(Continued on page 3)

By Christopher Reardon

(Continued on page 4)

Towns spur growth inside their bordersFrom Long Hill to Jefferson and Washington to Pequannock, the municipalities of Morris County are as different as people. Yet towns everywhere share certain goals – a quality of life for residents, controlling taxes and growing at a manageable pace.

For many Morris County towns, economic development is a key component to achieving those goals. Three that have flourished in this area – Florham Park, Madison and Parsippany-Troy Hills – offer different attractions to businesses yet share common approaches.

Florham Park’s formula for economic development comprises low taxes, collaboration with the business community and working with the state, according to Mayor Scott Eveland.

Inside this issue...Articles Award-winning developments reflect success of collaboration 1

Towns spur growth inside their borders 1

Health and WellnessEnsure you get true medical team care 2

In the Trenches If you change they will come 7

April 2013 • Issue 4 / Volume 5

“It is one of the largest real estate transactions in the county’s history,” he said. “It could mean 3,000 jobs.”

He termed the project an example of a successful approach taken by both the state and the county to retain and attract businesses here.

Former Hanover Mayor John Sheridan, who was in office when the Bayer transaction was announced, said, “This is just stellar.”

The cooperation between government agencies, the real estate companies and all involved resulted in “a most important expansion,” he said. These are jobs that could easily have been shifted to other states, such as North Carolina or Texas, he added.

Brown said her agency was pleased to be a partner in the Bayer transaction.

The state authority provided $14.1 million through its Business Retention and Relocation Assistance grant

By Michael Daigle

Award-winning developments reflect success of collaboration

In a troubled commercial real estate market, four Morris County developments are comforting indicators of success. With an office vacancy rate at a persistent 21 percent, Morris County faces the challenge of educating the community about the changing realities of the local real estate market and options communities and developers have available to them.

Four projects cited by the Morris County Economic Development Corp. (MCEDC) at the recent 21st Annual Partners in Economic Development awards luncheon show that progress can be made on this front through teamwork.

The projects showed the “collaboration of financiers, developers, government and investors,” according to Jim Jones, executive director of MCEDC, an affiliate of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.

Projects such as these also often require additional financing, some of which was supplied by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), whose chief executive officer, Michelle Brown, was the keynote speaker at the luncheon.

Brown said her agency’s support of such projects is a strong indication of the efforts of the administration of Gov. Chris Christie to attract new jobs to New Jersey and to help existing businesses stay and thrive in the state.

That support also is evident in the proposed 2014 state budget that calls for additional cuts in business taxes and incentives for job creation and retention and training, she said.

The award-winning projects exhibited the breadth of the Morris County economy, as a large international corporation chose to stay in the county, a warehouse and shipping firm relocated here and a manufacturing company found a new home in the county.

The winning projects were:

• Business Attraction Award – Frank Kobolo of Kobolo Realty LLC and Barry Cohorsky and John Schlip of NAI James E. Hanson for leasing a vacant building in Mount Olive to Uncommon Carrier, a logistics provider from Hudson County. The company needed a location to better serve one of their largest customers located in western Morris County.

• Real Estate Broker Award-Office Category – David Warren of Resource Realty and Robert Donnelly Sr., Marc Rosenberg, Robert Donnelly Jr. and David Bernhaut of Cushman & Wakefield for selling 94 acres in Hanover to Bayer HealthCare for a new 675,000-square-foot East Coast corporate headquarters.

• Real Estate Broker Award-Industrial/Flex Category – Jeffrey Fulton, Richard Meyers and Ed Schein of Team Recourses SBWE and Ken Choi of Realty 7 LLC for selling a 52-acre site in Boonton Township to Sil Thread, Inc., a fashion industry supplier of hangers, thread, zippers and trim goods.

• Business Expansion Award – Bayer HealthCare, Vision Equities LLC, Hanover Township and Rubinstein Partners for the effort to consolidate Bayer’s East Coast headquarters in Hanover.

Tom Mastrangelo, the Morris County freeholder director, called the Bayer transaction “amazing.”

Michelle Brown, chief executive officer of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, speaks at the 21st Annual Partners in Economic Development awards luncheon.

Photo: Kramerimages.com

M O R R I S C O U N T Y C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

more important than convenience – unless the providers in all three disciplines will meet with you at the same time to discuss your case in a true medical team approach.

Doctor-owned Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Centers With health care costs skyrocketing, you want quality care at an affordable price. If your doctor refers you to a “value” care center, it is okay to ask if he or she has a financial interest in that business – and to ask for other options.

Overall, the lesson in this month’s column is if you go to a fitness or medical professional who feels that he or she can “do it all,” don’t walk away – run! The medical code of ethics talks about empowering the patient and providing the best possible care – and that often means a more qualified specialist.

David Cunic is the owner and manager of DMC Athletics and Rehabilitation. He has designed his own philosophy of complete therapy, taking techniques that integrate the personal training and physical therapy regimen in order to achieve a complete therapy. Visit DMC Athletics and Rehabilitation at www.dmcrehab.com or call 973.984.0200.

