NJBIZ STAFF//October 28, 2024//
In this edition, NJBIZ celebrates all of those businesses. Some are relatively new, having been established in the wake of the pandemic, when many ambitious and talented entrepreneurs took advantage of the disruption to set out on their own. Others date back decades, run by successive generations who sought growth and preserved the ethos that led their grandparents or great-grandparents to take the leap.
The companies highlighted below may not be the most profitable in their towns or in their industries. They may not employ the most people. And they may take different approaches to running those businesses and involving family and non-family members.
They have established themselves – and perhaps differentiated themselves – as going concerns and are looking forward to growth in the future. After all, a husband-and-wife team running a small food shop might expand that store into an international organization with a household name.
So, this list is a mix of businesses with long histories of success and those just starting out. But all are helping to drive the state’s economic growth.
Pomptonian Food Service provides 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. – PROVIDED BY POMPTONIAN FOOD SERVICE
Pomptonian Food Service | In the Lead
Woman- and family-owned Pomptonian Food Service provides meals to more than 290,000 children, serving up its mission to introduce a nutritional, healthy lifestyle to kids of all ages. Today, the Fairfield business is owned and led by CEO Candy Vidovich and President Mark Vidovich, her husband. Ten other family members are among the employee count, which tops 2,000 overall. Candy’s parents launched Pomptonian 65 years ago as a local steakhouse in Cedar Grove. Following a request from the local schools to temporarily serve students, over 50 years later the business now serves 115 school districts – still including Cedar Grove. This year, it added a contract with Princeton Public Schools. Pomptonian prides itself on being an industry trendsetter. And the company says it holds the most nutrition awards in New Jersey. To help shape kids’ perceptions of healthy foods, Pomptonian has invested in marketing initiatives. Together with introducing fresh produce and partnering with local farms, the company says its work has helped foster a culture where healthy food choices are celebrated and enjoyed. Looking ahead, it plans to continue enhancing its pioneering Farm Stand concept, a seasonal variety of colorful fruits and vegetables each day that students may self-select from to accompany their meal. Committed to its local community, Pomptonian provides scholarships to students, actively supports animal rescue efforts and just launched Pomptonian Cares. That fund is dedicated to helping company employees navigate hardships.