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The basics:

• NJBIZ join Kim to tour Monmouth County nonprofits, manufacturers, innovation hubs
• ‘Einstein Corridor‘ vision ties together startups, workforce, quality of life
• Senator says New Jersey must build FOMO to attract talent and investment
• Local businesses cite workforce shortages, tariffs, permitting delays as key issues

Sen. Andy Kim spent May 27 crisscrossing Monmouth County with a question that has increasingly become central to his economic vision for New Jersey: How does the state become a place where businesses want to invest, entrepreneurs want to build and talented workers feel they are missing out if they aren’t here?

The answer, Kim believes, lies in creating an ecosystem that connects innovation, manufacturing, workforce development, housing and quality of life — the ingredients he says are necessary to make New Jersey more competitive while addressing residents’ concerns about affordability and economic opportunity.

NJBIZ joined the Democratic U.S. senator from New Jersey for portions of a daylong tour that included stops at Lunch Break in Red Bank, Bell Works Fort Monmouth in Tinton Falls and plastics manufacturer Flexcraft in Neptune City, along with visits to Rising Treetops and Little Dog Brewing Co. The trip came just days after the Delaney Hall incident in Newark, which NJBIZ covered separately, but throughout the day Kim’s focus remained on business growth, workforce challenges and New Jersey’s economic future.

Those conversations tied directly into the “Einstein Corridor,” a long-term economic development vision Kim formally introduced during a Rutgers University symposium in December. The initiative seeks to bring together government, universities, venture capital, startups and established companies to create what Kim hopes becomes a globally recognized innovation ecosystem.

Fostering FOMO

“You’ve got to create that sense of FOMO [fear of missing out],” Kim told NJBIZ.

Speaking with NJBIZ at Coffee Corral in Red Bank before the first stop of the day, Kim said the idea is rooted in the concerns he hears most often from residents and employers alike.

“The top thing … is about their concerns about the economy and having an economy that’s working for everybody, a lot of concern about affordability. And I’m going to work on issues with things like helping people with healthcare costs and with food costs, gas costs; but you can’t address affordability without also addressing growing business and growing jobs and doing what we can to be able to mobilize on that level,” said Kim.

He argued that affordability and economic growth are inseparable.

“New Jersey hasn’t always had the best reputation when it comes to starting and growing businesses, and I’m trying to figure out what all we can be doing at the federal level, at the state level, at the local level, to be able to strengthen that, and so I’m trying to figure out and hear from people about what’s working, what’s not, and figure out, like, what are some tangible solutions that I can work with Gov. [Mikie] Sherrill and others to be able to address this.

“And I’m going to try to do my part. Some of these organizations and businesses are organizations that I’ve been able to help get support to in different ways or things that we’ve done in the past, whether during the pandemic or afterwards,” Kim continued. “Businesses that can benefit from SBA [Small Business Administration] and other types of actions. I want them to be aware of what’s happening at the federal level because we get screwed over here in Jersey. We pay so much into taxes, but we just don’t get enough back, whereas other states are getting multiple fold back.

“So, I just want people to know what’s available and make sure we’re maximizing that, as well as for me to understand what else do they need.”

Addressing small business struggles

The senator said those conversations are particularly important as businesses continue to grapple with labor shortages, rising costs and uncertainty surrounding tariffs.

“Talking to small businesses and hearing from them, and I hear often about workforce shortages, for instance,” he explained. “And that’s top of mind when I’m in Delaney Hall and I’m talking to a lot of people that were part of that workforce for small businesses, for restaurants, for farms, for other things.

“Also, just the challenges when it comes to tariffs, and how that’s been increasing costs, especially for small businesses. The Walmarts of the world will be fine, but when it comes to your main streets, they’re the ones that are struggling,” he continued. “Because getting their goods and trying to keep costs low for their customers, gas prices are across the board raising all the costs …

“The other thing I’ll just say is I’ve tried to lay out a broader vision for transforming New Jersey into a true top, world-class innovation hub,” said Kim, referencing the Einstein Corridor.

“We crush it and we’re worldwide known for our life science, our pharmaceuticals – but there’s a lot more that we can be doing and can be building off of, even in the life sciences,” said Kim. “We got the big companies. But we’re not at the cutting edge when it comes to the entrepreneurial startup side. That’s where Boston-Cambridge, Massachusetts, San Diego’s doing better.

“So, I want us to build an entrepreneurial spirit, which we had before. That’s what [Thomas] Edison was – and the genius of [Albert] Einstein, and the science behind that all. I want us to become a world leader in quantum. I want us to be a leader in photonics, which few know about – that we have the highest density of photonics companies in the world.”