My goal for this column is to help you build an arsenal of tools for dealing with your health care. Last month I armed you with general questions to ask your health care providers. This month I want to ask you a few questions to ensure you’re getting true medical team care:

Are your doctors and fitness pros willing to refer you to more qualified specialists when needed?

Who are they referring you to?

And do they have a financial interest in their referral?

No individual expert knows it all – nor should he or she pretend to. All of us in the medical and fitness fields have our own specialties and the moment a condition is out of our realm we should be consulting with, or referring patients to, another specialist. However, this happens rarely because people want convenience – or providers have hidden agendas.

We tend to let one medical professional handle it all, which really makes no sense. If you think about professional athletes, they count on team doctors, orthopedic surgeons,

personal trainers, podiatrists, chiropractors, physical therapists and others. Team management wants the best care for their athletes and knows it takes more than one expert.

You should demand the same type of care for yourself and it is up to you to make sure you’re getting it. Does your chiropractor or primary care physician search for the cause/root of a problem or just look at your symptoms and go from there? Is your medical provider open-minded and willing to refer you to another specialist if necessary? Or does he or she try to handle it all?

Below are some key relationships for how a true medical team approach can be utilized. If either “partner” is unwilling to work with the other, your best interests are not being considered.

Personal Trainer and Physical Therapist While most personal trainers have good experience with exercise for healthy individuals, they don’t have the doctorate degree in rehabilitation that is required for physical therapists. Your trainer and therapists should be working together for your health. If your trainer doesn’t want to work with or

Ensure you get true medical team care By David Cunic

contact your physical therapist, that trainer is not right for you.

Your trainer should not be mobilizing your joints or offering self-help techniques.

Chiropractors and Physical Therapists This debate has been going on for years. If your chiropractor says, “Stop doing physical therapy,” or vice versa, find a replacement. Chiropractic care and physical therapy are very different disciplines and research shows that receiving both treatments at the same time can help speed your recovery for many conditions.

Chiropractors and Podiatrists Podiatrists are educated in foot and ankle care for about three years – significantly longer than chiropractors. Yet more and more chiropractors are fitting and customizing foot orthotics for their patients. Yes, it may help with low back pain but is it correcting, or possibly furthering damage, to the foot? If you require foot orthotics, make sure they discuss your case to decide the best type for you.

“All-in-One” Clinics (Pain Management, Chiropractic, Physical Therapy) If you have a medical issue, expert care is

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Recent results include Zoetis, Pfizer’s new animal health subsidiary, choosing Florham Park for its new headquarters and ASCO Power Technologies opting to stay in the township.

“We’re hoping that these things are going to be a catalyst for more,” Eveland said.

ASCO was an example of collaboration, as the company’s parent wanted a quick resolution and ASCO needed to move quickly to qualify for $24.5 million in Grow New Jersey Assistance Program tax credits, according to Bill Huyler, borough administrator.

“We had to work very hard with ASCO within a very limited timeframe, in that they had to have (approved) site plans to qualify for state funding,” he said.

Flexibility in planning and a willingness to rezone properties also is essential to successful economic development, according to Eveland.

“You have to do what you think is the right thing to do,” he said. “You’re always going to have pushback. You just have to have the fortitude to know that what you’re doing is the right thing for the community.”

Next door in Madison the draw for businesses includes proximity to a town center and rail station and cultural attractions such as the Shakespeare Theater, Drew University and restaurants, according to Mayor Robert Conley.

“(Businesses) have a downtown that really can support their employees,” he said. “They don’t want to be isolated on a corporate campus.”

Madison recently attracted Reology Corp. and Prudential Real Estate Investors.

“Both were Parsippany-based,” Conley said. “They chose to stay in Morris County. Their employee base already was in Morris County (and) they found a perfect location.”

Madison has someone dedicated to economic development, assistant borough administrator Jim Burnet. The borough also created the Chief Executive Council for Madison, a collection of CEOs who live in town, the mayor and representatives from local colleges, the county chamber and the Dodge Foundation. The council focuses on mentoring, economic development and

sharing ideas.

Madison also is flexible in its approach to economic development, including rezoning where it works, according to Conley.

“We going to be looking at everything to tweak the overall plan to make it more enticing,” he said.

Parsippany offers businesses an ideal combination of location – the township sits at the intersection of several major highways – the second-largest inventory of Class A office space in Northern New Jersey and a quality of life that ranked 16th among best small cities in Money magazine’s 2012 list of best places to live.

The township works closely with developers and commercial real estate brokers and agents trying to fill vacancies, companies already located in Parsippany and those considering moving to the township, according to Mayor James Barberio. The results have been impressive.

Manufacturer PNY recently moved to Jefferson Road, where they are neighbors of Evonik Degussa Corporation, which opened an administrative center there.

Nearby, Ferring Pharmaceuticals is developing a 25-acre site on Interpace Parkway; The Medicines Company is expanding its facility on Sylvan Way; Wyndham Worldwide built a new LEED-certified global headquarters and is constructing an adjacent building, also on Sylvan Way; and Solix expanded its headquarters at Lanidex Plaza West.

In addition, Whole Foods is interested in opening a market in Parsippany.

As with Florham Park and Madison, keys to this success include responsiveness and flexibility.

