General Business

2020 Awards for Excellence

20 Recipients to be honored

On Oct 5, 2020

The New Jersey Business & Industry Association is proud to present the 2020 Awards for Excellence to four executives and 16 companies who have improved the quality of life in New Jersey in outstanding ways. NJBIA is honoring select employers from its membership for outstanding achievements in the following areas:

Executive of the Year

John Beacham, Toorak Capital Partners

Ashish Garg, Net2Source Inc.

Wendy Graeb, The Connection

Roberto Muñiz, Parker Health Group Inc.

Member of the Year

Food Bank of South Jersey

Henderson Promos

OceanFirst Bank

Primepoint

Outstanding Employer

AmeriHealth New Jersey

Atlantic Health System

Hackensack Meridian Health

KRS CPAs

Community Service

DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation

Mercer County Community College

Riverflow Yoga

VelocIT

Diversity & Inclusion

Best Buddies

PamTen, Inc.

Rangam Consultants

Stevens Institute of Technology

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD

For individuals who demonstrate leadership and passion while achieving business success.

John Beacham

Founder and CEO, Toorak Capital Partners

It wasn’t all that long ago when real estate investors were challenged to find affordable financing for single- and multi-family rental properties, mixed-use space, and residential bridge loans.

So in 2016, John Beacham founded Toorak Capital Partners for the main purpose of linking small balance mortgage originators with institutional capital. Since then, Toorak Capital, based in Summit, has provided more than $3.1 billion in loan funding to date through the acquisition of nearly 10,000 loans in 46 states.

By partnering with nearly 50 loan originators around the US, projects funded by Toorak Capital partners have renovated or stabilized housing for more than 9,000 families.

Highly regarded throughout his 20-year career in real estate finance, Beacham is known for inspiring his team on the path to expanding new products. Team Toorak, under Beacham’s leadership, continues to see lenders grow their businesses with high credit standards and low loss rates, while real estate investors establish their properties and flourish.

Ashish Garg

Founder and CEO, Net2Source Inc.

Ashish Garg’s success in starting up Net2Source, a global workforce solutions company based in Somerset, is an award-winning story by itself. During the throes of the Great Recession, he cobbled $100,000 from 15 different banks and started operations in India with zero clients, five employees, and 500 square feet of office space.

He has since grown Net2Source into a $128.8-million operation, with more than 4,000 employees and 350 worldwide clients.

But beyond the success built upon tailoring individual resolutions for his clients, Garg has also facilitated a favorable work environment where employees catch his entrepreneurial spirit. He provides continual training, mentoring and, yes, higher pay rates. He is also a big proponent of diversity hiring, creating opportunities for veterans and physically-challenged people, while keeping a 50-50 gender ratio at work.

Garg also has partnered with multiple NGOs and orphanages – even adopting a baby girl himself – for the betterment of underprivileged communities.

Wendy Graeb

Executive Director, The Connection

Wendy Graeb brought 25 years of success in nonprofit management, fund development, and strategic planning to The Connection when she became its executive director in 2016. Today, she’s confidently steering this women-led nonprofit, which has been in the forefront of health, wellness and community service in the greater Summit area for 100 years, through its most challenging time yet.

The COVID-19 pandemic placed a significant portion of the funding for the nonprofit’s $4.5-million annual budget at risk. However, Graeb’s unflappable leadership has enabled The Connection to identify new ways for its staff to continue serving thousands of women, men and children with a variety of health & fitness, learning and special needs programs that are run from its 34,000-square-foot facility.

Graeb also has been a leader in Summit’s volunteer community, having served on boards or as president of numerous organizations including school PTOs, the public library, the Senior Connections Bus Service, and the Junior League of Summit.

Roberto Muñiz

President and CEO, Parker Health Group

CEO Roberto Muñiz has led the Parker Health Group, a nonprofit aging services organization, on a transformative journey over the past 21 years. What began as two nursing homes serving 100 people has grown into a diverse organization caring for close to 1,000 people daily through various aging service programs. This includes four nursing homes, assisted living and memory care facilities, post-acute rehabilitation services, adult day centers with medical and social programs, and a child development center that promotes intergenerational programming.

During this rapid expansion, Muñiz has kept Parker true to its mission of creating places where people can age in a home-like setting, whether they live at a Parker facility or in their own homes with supportive programs. In addition to his work at Parker, Muñiz serves on many healthcare boards and committees and is a Senior Health Fellow and instructor at Rutgers University, where he inspires students to consider careers in aging services.

MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD

For company contributions to NJBIA and efforts to improve the state’s business climate.

Food Bank of South Jersey

Delivering food, health and wellness programs throughout Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties, the Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) has been delivering 12 million pounds of food to more than 150 charitable food providers on an annual basis. This, in turn, has helped feed approximately 137,000 people.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, FBSJ developed a plan to deliver food in adherence to CDC guidelines. The organization pivoted to distributing pre-packaged food boxes utilizing a drive-through model and was able to deliver 1.6 million pounds of food in March, 1.8 million pounds in April, 1.9 million pounds in May, and 2.1 million pounds in June, the single highest monthly distribution in the organization’s history.

FBSJ CEO Fred Wasiak is NJBIA’s Not-for-Profit Council lead for Southern New Jersey. He helped launch the council and has presented at its first meeting. During a virtual meeting, he discussed what it was like being a frontline organization during the peak of the crisis.

Henderson Promos

Red Bank-based Henderson Promos, a promotional product supplier that offers more than 700,000 items – from mugs, pens, t-shirts, tote bags, awards and more – began offering Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic to hospitals, Fortune 500 companies, and US states. Knowing that it has been difficult for small businesses and individuals to buy PPE products in small quantities, Henderson Promos began offering a PPE delivery option for Monmouth and Ocean county residents and businesses. For every 100 masks delivered, Henderson also donated 10 masks to first responders.

CEO Kristina Henderson took the helm of the family owned business in 2017, tripling sales in one year. Under her guidance, Henderson Promos has received certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise and an SBA Women-Owned Small Business. Recently, she was crowned Mrs. New Jersey American 2020.

As an NJBIA member, the company and Kristina have sponsored association networking events and provided business connections that resulted in new companies joining NJBIA.

OceanFirst Bank

OceanFirst Bank, founded in 1902, is a $10.5-billion financial institution based in Toms River. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the bank approved some 3,000 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $503 million. Approximately 2,746 of these loans went to small businesses with less than 50 employees.

The OceanFirst Foundation awarded more than $450,000 in special grants to neighbors and nonprofit partners during the pandemic. This includes $100,000 to food banks and $150,000 to behavioral health organizations, professional protective equipment providers, shelters and senior service organizations.

Additionally, the OceanFirst Foundation has partnered with the Grunin Foundation and Townsquare Media in recognizing 40 nonprofit groups for their “Acts of Kindness” in going above and beyond in helping and supporting neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OceanFirst assisted NJBIA members during the pandemic by helping them obtain PPP loans. The institution is also a participant in the association’s Not-for-Profit Council.

Primepoint

Mt. Holly-based Primepoint is a payroll processing and human resources management company that offers a suite of technology tools to address the needs of small, mid-size, and large businesses.

Primepoint traces its roots back to 1975 when Bea and Al Bothwell Sr. founded Bookkeeping Assistance. The company was renamed Delaware Valley Payroll due to clients asking for help with their payroll processing needs as more computers were being implemented in the workplace.

Through the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the Bothwell’s three sons began joining the company, bringing their tech skills to the table. They created a proprietary payroll processing technology, which became the foundation for Delaware Valley Payroll.

In November 2000, Primepoint LLC was formed, becoming the technology engine behind Delaware Valley Payroll.

As an NJBIA member, Primepoint personnel have spoken at NJBIA HR events, offering guidance to members. Primepoint also offers NJBIA members cost-saving payroll and HR management solutions.

OUTSTANDING EMPLOYER AWARD

For companies celebrating creative and forward-looking approaches to managing HR.

AmeriHealth New Jersey

Cranbury-based AmeriHealth New Jersey’s Market President Mike Munoz made “associate engagement” a priority when he took the helm in 2017, and he began holding themed monthly socials encouraging associates, for example, to step away from their desks and share a snack in the break room.

Munoz additionally brought in complimentary onsite yoga for employees, introduced a work-from-home policy that permits telecommuting one day a week, and also introduced an incentive program that awards a $500 gift card to two associates per quarter who demonstrate a “commitment to be of service.”