The heart of Einstein Corridor

Kim pointed to Monmouth County as a natural building block for that vision.

“When I think about where are the places for growth, a business and startups, I think of Monmouth County,” he said. “You’ve got Netflix.”

“When I talk to young people that want to start businesses, the places that they tell me about are like Asbury Park – the places that young people want to live and build that kind of culture,” he continued. “You’re still within a commute to New York.”

He said these are the types of things he is trying to think through about bringing this vision to life.

“This is a place that’s got beautiful shore, it’s got farmland, it’s got an incredibly dynamic, fun city like Asbury,” said Kim. “One of the most powerful companies in America, Netflix, coming right in. There’s space to build. There’s Bell Works Fort Monmouth and everything else.

“How do we build that ecosystem? How do we grow that? That’s what I’m trying to think through – is how to be able to continue that kind of growth, but doing it in a way where it’s not just about this business or that businesses.

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“I’m trying to think about it as an ecosystem – where it all comes together. Make sure we have the workforce – make sure we can keep the workforce here. I don’t want to see the flight of talent to other states as we’ve in the past. In fact, I want to draw people in,” said Kim.

“That’s why I was thinking the Einstein Corridor, because people get attracted to Silicon Valley, Research Triangle, Cambridge, Mass,” he explained. “These are places where people know, if you’re not starting a business there, you’re not at the cutting edge, right?

“And I want people to feel that about New Jersey – like, ‘Oh man, I’m missing out if I’m not getting my foot in the door. And I think a great place for them to get a foot in the door and build is here in Monmouth County and this area.”

Strategic collaboration

He expressed his support for the state’s Strategic Innovation Centers initiative, which NJBIZ has reported extensively on, that took shape under the Murphy administration and continues under the Sherrill administration.

“I love those ideas. I was very supportive of what Gov. Murphy was doing – and these types of efforts are really good because it shows a strategy,” the senator explained. “You need multiple levels of government working hand-in-hand. We need to have commitment from local municipalities that they’re going to make it easy for businesses to get permits to build.”

Permitting is something the senator said he keeps hearing as a problem.

“This one company was telling me all they wanted was a traffic light in front so their employees can get in and out without feeling like they’re going to get hit by a car – and it took years,” Kim recounted. “We need to fix that.”

Building brand awareness

That issue is one that has been a major focus of Gov. Sherrill and her administration. And Kim noted that he has spoken to the governor, who he came into Congress with and knows very well, about it.

“We’re making great partners,” said Kim. “The first time I sat with her after she won her election, the first thing I talked to her about was this Einstein Corridor – we need to put out that vision. Not just that we’re doing this. But I think the branding is necessary to rally everything around and show that there’s a strategy here in that type of way.

“It also has to bring in our colleges and our universities — be able to show that we are not only doing cutting edge research, but we can find a way to move that towards commercialization; that businesses can draw from the workforce,” said Kim. “Let the colleges, community colleges and universities know what skills they need to be able to build that pipeline.

“We’re getting better at it. But I think there’s more that we can still be doing.”

Monmouth County snapshot

Those themes emerged repeatedly throughout the day, as Kim met with nonprofit leaders, manufacturers, technology executives and small-business owners across Monmouth County.

The first stop was Lunch Break in Red Bank, where Kim toured the nonprofit’s facilities and discussed housing, workforce development, social services, and more. Following the visit, Kim highlighted the organization’s role in the region, and noted federal funding secured by his office and Sen. Cory Booker to support the nonprofit’s housing expansion efforts.

“It was wonderful to tour their space and get a sense of just how critical they are to the communities they serve,” Kim later wrote on social media about Lunch Break. The community resource center provides food, clothing, housing solutions, and life-skills training to individuals, families and residents experiencing financial insecurity or homelessness in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

From there, the tour moved to Bell Works Fort Monmouth, the sprawling mixed-use innovation campus – or metroburb – developed by Inspired by Somerset Development. The property is modeled after Bell Works in Holmdel and Bell Works Chicagoland. It offers visible examples of the type of ecosystem Kim hopes to replicate and expand through the Einstein Corridor initiative.

Case in point: Bell Works Fort Monmouth

At Bell Works Fort Monmouth, Kim was joined by Inspired by Somerset Design President and CEO Ralph Zucker, the visionary behind the Bell Works metroburb concept, as well as state Sen. Vin Gopal, D-11th District, who represents the area.