“When a company wants to come to Parsippany I make sure they have access to my director of zoning and planning to make sure they get the proper zoning and permitting in a timely manner,” Barberio said.

Barberio also holds roundtables with commercial real estate brokers and developers – for example, he was able to connect a developer with the state Department of Transportation to address a traffic issue – and works very closely with the Morris County Economic Development Corporation, he said.

Towns spur growth (Continued from page 1)

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program and $21 million through the Business Employment Incentive Program.

Brown said her authority has been very active in Morris County.

The authority recently announced $40 million in aid to help Honeywell International relocate its world headquarters from Morris Township to Morris Plains. The NJEDA had previously approved the funding to help Honeywell redevelop its Morris Township site.

Automatic Switch Co. of Parsippany was given $44 million to redevelop its Parsippany site to retain jobs and The Seeing Eye, the nonprofit agency that trains dogs as companions for the blind, was granted $19 million for the renovation and expansion of its Morris Township site, according to Brown.

Two Mount Olive projects also received NJEDA support, she added.

Siemens HealthCare was approved for a $36 million grant to renovate and expand its facility into a center of excellence, potentially creating 525 jobs, and Robertet, a fragrance manufacturer, was approved

for a $10 million grant for an expansion that could add 30 jobs and retain 100 more, Brown said.

Brown, who served in the U.S Attorney’s Office for 18 years and was most recently appointments counsel to Christie, was named to her NJEDA post in November. She told the audience the agency, along with ChooseNJ and the Business Action Center, has helped bring 4,800 new jobs to the state and helped retain more than 10,000 jobs.

Through careful funding, the authority has been able to leverage $1.14 billion in private capital to support New Jersey’s businesses, she said.

“Our mission is to help the state grow,” Brown said. “We are your economic development partner.”

The authority also seeks to assist small businesses and start-ups, she said. Such programs as business incubators help people with ideas get their companies off the ground by offering space, mentoring in business operations and workforce training.

The next big task for the authority, she

Award-winning developments reflect success of collaboration(Continued from page 1)

said, is helping the state recover from Hurricane Sandy. The authority is working with agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the state Department of Community Affairs to apply about $1.8 billion in disaster aid targeted so far to help the state rebuild.

Locally, to be successful MCEDC relies on contacts with the municipal and business leaders in the county, according to Jones, the organization’s executive director.

In coordination with the Morris County freeholders and chamber president Paul Boudreau, the MCEDC continues its business-to-business initiative that centers on meetings with top executives at local companies to discuss their concerns and what the chamber and county government can do for them, Jones explained.

It was in one such session two years ago that Honeywell informed the freeholders it was considering a move to another state, triggering the state’s efforts to retain the corporation. In addition, John Sclip, who helped bring Uncommon Carrier to Mount Olive, said the cooperative effort of the

MCEDC was a key to completing the sale.

More recently the MCEDC has scheduled two meetings with local elected officials to discuss key issues and explain programs that could benefit their towns, including planning and customer service, Jones said. One key topic will be ways to address the high number of office vacancies, he added.

To assist businesses seeking to learn about the county the MCEDC maintains a deep databank of information on the demographics and benefits of doing business here, Jones told the audience. He said the agency also is working with the Morris County Planning Department to take advantage of that department’s geographic information system, another key data source.

The plans include creating an economic planning overlay of the entire county that could be shown under a federal program to “well-financed foreign investors” and which would target large vacant foreclosed properties suitable for investment, Jones said.

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Publisher: Paul BoudreauEditor: Chris Reardon

Director of Advertising: Joanne Vero Director of Graphics: John Tirpak

325 Columbia Turnpike, Florham Park, NJ 07932 Telephone: (973) 539-3882 Fax: (973) 377-0859

www.morrischamber.org

The Cutting Edge ...A tale of two economiesSeveral of our Fortune 500 member companies have made major commitments to Morris County in terms of job retention and capital investment.

On March 7 I had the opportunity to tour the former Biomet facility in Parsippany, now owned by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, with Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, Parsippany Mayor Jamie Barberio, Freeholder Tom Mastrangelo and Aaron Graff, CEO of Ferring.

Graff and his team took us on a walking tour of the property they purchased from Biomet on Interpace Parkway. They are beginning a $150 million renovation of the property that will call for up to 800 construction workers and ultimately 200 additional full-time employees. The project includes new offices and additional space for manufacturing and packaging.

Bayer HealthCare is completing their renovation of the Alcatel Lucent property in Whippany and they will consolidate about 3,000 employees into this location in the fall of this year.

Zoetis, formerly Pfizer’s animal health business, announced recently they will move their 385 employees to Campus Drive in Florham Park. The new company had a successful IPO in February. Pfizer also announced that its Consumer Products Division is looking at new space in the area and those jobs will remain in New Jersey. The remaining Pfizer jobs at Giralda Farms in Madison will relocate to Peapack Gladstone.

All good news for New Jersey.

Honeywell’s decision to move their headquarters to Morris Plains means we will retain another 1,200 jobs in Morris County. Automatic Switch Company in Florham Park will consolidate their footprint in Florham Park and retain jobs in our community. All these commitments are positive for Morris County.

