Choose New Jersey reports strong Q1; building on 2022 successes

Choose New Jersey, New Jersey’s nonprofit economic development organization, announced a strong first quarter in 2023, highlighted by the opening of the New Jersey Israel Center and the launch of its new “This is New Jersey” business-attraction advertising campaign, which has already gained national attention for its billboards.

The “This is New Jersey” advertising campaign targets multiple audiences.

The ads demonstrate what makes New Jersey a great place to live, work and raise a family. Billboards and digital ads have been launched, with additional placements rolling out in the coming months.

According to Choose New Jersey, the campaign aims to showcase the state as an ideal place for business, with world-class schools, colleges and universities, exceptional talent and a skilled workforce, as well as an unmatched quality of life, because of its inclusive laws, diverse landscape, beaches, boardwalks, bustling cities and quaint suburbs.

“We are making sure people around the country and world know New Jersey has everything businesses need to be successful in a location that is truly one of the best places to live,” Ralph LaRossa, chairman of Choose New Jersey and CEO and president of Public Service Enterprise Group, said. “New Jersey is a diverse state with mountains, boardwalks, wineries, quaint towns and more. We’re proud of our top public school system, highly educated workforce and culture of inclusivity. It’s a place where workers and families can feel at home.”

“As champions for the state, we meet with decision-makers all over the world promoting New Jersey as the ideal place to establish or expand a business,” Wes Mathews, CEO and president of Choose New Jersey, said. “Our new advertising campaign keeps our message top of mind. New Jersey is far more than meets the eye, and our ads showcase all our state has to offer in an attractive way.”

The campaign’s business attraction website, This Is New Jersey, similarly offers resources for business owners and the general public to discover more about New Jersey. The site showcases New Jersey’s thriving key industries — including life sciences, logistics, clean energy, film and more — and details the programs and assets New Jersey offers to help businesses succeed.

It also makes it easy to contact Choose New Jersey’s business development team, which assists businesses in getting started in New Jersey.

Choose New Jersey’s notable achievements in Q1 include:

• Choose New Jersey accompanied Gov. Phil Murphy on a business attraction mission to California in January, pitching the recent studio partners and film-lease partners designation and other business incentives offered by the state. They met with film studios in Los Angeles and venture capital firms and tech companies in the San Francisco Bay area, highlighting the benefits of expanding to New Jersey;
• Murphy and Mathews traveled to Germany in February to participate in the Munich Security Conference, with a focus this year on state and local governments and their efforts in fostering greater economic security and engagement. In Munich, they held several meetings with leading European companies, including Siemens, Bayer, BMW and Westenergie, as well as the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany;
• The New Jersey Israel Center, Choose New Jersey’s fourth international office, was opened during Choose New Jersey’s fifth business attraction mission to Israel in March. The office, which is supported in part by a grant issued by the New Jersey-Israel Commission, is the newest connection between Israel and New Jersey, a relationship that formally began in 1988 when the two states signed a sister-state agreement.