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and its monthly magazine new jersey business [music playing] [music playing] >>hi steve adubato i'm here at trump international golf club why? because this is the first choose new jersey annual undraiser. it is an event called growing the garden state. growing business in the garden state, choose new jersey is a private not for profit organization, committed to attracting and retaining business in the state. tonight is dedicated to the business rock stars they call them so we talked to the movers and the shakers the people who make business happen in this state. people who are trying to bring business in, and keep those who are here, here and not moving out of the state so choose new jersey had this event tonight they sponsored the event so everyone who matters in the business community and those connected to the business community we talked to

everyone we could get to tonight so here are the rock stars of the new jersey business community because they choose new jersey we're here with trayce mcdaniel the president and chief executive officer of choose new jersey. trayce, this is the first annual growing the garden state fundraiser for choose new jersey. first of all where did this idea come from? and why are so many people here at trump national? >>well i'll tell you that idea started about two and a half years ago when we realized we wanted more people to know about choose new jersey and the efforts that the lieutenant governor and the partnership for action are doing to grow this economy so this is our plan to let everyone know how well we're doing. the people who are in this room are choosing new jersey every day by having their businesses here and creating more jobs here so this is just an example of the energy that's happening in this state. >>you know we're at trump national golf club and the

lace is jammed. this is an event that talks about and celebrates new jersey's business stars and they are stars and let's talk about first of all for people who don't know what choose new jersey is, they might think hey it's a government agency. it is not. it is a not for profit organization dedicated to? >>non for profit dedicated to growing the garden state creating jobs attracting companies and investments to the garden state and we're supported by these people in this room. fortune 500 companies labor groups education groups, trade associations, businesses all over this state that want to help this economy, that want a seat at the table about economic development in our state. >>tracye listen you've been in the economic development business for a couple years >>yes >>three years first of all what makes new jersey special? and also what does it take to attract and retain great business in this state? >>location location location

i'll start with that. we are in the greatest location in the country right here in the northeast coast. we have access to a consumer market, ithin a day's drive, of over 130 million. we also are strategically located with the best talent in the world. scientists and engineers because of our pharmaceutical biofirm, life science, all of those from defense, aviation i could go on, industries that are supported here by our most talented and highly skilled work force. >>tax incentives matter? >>tax incentives help level the playing field. because as long as companies are out there looking at their bottom line tax incentives, credits, makes a difference. and even more important, states and countries go to bed at night thinking of ways to take new jersey jobs. this helps us stay competitive. >>finally new jersey going international. you were on a... tracye was with a distinguished group of business leaders

and others with governor christie in mexico? >>that's right >>new jersey international talk about it >>today we're in over 20 countries, i'm proud to say. a young organization we've been around nearly four years now, fifty states, twenty countries telling the business proposition of why you should choose new jersey. that's amazing. the mission to mexico was just fabulous. the first time we went to israel a great example, we took one embedded journalist when we went to mexico city we had 15 joining us to tell the business development story for new jersey. >>you're excited about the prospects for this state's business economy in spite of all our challenges are you not? >>i'm very excited. you know economic development is not a... it's a marathon and so you have to be in it for the long haul and i think we're doing all the right things to stay in this race >>congratulations it's a big night >>thank you. i'm glad to be here with all these rock stars >>it is the night of rock stars

we're here with bernie flynn who is one of the biggest cheerleaders for business in the state he is the chairman of the board of choose new jersey and the president and ceo of new jersey manufacturers insurance company. first of all, rock stars. those are business rock stars in this event at trump national. why are all these folks here bernie? >>they're here to promote the state of new jersey that's the mission of choose new jersey and it's great to see everybody come out and support that mission. and we're a part of the partnership for action the economic development arm of the christie administration. with the economic development authority, with the business action center, higher education, and choose, we are an award winning economic development engine for the state of new jersey that's why everybody's here and in terms of that mission everybody here is a rock star and we appreciate you being here covering this event it's very important for the state of new jersey. >>you know bernie we were just talking with tracye mcdaniel the ceo, talk about rock stars of business we we're

talking with tracye mcdaniel about some of the assets the state has. but we have challenges right? >>yeah >>but in spite of that you've always been bullish. why? >>well we've been in this state for 100 years. new jersey manufacturers insurance company. and we have more scientists and engineers per square mile in the state of new jersey than anywhere else in the world. that tells you something about the assets here in the state. and we all know those of us who live and work here what a great location it is. so there are plenty of attributes to sell here in the state of new jersey and we see companies very interested. and the type of talent we have here they have to go where the talent is they can't produce what they need to produce in their own business sector without talent we have it here we have a great location and you know the other things we're working on and they see things going in the right direction. so what we need to do is get in front of business decision leaders site selectors, and tell them remind them, about the attributes here in the state