But there are two sides to this economic development and jobs coin in Morris County. Smaller businesses continue to suffer in what is a “low demand” economy for them. Although they have seen improvements since the dark days of 2009, poor sales continue to be a major factor in their efforts to recover from the “great recession.”

Their sales peaks are higher but they continue to experience troughs in demand from month to month. Without the visibility of future demand, most small business owners are reluctant to hire new employees. Additionally, under the Affordable Care Act companies are being measured by the federal government beginning this year to determine their average full-time employees for purposes of compliance with health insurance mandates. In this environment the traditional job-creating engine we call small business is stalled.

Some of our smaller companies are helping their bottom lines by merging with others. As one of our members commented to me, “We’re all working harder for less. The economy is better than a few years ago but we’re not hitting any home runs.”

The National Federation of Independent Business recently surveyed their 350,000 members and found that their Small Business Confidence Index continues to lag both the 1991-92 and 2001-02 recession levels. Three-quarters of businesses responding said they expect business conditions to be the same or worse in six months.

Demand for credit remains weak, with 51 percent of business owners saying they did not want a loan. If you recall back just a few years ago, some argued that banks did not want to make loans. At this point in the economic cycle banks want to lend but don’t have as many customers as they would like. Major ongoing concerns for small businesses include taxes, government regulations and the continued uncertainty coming out of Washington.

In this tale of two economies the larger companies are moving in the right direction while the smaller ones are lagging. For a balanced economic recovery we need both to flourish.

Government Affairs...Governor’s budget address highlights economic growth and recovery from Sandy

As he enters his re-election year, Gov. Christie gave his annual budget address while our state is in the midst of the recovery effort from Hurricane Sandy. The governor proposed a $32.9 billion budget that continues to phase in bipartisan business tax reforms that will save businesses an additional $213 million. The governor also proposed creating a $40 million state Sandy contingency fund and a pilot program for a privately funded school voucher program.

According to Christie, “We have done the hard work to get where we are today, to fund what matters, while at the same time finally providing long overdue tax relief.”

The governor said tax cuts are necessary to continue to grow the state’s economy. New Jersey has added about 50,000 private-sector jobs since Christie took office.

Any job growth for New Jersey has to start with cutting taxes,” Christie said. “We are in a competition for jobs with other states.”

Christie noted that even with some additional spending, his proposed budget remains lower than in the year before he took office.

One key tax reform contained within the budget proposal would enable businesses that pay income taxes or corporate taxes to carry forward net losses for up to 20 years. The budget also would maintain the full funding for both the R&D Tax Credit and the Technology Business Tax Certificate Transfer Program. In another effort to benefit our economy, the budget would eliminate an approximately 4 percent tax on energy bills that was supposed to be temporary.

In an effort to move forward education reform, the governor also proposed a school choice pilot program. This initiative would allow businesses to dedicate a portion of their taxes to a fund that would provide vouchers for students in the worst performing schools to attend other schools which provide greater educational opportunities.

By Alan Zakin

The governor lauded the 2 percent cap on local tax increases and said he would maintain, but not increase, existing property tax relief programs. Democrats, in contrast, have pushed for property tax cuts over income tax cuts.

Tax collections in the current budget are running about 3 percent above the same point last year, according to the state’s most recent tax collection data. The governor expects revenue collections to increase by more than 7 percent for the budget year that begins July 1.

Christie’s budget also would pay for a $121 million increase in formula aid to schools, with the expectation that most districts would see some increase. Higher education funding, including college and student aid, would increase by more than $100 million.

The proposal also includes a $1.1 billion payment into the state’s underfunded state pension system. The payment would more than double what New Jersey is paying into the system in the current budget.

The new budget does not increase Homestead property tax relief and will leave $300 million in a surplus fund. Instead of mailing out property tax rebate checks, a method preferred by prior governors, Christie would fund Homestead for property owners who meet eligibility requirements. Funding for the senior-freeze property tax relief program would be static.

The budget must be approved by the Legislature and signed by Christie before July 1. The first phase of Christie’s income tax cut also requires legislative approval.

The Morris County Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee meets regularly with opinion leaders and decision makers. We issue position papers on key government initiatives that advance the agenda of the business community and make periodic suggestions to reduce government inefficiency and increase business growth. Please join us.Paul Boudreau -

President Morris County Chamber of Commerce

Alan J. Zakin, Esq. is chairman of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee. He is principal of Alan Zakin Associates, marketing, community relations and government affairs, Florham Park, NJ, and can be reached at 973-966-5544 or Alan@AlanZakin.com.

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By Tom Semler

The overall availability rate for office properties (all classes) in Morris County is currently in excess of 28 percent. A historical view of availability rates reveals a gradual but consistent increase over the past two decades.

Despite minimal speculative construction added to the office inventory over the past 10 years, availabilities have reached historic levels in Morris County. Is it reasonable to expect an eventual adjustment and return to equilibrium levels of availability rates below 20 percent? Or is 25 percent the new normal?

Morris County is certainly not alone. Most suburban markets nationwide continue to experience soft demand and high availability rates as businesses seek to increase the utilization rate of their facilities and downsize their foot print. Leased space sizes have been shrinking and the average square foot-per-worker has fallen considerably across most industry groups.

