Mercer County Employer Conference Set for Thursday

Editor's Note: The following is a news release that was issued by the Mercer County administration.

A free half-day conference that will explain tax credits, loans and government incentives to businesses around Mercer County will be held Thursday, May 5, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes announced.

The Employer Conference is being hosted by the Mercer County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) from 8:30 a.m. to noon on May 5 at The Conference Center at Mercer County Community College.

Businesses and entrepreneurs are encouraged to register for the free conference by calling (609) 989-6827.

The keynote address will be delivered by Dennis Bone, chairman of the State Employment Training Commission and president of New Jersey’s largest private sector employer, Verizon NJ. The address will be followed by two panel discussions, one on workforce development and one on business and economic development.

The intent of the conference is to help local businesses both large and small better navigate the variety of government assistance programs that exist to help them grow, hire new employees, obtain valuable tax credits, and apply for loans, among other programs.

The conference is part of a renewed effort by County Executive Hughes to engage local businesses in order to stimulate the economy in the region.

Hughes held a series of roundtable meetings with prominent business leaders last year to identify areas of concern. Hughes found one of the recurring problems businesses encounter is bureaucratic entanglements when trying to apply for loans or finding information about incentive programs.

In response, the county executive created a Business Advocate in the Office of Economic Development and Sustainability to offer guidance on programs and expedite applications.

For more information about the Employer Conference or to register for the conference, please call (609) 989-6827. For general information about business development, please call Business Advocate Anthony Carabelli Jr. at (609) 989-6059.