of new jersey. and usually we're winning that conversation. not every time but we're in the game. >>we're in the game and i would be remiss and full disclosure is that bernie is one of the biggest supporters of public broadcasting in this state on the board of public broadcasting one of the first supporters of njtv and public broadcasting and i don't want to turn this into a commercial or a plug for those of us in public broadcasting but that's part of the equation isn't it? >>it certainly is. getting the word out about what new jersey has to offer. and that's done through public television that's done through general media, and through events like this. but you see the success of an event like this. you see the tremendous turnout. and you have to feel that we're going in the right direction. >>we're here with ed walsh who is the managing director for avison young the new jersey office now you guys are the event chair tonight for this great choose new jersey event because? >>well because it was my idea actually. i... >>you had this event? was my idea. i was... i've been involved with choose new jersey for probably three years now and about two years

ago i said to tracye we need a gala, so you know it's a non profit entity so it's always you're always trying to come up with new ideas of how to raise money and i said we really need a gala and it's kind of my specialty to run events so i said i'll be in charge of >>talk a little bit about your organization. what do you do? and why are you so committed to the state? >>so avison young is a full service real estate organization. relatively new in this state. it's a canadian firm and i sold my company to them two years ago and that kinda started the new jersey office. and we're you know we love new jersey. i love it here this part of new jersey that people don't know about i want to get the word out and i've been traveling with choose new jersey to canada other states and trying to steal companies to get here to new jersey >>is that what it takes? to steal... i mean to go after them and say hey >>it kind of is true >>come to new jersey? really? >>yeah well there's two things one is the ones that are here you have to keep them here that's number one >>retention? >>yes because the other states are trying to steal them so that's number one number two is showing the rest of the country

and even other you know other countries how great new jersey is and what we can do for them. so choose new jersey is that conduit to really get you to the right person in the state of new jersey who can help you kind of move your company here >>talk about choose new jersey and why they are so special? >>well first of all choose new jersey's special cause new jersey's special. and choose new jersey is really long overdue, as a member of the business community we've needed an entity that represents how we bring the right partners together private sector public sector how we bring new companies to new jersey and so i really applaud tracye and her team for what they've done. you look around this room you've got everyone represented here and we're connecting dots so build the economy to create jobs to create opportunity that's what we need in new jersey. >>you know randall you spent some time down in atlantic city you had an executive position down there and it's no secret tlantic city is challenged let's say you know >>yes that's right >your advice, i'm putting you on the spot but you know you deal with challenging strategic business questions all the time your advice for ac? >>well i think ac has got to

really reinvent itself. and that's a long term investment it can't be short term. look at what vegas did to really turn from being a gambling destination to being a family friendly destination. now we see a lot of competition for what ac does but there are assets there in terms of the waterfront. you've got still a great gambling scene, i think here's still possibilities there if there's a committment from the private sector from government from local officials to say we're in it for the long haul and be wondering will we be more family friendly and really attract a new genre a new demographic of visitors to atlantic city and i'm rooting for ac, cause i love the city i love what it does for the state. >>we're here with ralph larossa from pseg. ralph let me ask you tonight's big for a lot of reasons, choose new jersey is the first annual fundraiser but you're also the incoming char of the board of this organization. describe the importance of choose new jersey? >>well i think you know everything we're doing here tonight just exemplifies what choose new jersey's about putting the business community together, but also telling a story about new jersey and why

other businesses should be attracted here. just a great opportunity for everybody to be together. >>real quick on your organization's committment to investing in infrastructure and its connection to business retention, attracting business and economic development >>well look, we go as new jersey goes. a company like pseg so interwoven into the fabric of the state. when the economy's good in the state when businesses are located here, more jobs more folks it's all that's what our company's about. and that's why for over 100 years we've been part of the economic development engine here in new jersey. >>choose new jersey in the last five years has sent me to montreal to biointernational on several different occasions sent the governor to israel sent the governor to mexico went to taiwan. went to south korea. went to india. all at a time when there was not a single taxpayer dollar available to do so. for that we applaud choose new jersey [applause]