There are a number of factors contributing to downward pressure on office demand, including: • An uncertain economic environment. • Corporate budgetary pressure to reduce occupancy costs (downsizing).

• Technological advancements that now make it feasible to work effectively from a remote location (telecommuting). • A next-generation workforce that is more accepting of non-dedicated office spaces (sharing). • Alternative office environments, including furniture systems that encourage collaboration while reducing underutilized spaces. • Shifting corporate cultures with an increasing number of employers supportive of telecommuting and group workspace configurations. • A decreased need to provide space for “old style” items such as books, filing cabinets, reception areas, fax machines, etc.

When the commercial base of Morris County was expanding dramatically in the boom years of the ‘80s and ‘90s, many of the businesses filling the newly constructed speculative office buildings were relocating from outside the county – usually from the east. With the substantial growth of the Morris County business community, today’s office market is more mature and self-sufficient. Many of the newer transactions involve successful local operations that play “musical chairs” as their

leases roll, oftentimes with little or no impact on the county’s availability rates.

Corporations such as BASF, Realogy, Biomet, Bayer, Honeywell, Pfizer and Pinnacle have recently announced or completed major real estate transactions in Morris County that involve millions of square feet. For the most part, these consolidations/relocations involve companies that already have a presence in the county. Although retention of these businesses is critical, these relocations involve vacating existing space and will not necessarily result in an overall net absorption and reduction in the available space inventory.

Morris County maintains a competitive position in attracting and retaining business. It is considered a premier office environment given its robust highway network, quality of life, amenity base, extensive park system, educated labor force and established business community.

The best located office developments that provide a flexible environment suited to the needs of tomorrow’s businesses should continue to attract quality tenants from both inside and outside the county. There are currently several major corporations from other parts of New Jersey considering a relocation of major office operations to some of these “Class

In the Trenches If you change they will come

Here’s the dilemma: Morris County has the envious advantage of location that in the past has drawn corporations to its many office parks, boosting the county’s economy. It also has a high quality of life, good schools, an educated workforce and historic wealth.

So why is 21 percent of the county’s commercial real estate vacant?

That was the question staring down Jim Jones in November when he became executive director of the Morris County Economic Development Corp. (MCEDC), the affiliate of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce charged with attracting and retaining businesses.

Jones has nearly 40 years of experience with real estate site acquisition, land development and redevelopment, property management and real estate marketing. Most recently he served as a partner in Morris Plains-based Commercial Realty Group.

That hands-on real estate experience makes Jones qualified to head the MCEDC, Paul Boudreau, chamber president, said when Jones took over the agency in November.

“My first priority will be to recover the

jobs lost since 2008 by attracting new businesses to relocate here from outside the county and to work with our municipalities to retain the businesses already prospering in Morris County,” Jones said.

He identifies some main concerns: the age of the county’s office infrastructure; its location, chiefly in large highway-based, suburban office parks; and the reluctance of municipal officials to make changes that would benefit reuse of vacant space.

About 80 percent of Morris County’s office infrastructure was built in the 1980s, according to Jones. It is more than 30 years old and spatially and energy inefficient.

Companies are seeking to lower operational costs as they redevelop or build new facilities, Jones said. Corporations also are seeking to hire younger workers who have expressed more desire to live in urban areas, or urban-like settings in suburbs with public transportation and walkable restaurants, health clubs and entertainment spots. Hoboken and Jersey City are good examples, he said.

Confronting that reality requires educating

local officials about how these changes will affect their towns and the job base, according to Jones. To make these empty and underutilized spaces productive again towns will need to consider rezoning for more modern uses, he said.

Local officials should examine how to encourage mixed-use development in existing office parks. Bringing in a mix of residential and retail would make these office-only parks more attractive to new investors. The buildings might need renovations, Jones said, but the office parks already have some key attributes: public water and sewer systems and parking.

These are not concepts Jones made out of whole cloth, he said. In meeting after meeting with corporations interested in Morris County, executives mention the need for affordable housing in a setting that will help attract the workers they need.

Jones acknowledged this type of change has been a tough sell in the past. Municipal leaders are adverse to housing development because of school costs and growth that brings traffic has been questioned.

But the time has come for action, he said.

MCEDC will expand its database of the county’s business and public community and with the county planning department is developing a geographical information tool that will be able to show companies the physical and demographic assets of the county. Further, the database will be matched with a state tool that will highlight the regional innovation clusters described in the recent rewrite of the state plan. Such clusters focus on the close proximity of industries. Morris County can tout its large bio-pharmaceutical community, Jones said.

The agency also will pursue designation as a regional center under the federal immigrant investor program, which aims to lure foreign investment in exchange for granting the investor a permanent visa.

The program has been in existence since 1990 and in the past three years brought $1 billion in foreign investment to the United States, according to Jones.

The county designation would be placed in the context of the North Jersey region to present a broader picture for investors.

Member Perspective Office availability rates – is 25 percent the new normal?

By Michael Daigle

A” properties.

