount Laurel. This consulting firm, which specializes in helping nonprofit organizations achieve their mission, takes its commitment to social responsibility seriously by not only encouraging employees to volunteer in the community, but also giving them time during their regular work hours to do it. A charity that received special attention this past year was MANNA, which delivers meals to people battling life-threatening illnesses.

• PBL Assay Science, of Piscataway. This manufacturer of state-of-the-art products used by scientists around the world has a corporate culture that emphasizes community service. The company’s many initiatives include a high school scholarship program and paid summer-long internship for students interested in biomedical research. It also has an ongoing volunteer program with the Middlesex County Parks Department in which PBL employees have helped to construct hiking trails, restore meadowlands, and perform litter sweeps.

• T&M Associates, of Middletown. This consulting engineering, environmental, and construction management firm celebrated its 50th anniversary this year with a “50 Ways of Giving” campaign. As of May, this yearlong effort has seen employees contribute more than 600 volunteer hours through their participation in blood drivers, beach cleanups, soup kitchens and time given to social services organizations such as United Way and Big Brothers Big Sisters. T&M Associates also advances STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs for area students and offers STEM scholarships to deserving high school seniors in seven communities.

• UNEX Manufacturing, of Lakewood. UNEX, a family-owned manufacturer of order-picking equipment for warehouse operations, has partnered with the Children’s Institute to provide on-the-job experience for individuals with autism. The training program opens doors for people with disabilities to enter the workforce and secure meaningful jobs.

• Wegmans Food Markets Inc., of Princeton. Wegmans has donated more than 13.5 million pounds of food to local food banks in 2015 alone under its Food for Communities in Need program. Wegmans also provides healthy food education services in their stores and has taken the message on the road to schools as part of its efforts to help curb childhood obesity.

AFE winners in the Environmental Quality category are:

• Earth Friendly Products, of Parsippany. This manufacturer of environmentally friendly cleaners makes sure its manufacturing process is environmentally sound as well. Through recycling, the company has reduced overall waste by 95 percent even as it increased business by 57 percent. Earth Friendly Products has also eliminated more than 49 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution through the purchase of green power from renewable energy sources.

• Mott MacDonald, of Iselin. This global civil engineering firm spearheaded the successful effort to transform contaminated waterfront properties into the award-winning Newark Riverfront Park. The 16-acre park along the Passaic River has been hailed by Landscape Architecture Magazine as “unquestionably a monumental achievement” and the project has also received a Smart Growth Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• PSE&G, of Newark. The giant utility company employing more than 6,700 workers has installed thousands of solar panels on rooftops, parking lots, utility poles, brownfields and landfills throughout New Jersey and tied them directly into the power grid for the benefit of all its customers. PSE&G’s “Solar Power 4 All” program is helping the state reach its goal of procuring 22.5 percent of all electricity from renewable resources by 2021.

AFE Winners in the Outstanding Employer category are:

• Carbon Express Inc., of Wharton. This transportation company goes the extra mile for its employees, giving their long-haul truckers a comfortable hotel room to sleep in, instead of the bunks inside their trucks, so that they can be well-rested, safer drivers. The Corporate Lodging Card program allows its truck drivers to choose from thousands of hotels across the country and earn points that can be redeemed in the future when they go on vacation with their families.

• Earth Friendly Products, of Parsippany. This dual AFE winner was also selected in the Outstanding Employer category because it provides financial incentives to employees who purchase eco-friendly cars, relocate within 10 miles of their workplace, or install solar panels on their homes. Earth Friendly Products also gave away new juicers to all employees and extended the amount of time offered for family leave for new mothers and fathers. The company’s family-friendly policies have significantly reduced absenteeism and lowered its insurance premiums.

• Maser Consulting, P.A., of Red Bank. This multi-discipline engineering firm headquartered in Red Bank supports the more than 600 professionals it employs nationwide in both their professional and personal endeavors. Its online education system, Maser University, brings 1,500 courses to employees and provides time during their regular working hours to complete them. Maser also offers employees a formal mentorship program as well as a variety of health, wellness, employee appreciation and community service outreach programs.

The 13 AFE winners were selected by an independent panel of judges comprised of executives from NJBIA member companies, members of the Board of Trustees, and representatives from the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE).  All NJBIA members in good standing with the association can be nominated for an AFE award.

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