The New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBAC) recently hosted the State Pavilion at the annual Summer Fancy Food Show on June 25, 26, and 27 at the Javits Center in New York City. The NJBAC was joined by New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way on June 26 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially welcome guests to the New Jersey Pavilion. Secretary Way delivered opening remarks and took the time to connect with each of the 12 businesses who were sponsored through NJBAC and its Office of Export Promotion (OEP) to showcase their products at the event as NJSTEP clients and grant award recipients.

The NJSTEP initiative is sponsored in part by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The 12 underserved businesses meet the criteria set forth by the SBA’s small business communities definition, which includes socially and economically disadvantaged, owned or controlled by women, rural, and/or veterans and/or service-connected disabled veterans categories.

“The Fancy Food Show is a major international event,” said Secretary Way. “The businesses showcased in our state’s pavilion represent more than a variety of consumable products; they demonstrate how NJSTEP creates opportunities for success and business expansion. Thanks to their partnership with NJBAC’s OEP and participation in the NJ State Trade Expansion Program, these 12 businesses from across the state have the potential to expand their operations through exports.”

New Jersey State Pavilion participants included:
•B’cuz Snacks LLC, Lakewood – vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO kosher granola bites
•Djerdan Burek Corp., South Hackensack – frozen savory pies
•Fabalish Inc., Carlstadt – organic veggie bits and condiments
•Flows Tasty Treats, Newark – coconut and peanut snacks
•Health Enhanced Foods, Inc., Rockaway – natural flour mixes
•Heno Group, Hamilton – honey water
•Kekoa Foods, West Orange – organic food purees for children
•New Nissi Corp., Paterson – nut and seed crunch bars
•Onset Worldwide LLC, Frenchtown – flour made from watermelon seeds
•Perfect Line Nutrition, West Orange – peanut, navy bean, and rice health snack
•Pure Indian Foods Corp., Princeton Junction – ghee
•Route 66 International Inc., Hackensack – roasted seaweed

“NJBAC has helped us more than you can imagine when it comes to growing our business,” said Danny Auld, founder of Kekoa Foods. “We knew there was a market for our product beyond the state, but it felt out of our reach when we initially started. NJBAC and the Office of Export Promotion took our vision for our business and helped us bring it to a wider audience who we know will enjoy and benefit from it.”

“The most rewarding part about being a small business owner and being able to share my products with a wider market is the ability to help people with dietary restrictions eat the things they enjoy,” said Caroline Egbelu, founder and managing director of Health Advanced Foods. “As a minority-owned business, it can be difficult to get your foot in the door. NJBAC has helped us by paving the way to countless opportunities and possibilities for our business that we may not have had otherwise – including the chance to exhibit at the Fancy Food Show.”

The NJBAC Office of Export Promotion works with small and mid-sized companies interested in expanding sales and their customer base through export, ensuring access to the NJSTEP program for eligible businesses. NJSTEP, funded in part by the Small Business Administration (SBA), provides essential and equitable financial awards on a first-come, first-serve competitive basis, to eligible domestic New Jersey small businesses new to export, as well as those businesses that currently sell their goods and services to other countries.