Ramapo College of New Jersey Now Hosting Bergen County’s Small Business Development Center

On Feb 13, 2017

Ramapo College of New Jersey is now serving as the full-time host of the Bergen County office of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC). Ramapo College has been an affiliate partner of the 12-center program for the past two years. The Center is located at the College’s Anisfield School of Business, 505 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah. The Center can be reached at 201-684-7135.

“Our new SBDC colleagues will be working with faculty and students as a resource for research and experiential learning beyond the classroom,” said Ed Petkus, Dean of the Anisfield School of Business. “This provides an extremely valuable venue for our students and faculty to engage with and impact the small business and non-profit community, and vice-versa.”

The Anisfield School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, AACSB International.

“We welcome Ramapo as our new Host institution,” said Brenda Hopper, chief executive officer and state director of the NJSBDC statewide network.  “We look forward to the new official partnership and expect that this four-year higher education institution will offer new opportunities for faculty and MBA students to engage with our SBDC program in assisting small business clients of our Center serving Bergen County.”

In the past, there have been several high-powered initiatives offered at Ramapo (as an affiliate partner) through the SBDC including a well-attended Cyber Security Conference.

“Our high national accreditation standards for the SBDC program and enhancements for higher educational partnerships, makes this Host partnership ideal,” noted Deborah Smarth, chief operating officer and associate state director. “Having worked with administrators of Ramapo during the affiliate status phase, the Ramapo partnership offers countless new opportunities on various fronts. Its high academic ranking among regional colleges (north) also makes it an exceptional addition to our network’s center higher education hosts.”

Vincent Vicari is serving as the regional center director of NJSBDC at Ramapo College of New Jersey. “It’s been a real honor and pleasure collaborating with Ramapo over the past two years as an affiliate of the program,” said Vicari. “I look forward to bolstering the Center program even further with our new Host. In addition, the Center will be servicing small businesses and entrepreneurs in the southern part of Bergen County through a new affiliate partnership and satellite office.”

Previously, the Bergen County SBDC office was located at Bergen Community College in Paramus.

“The Small Business Administration’s Newark District Office is glad to learn of the new Host for the SBDC serving Bergen County,” said Alfred Titone, SBA District Office Director. “Certainly, this four year college offers an array of new possibilities and collaborations that will only fortify the client services provided to SBDC small business clients.”

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