Putting Business at the Center

Report to Members

By Michele N. Siekerka, NJBIA President and CEO On Jun 27, 2025

For 115 years, NJBIA has put New Jersey’s job creators at the center of all we do – our outreach, our advocacy, our research, our products and our actions. We want our state’s elected government leaders to do the same.

Putting business at the center creates a climate that allows entrepreneurs and job creators to invent, innovate and be a catalyst for the progress New Jersey needs. When businesses are creating good jobs, they are also helping to increase household incomes and provide economic security and opportunities for employees and their families.

Unfortunately, too often our state policymakers have driven an agenda that relegates New Jersey’s business community to the back seat. Sometimes, we were not even allowed in the car. In the end, whenever the government decision-making process has ignored the perspectives of job creators, the resulting laws and regulations are worse for it.

That’s why with candidates running for governor and Assembly in November, NJBIA is working hard to ensure the business community’s voice resonates on the campaign trail and continues to be heard once the election is over.

NJBIA recently delivered our “Blueprint for a Competitive New Jersey” to the two winners of the Democrat and Republican gubernatorial primaries.  Our goal is to ensure New Jersey’s next governor understands the value job creators bring to critical policy discussions. When collaboration replaces silos, everyone benefits.

A meaningful first step would be to re-establish the Commerce Department that the state abolished in 1998, dispersing its functions among different state agencies. We need a cabinet-level commerce commissioner who has a seat at the governor’s conference table every day to oversee a cohesive economic policy that attracts and retains businesses so they can grow, innovate and produce a flourishing economy.

We also need policymakers who believe in the value of workforce development strategies and post-secondary partnerships that provide a pipeline of talented employees with the in-demand skills employers need. Prioritizing and better integrating higher education and workforce training is not only a strategic imperative, but an investment that provides opportunities that reduce inequality and strengthen communities.

Elected officials must also recognize that while some regulations are essential for safety and fairness, overregulation and excessive mandates are a drag on business productivity, innovation, and growth. Overregulation increases costs, discourages startups and induces New Jersey job creators to plan their next expansion or new location in more pro-business states. We can find a balance that protects public interests without stifling economic growth, jeopardizing jobs, and making our great state a constant outlier.

In short, our ask of New Jersey’s next governor is simple: Put business at the center again.

To access more business news, visit NJB News Now.

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