The challenges facing women in the business world are well documented. Persistent stereotypes lead to invidious discrimination. The old-boy network protects its members. Access to capital can be limited. Competing demands often create self-doubt.
All are troubling and should be eliminated. While progress has been made on that front, succeeding as a business owner remains more difficult for women.
And yet, so many make it work. Credit their energy, talent, intelligence and perseverance – the qualities shared by most successful business leaders. It should be no surprise that those qualities will be evident in half the population.
With this issue, NJBIZ recognizes and celebrates New Jersey women who demonstrate those qualities and put them to use in building prosperous companies. The businesses profiled in these pages hail from a wide variety of industries – manufacturing, construction, health care, public relations and marketing, accounting, law, architecture and many more. The story of successful women-owned businesses is the story of economic growth in the Garden State.
So please join us in congratulating the businesses we honor here. Some started from scratch and built thriving companies; others took over going concerns and made them better. All of them possess the drive and ability to succeed in a world still structured to hold them back. As you read the profiles, reflect on that fact and what it took to earn a place on this list. Let us know what you think of our choices – and whether we missed anyone who deserves the same sort of recognition.
All of our honorees are listed in alphabetical order in the sections below. Enjoy!
Pomptonian Food Service
Pomptonian Food Service provides high-quality nutritious meals for hundreds of New Jersey school districts and employs over 2,000 workers, making it one of the largest, privately owned companies in the state. The 65-year-old family-run business is now helmed by its third generation – CEO Candy Vidovich and her husband, Mark, who serves as president.
Founded in 1959 as a restaurant in Cedar Grove, the business became involved in schools when the local district asked for temporary help running one of its school cafeterias. By 1970, the company was managing four cafeterias and sold its restaurant to focus entirely on quality school service.
Over the years, the company has branched off into different areas of food service, including catering, corporate dining and restaurants, but has always made sure to keep schools as a focus area. As a result, Pomptonian has received numerous accolades from organizations like the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials and trade publications such as Food Management.
Vidovich – named as one of NJBIZ’s Best 50 Women in Business in 2021 – has experience in all aspects of the company. Currently, she is working on menu development and promoting nutrition and collaborating with nutrition advisory committees to develop award-winning offerings and innovative service concepts. Vidovich also spearheaded an initiative that dramatically increased the number of students choosing fresh fruit and vegetables with their meals.