The lesser quality developments should continue to find the market challenging. Successful developers may adapt to trends in the usage of office space by reconfiguring older properties with additional parking, enhanced energy efficiency, utilization of “green” materials and expanded amenity packages.

Other secondary office projects may be ripe for redevelopment as alternative uses, such as residential, medical, retail, governmental, educational, recreational or religious. Alternative-use redevelopment of obsolete product will become a major focus of proactive developers working in conjunction with progressive municipal officials.

The decreased demand for office space is expected to continue for some time, with availability rates remaining high for the near term. As the economy improves, rates should gradually decrease but are not likely to return to the historic lows of the ‘90s. Given the current dynamics of the office market, 20 percent may be the new 15 percent.

Thomas Semler is senior vice president at Avison Young. He can be reached at 973.753.1107 or tom.semler@avisonyoung.com.

M O R R I S C O U N T Y C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C EM O R R I S C O U N T Y “ B U S I N E S S C O N N E C T I O N ” D I R E C T O R Y

Accounting and Consulting

Citrin Cooperman290 W. Mt. Pleasant Ave., Suite 3210, Livingston, NJ 07039 Phone: Sharon Zsoldos, 973-218-0500 Fax: 973-218-7154 www.citrincooperman.com We are a tax, accounting and consulting firm helping entrepreneurs find smart solutions. We’ll help examine your financial structure, providing new perspectives to help you succeed.

Giordano Cohen Fastiggi Luciano and Company, PA 147 Columbia Turnpike, Suite 100 Florham Park, NJ 07932 Phone: Fred Bachmann, 973-377-2009 Fax: 973-377-5335Focused, personal attention to meeting the tax and accounting needs of small businesses and their owners.

Hunter Group CPA LLC 17-17 Route 208, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 Phone: Larry Feld, 201-261-4030 Fax: 201-261-8588 www.TheHunterGroup.comHunter Group CPA LLC helps businesses fulfill their lifelong business and personal financial goals. From tax planning and auditing to consulting, closely held businesses trust Hunter’s advice.

KPMG LLP 150 John F Kennedy Parkway, Short Hills, NJ 07078 Phone: Scot Guempel, 973-912-6208 Fax: 973-215-2928 sguempel@kpmg.com KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm, has 140,000 professionals in 146 countries. KPMG has three offices in New Jersey: Short Hills, Princeton and Montvale, with over 2,000 employees.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP P.O. Box 988, 400 Campus Drive, Florham Park, NJ 07932 Phone: B.J. Agugliaro, 973-236-4000 www.pwc.com Through PwC’s global network of firms, including 1,200 people in New Jersey, we provide assurance, tax and advisory services to many of the world’s most successful companies.

Ross, Rosenthal & Company, LLP 87 Washington Street, Morristown, NJ 07960 Phone: Joseph C. Graff, 973-538-7071 www.rossrosenthal.com CPA firm serving the region from Morristown for 60 years. Trusted advisors to business entrepreneurs, professionals and executives. Audit, tax, litigation, and valuation services. WithumSmith+Brown, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants465 South Street, Suite 200, Morristown, NJ 07960 Phone: Thomas A. Basilo, 973-898-9494 Fax: 973-532-8812 www.withum.com Full-service regional public accounting and consulting firm serving public and privately held businesses in over a dozen major industries. Ranked a Top 10 firm in NJ and Top 40 in the U.S.

Architects/Engineers

H2M Architects + Engineers 119 Cherry Hill Road, Suite 200, Parsippany, NJ 07054 Phone: Sui Y. Leong, 862-207-5900 Fax: 973-334-0507 www.h2m.com H2M provides architectural, engineering and environmental testing laboratory services for both the private and public sectors in New Jersey, Long Island and the Tri-State Areas.

Attorneys Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C. 325 Columbia Turnpike Suite 301, Florham Park, NJ 07932 Phone: Michael T. Hensley, 973-514-1200 Fax: 973-514-1660 www. bressler.com Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C. provides results-oriented, cost-effective legal services to Fortune 500 corporations, privately held companies, brokerage firms, banks, franchises, insurance companies, non-profit institutions and individuals. Resnick Law Group, P.C. 5 Becker Farm Road, 4th Floor, Roseland, NJ 07068 Phone: Gerald Jay Resnick, 973-781-1204 Fax: 973-781-1205 www.thenjemploymentlawfirm.com Employment law firm serving NJ and NY employees in workplace disputes against their employers, including matters involving wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour, employment contracts, non-compete agreements, and more.

Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP One Speedwell Avenue P.O. Box 1981, Morristown, New Jersey 07962 Phone: Glenn A. Clark, 973-538-0800 www.riker.com Strong practices in litigation, insurance law, corporate law, bankruptcy, employment law, public utilities, environmental law, real estate, tax and trusts & estates and governmental affairs.

Schenck, Price, Smith & King, LLP 220 Park Avenue, PO Box 991, Florham Park, NJ 07932 Phone: Edward W. Ahart, 973-539-1000 Fax: 973-540-7300 www.spsk.com Schenck, Price, Smith & King, LLP is a full-service law firm located in northern New Jersey, whose attorneys serve businesses and individual clients throughout the state and region.

