NJBIZ Conversations

What's going on – and up – in Middlesex County?

Some of New Jersey's most significant economic development activity is taking place in Middlesex County, which is practically bursting with new construction that will bring more tech, eds and meds to Central New Jersey. John Pulomena, who has been the county administrator since 2008, sits in the middle of all this work. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Pulomena talks about what's going on in New Brunswick and throughout the county, and how all that development fits together.

Using solar to power portable signs

Flemington-based Sunsign uses the sun to power signs, as the name implies. The company is the brainchild of Cliff Hoinowski, a former CEO at parking management firm CitiPark. That’s where he figured out that portable, solar-powered signs would work well for a variety of businesses.
In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Hoinowski describes how he founded the company, the process of designing and building the signs, and where the company goes from here.

Want to break out on your own? This lawyer has some advice.

Sandra Fava gave up a Big Law career to start her own firm. Based in Morristown, Fava Law focuses exclusively on family law matters, including divorce; child custody and support; alimony/spousal support; appellate matters; prenuptial agreements; and domestic violence. Here, Fava talks about what prompted her to set out on her own, the challenges she faced, her advice to others thinking of doing the same sort of thing and what the future might hold for her practice.

Assessing the current strength of the economy

One of the most prominent regional bankers in New Jersey is Ira Robbins, the CEO of Valley Bank. On his watch, the bank has grown from $29 billion in assets to $62 billion. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Robbins assesses the current strength of the economy, the Fed's actions on interest rates and the outlook for Valley and other businesses.

What businesses need to know about AI

Jeff Miller, CEO of Synchronoss Technologies, discusses the company's pivot to a high-level cloud solutions provider, how it employs artificial intelligence, what other businesses need to know about AI and his outlook for the economy over the next 12 months.

2025 outlook for M&A and private equity

Dealmaking activity started strong in 2024, then leveled off. The result was a mediocre year for M&A. Eric Lewandowski, a partner at Sax LLP and leader of the firm’s Transaction Strategy and Transformation Practice, reviews the factors contributing to the 2024 numbers and assesses the outlook for M&A and private equity in 2025.

CSG Law kicks off new year with new leader

CSG Law kicked off the new year with a new leader, as Marie Mathews took over as managing member of the Roseland-based law firm. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Mathews discusses her priorities for the firm, how the legal business has changed over the years and her role in mentoring young attorneys.

The logistics industry's role in NJ's economy

Circulate NJ was established to educate the public about the logistics industry and the role it plays in the economy. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, David Greek — managing partner of Greek Real Estate Partners and Circulate NJ chair — talks about why the organization was created, its core message and how the members intend to spread that message. Greek also discusses trends in the market and what he expects through the rest of the year.

Former NJ attorney general discusses sentencing reform proposals

The New Jersey Criminal Sentencing and Disposition Commission issued its most recent report last fall with four reform recommendations. Commission Chair Chris Porrino, a former state attorney general, said the panel believes the proposals “will move New Jersey towards a more rational, just, and proportionate sentencing system."
In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Porrino — now a partner at Roseland’s Lowenstein Sandler — discusses the rationale for all the proposals and assesses the likelihood that they will be adopted. In addition, he talks about the legal issues likely to face the next governor and attorney general as the election campaign begins its long trip to November.

Hackensack Meridian CEO talks Davos, AI and the future of health care

Hackensack Meridian Health CEO Robert Garrett sat down with NJBIZ to talk about his work with the World Economic Forum, how technology – particularly AI – is helping to improve health care outcomes and what’s going on at HMH.