2017 Awards for Excellence

12 Companies to Receive Awards 

On Oct 16, 2017

On October 18, the New Jersey Business & Industry Association will present the Association’s 2017 Awards for Excellence to 12 companies that have done outstanding work to improve the quality of life in New Jersey.

The awards will be presented at a reception at the Bridgewater Marriott.

Every year, NJBIA honors a select group of employers for their outstanding achievements in four categories: business success, environmental quality, outstanding employer, and community service.

All NJBIA members in good standing are eligible to be nominated. The winners are selected by an independent panel of judges who volunteer their time to select the winners. 

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Business Success Award

The Business Success Award is presented to companies that have contributed to the state’s economic growth through the expansion of their businesses.

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Advantage Career Institute Medical & Dental School

• President: Frank A. Preston
• NJ Location: Eatontown
• Founded: 2005
• Full-time NJ Employees: 8
• Business: Education

ACI Medical & Dental School’s success is defined by the employment opportunities it creates for its students. This accredited, post-secondary school has delivered outstanding results in some of the industry’s most in-demand professions, including Medical Assistant with Phlebotomy, EKG and Patient Care Technician; Dental Assistant with Dental Radiology; and Medical and Dental Administrative Assistant with Electronic Health Records and Medical Billing and Coding.

Their model is to provide first-rate training for medical and dental professionals while achieving credentials quickly so students can pursue opportunities for employment right away.

ACI exceeds industry standards with a 94 percent graduation rate and a 93 percent pass rate on accredited credentials. The school also delivers on jobs, with 79 percent of its graduates finding employment in 2016.

The school’s philosophy is to work with the “whole student.” The Vice President and Director of Career Services meet with students early in the admissions process to review the academic commitment and employment expectations. This approach reinforces the expectation of ACI’s accelerated programs and allows for effective communication and enhanced outcomes.

The school provides a formal weekly Career Assistance Training Program and internship placement. For those rare students who are not hired by the time they complete their internship, the school’s Career Services Counselor develops an individualized action plan to help them find employment.

ACI has also developed strong relationships with the medical and dental community to offer excellent internship and employment opportunities for its students through partnerships with Hackensack Meridian Health, CentraState Healthcare System, Barnabas Health, Allied Dental and many other facilities.

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International Vitamin Corporation

• President and CEO: Steven Dai
• NJ Location: Freehold
• Founded: 2010
• Full-time NJ Employees: 420
• Business: Manufacturing

Even though private-label nutritional supplements are a small industry, it’s a very competitive one. But that didn’t stop International Vitamin from embarking on an ambitious plan to increase its market share by acquiring other companies and effectively integrating them.

The company began with the acquisition of Aland Holding Ltd. to provide high quality, low-cost raw materials and bulk tablets. This integration has proven to be the strongest and least risky in the business, offering a supply-chain advantage that has turned into a win-win for its customers and their consumers.

In 2014, IVC acquired Adam Nutrition Inc., a contract manufacturer of nutraceutical supplements – products derived from food sources with health benefits beyond nutrition. This provided IVC with a new platform and channels for product expansion.

The company also established a relationship with cable television channel Nickelodeon to license SpongeBob branded vitamins for children. This has expanded to include other branded labels such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Last year, IVC acquired its largest competitor, Perrigo Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements, which added additional manufacturing, packaging and distribution capabilities, and established IVC as the leader in private-label nutrition supplements. The company continued to improve its operations. Among other innovations, IVC established an R&D lab to conduct studies without interfering with day-to-day operations, and brought in new equipment to expand output and increase efficiency.

So what’s the bottom line? IVC’s moves have produced impressive growth. Gross sales increased 41 percent in 2014, 29 percent in 2015 and 44 percent in 2016. And today, the company employs 900 people at all locations, including 19 newly created professional positions.

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Spectrum360

• Executive Director and Superintendent: Bruce Ettinger
• NJ Location: Verona
• Founded: 1963
• Full-time NJ Employees: 143
• Business: Non-profit

According to the CDC, New Jersey has the highest rate of autism in the US with one in every 41 children diagnosed. Spectrum360 is a non-profit dedicated to helping people with autism develop the skills that will allow them to live independent, fulfilling lives.

As the need for autism services has grown, so has Spectrum360. In 2012, it expanded its operations to a second campus, now known as Academy360 Upper School in Livingston. The company soon outgrew that space in less than five years, so it expanded its adult program to a third facility in Whippany, which provides a more age-appropriate setting for the adult clients as well as greater capacity.

