NJBIZ Conversations

After new HQ, what's next for Valley National Bank?

Last year, Valley National Bank moved into a new headquarters building in Morristown, bringing more than 600 employees to its new base. Valley President Tom Iadanza is now talking about what's next for Valley, as well as the factors driving the economy and how the banking industry in general – and Valley in particular – is responding.

What does the future hold for NJ's cannabis industry?

Scott Rudder founded the New Jersey CannaBusiness Association in 2016 as the leading trade group for New Jersey cannabis businesses. And he's getting into it himself, opening Township Green Dispensary in Riverside. Here, he talks about the development of the industry in the state, the sorts of policy changes needed to encourage growth and what he thinks the future holds.

Turning ideas into workable solutions

Michael Johnson, president of the New Jersey Innovation Institute, talks about how NJII fits into the larger technology landscape in New Jersey, how it interacts with the corporate world and what's ahead in 2024 – the organization's 10th anniversary year.

You’re in a PR crisis. Now what?

Kessler PR is perhaps the most prominent — and effective — firm for crisis communications, reputation management, litigation support and media relations. Here, founder Karen Kessler discusses how business owners and executives can handle a variety of crisis situations, deal with the government and media and restore their reputations.

A look back at the 1st Newark Summit

The inaugural Newark Summit, held in early December 2023, brought together government leaders, policymakers and some of the most prominent figures in the North Jersey commercial real estate market. Here are what some of the participants and attendees had to say.

The altering dynamics of NJ’s medical office market

For obvious reasons, the health care industry has been changing rapidly and significantly over the past few years. And those changes are altering the dynamics of the medical office market in New Jersey. As a managing director and the medical office practice leader for JLL, Blake Goodman is in the middle of the action. Here, he assesses the state of the market and suggests the factors that will likely drive it over the next several quarters.

A creative agency with a unique name

The co-founders of creative agency Dead Lizard talk about their expansion plans and the experience of running such a business in New Jersey. Plus, they explain the origin of the company's name.

How can you keep insurance premiums under control?

Homeowner's insurance in states affected by climate change is becoming increasingly unaffordable. Many residents in Florida, for example, are simply "self-insuring" — meaning they don't pay for an insurance policy, they just put aside some cash and hope for the best. So is New Jersey going the way of Florida? Possibly. In this edition of NJBIZ Conversations, Bill Martin, the president and CEO of Plymouth Rock Assurance, discusses the factors that caused the crises in other states, what might be in store for New Jersey, and what homeowners and businesses can do to keep insurance premiums under control.

What challenges are NJ’s commercial real estate firms facing?

Greek Real Estate Partners' David Greek discusses the firm's growth, the state of the commercial real estate market in New Jersey and the challenges firms like his face doing business in a high-cost, rising interest rate environment.

How does the higher education system need to evolve?

County College Morris President Anthony Iacono discusses the school's efforts in workforce development and how the higher education system in general needs to evolve.