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Startups and other growing businesses often seek a helping hand, maybe an insider who can guide them through permitting and other processes and perhaps provide some valuable introductions. Some have found that kind of guardian angel in a local agency: the Hudson County Economic Development Corp.

“Our mission is to ‘Open Doors in Hudson County,’” said HCEDC Executive Director Michelle Richardson. “We make that happen through our collaborative partnerships which include municipal, business intermediary and local education sectors. Our outreach efforts focus on building a comprehensive communication system which includes mailings, emails, social media and events.”

It’s been a big help to entrepreneurs like Djenaba Johnson-Jones, founder and CEO of Hudson Kitchen, a business incubator in Kearny Point. Her four-year-old business helps people who are launching catering operations, specialty food production, home-delivered meal preparation — “a high-growth segment,” she added — baking and other businesses.

In 2017, two years after starting Hudson Kitchen, the former marketing and product development professional prepared to grow the venture by signing up for the “Next Level” six-week business-planning workshop offered by the HCEDC in partnership with the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce and the Union County Economic Development Corp.

“At the time, we were offering food business consulting services — including logo and packaging, marketing strategy, food photo shoots and video shoots — and I was working hard to find a space for our commercial kitchen, which will open next month,” she said. “The ability to network provided critical support for our efforts. Both the HCEDC and UCEDC provided important mentorship to me through the entire process. I was then able to access capital through the HCEDC’s ‘Million Dollar Challenge’ [small business and startup loan] program, which is also a partnership with the Union County EDC.”

She said the assists “really took the stress out of the lending process by streamlining it and providing me with the access and insight I needed to make informed decisions. Provident Bank structured a loan — which closed in March — for the launch of the commercial kitchen, including equipment, renovation and working capital.”

Regardless of where a business is in its life cycle, “we’re able to help,” Richardson said, noting that startups and others, in underserved markets in particular, can get help “navigating the often confusing and complex business landscape. From education to loan programs, we guide them every step of the way. We know who to call from government agencies to financial partners to empower our community.”

The HCEDC also aligns programming to serve diverse markets by developing a deep understanding of community need, she added. “Our ongoing support of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey is a great example. 2020 will mark the HCEDC’s third year of supporting and promoting their entrepreneurship training program.”

A changing marketplace

These days, the top requests HCEDC receives involve “access to capital and guidance,” said Richardson. “Hudson County is the fastest growing region in the state and we’re finding that our community is seeking ways to capitalize on demographic shifts. We help businesses connect with all the resources that are out there to help them grow, and that includes any incentive programs.”

Khoa Le, CEO of the full-service content production company Kvibe Productions LLC that was established in 2005, cited the HCEDC as an important resource. “When we were looking for financing so we could buy a building for our growing business, the HCEDC provided us with important data and offered valuable insight into the lending marketplace and effective ways to approach financing sources,” said Le. “Ultimately, with the help of the HCEDC and [Senior Business Consultant] Ryan Silvestre at the New Jersey Small Business Development Center at New Jersey City University, I was able to secure a loan through Gibraltar Bank.”

However, the HCEDC would not be successful if it were not for the support of our state, county and municipal leaders. They support our mission and vision.
– Khoa Le, CEO of Kvibe Productions LLC

Kvibe is now moving into an 8,000-square-foot building in Jersey City that Le said “will let us also offer meeting space, and co-working space for freelancers and small production companies, photographers, videographers and other businesses. Many people have great ideas, but too often they don’t execute on them. The sky’s the limit, however, when you open up space to creative people.”

The county itself is an attraction, with a great location that offers easy access to markets, and other advantages, Richardson noted. “We have a trained workforce and a diverse education community,” she said. “We’re really strategically positioned for growth. In addition, we have six Opportunity Zones that include Bayonne, Union City, Jersey City, North Bergen, West New York and Kearny.”

Those are all “huge” for the county, she added. “However, the HCEDC would not be successful if it were not for the support of our state, county and municipal leaders. They support our mission and vision. Because we are all aligned in our focus on helping our constituents thrive and succeed in all of our Hudson communities, we can accomplish ambitious objectives.”