Choose New Jersey, New Jersey Food Companies Head to NYC for Summer Fancy Food Show, June 25-27

New Jersey has a thriving $105 billion food and agriculture industry that includes thousands of food manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, restaurants and farms. Next week (June 25-27), New Jersey’s specialty food companies will demonstrate the strength and diversity of the State’s growing food sector at the largest food and beverage show in the U.S. – the Summer Fancy Food Show – at the Jacob R. Javits Center in New York City. More than 165 New Jersey specialty food companies will be exhibiting at the Summer Fancy Food Show, including six companies debuting in the “Choose New Jersey for Specialty Foods” aisle (Booths #6072-6078):

• Djerdan Burek Corp. (South Hackensack, NJ) – A family owned and operated business specializing in fillo dough burek pies, a main staple food of the Balkan region
• Mirrotek International LLC (Passaic, NJ) – Producer and distributor of oils, sauces and cooking enhancers under the Iron Chef, Iron Chef Gluten Free, To Life and Baker’s Apprentice brands
• Mr. Green Tea Ice Cream Co., Corp (Keyport, NJ) – A third generation family business that handcrafts premium ice cream with an Asian/Asian Fusion flavor profile
• No Whey Foods (Lakewood, NJ) – Premium chocolatiers of dairy free, nut free, and gluten free chocolate truffles and gourmet chocolates
• Otto’s Naturals (Clinton, NJ) – A family-owned company that markets Otto’s Cassava Flour, an all-natural, grain-free, 100% Yuca (Cassava) replacement for wheat flour.
• Sun Noodle New Jersey (Carlstadt, NJ) – An artisan noodle maker with more than 100 types of noodles, including at-home ramen kits, yakisoba, Okinawan soba, udon, Hawaiian saimin and dumpling skins.

Choose New Jersey, a privately-funded non-profit organization charged with encouraging and nurturing economic growth throughout the State, will be meeting with domestic and international specialty food companies interested in learning about the benefits of a New Jersey location. “New Jersey has all the assets and resources to make it a perfect fit for food companies,” said Michele Brown, President and CEO of Choose New Jersey, Inc. “Our location gives companies access to one of the most affluent and concentrated consumer markets in the world. Our world-class transportation network makes it easy to move products across the country or internationally. Our highly skilled workforce makes it easy to recruit top talent. The Summer Fancy Food Show gives us the opportunity to tout these benefits to companies from around the world.” Located in the heart of the Northeast corridor, New Jersey’s strategic location and robust transportation infrastructure, which includes more than 2,800 miles of interstates and highways and a robust cargo rail network, has fueled the rapid growth of its food industry. As one of the nation’s most densely populated state, food companies can serve more than 20 million consumers who collectively have nearly $800 billion in disposable income within a two-hour drive from a central New Jersey location. It’s no wonder companies that rely on same-day deliveries believe that a New Jersey location gives them a competitive advantage. The Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest port on the East Coast and the third largest port in North America, makes it easy for food companies to import and export products and reach customers around the world. A $1.3 billion project to raise the clearance of the Bayonne Bridge will be completed this summer, creating even more opportunities for food companies that want to expand their operations into the Asian market. The project will push the bridge’s clearance from 150 to 215 feet to accommodate the largest neo-Panamax ships that can now transverse the Panama Canal. Plus, with more than 9,000 farms and thousands of suppliers and retailers, food companies can access the partners and customers they need to flourish. Food companies also find New Jersey has the resources to help them take root and grow. The State supports its food industry through tax incentives created to attract new companies and specialized programs to help existing companies grow. Companies also have access to the Rutgers Food Innovation Center (FIC) in Bridgeton. The award-winning FIC is a unique business incubation and economic accelerator that offers client companies training, research and business support. It also offers a state-of-the-art USDA and FDA-inspected food processing facility that has served more than 1,500 clients since 2001. FIC is the only “Soft Landings” incubator in the world devoted to food, providing valuable resources to start-ups and established food companies alike. Businesses interested in locating or expanding in New Jersey can contact Choose New Jersey to receive a full range of complimentary services to ensure a smooth process from planning through move-in. For more information, contact Choose New Jersey at 609-297-2200 or visit www.choosenj.com/food. ###

About Choose New Jersey, Inc. Choose New Jersey, Inc. is a privately funded 501(c)(3) corporation charged with encouraging and nurturing economic growth throughout New Jersey with a focus on its urban centers. Through marketing, business attraction and lead generation activities, Choose New Jersey markets New Jersey as a premiere business location to both domestic and international businesses. Choose New Jersey is a member of the Partnership for Action (PFA), which is led by Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and also includes the New Jersey Business Action Center, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. For more information, visit www.choosenj.com.