At the same time, the nonprofit was in the midst of rebranding itself and setting a more ambitious plan for the future. It had been known for decades as The Children’s Institute, but that name no longer communicated the full scope of what the organization does. Spectrum360, by contrast, reflects the fact that it serves people of all ages and is committed to improving all aspects of a person’s life.

Growth has been impressive. Enrollment increased from 272 in 2015 to 311 in 2017, a 14 percent increase. Conscious of the high rate of burnout among autism caregivers, Spectrum360 carefully monitored the workload of its staff. This led to an organization-wide employment increase of 17 percent, with a 34 percent increase in entry level positions.

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Community Service Award

The Community Service Award is presented to companies
for outstanding service to their communities.

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Connell Foley LLP

• Managing Partner: Philip F.
  McGovern, Jr
• NJ Location: Roseland
• Founded: 1938
• Full-time NJ Employees: 206
• Business: Services

This law firm has a long history of supporting organizations that provide life-changing services to some of society’s neediest members. The firm provides annual support and sponsorship of Rebuilding Together Jersey City, the local chapter of a national non-profit that rehabilitates the homes of low-income families, the elderly and the disabled as well as other community spaces and non-profit facilities. The program provides people with warmth, safety and independence while helping revitalize the neighborhoods in which they live.

Each year for the last 16 years, 20 or more Connell Foley attorneys, staff members and their families have worked on projects during the annual “Rebuilding Day.” They assist with painting, cleanup, gardening and whatever else is needed to make the building safe, usable and welcoming. Since 1991, the program has made more than $2.9 million worth of improvements to 313 homes and community facilities.

The effort also extends to non-profit organizations with facilities in the community, such as the Boys and Girls Club, St. Lucy’s homeless shelter, Women Rising, the YMCA and Camp Liberty. For the last two years, Connell Foley volunteers have focused on refurbishing Mary’s Place, a former convent that was converted into a boarding home for single women in transition. The firm also donates funding to purchase things like washers and dryers.

By providing a clean, safe environment, Connell Foley is fulfilling its mission to provide life-changing services to the community’s at-risk residents.

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Medtronic

• Site Leader: Patrick Malone
• NJ Location: Eatontown
• Founded: 1986
• Full-time NJ Employees: 200
• Business: Bio-medical Manufacturing

As a global healthcare solutions company, Medtronic’s foremost priority is to contribute to human welfare. It does that in its business by applying biomedical engineering to alleviate pain, restore health and extend people’s lives. It also contributes by being a good corporate citizen dedicated to making the world healthier for patients, communities and the environment.

The company’s employees give back to the community through blood drives for the Central Jersey Blood Center, collecting and distributing school supplies to under-served school districts and volunteering at the Popcorn Park Zoo animal rescue facility in Forked River and the Lunch Break soup kitchen in Red Bank.

Central to this effort is the annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors program. For the last nine years, Medtronic Eatontown has led a contingent of small and large companies raising money and collecting donations for the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Last year, the Neighbors Helping Neighbors event recruited 70 companies and collected a record 6,300 pounds of food donations and raised $26,000 in monetary donations.

Among the many volunteers were 100 Medtronic employee and family members distributing and picking up collection boxes from their neighbors, unloading supplies from the collection vehicle and sorting through the donations on behalf of the food bank.

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Nisivoccia LLP

• Founder and Partner: Raymond Nisivoccia
• NJ Location: Mt. Arlington
• Founded: 1970
• Full-time NJ Employees: 85
• Business: Finance

This full-service accounting and audit firm has made “Our Communities” one of its foundation values. Since founder Raymond Nisivoccia stressed the importance of helping others 47 years ago, the company has promoted participation in philanthropic activities throughout the community. Managing Partner Timothy Mehaffey makes sure Nisivoccia LLP’s employees maintain that charitable mindset today.

Last year, Nivisoccia LLP supported events for approximately 130 organizations either through sponsorship or volunteering. Twenty-six of its partners and employees are on the boards of as many organizations, including the 200 Club of Morris County, the Sussex YMCA, Hackettstown Medical Center Foundation, the Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Program of Morristown and the Northern Jersey American Red Cross.

Educational programs are a big part of their contributions. Company representatives spoke at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Beta Alpha Psi chapter, and regularly provide free tax and financial planning presentations to local organizations as well as one-on-one workshops.

The company has also sponsored several 5K charity runs or walks as well as a local Arc event, while its employees have pitched in at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey and Habitat for Humanity.

They also raise money through a monthly Jeans Day, where employees contribute to charity in exchange for being allowed to wear jeans to the office. The Mount Olive Food Pantry, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Intervention Services and the Jefferson child Care and Education Center are among the groups that have benefited.

