Genuine as they may be, I’ve seen my share of buzzwords and phrases during nearly a decade of covering commercial real estate, from “renaissance” to “live-work-play” and everything in between.
Two words I don’t hear nearly as often are “diversity” and “inclusion.” That’s not to say that the industry is ignoring these two very important concepts. If anything, we as reporters don’t spend enough time searching for stories that highlight the work that developers, service professionals and others are doing along those lines.
That changes in our July issue, as we detail the efforts of New Jersey’s largest brokerage and service firms to support diversity and inclusion among their employees. This is nothing new for industry giants like CBRE, JLL and Cushman & Wakefield, but it’s become increasingly clear that these efforts are critical to recruitment, retention and overall employee culture. It’s why you’ll find these firms taking pains to promote and cultivate networking groups tied to gender, racial, lifestyle and other forms of diversity. That only stands to grow in our own local market and globally.
Our latest issue also features an interview with Sandy Weiss, the founder and CEO of Manhattan Building Co. The longtime Hudson County developer has set his sights on his latest project in Jersey City, seeking to revive a four-block stretch of property just east of the New Jersey Turnpike extension. In the process, he hopes to build on the success and the lessons of another major redevelopment in the city, Soho West, where his firm has delivered nearly 800 apartments since 2013 and has another 350 under construction.
Elsewhere in our July edition, we highlight a business that plays a crucial role in the construction industry. Top Safety Products, a business that builds first aid kits, has been serving its clients for three decades, but is now primed to expand with the help of new products and an increasingly diverse group of customers. We’re also happy to note that the Branchburg-based firm is woman-owned, which could be another source of opportunities in the years to come.
You can find those stories and more in the latest issue of Real Estate NJ. All things considered, it’s been an active early summer for several segments of the industry, from industrial groundbreakings to new deliveries on the multifamily side. We know the story in the office market is slightly more complicated (see New Jersey’s expired incentive programs), as is the state of retail. Whatever happens, we will have it all covered as your source for New Jersey commercial real estate news.
As always, please feel free to reach out with your story ideas, questions and feedback.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the issue!
Joshua Burd
Editor
josh@re-nj.com