Banks/Credit UnionsFulton Bank of New Jersey (See our ad on page 3)425 Main Street, Chester, NJ 07930 Phone: Dan Marcmann, 908-955-8111 Fax: 908-879-5535 www.fultonbanknj.com Fulton Bank of New Jersey, with its regional headquarters in Chester, NJ, provides an array of financial services to customers throughout the state of NJ with 73 conveniently located branches and ATM’s.

Garden Savings Federal Credit Union (See our ad on page 9) 129 Littleton Road, Parsippany NJ 07054 Phone: Michael Powers, Chief Sales Officer Phone: 973-576-2000 Fax: 973-316-0317 www.GardenSavings.org Garden Savings is a full-service financial institution headquartered in Parsippany, NJ. Enhance your employee benefits by providing credit union services from Garden Savings.

The Provident Bank (See our ad on page 4) Administrative Offices 100 Wood Avenue South, Iselin, NJ 08830 Phone: 1.800.448.PROV www.ProvidentNJ.com Provident offers a full suite of financial products for businesses of all sizes with 75+ convenient branches, online banking, cash management and customized lending solutions.

XCEL Federal Credit Union (See our ad on page 11) 1460 Broad Street, Bloomfield, NJ 07003 Phone: Tom Quigley, 800-284-8663 x3041 Fax: 201-714-5741 www.XCELfcu.org XCEL Federal Credit Union was founded in 1964 by the employees of the NY/NJ Port Authority. Today, ANY local company can join—and it’s FREE. Call today 201-499-1656

Branding and Marketing

Trajectory 20 Community Place, Morristown, NJ 07960 Phone: Tom Moleta, 973-292-1400, ext 214 Fax: 973-292-8580 www.trajectory4brands.com A branding and marketing agency that creates New Brand Energy, building new customer value and igniting business growth for health care, well-being and healthy lifestyle clients.

Business Process Outsourcing

Solix, Inc. 30 Lanidex Plaza West P.O. Box 685, Parsippany, NJ 07054 Phone: 800-200-0818 corpcomm@solixinc.com www.solixinc.com Smart, cost-effective and compliant outsourcing solutions including eligibility determination, qualification program management and customer care services for government, telecommunications, broadband, utility and healthcare organizations.

Country Club

Basking Ridge Country Club 185 Madisonville Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 Phone: Kelly Pantone, 908-766-8200 x116 Fax: 908-953-8097 www.baskingridgecc.com Basking Ridge Country Club is a private, family-oriented golf and swim club. Affordable membership opportunities are available that do not require a bond or initiation fee.

Electronics RecyclingDonjon Electronics Recycling106 Richards Ave, Dover, NJ 07801 Nicole Saft: 973-620-9754 Fax: 973-620-9757 www.donjonrecycling.com Conveniently located in Dover, NJ. With over 50 years of experience, Donjon Electronics Recycling offers Data Destruction and Electronics Recycling Solutions to residents and businesses.

Employee Benefits - Insurance

Block Vision 325 Columbia Tpke., Suite 303, Florham Park, NJ 07932 Phone: Stacey Fiorina, 866-246-9589 Fax: 866-246-9590 www.blockvision.com Managing vision benefits for more than 20 years, Block Vision offers a complete line of benefit designs and vision plan options.

Broad Reach Benefits, Inc. 30 Cook Plaza Suite 200, P.O. Box 545, Madison, NJ 07940 Phone: Philip Cohen, 973-377-8222 Fax: 973-377-8334 www.BroadReachBenefits.com Good advice is at a premium in today’s economy. See what you’re not getting from your current employee benefits broker. You’ll be surprised!

Financial Services MACRO Consulting Group 1639 Route 10 East, First Floor, Parsippany, NJ 07054 Phone: Heidi Heath, 973-451-9400 Fax: 973-451-9401 www.macroconsultinggroup.com Retirement planning, wealth distribution, pension/401(k) distribution, portfolio review, charitable giving, long-term care planning and investment management. Each client receives unsurpassed personal and professional attention.

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. 18 Columbia Turnpike, Florham Park NJ 07932 Phone: Mark Serby, 973-549-4150 Fax: 973-549-4184 www.stifel.com Stifel Nicolaus, one of the nation’s premier brokerage and investment banking firms, provides brokerage, trading, investment advice and financial services to individuals and institutional investors.

Higher Education/UniversityCentenary College School of Professional Studies (See ad page 10) 300 Littleton Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054 Phone: Donna Williams, 973-257-5190 Fax: 973-257-8960 www.centenarycollege.edu/mccc Convenient, flexible, accelerated business degree programs for working and professional adults. On-ground, online and blended delivery available with classes starting several times a year for immediate program entry. Locations in Parsippany, Edison and Hackettstown.

Fairleigh Dickinson University (See our ad on page 2)285 Madison Avenue, M-R10-01 Madison, NJ 07940 Phone: Susan Brooman, 973-443-8905 grad@fdu.edu / www.fdu.edu/grad More than 60 doctoral, masters & graduate certificates on campus, off-site & online. New: Saturday MBA@FDU (blended MBA is less than 21 months); New & fully online: Communicating for Professional Success and Gaming Development & Programming.