All of these groups have suffered from diminishing donor bases to the point where it could affect their programs. By supporting these organizations in need, Nivisoccia LLP allows them to shift their focus back to their missions.

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Outstanding Employer Award

The Outstanding Employer Award is presented to companies that demonstrate a creative and forward-looking approach to managing their human resources.

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Genewiz

• CEO: Amy Liao
• NJ Location: South Plainfield
• Founded: 1999
• Full-time NJ Employees: 213
• Business: Healthcare

As a high-tech genomic (DNA) sequencing and gene synthesis provider, GENEWIZ supports scientific researchers around the world with their discoveries in science, medicine, green energy, and agriculture. With a mission to “be the best in the world, and the best for the world” GENEWIZ recognizes that it all starts with its employees – and the health and happiness of its employee base is a top priority for this rapidly growing company.

Offering affordable health care to its employees is important to the company. As such, GENEWIZ turned to the concept of employee wellness to curb cost increases and provide employees with convenient ways to get and stay healthy.

The new Health and Wellness Program at GENEWIZ emphasizes education. It hosts semi-annual seminars on reducing health risks and a bi-monthly newsletter filled with ideas for living a healthier lifestyle. To encourage healthy eating habits, the company brings healthy food into the workplace. All lunch rooms are stocked with fresh fruit at no cost to employees, and workers are encouraged to take part of a farm-share program subsidized by GENEWIZ that brings locally grown fresh produce right to the office for the employees to take home.

A health-centric company culture, GENEWIZ offers onsite biometric screenings, gym reimbursements and a walking club. In response to the American Heart Association’s recent report that no amount of exercise can compensate for the negative health effects of sitting for long periods, the company recently began offering standing desks to employees.

The program has delivered the desired results. Premium increases have been cut to 5 to 10 percent per year thanks to lower utilization rates. And most importantly, employee health has shown year-by-year improvement in cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels.

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KRS CPAs

• Managing Partner: Maria Rollins
• NJ Location: Paramus
• Founded: 2005
• Full-time NJ Employees: 19
• Business: Accounting

The ways to achieve work-life balance are as diverse as the employees who are striving for it. KRS CPAs, therefore, provides its workers with a variety of ways to manage their obligations to the home and the office.

The company’s Flexible Work Program allows exempt employees to create their own schedules, work remotely, and take an unlimited amount of paid time off. Since tax preparation is a big part of KRS’s business, this model allows employees to spread out their work load during tax season by eliminating the mandatory office hours that most tax firms require. As a result, KRS employees are less burnt out after April 15.

The switch to unlimited paid time off has not resulted in more people out of the office. In fact, the company has experienced fewer unscheduled absences since the policy was implemented.

Productivity has benefited as well. Employees can be two places at once; they can still be “at work” while caring for a sick child at home. In all, the program has boosted moral and reduced stress, leading to a more productive workplace.

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Wedgewood Pharmacy

• President and CEO: Marcy Bliss
• NJ Location: Swedesboro
• Founded: 1981
• Full-time NJ Employees: 321
• Business: Pharmacy

Wedgewood Pharmacy learned that fast business growth (it nearly doubled its workforce in five years) comes with challenges, not the least of which is maintaining a work environment that fosters cooperation and collaboration.

The company began looking for ways to boost employee engagement, but it didn’t just pick engagement programs off of a list. Rather, Wedgewood went to the employees themselves and asked them what they would like to see.

The program began three years ago with an employee engagement survey. The company increased the amount of paid time off – 560 days off in total – by starting each employee with 16 vacation days and adding an additional day for every year the employee stays. Wedgewood also began recognizing employees for their length of service with milestone payments.

To help employees understand the big picture, Wedgewood began regular all-staff meetings to share the status of the business, key achievements and challenges, and to answer any questions. This is in addition to weekly meetings at the department level and monthly one-on-one meetings between employees and their supervisors.

Employee satisfaction is a big goal as well. To help its many millennial employees, in 2017 Wedgewood launched a $3,000 per person, $60,000 tuition-reimbursement program, with plans to expand up to $120,000 in 2018. In 2016, the company also gave out more than $47,000 in awards to workers who demonstrated one of the company’s core values.

The program delivered big. A second survey of employees showed double-digit increases in virtually all the key measurements. Today, employees at Wedgewood feel they have a say in the company and opportunities for career development.

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Environmental Quality Award

The Environmental Quality Award is presented to companies that have done outstanding work to preserve or enhance the quality of the environment in New Jersey.

