Bank Commits $5,000 for Center’s Networking & Outreach Program Geared Toward Established Businesses Across Mercer County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
From left to right: Anthony Carabelli, Jr., County of Mercer Business Advocate; Randy Hanks, Senior Vice President, Customers Bank; Lilian Mauro, Asst. Director – SBDC at TCNJ; Carla Fallone Business Consultant, SBDC at TCNJ; Lorraine Allen, Regional Director, SBDC at TCNJ; Martin R. Hernandez Vice President – Small Business Lender, Customers Bank; Katherine Anderson, Office Administrator, SBDC at TCNJ and Shakira M. Brown, Marketing Consultant, SBDC at TCNJ.
EWING, NJ – The Small Business Development Center at The College of New Jersey (SBDC at TCNJ), Mercer County’s leader in delivering no cost business counseling and training programs to high growth enterprises and small businesses, has named Customers Bank located in Hamilton, NJ, as a lead corporate partner for 2016/2017. The bank’s support will help the Center foster its popular Mercer Keep It Local Networking Breakfast Series as well as support its efforts to help connect businesses with information, advisement and resources to help their companies grow.
Annually, SBDC at TCNJ is supported by the County of Mercer, the State of New Jersey, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. However, it relies on private sector partnerships to extend its reach. “I am very proud of our commitment to the SBDC at TCNJ,” said Vice President – Small Business Lender, Martin R. Hernandez for Customers Bank. “Its focus in providing established business with resources they need to expand and grow is essential to local economic development and it is a great way for the bank to demonstrate to Mercer County businesses our commitment to the community.”
Hernandez and Customers Bank Senior Vice President, Randy Hanks presented a $5,000 check to the SBDC at TCNJ team during The Princeton Chamber of Commerce’s September 2016 monthly luncheon where Lorraine Allen was also recognized as a Champion for Business.
Congratulations to our very own Lorraine Allen for being recognized by the Princeton Chamber of Commerce as a Champion for Business! From left to right: Peter Crowley, President, Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce; Lorraine Allen, Regional Director, SBDC at TCNJ; Chairman of the Board, Richard Coyne, Partner, WithumSmith+Brown
Throughout the year, the Center offers free counseling, resources, training and technical assistance to Mercer County-based businesses. The Mercer Keep It Local Networking Breakfast Series launched in April 2015 as a way for local business professionals throughout Mercer County to encourage business-to-business support and partnerships; provide opportunities for businesses to meet; discuss like interests; and receive referrals. This year, as an extension of the SBDC at TCNJ’s Latino Business Center, Mercer Keep It Local en Español was launched to help Latino business owners connect in a similar way.
“Each year our goal is to reach as many established enterprises with over $1 million in revenues and emerging small businesses in Mercer County as possible,” said Lorraine Allen, Regional Director of SBDC at TCNJ. “We are grateful to have Customers Bank on our side as one of our generous partners so that we can continue offering the support and guidance necessary to stimulate high growth.”
With the support of Customers Bank Mercer Keep It Local will continue through 2017. The next Mercer Keep It Local events take place on September 15, 2016 at Take 5 Gourmet in Robbinsville, NJ and on October 20, 2016 at Cranbury Design Center in Hightstown, NJ both from 8:30 am – 10 am ET.
For more information about free business counseling, other events and to register to attend, please visit https://sbdcnj.com.
About SBDC at TCNJ
The Small Business Development Center at The College of New Jersey (SBDC at TCNJ) is an accredited member of the America’s SBDC New Jersey network, a network of 11 small business development centers throughout the State of New Jersey. The SBDC at TCNJ provides free and confidential small business management counseling and low-cost comprehensive training workshops to assist the small business communities in greater Mercer County. For more information about counseling services and training visit https://sbdcnj.com.