>>we're here with tom bracken who is the ceo of new jersey state chamber of commerce at the choose new jersey event >>glad to be here >>um yeah you've been involved in business for a few years >>45 >>yeah what makes tonight so special? >>well you know we have to start celebrating the state of new jersey. new jersey has a lot of great things going on it's a wonderful state. we should be much more competitive than we are. and a lot of the reason is we beat ourselves up and we gotta start celebrating things and i think choose has a great idea, it had a great idea to have an event where we celebrate the greatness in the state and hopefully this is the beginning of a lot of momentum to do that. >>and some of the things that you feel the state needs to do tom to continue to attract but also retain business we can't lose? >>we need to pay more attention to the 300,000 businesses that are in the state right now provide more incentives to them, pay more attention to them, find out what their real needs are, provide for those needs, fix our infrastructure which i'm very involved with right now there's a number of things

we can do but i think the main thing steve is pay attention to them, that's the bulk of our economy that's the heart of our ecomomy, and the more you pay attention to your customers which they are the state of new jersey's customers the better off everybody is >>we're here with the mayor of the great city of atlantic city don guardian mayor let me ask you here at the choose new jersey event you want people to choose atlantic city right? >>absolutely steve we're open we're ready for business we're changing things we're inviting people back so much more than just a gaming mecca. took us a little while to realize we're not the monopoly of gaming on the east coast anymore. we know we need to diversify what we offer in atlantic city beyond gaming and honestly beyond tourism as well. and we're doing everything we can to attract new businesses into the city let you know that we're working with you we can show you the properties we have some exciting ideas that are coming to fruition we think stockton by the end of the year will be announcing a full campus in atlantic city

that'll grow to a university with several undergraduate and graduate colleges and that's just the type of educational program we need our local community college ust to finish the expansion that went to culinary arts looking at redoing one of our areas to become another boston or a baltimore in the harbor we're putting about 20 acres together right now for that >>you're bullish? >we're very bullish and think... cause atlantic city is exciting >>in spite of all the challenges >>the challenges are good we need to be reinventing ourselves and we need to be back we're a jersey shore town but we're the urban area on the jersey shore >>we're here with bob marino who is the ceo of horizon blue cross and blue shield of new jersey. one of the leaders of industry in the state. bob a night like tonight choose new jersey important because? >>because choose new jersey is all about economic development in our state horizon is proud to be here tonight we've been a founding member of choose new jersey since the organization was created. they really are doing great work promoting the state of new jersey, tonight

is really an example of the kind of work that they've been doing and really trying to get economic development get new businesses into the state we're just happy to be part of this night. >>it's interesting horizon again - you've been here a long time very committed. but some other businesses who may choose to come here don't have the same routes. getting them to stay retention challenge bob talk about it. >>yeah well you know from my perspective steve i think there's a lot of assets in new jersey that the state has to offer both businesses that are here and businesses that are thinking about coming here we have a great location in between new york and philadelphia we have great access in terms of newark airport seaport major highways interstate commerce well educated workforce i really think there's a lot of assets here and choose new jersey's done a terriffic job of really promoting those assets. >>we're here with kathy ellis who is the chief operating officer of new jersey resources. now you are one of the lead, you are the

lead sponsor for tonight right? >>we are indeed. we're lucky to have gotten a premiere sponsorship and we've been involved with choose new jersey right from the very beginning. larry downes was an original board member >>ceo? >>our ceo larry downes, thanks for that steve [laughter] and... >>[laughter] how come? why? >>listen, as a utility in new jersey we've always been committed to the economic vitality of the communities we serve. and to be able to help in the effort to broaden that interest across the state it was one that we really do relish. >>i don't think people realize the importance of utility in economic development particularly say in monmouth and ocean county it's huge right for your organizaiton? >>oh absolutely. we invest millions of dollars each year into our infrastructure in monmouth and ocean morris and burlington county and we create lots of jobs and you've gotta remember utilities are not going anywhere. new jersey is where we live, where we work, and where we're always going to

be >>we're here with mike van wagner with new jersey manufacturers mike we talked with bernie flynn who's the chair of choose new jersey and the ceo of your organization, but you also see economic development from a variety of perspectives because you've served in different capacities. the challenge of bringing in business and retaining business talk about it. and the role of choose new jersey. >>yeah well sure i think you start at the perception challenge. new jersey's historically been difficult regulatory tax climate a lot of that's changing especially in the regulatory side so i think what choose has done has be able, very quickly to begin to change that perception here in the state but more importantly to the outside audience >>and while there are different organizations the chamber of commerce tom bracken was saying great things about choose new jersey other organizations but choose new jersey plays a unique role doens't it? >>oh they do. well nobody has... the business associations here are designed to serve the members that are here. choose is out there in other

states and other countries looking to attract. they're bringing the folks that are gonna join tom and b.i.a. >>the business and industry association? >>the business and industry association. that's right. >>so no one's competing against each other. they're really trying to help each other? >>no i think you hit on something. i think a big change is everybody's playing off of the same page now. there's such a cohesive effort to promote new jersey but also to improve the business climate. i don't think we've ever had this kind of sort of cohesive effort across all these associations. you got choose now out there selling it. >>we're here with doctor joel bloom the president of njit one of the leaders, one of the rock stars if you will of not only business but academia driving the economy in the state. jooel let me ask you the role njit plays in driving the economy. so much going on talk about it. >>so one it's a workforce issue the demand for stem students science technology engineering and mathematics exceeds the supply. we have the largest engineering school in