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Hackensack Meridian Health
Hackensack University Medical Center

• President: Ihor Sawzuk
• NJ Location: Hackensack
• Founded: 1888
• Full-time NJ Employees: 5,995
• Business: Healthcare

This 775-bed hospital in Bergen County is not just the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state; it’s also a pioneer in green cleaning. HUMC’s Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center was one of the first hospital-based programs in the country, working to identify, control and ultimately prevent toxic exposures in the environment since 2001.

In 2012, the center elevated its game, signing an agreement with the US Environmental Protection Agency to be an environmental steward and committing to reducing its carbon footprint, cutting water and energy consumption, and lowering the amount of solid waste it produces.

Over the years, HUMC added programs to promote environmentally responsible business practices through partnerships with PSEG, Montclair State University, Zone 7 and Staples.

The center joined the US Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge in 2015 by committing to improve energy efficiency by 20 percent over 10 years.

Additional initiatives include converting to PVC/DEHP-free IV bags hospital-wide, keeping beehives on the rooftop, purchasing local sustainable food, establishing a farm stand in the wellness center to promote healthy eating and local produce, and serving antibiotic-free meat in the cafeteria.

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Kimmerle Group

• CEO: George Kimmerle
• NJ Location: Harding Twp.
• Founded: 1990
• Full-time NJ Employees: 32
• Business: Architecture & Development

Sustainability is a lot more than just a buzz word for this group of award-winning architects and designers. So when the company started renovating an abandoned retail site in Harding Township for its new headquarters, it wanted a building that is a physical sign of respect for the planet and its environment.

The 8,500-square-foot office building at 1109 Mt. Kemble Avenue meets that lofty goal. The project embraced green building materials and energy-saving principles that make it a perfect example of adaptive reuse.

It’s not any one thing by itself that makes the headquarters special, but the total effort. No opportunity to include sustainability was left out.

A geothermal heating system captures warmth from the Earth’s core when it’s cold outside, while passive ventilation techniques help cool the interior when the weather is hot.

To reduce rainwater runoff, one-third of the parking area was replaced with block turf. Rainwater from all gutters and downspouts is collected and used for irrigation. A solar heating system provides the majority of hot water, and windows are designed to maximize sunlight during cooler months, while deep overhangs and upper eyebrow dormers shade glass surfaces when it’s warm.

The building makes maximum use of supplies from renewable and local sources. Even the furniture is made of 90 percent recycled material.

All of this and more was accomplished while creating a building that integrates the natural features of its rustic setting and creates an efficient, functional workspace for its professionals.

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Community Service & Outstanding
Employer Awards

One company will receive two awards – one in the Community Service
category and another in the Outstanding Employer category.

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Crum & Forster

• Chairman and CEO: Marc Adee
• NJ Location: Morristown
• Founded: 1822
• Full-time NJ Employees: 743
• Business: Insurance

This company will be recognized in two award categories.

Outstanding Employer

Crum & Forster’s priorities are to provide an outstanding customer experience to its clients and create a great place to work for its employees, so it provides a robust corporate wellness program and continuous improvement and education.

Opportunities to develop fresh skills start at the top, with regular training for managers. Managers learn strategies to keep their staff motivated and to understand the company’s business priorities. For all staff, “Learning Made Simple” allows employees to learn what they want when it is convenient for them. This wide-ranging platform offers dozens of online learning courses and live webinars. So far, more than 400 online courses have been taken this year, and that’s on top of the comprehensive onboarding curriculum in which all new employees are enrolled.

On the business and technical training side, employees have earned 84 designations over the last year through The Institutes, an industry leader in education for professionals in the risk management and insurance industries. Crum & Forster believes that employees who are motivated, engaged and feel empowered are its best resources to help the company grow and succeed as it approaches its third century of doing business.

Community Service

Crum & Forster is also a company with heart and is part of the Fairfax family of companies, whose chairman, Prem Watsa, believes in “doing good by doing well.” Committed to being a compassionate citizen in every community across the country where its employees live and work, Crum & Forster encourages its employees to donate their time and money to their favorite charities and even matches employee donations dollar for dollar.

Here are just a few of 2017’s activities: New Jersey employees donated more than 400 hours to Morristown’s Habitat for Humanity, while the Cherry Hill office donated 200 hours to Camden’s branch of the organization. Crum & Forster’s employees turned out in force to run in this year’s Spring Lake 5K to raise money and awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Crum & Forster employees have also donated Easter baskets through the Jersey Battered Women’s Service, participated in National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month, and raised money for the Morris and Sussex County chapters of CASA which provides support to vulnerable children and families. Crum & Forster was the Diamond Sponsor of the 2017 Mansion in May, the signature fundraising event for Morristown Medical Center. The proceeds from this year’s event will establish the Center for Nursing Innovation and Research at the hospital.

 

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