Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Thumb Bread LLC, NJBAC Executive Director Melanie Willoughby Featured on Lt. Governor’s Podcast
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the owners of Thumb Bread LLC, sisters Fusun, Gonca, and Arzu Esendemir, and NJBAC Executive Director Melanie Willoughby were featured on the March 2025 episode of The DOS Way with New Jersey Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State Tahesha L. Way. Listen to the podcast on YouTube to learn the story behind the brand and the artisanal bread company’s experience in the NJ Pavilion at the 2024 Fancy Food Show. 

Did You Know That the NJBAC Manages the Largest Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) in New Jersey?

Foreign-trade zones (FTZs) are specially designated sites near U.S. ports of entry that allow companies to move goods in and out of the country paying reduced or no customs duties, taxes, or fees. There are five FTZs in the State of New Jersey. The NJ Business Action Center is the grantee of FTZ#44, the largest one among the five. 

In 2024, FTZ #44 employed more than 2,480 individuals, an increase of 4.67% over 2023, and contributed significantly to regional employment, logistic/supply chain industries, and international trade and investment. To learn more about the FTZ and its benefits, please visit: About FTZs. 

Stay Informed: Subscribe for Tariff-Related Updates from U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Sign up at Cargo Systems Messaging Service here to receive messages directly from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) as soon as executive orders are passed, along with hyperlinks to direct resources. US small businesses can also direct questions to CBPSBRelations@cbp.dhs.gov 

U.S. Small Business Administration’s Red Tape Hotline

Reposted from the U.S. SBA’s Office of Business Advocacy: SBA's red tape hotline is now live! If you have concerns about federal regulations that impose excessive costs on small businesses, contact SBA's Office of Advocacy by calling 1-800-827-5722 and pressing option 3 or emailing RedTape@sba.gov. If you prefer to directly contact the agency responsible for the regulation impacting your business, you can prepare a formal comment letter. [The U.S. SBA Office of Business Advocacy] has drafted a guide to assist that process. If you choose to, we encourage you to pass that letter on to [federal U.S. SBA] staff, who can help amplify your concerns.

Have an Export-Related Need? NJBAC Office of Export Promotion Can Help.

The Office of Export Promotion works with New Jersey’s small and mid-sized companies interested in expanding sales and their customer base for their products and services through export. Companies interested in global business activity can tap into a number of resources on business export planning available through the NJBAC Export Promotion unit.

Have a Business Need? NJBAC Can Help.

The NJBAC offers no-cost technical assistance, training, and problem-solving. From site selection and incentive identification to one-off questions, the NJBAC is here to support all NJ businesses. In addition to the Office of Export Promotion, NJBAC is home to the Office of Small Business Advocacy, Office of Business Advocacy, and the Office of Planning Advocacy. The NJBAC offers free online chat and telephone (800-537-7397) assistance in English and Spanish to any New Jersey business. The NJBAC Small Business Manual, a one-stop tool for many business concerns, is available online. A Spanish version of the manual is also available for download. A print copy in both versions is available on request.