When the coronavirus pandemic struck New Jersey, Munoz debuted a series of “Virtual Water Cooler Conversations” twice weekly, driving employee engagement with such themes a “crazy hat day,” “bring your child or pet,” “quarantine cuisine,” and “favorite books.” A virtual meditation program is also offered to employees, adding to such employee engagement activities as monthly birthday celebrations.

Atlantic Health System

As one of the largest nonprofit healthcare networks in New Jersey with 1,860 licensed beds and 4,796 affiliated physicians, Atlantic Health System is not only caring for patients in communities, but it is also mindful of its some 17,000 employees’ well-being via more than 24 various benefit programs. The latter range from on-site childcare and tuition reimbursement, to ice cream social gatherings and career coaching, to name a few examples. An array of new coronavirus pandemic benefits such as Pandemic Emergency Pay have also been available.

Of a wellness program that includes onsite fitness, health education classes, and intramural sports, Atlantic Health System says, “We believe that if we take care our ourselves, we can take better care of each other, our patients, and our communities.”

This is underscored via Atlantic Health System’s comprehensive medical plan, which includes dental benefits and telehealth options, as well as robust maternity benefits. Voluntary benefits include, for example, pet, automobile and homeowners insurance options.

Hackensack Meridian Health

With 17 hospitals, 7,200 physicians, more than 500 patient care locations and physician offices – and 35,000 employees – Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) has been a six-time recipient of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” designation, and last year was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review 2019 as one of the “Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare.”

In addition to generous compensation and medical benefits, HMH also has launched programs aimed at everything from helping employees address questions surrounding their various benefits, to a new Spiritual Care Program, which helps team members deal with complex emotions in response to work related to COVID-19. HMH Life Solutions, meanwhile, is a free and confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP), helping employees live a “healthy, balanced life.”

Among a host of other employee benefits, a suite of professional development programs is also core at HMH, with at least four separate programs facilitating workers’ career trajectories.

KRS CPAs

Paramus-based KRS CPAs is helping its hard-working employees via its Flexible Work Program, allowing them to create their own schedules, work remotely and even have half-days on summer Fridays. Exempt employees also have unlimited paid time off, which means they can, for example, “recharge” following the tax season’s long and stressful hours.

KRS stocks its kitchen with a variety of snacks including high-protein options, and the firm also provides dinner to all employees who remain on site after 5 p.m. during tax season. A new system provides employees with complete remote access to their work computers, which is especially helpful to workers with children.

The Flexible Work Program overall – which also includes stress-relieving staff activities every Friday between February 1 and April 15 (ranging from a ping-pong tournament and chair massages, to in-office contests and happy hour, for example) – has increased moral and decreased stress, all while putting everyone’s productivity on the rise.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

For companies committed to leadership in finding solutions to social or economic challenges.

DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation

The DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity in Princeton, was founded in 2012 in the wake of the 2008 global recession to reverse the decline in financial literacy in the US and build stronger, more financially literate youth and communities. New Jersey parents, educators and entrepreneurs developed personal finance education curriculum called FitKit for middle and high school students.

An all-volunteer nonprofit, 50 to 75 student interns and volunteers help run the organization, which has amassed over 30,000 volunteer hours since 2016. The foundation serves about 40,000 students in five states, including New Jersey, and students in the FitKit program saw their financial literacy scores increase by an average 40%. It also offers a shorter version of the course for adults.

DoughMain is not resting on its laurels though. It is seeking support to reach more students and communities in 2020, expanding its reach to more schools and communities beyond the New Jersey-Pennsylvania-New York region.

Mercer County Community College

When the pandemic hit, Mercer County Community College (MCCC) wasn’t the only organization that had to pivot to continue to fulfill its mission, but not many institutions have delivered the same kind of results for their communities.

Employment losses meant that many of MCCC’s 11,000 students would have to defer or give up their studies, as many of them are economically challenged. Under the direction of President Dr. Jianping Wang, and with approval of the college’s Office of Student Life and Leadership, MCCC’s student activities budget was repurposed to help provide food, shelter, childcare, and transportation for needy students.

The college established a partnership with TDI Connect to distribute computers to students who otherwise had no internet access so they could continue their studies remotely.

Finally, the college’s Advanced Manufacturing laboratory started producing facial shields utilizing existing 3-D printers and the lab’s high-speed, computerized manufacturing machines to increase production to keep up with demand.

