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February 10, 2017

Satellite Office on Campus Will Provide Further Accessibility for Small Businesses

MAHWAH, N.J. — Ramapo College of New Jersey is now serving as the full-time host of the Bergen County office of the New Jersey Small Business Development Center (NJSBDC). Ramapo College has been an affiliate partner of the 12-center program for the past two years. The Center is located at the College’s Anisfield School of Business, 505 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, N.J. The Center can be reached at 201-684-7135.

“Our new SBDC colleagues will be working with faculty and students as a resource for research and experiential learning beyond the classroom,” said Ed Petkus, Dean of the Anisfield School of Business. “This provides an extremely valuable venue for our students and faculty to engage with and impact the small business and non-profit community, and vice-versa.”

The Anisfield School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, AACSB International.

“We welcome Ramapo as our new Host institution,” said Brenda Hopper, chief executive officer and state director of the NJSBDC statewide network.  “We look forward to the new official partnership and expect that this four-year higher education institution will offer new opportunities for faculty and MBA students to engage with our SBDC program in assisting small business clients of our Center serving Bergen County.”

In the past, there have been several high-powered initiatives offered at Ramapo (as an affiliate partner) through the SBDC including a well-attended Cyber Security Conference.

“Our high national accreditation standards for the SBDC program and enhancements for higher educational partnerships, makes this Host partnership ideal,” noted Deborah Smarth, chief operating officer and associate state director. “Having worked with administrators of Ramapo during the affiliate status phase, the Ramapo partnership offers countless new opportunities on various fronts. Its high academic ranking among regional colleges (north) also makes it an exceptional addition to our network’s center higher education hosts.”

Vincent Vicari is serving as the regional center director of NJSBDC at Ramapo College of New Jersey. “It’s been a real honor and pleasure collaborating with Ramapo over the past two years as an affiliate of the program,” said Vicari. “I look forward to bolstering the Center program even further with our new Host. In addition, the Center will be servicing small businesses and entrepreneurs in the southern part of Bergen County through a new affiliate partnership and satellite office.”

Previously, the Bergen County SBDC office was located at Bergen Community College in Paramus.

“The Small Business Administration’s Newark District Office is glad to learn of the new Host for the SBDC serving Bergen County,” said Alfred Titone, SBA District Office Director. “Certainly, this four year college offers an array of new possibilities and collaborations that will only fortify the client services provided to SBDC small business clients.”

About America’s SBDC New Jersey

The New Jersey Small Business Development Centers network, one of the first pilot projects in the nation, has provided comprehensive services and programs for small business in New Jersey for 38 years; SBDC experts help businesses expand their operations, manage their growth, or start new ventures. Expert staff and practicing business consultants help small business owners and entrepreneurs to develop business plans, find financing, accounting and financial analysis, identify new markets, initiate marketing strategies, find procurement and international trade opportunities, learn green sustainability practices, commercialize technology and develop an E-commerce presence. This non-profit network, a federal-state-educational partnership, leverages funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the N.J. Business Action Center, the educational institutions that host the 12 centers as well as other private sponsorships and additional private/public grants. The NJSBDC Headquarters, located at the Rutgers Business School in Newark, NJ, oversees the network which is an accredited member of the national network of America’s SBDC. Up to 1,000 centers and satellite offices serve small businesses across the country, generating jobs, new businesses and economic development. Visit www.njsbdc.com.

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Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The College is ranked #1 among New Jersey public institutions by College Choice; is recognized as the state’s top college on the list of Best Disability Schools by Great Value Colleges; was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler; and is recognized as a top college by U.S. News & World Report, Kiplinger’s, Princeton Review and Money magazine, among others. Ramapo College is also distinguished as a Career Development College of Distinction by CollegesofDistinction.com, boasts the best campus housing in New Jersey on Niche.com, and is designated a “Military Friendly College” in Victoria Media’s Guide to Military Friendly Schools.

Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Business Administration, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Technology, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a post-master’s Doctor of Nursing Practice.