Flexabar Corp., 1969 Rutgers Blvd, Lakewood, a manufacturer of specialty coatings and compounds primarily used in marine applications, recently finalized a $650,000 loan with TD Bank that includes a $154,000 participation from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA). The loan is being used to purchase new equipment and to refinance funding on previously purchased equipment.
The EDA participation was made for eight years at a variable interest rate fixed at 3 percent for five years under the EDA’s Preferred Lender Program. This program, which supports Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s commitment to enhance New Jersey’s economy, streamlines the EDA’s loan approval process and speeds the flow of capital to growing businesses in the state.
TD Bank is one of 14 financial institutions recognized as a Preferred Lender by the EDA.
Flexabar, which employed 21 people at the time of application, plans to add two new jobs. The company was established in 1953 by Richard Guglielmo, who remains its president.
The Lakewood Development Corp., the administrative arm of the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), is offering the following free small business seminars to be held in the Lakewood municipal building, 231Third Street, Lakewood. The seminars are open to the public.
• “Doing Business with the Government — Get Your Foot in the Door” will be presented by the NJIT Defense Procurement Center, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 18, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 13.
• “Premier Business Services” will be presented by the New Jersey Office of Information Technology, 10-11 a.m. June 22. Using the state of New Jersey website, attendees will be able to interact in real time with multiple state agencies through a single, secure login. Users will also have access to all New Jersey electronic tax filing and payment services that apply to their business, and access to their filing and payment history.
• Business and Industry Expo, Home Show, and Job Fair will feature more than 100 exhibitors from 3-7 p.m. July 16 at the Lake Terrace Exhibition Center, Lakewood Industrial Park, 1690 Oak Street, Lakewood.
Details and registration: 732-364-2500, ext. 5257.
The Urban Enterprise Zone program was designed to foster economic growth to revitalize and stimulate designated urban communities. The program encourages businesses to create private-sector jobs though public and private investment.
More than 8,000 businesses throughout the state and more than 360 businesses in Lakewood benefit from tax and financial incentives. Personnel from the Lakewood UEZ are available to discuss program eligibility and answer questions.
HouseMaster, a home inspection franchiser with a location in Jackson, marks its 30th anniversary as the authority in home inspections “done right.”
The company is committed to helping consumers make informed real estate decisions and advancing the need for comprehensive training in the home inspection industry, according to Kathleen Kuhn, president of HouseMaster.
Founded in 1979 by Kenneth T. Austin, HouseMaster was the first home inspection franchise operation in the United States. Within a few years, HouseMaster expanded to 12 states. By 1993, the company grew to 175 U.S. offices, and opened its first international office in the Winnipeg, Manitoba Province, of Canada.
In 2002, HouseMaster’s current president, Kathleen Austin Kuhn, assumed control of the company, which was acquired in 2008 by Sopra Capital, a private equity and management firm focused on the acquisition and development of established franchise brands that are poised for growth.
Exhibitors are being sought for a Business and Industry Expo, Home Show, and Job Fair to be held July 16 from 3-7 p.m. at the Lake Terrace Exhibition Center in the Lakewood Industrial Park, Lakewood. More than 100 exhibitors and vendors are expected to participate in the event, which will be open to the public.
Lakewood Mayor Robert W. Singer, the Lakewood Development Corp., the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, and the Lakewood Industrial Commission are jointly hosting the free event.
Exhibition space and sponsorship opportunities are still available. A sponsorship costs $500. Single exhibition space is $100 (8 feet by 8 feet); double exhibition space is $175, and includes two tables and two chairs. Vendors who would like to promote their business and commerce to reach the general public, and offer job opportunities are encouraged to attend.
For information and registration, contact Robert Kirschner at 732-267-7543; the Lakewood Industrial Commission at 732- 364-2500, ext. 5395; or the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce at 732-363-0012.
A&P and Pathmark supermarkets in New Jersey, along with food stores in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware and Maryland, are sponsoring a fundraising campaign in 436 stores that began over the Memorial Day Weekend to support Operation Shoebox New Jersey
The “Help Us Help Them” in-store campaign began May 24 and will run through May 30. Shoppers are invited to donate $1 as they check out at the cashier.
Those who choose to donate receive a “Support Our Troops” postcard to sign. The cards are being displayed in each of the stores, and at the conclusion of the campaign they will be collected by Operation Shoebox New Jersey volunteers and sent inside personal care packages to U.S. troops stationed overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The money donated by shoppers at each of the 436 stores will help ensure the uninterrupted flow of care packages overseas.