The New Jersey Business & Industry Association honored nine companies with an Award for Excellence at its annual Awards for Excellence Dinner on Tuesday, October 17, at the Hilton East Brunswick. 

The Awards for Excellence program recognizes employers for creating jobs, protecting the environment, being outstanding employers, and serving their communities.

“Our Awards for Excellence winners have had a very positive impact on the lives of their employees, their communities, the environment, and New Jersey,” NJBIA President Philip Kirschner said.  “They deserve to be recognized for their outstanding work.”

The Enterprise Award winners, recognized for job creation, are:

• Advanced Health Media, Inc., Union—Advanced Health Media manages speaker-led program logistics and compliance administration for pharmaceutical companies. Employment at the company rose to 238 employees in April 2006 from 134 employees in January 2005, a 78 percent increase.

• DSCI, Eatontown—An employee-owned small business, DSCI attributes its dramatic increase in high-tech, high-wage jobs to increased business with the military.  Since 2004, DSCI has created 103 new high-tech jobs in New Jersey, doubling the size of its workforce.

The Environmental Quality Award winners, recognized for their environmental protection efforts, are:

• Atlantic County Utility Authority (ACUA), Pleasantville—ACUA built the first commercial wind-power project in New Jersey, is expanding its methane-to-energy generator, completed a 500-kilowatt photovoltaic solar project to power its wastewater treatment facility, and created the State’s largest vehicle fleet running on bio-diesel fuel.

• Fisk Alloy Wire, Inc., Hawthorne— Fisk developed Percon, a line of environmentally “green” copper alloys for use in wire and cable products. The company’s Percon wires meet industry standards for strength and conductivity without using Cadmium or other dangerous heavy metals. 

The Outstanding Employer Award winners, recognized for superior performance in working with their employees:

• Cooper University Hospital, Camden— Cooper University Hospital initiated a unique program called Errand Solutions. The errand-running and concierge service helps employees complete their personal chores, thereby reducing employee stress. More than 3,000 employees can now take advantage of the program.

• MDAdvantage Insurance Company, Lawrenceville—MDAdvantage developed its  Employee Excellence Program to formalize its commitment to its employees. Team building, employee events, free blood pressure and cholesterol screenings are all part of MDAdvantage’s positive work environment.

The Public Service Award winners, recognized for community service, are:

• HSBC-North America, Bridgewater—Embracing the belief that education is the key to prosperity, HSBC-North America has been instrumental in the revitalization of Junior Achievement in New Jersey. In fact, during the 2005-2006 school year, 219 HSBC employee volunteers taught the Junior Achievement curriculum to 3,176 students and visited 176 classrooms in Trenton, Atlantic City, Newark and seven other municipalities. 

• Lockheed Martin, Moorestown— In serving community needs, Lockheed Martin primarily focuses on education, concern with overall community well-being, and supporting American troops.  In 2005, the company’s 5,000 Moorestown-based employees volunteered 28,000 hours of community service.

• McCarter & English, Newark—McCarter & English offers extensive pro bono services to the underprivileged and non-profit organizations.  The firm is the largest and oldest legal services provider in New Jersey. Underscoring this commitment, each attorney will contribute 60 hours of pro bono work in 2006.

An independent panel of judges reviewed the nominations, including members of the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), members of NJBIA’s policy committees, two past presidents of the Association and an executive with NJM Insurance Company.

Mercadien P.C., Certified Public Accountants of Princeton, verified the information supplied by the winning applicants.

The program begins at 6:00 p.m. and includes a reception, dinner, and awards presentation. Members of the media who wish to attend the program or get more information about the award recipients should contact Steve Wilson at ext 245. 

With more than 23,000 member companies, NJBIA is the largest state-level employer association in the country.