Riverflow Yoga

Riverflow Yoga, a popular boutique Lambertville business specializing in “hot yoga for cool people” has been offering holistic health, harmony and relaxation in a warm community setting since 2009. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of most New Jersey businesses in March, Riverflow’s owner and yogi in residence, Rhonda Uretzky, saw an opportunity to do something positive not just for her clients, but all New Jerseyans who were dealing with coronavirus-caused stress and anxiety.

Throughout the pandemic, Riverflow has been offering free classes on Facebook Live, with seven instructors teaching yoga live two and three times daily, available to anyone from beginners to experienced pros. There is no requirement to register in advance and no fees are charged. Through its social media outreach, Riverflow is providing the community with a lifeline in which physical exercise creates emotional healing during the most stressful of times.

VelocIT

As an IT consultant founded by engineers and business leaders, solving problems is the core function of the people who help VelocIT support 10,000 workstations nationwide. So, it should come as no surprise that its approach to community service seeks to leverage those same problem-solving skills.

Like many companies, Cranbury-based VelocIT participates in charity events and fundraisers throughout the year. However, the company goes beyond that by encouraging its employees to use their passion and problem-solving skills to better their community.

Director of Technology Anton Major, for instance, spoke for a Datto Roadshow, an event series with a focus on education for managed service providers and small- to medium-sized businesses. And Darek Hahn was added to the CFO Forum of the New Jersey branch of the Association for Corporate Growth, where he has instilled a strong belief in entrepreneurship and is lending his expertise to help local business owners.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AWARD

For companies that are on the forefront of growing supporting, maintaining and promoting a workforce consisting of people of different races, genders, creeds and color.

Best Buddies in New Jersey

Best Buddies New Jersey, located in Clinton, is part of Best Buddies International – a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development, and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

The organization consistently empowers and includes individuals with different backgrounds in various events, engagements and programs, all of which provide a positive energy in a social atmosphere that is transferred into the daily lives of others in the community.

Best Buddies unique and inclusive energy helps the organization grow in both the community and business world, which was put on display during the COVID-19 pandemic. Best Buddies seamlessly moved from on-site events and transitioned planned live events to a virtual environment while continuing to raise awareness and spread positivity during a dark time for many around the globe.

PamTen, Inc.

PamTen’s diverse and inclusive environment starts with its upper management, which serves on several committee organizations, including the D&I Committee of Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce and NJBIA’s Women Business Leaders Committee. The Princeton-based technology services company has put this inclusiveness into action by increasing the number of women and transgendered employees in the organization, while continuing to hire based on talent alone in support of its D&I initiatives.

Additionally, PamTen CEO and co-founder, Chaya Pamula began the SheTek initiative, which aims to raise the percentage of women represented in the technology industry. Through training programs, networking opportunities, and mentorship, PamTen is helping women find their path in this growing field.

Pamula has also been a guest speaker at many public speaking engagements around the US and the world, with a focus on including women and being a more inclusive society.

Rangam Consultants

Somerset-based Rangam is a minority, woman and disability-owned workforce solutions company which believes that empathy drives innovation. The company provides an extremely friendly and flexible environment for its employees, specifically those employees with special needs or disabilities, who are accommodated beyond what is minimally required. Rangam has been providing top talent to Fortune 100 companies for many years.

Rangam launched www.sourcevets.com to help veterans connect with employment opportunities and www.sourceabled.com to connect prospective employees with employers who have developed environments for individuals with a variety of disabilities to show off their skills.

Through innovation and collaboration, Rangam’s SourceAbled helps employers build a culture of inclusion, create a better brand, and drive sustainable results, and the company has also created a series of technology platforms that can be used for employee training and provide employer training on how to manage talent with special requirements.

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken-based Stevens Institute of Technology’s ACES (Accessing Careers in Engineering and Science) program was created by the institution’s president, Nariman Farvardin, to provide underserved and underrepresented minority students with opportunities, financial support, and mentoring – all critical needs for pursuing STEM degrees and careers.

Launched in 2017, ACES saw a 60% increase in the number of underrepresented minority students in the pre-college residential STEM summer program, and a 46% increase in the number of underrepresented minority students in the freshman cohort.

In January, Governor Murphy signed a bill to scale up the Stevens ACES program to colleges and universities through the NJ ACES initiative.

It is critical to provide opportunities for all members of society to pursue STEM education and careers. It is particularly important to strengthen efforts for sectors that are underrepresented: women and minorities. Stevens’ ACES program specifically addresses this challenge.

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