During that tour, Kim sat down with leaders of cybersecurity firm Commvault. That company opened the building in 2015 as its headquarters, but later sold the property to Inspired by Somerset Development in 2025. The company still occupies 75,000 square feet as part of a leaseback agreement.

And also during that stop, Kim met up with Jersey Mike’s CEO Charlie Morrison. In April, the company announced it was leasing nearly 70,000 square feet and relocating its corporate HQ to Bell Works Fort Monmouth – in addition to opening to an on-site retail location.

The tour continued to Flexcraft, a Neptune City-headquartered, family-owned plastics manufacturer that has grown significantly through investments in automation and advanced manufacturing equipment. Brothers Ben, Dan, Russ and Tucker Smith now run the business. Their grandfather, George Smith, and their father, Russ Smith Sr., founded the company in 1971. The next-generation brothers bought the company in 2015.

At Flexcraft, company leaders discussed workforce shortages, recruitment challenges and the impact of tariffs on expansion plans, including a new Texas facility.

The day concluded with additional stops, including Rising Treetops, a nonprofit serving people with disabilities in Oakhurst, and Little Dog Brewing Co. in Neptune City, where Kim discussed rising utility costs and challenges facing small businesses.

‘Employee’ engagement

Taken together, the visits offered a real-world snapshot of the issues Kim believes must be addressed if New Jersey is to achieve the ambitions of the Einstein Corridor: affordable living, a stronger workforce pipeline, business-friendly policies, modern infrastructure and an innovation ecosystem capable of competing with the country’s most recognized economic hubs.

Walking between stops, Kim said that getting out in New Jersey communities like this is one of his favorite parts of the job – and quite a contrast from the dysfunction and chaos he has to regularly encounter down in Washington.

None of the people today that I’m going to meet – I don’t know if they’re Democrats or Republicans, doesn’t matter. We’re living in the same community.
– Sen. Andy Kim

“I love this. First of all, these are my bosses,” said Kim. “I get to go and engage. None of the people today that I’m going to meet – I don’t know if they’re Democrats or Republicans, doesn’t matter. We’re living in the same community. You can get away from just that knee-jerk tribalism that is just so dangerous for us right now.”

Delivering solutions

Kim continued, “There’s that aspect of it. The other thing is what I often hear from businesses and others that I talk to is like – they have a problem that they’re just trying to solve,” he explained. “We’re just trying to get in the business of trying to solve those problems. It’s not about the posturing. It’s not about who seems stronger.

“They don’t care who delivers it; they don’t need the credit themselves,” he continued. “They don’t need a pat on the back. And that’s what I take away from these.”

It was great to celebrate Small Business Month with Little Dog Brewing in Neptune City, NJ, and it was equally important to hear how rising utility costs have impacted their operations.

What an amazing woman-run establishment in Monmouth County. pic.twitter.com/36TMj0w4zt

— Senator Andy Kim (@SenatorAndyKim) May 28, 2026

He continued, “The other thing is I’m a son of immigrants that did my K–12 in the public school system here in Jersey my whole life – and I’m still learning new things. So, I get to go all over the state – what an amazing job. See towns that I’ve never been to before and try to learn. And this will all just, hopefully, be cumulative.

“I’ll just start to know more and more. I’ll keep coming back here, know better and better – and be able to then better serve. I love it. I love being able to just see Jersey and meet people. What’s cool about my job is I get to meet so many people I never would have met otherwise – just like cross-sections of humanity, and it’s really cool to see,” he said.

‘There’s huge potential in this part of Jersey’

For Kim, the ultimate goal is not simply creating another economic development initiative. It’s creating a place that people feel compelled to be part of.

And he came up with a lot of positive takeaways from the visits – about what is already happening on the ground, along with the potential for what’s to come in this booming region.

“We had a good breadth of different types of organizations and businesses – and that was really good,” Kim told NJBIZ later in the day. “What I takeaway is there’s huge potential in this part of Jersey. It was very exciting to see and to think through all that’s happening from the big companies like Netflix to the growth in Asbury and elsewhere.

“I just think a lot of what I’m trying to do with this growth of the Einstein Corridor and innovation, I think a lot of that can happen right here in Monmouth, right here in this part of Jersey – and that excites me,” said Kim. “I come away with a lot of potential. Realizing, again, that it has to be an ecosystem.

“It can’t just be about all high-tech. The manufacturing is important to be able to make sure that you’re building different things,” he explained. “One thing we learned is you have to diversify your innovation, diversify your business. If we try to just focus in on one thing, it just leaves us more vulnerable as a state – and also, just doesn’t attract all the different types of people that we want in.

“So, this was really helpful for me to get a sense of the next steps there.”