the state. the largest school of architecture. college of computing science. workforce. economic development. 90 incubator companies all in technology fields doing 80 plus million dollars business we add that in with our hundred million dollars in research. that drives business and industry and we just launched new jersey innovation institute 40 million dollars of work is now going on in the institute dod grants jp morgan chase grants panasonic's a partner cisco's a partner, berger international's a partner a-com's a partner. these are critical organizations to the future of our state. >>bob talk about bank of america and it's committment to the state and then connect it to choose new jersey >>sure. well bank of america has a huge committment to the state in a lot of different ways first of all, we're a top ten employer, so that's the most important thing are our empoyees we have 15,000 in new jersey and then we believe

in being a good corporate citizen. so not only do we wind up taking care of our customers and serve our customers and provide good products and services but we want to give back to the communities in which we're oing business. and a lot of it's unfounded because we have so many strengths that we're so proud of and i think that's why an organization like choose is so important because you gotta get the word out that we've got this concentration of great minds that we've got this concentration of wealth and that we've got access and transportation and so many other positive things for our state >>what about the workforce? >>a very educated, a highly educated workforce. and we're proud to be part of that and help educate people but we're also very proud of the fact that new jersey has so many great institutions of higher learning and >>well what does that have to do with business? the higher learning piece having to do with business? connect that for us >>well a couple of things the companies want to come to places where they know they can have the graduates to fill the jobs that they need and those jobs more and more often these days are seeking

highly qualified and highly educated candidates. >>you are the publisher of one of the major business publications in the state connected to the new jersey business and industry association >>yup >a night like this it means what to this state in terms of promoting business, retaining attracting business, talk about it. >>well i think you're known by the company you keep. and what we are seeing here tonight the movers and the shakers in new jersey who get together who share ideas who have chosen new jersey and it's a testament to what new jersey has to offer >>but the challenges we face i mean everyone here is bullish on the state but you face challenges. business incentives from your point of view mean what in terms of attracting and retaining business? >>well i think for new jersey it's the people that live here the people that are employed by the companies in the state and the direction that the state is moving in. i think everything

has been going in a very positive direction for the past couple years. and i only see positive things with the national economy the way it is things are slowly getting better. it's a slow uphill climb but it is an uphill climb and that's what's important. >>doctor let me ask you verizon's a huge member of the business community a big supporter of choose new jersey because? >>right. well indeed we were one of the founders of choose new jersey and we just think an organization that is really focused on keeping and getting new business in the state is absolutely absolutely critical. so we've been involved like i said right from the beginning and i have seen it's benefits and look forward to continuing in our participation >>if someone might ask for verizon, why does it matter whether other businesses or businesses are attracted or they're retained. what does it matter to verizon? >>absolutely. well as a big player in the state we just want the overall ecosystem economically in the state to do well. but also those are our potential customers so the more the tide rises we all benefit. so i think that's

really really important to us certainly as a corporate citizen but also as a big player in the marketplaces in the state >>we're here with rich henning from united water the reception the choose new jersey reception has just ended. you were a big part of choose new jersey. you in fact chose this state you and your colleagues at united water. talk about this event and why it's special. >>this event helps raise funds to keep businesses in new ersey. it's so important that we keep the jobs the investment and the people here in this state because new jersey has so much to offer in terms of education, in terms of education. in terms of employment and in terms of good people that make this state what it is which is a fantastic state. >>rich also talk about investing in our infrastructure which is a big thing with your business your company >>you know right now we're looking at unbelievable investments right now we're looking at millions of dollars being put underground into underground infrastructure. to keep our water flowing. essentially to keep our way of life. but what that provides is not just jobs

for the folks who are gonna you know improve the pipelines and work on the treatment plants. it also provides great jobs for engineering. for accountants. there's just an unbelievable amount of talent in this state. and we want to keep it here >>the preceding program has been a production of the caucus educational corporation celebrating over 25 years of broadcast excellence and thirteen for wnet njtv and whyy funding for this edition of caucus new jersey has been provided by holy name medical center the new jersey education association johnson and johnson cohn reznick community education centers united airlines and by audible.com transportation provided by air brook limousine serving the metropolitan new york new jersey area caucus new jersey has been produced in partnership with

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captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: president obama addresses the nation tonight in his sixth state of the union, and for the first time before a house and senate under republican control. good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. we bring you special coverage from the u.s. capitol and analysis from mark shields and david brooks. >> ifill: plus, islamic state militants threaten to kill two japanese hostages unless paid a two hundred million dollar ransom. >> woodruff: and, a california public school shifts its focus to life lessons, preparing students to go on to college and careers in medicine. >> we have kids that go to every major hospital in oakland and