The College of Saint Elizabeth 2 Convent Road, Morristown, NJ 07960-6989 Phone: Donna Tatarka, 800-210-790 Fax: 973-290-4710 www.cse.edu Established in 1899, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students, both men and women, in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs.

Insurance

Gerrity, Baker, Williams Inc. (See our ad on the back cover 3 Gold Mine Road, Flanders, NJ 07836 Phone: Glenn K. Tippy, 800-548-2329 Fax: 973-426-9546 www.GBWinsurance.com GBW Insurance works with small and mid-size businesses and their owners, using risk management and insurance products to protect them.

Attorneys (continued)

Electronic Scrap Recycling Solutions

ELECTRONICS RECYCLING

M O R R I S C O U N T Y C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

9

M O R R I S C O U N T Y “ B U S I N E S S C O N N E C T I O N ” D I R E C T O R Y

Plymouth Rock 1 Madison Avenue, Suite W-105 Morristown, NJ 07960 Phone: John E. Hickey, 973-267-4970 Fax: 973-267-4876 www.prudential.com/us/j.hickey As a financial professional with 21 years of experience, I am licensed to offer life, health, long-term care, auto and home insurance.

Personnel Services

Prime Time Personnel 129 Littleton Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054 Phone: Laura DeRose, 973-334-9600 Fax: 973-334-5175 www.primetimepersonnel.com Prime Time Personnel provides professional staffing services on a temporary, temporary to hire, and direct hire basis in Office Support, Management, HR, Marketing, Accounting/Finance, and Technical.

Physical Therapy

DMC Athletics & Rehabilitation (See our column on page 2)15A Saddle Rd., Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927 Phone: 973-984-0200 Fax: 973-984-0210 www.dmcrehab.com DMC Rehab has been voted the #1 Physical Therapy and Fitness Facility of Morris County 2006-2011. All insurance plans accepted.

Public Relations Agency

Communications Strategies, Inc. 135 Main Street, Madison, NJ 07940 Phone: 973-635-6669 Fax: 973-635-9419 www.cstratinc.com CSI is a woman-owned, integrated marketing firm specializing in brand strategy and positioning, media relations, coalition building and advocacy development, event management, crisis management and public education campaigns.

Real Estate

Mack-Cali Realty Corporation 343 Thornall Street, 8th Floor, Edison, NJ 08837 Phone: Diane Chayes, 732-590-1000 Fax: 732-205-8237 www.mack-cali.com Mack-Cali Realty Corporation is among the country’s largest real estate investment trusts (REITs). Mack-Cali owns and manages premier office buildings and multi-family communities throughout the northeast.

SchoolsMorris County Vocational School District 400 East Main Street, Denville, NJ 07834 Phone: Gina DiDomenico, 973-627-4600 ext. 277 Fax: 973-627-6979 www.mcvts.org Programs for Morris County high school students, including career academies, share time programs and share time programs for special needs students, and adult education programs.

Schools; Special Montgomery Academy 188 Mount Airy Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 Phone: Anthony Gebbia, Principal, 908-766-0362 Fax: 908-766-0936 www.montgomeryacademyonline.org For over 40 years, Montgomery Academy has served students ages 5 - 21 with special needs not met in conventional public school settings. Montgomery Academy - Where You Can Be Yourself!

Senior Care Services/Home Care

Synergy HomeCare 115 US Highway 46 West Building F, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 Phone: Antonio Podias, 973-394-5638 Fax: 888-860-8275 www.synergyhomecare.com Caring for your aging parent or family member can be exhausting, lonely work – but you are not alone. Synergy HomeCare is an affordable, compassionate choice for family care- givers and our attentive, dependable careTEAM can offer comfort and relief.

Technology Solutions Micro Strategies, Inc. 85 Bloomfield Avenue, Denville, NJ 07834 Phone: Susan Angelo, 973-625-7721 Fax: 973-328-1248 www.microstrat.com Micro Strategies is at the forefront of architecting and implementing quality technology solutions centered in the following areas: System Analysis, Infrastructure, Content Management, Database Application Development, Security, Remediation and Digital Voice Recording.

Utility New Jersey Natural Gas P.O. Box 1464, 1415 Wyckoff Road, Wall, NJ 07719 Phone: 732-938-1000 www.njng.com New Jersey Natural Gas serves nearly half-a-million customers in Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex and Morris counties, meeting customers’ expectations for value and reliability every day.

Web Design/Social Media Mgmt. BetterBizWorks, LLC 59 Beaverbrook Rd., Suite 201D Lincoln Park, NJ 07035 Phone: Kenneth Hardaker, 800-820-2077 Fax: 973-696-0265 www.betterbizworks.com BetterBizWorks strives to find innovative ways to market your business online. Our goal is to make your web presence an income stream, not an expense.

Wireless Communications

Communications Service Integrators45 Perry Street, Chester, NJ 07930 Phone: Sandy Drysdale, 908-879-2525 Fax: 908-879-2322 www.csiradio.com Communications Service Integrators provides an integration of the most pro-gressive communications technology available in the industry— two-way radio, wireless network, system design, system consultation, FCC assistance for on-site facilities communications as well as wide area communications coverage.

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