Middlesex County Freeholder Director Ronald Rios, Freeholder Kenneth Armwood and Freeholder Charles Kenny will be the featured guests at "Make It & Move It Middlesex," a four-part economic development series hosted by the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Make It & Move It Middlesex is designed to connect the region's business community with legislators and county resources. The series was built on the momentum gained in the September 2017 Middlesex County Business Summit, where attendees were able to navigate the many business resources provided by Middlesex County.

"At its core, the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce serves as a conduit to local, county, and statewide resources to make sure our Central Jersey business community thrives," said Lina Llona, President, MCRCC & Convention and Visitors Bureau.

This session will take place Tuesday, March 20, 8 a.m., at the Rutgers Visitor Center, 100 Sutphen Rd Piscataway, NJ. The event will be moderated by Bert Baron of WCTC 1450-AM. Baron served as moderator of the first two installments of Make It & Move It Middlesex.

"Our goal at the Middlesex Chamber is to help businesses prosper by closing the gap between the business community and the abundant resources that are available. Freeholder Director Rios, Freeholder Armwood and Freeholder Kenny understand have an on-the-ground and practical understanding of how our county economic development policies and public resources help to grow our regional economy," Llona said.

Make It & Move It Middlesex will hold its fourth and final session in April 2018 with a theme of "Women in Government."

"This program is intentionally designed to maximize the benefit of running a business in Central Jersey," said Craig Schlosser, Vice President, MCRCC/Convention & Visitors Bureau. "There are myriad resources available that often go untapped. We need to make sure our business community enjoys the full complement of services available for them to succeed," he said.

HSBC is the series sponsor for Make It & Move It Middlesex, and FirstEnergy and the Rutgers Visitor Center will sponsor Session 3. Eisner Amper and Withum sponsored Sessions 1 and 2, respectively. Series partners include Advanced Analytical Testing Laboratories, Inc., Silver Line by Andersen, Bayshore. Middlesex County, NJ is the program partner.   Click here to register or to become a sponsor.

The Emerging Leaders Summit provides professional and personal development for beginning to mid-career professionals and helps current leaders cultivate and mentor tomorrow's leaders. Hear from our panel of speakers who will share their journey as 'emerging leaders."

"You have to go out there and communicate your value proposition and show the data that you're a leader in this space," he told a full house at the Heldrich Hotel & Conference Center.

Petracca is the founder of Fizzics Group, which developed a home beer tap that uses sound waves to enhance the flavor of beer, creating the creamy foam head missing from home beer pours. The idea was so appealing that he and his partner David McDonald received $2 million from investors Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner on ABC's "Shark Tank."

Bolstered with that technology, Petracca, who has a background in product and brand development, is the founder of Source Brewing, a microbrewery slated to open this year in Colts Neck, NJ.  Read our full coverage here!

New Jersey State Assembly members Joseph Danielsen, Wayne DeAngelo, Robert Karabinchak and Andrew Zwicker joined the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce (MCRCC) Feb. 28 for an economic development series designed to connect the region's business community with legislators and county resources.

The series, Make It & Move It Middlesex, is a continuation of the September 2017 Middlesex County Business Summit where attendees were able to navigate the many business resources provided by Middlesex County.

The event was hosted by Advanced Analytical Testing Laboratories in North Brunswick and was moderated by radio DJ Bert Baron of WCTC 1450-AM.

Baron led the discussion touching on the trademark policy issues that face Middlesex County and Central Jersey, namely transportation, workforce development and energy.

"We can point to successes and say what's working," Zwicker said, "but this is a key moment for us. We've moved into a new administration and a new governor who says that if we don't get the infrastructure correct then New Jersey will never be a major player." Read our full coverage here!

Workforce Development Expert and former Assistant Labor Commissioner Patricia Moran, Ph.D. urged the Central Jersey business community to take immediate action to better connect employees with career development plans using their Human Resources departments.

"Dissatisfied workers grunt, groan, and complain and that negative attitude is contagious. Morale is affected, and it reduces productivity and efficiency. Businesses need to empower employees by offering them career development plans, essentially maps to their future," said Moran at the New Jersey Human Resources Summit at the new Rutgers Club in Piscataway. The Feb. 22 Summit was organized by the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Moran suggested a three-tier approach. First, a self assessment having the employee look at his or her skills, abilities, and interests. Second, a career map customized for the employee by Human Resources personnel. It should provide a look at the entire organization to determine potential opportunities for growth and development. Finally, the employee would engage in further career exploration within the company.

Moran's keynote was followed by an expert panel moderated by Joan Campos, Director of Human Resources at Withum. The panel included Jackie Rahbari, Regional Human Resources Manager at Andersen Corporation, Sandra Bleckman, Director of the Retail, Hospitality & Tourism Talent Network based out of Fairleigh Dickinson University's International School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, and Kevin Kurdziel, Director, Middlesex County Office of Workforce Development and Workforce Development Board. 

Click here for scenes from our HR Summit

Membership Reflects Central Jersey's Growing Business Community