Linda Doherty

During a time of business, political, world and cultural unpredictability, NJFC experienced a solid year as our path was determined by the roll out and implement of the four pillars of the association’s “Beyond Essential” strategic plan created by the board of directors. Leadership development, membership, image and voice became our compass, guided our events and activities, defined our policy agenda and garnered member support. Our overwhelming accomplishments and success in 2023 are attributed to the dynamics of this strategic plan that helped us far exceed our goals set for membership, sponsorships and scholarships.

On policy issues, we advocated for new laws such as stabilizing SNAP funding and modernizing Working Papers online, all that benefit our membership and consumers. NJFC fought back misguided packaging mandates, an attack on coupon policy, confusing date labeling standards and unpredictable business directives.

Also, NJFC strongly opposed any changes to the reusable bag law, especially a proposal to bring back paper shopping bags for online sales. That is why we are proud of our launch of a statewide education campaign urging shoppers to donate their gently used reusable bags that are then sanitized and donated to local food banks, pantries, and those in need. This innovative NJFC Bag Redistribution Plan is making a difference in our communities and aiding those in need.

Another highlight in 2023 was the creation of the $5,000 Presidential Scholarship Award and the growth of our scholarship fund. Overall, our scholarship program serves as an academic engine for the future of our member associates and their families.

As we look at what’s ahead in 2024, our focus remains clear. We will continue to implement the four pillars of priorities defined by the board in the strategic plan under the leadership of our talented chair Andrew Kent and exceptional executive committee. We will reset our leadership development program as we seat a new class. We will focus on organized retail crime policy and solutions. We will spend time meeting with freshman legislators as more than 30 percent of these elected officials are new to Trenton and food policy. And as always, we will support the daily member requests for guidance and input on industry issues, rules and regulations.

Member engagement, committee participation, coalition partnerships and food industry advocacy will continue to direct our mission in 2024. We remain grateful for the undeniable support and effort by our board of directors, members, partners and industry leaders who stand united with us throughout the year.

New Transparency Laws Will Impact New Jersey Elections

This November, all 120 state legislative seats will be on the ballot. Newly competitive districts and a substantial change in election laws make this legislative election cycle particularly significant. Before the NJ legislature took its summer hiatus, a new law was quickly passed without much debate but left many unanswered questions. Known as the NJ Elections Transparency Law, it is a contradiction of terms as it upends pay to play laws and doubles and, in some cases, triples campaign contributions. It is crucial for our industry to remain vigilant and participate in the process because other interests will leverage an advantage to these changes.

This recent enactment has brought significant modifications to campaign contribution law, including increasing contribution limits, relaxing oversight, replacing the current governing body, and loosening pay-to-play regulations. As a result, the new maximum contribution limits will create a greater demand for financial political support.

All pay-to-play laws related to municipal, county, independent authority, or other government entities have expired, and there is now a uniform standard of requirements. The type of contract an entity holds and whether the bidding process was a “fair and open process” determine the contributions it can make and the associated limits. We recommend reviewing the new law and company contracts with legal and compliance teams to make appropriate determinations.

With the Democratic party in control of both the state legislature and the governor’s office, there have been several costly and burdensome mandates proposed in the legislature. We continue the fight to successfully mitigate or stall harmful legislation such as packaging mandates, overturning the reusable bag law, labeling restrictions, menthol bans, coupon restrictions, and salary notification mandates. Additionally, we have advocated for positive legislation that benefits our members, such as Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) sales tax exemptions and SNAP funding increases. We continue to work with State departments and agencies on implementing new laws regarding recycled content, food waste, and plastics in a flexible and appropriate manner.

Given the challenging political environment, it is vital that our industry makes its voice heard on business issues to avoid negative impacts from an unfavorable legislative agenda. We must actively engage in the election process to ensure our collective needs are heard on policy matters that affect our industry’s future in this state. It is crucial to support elected officials and candidates who align with our interests to maintain a healthy and prosperous industry.

To remain relevant in this political environment, we firmly believe that an investment from all segments of the New Jersey food industry will yield significant benefits, enabling us to maintain a strong presence and advocate effectively in Trenton.

Eligible students can now apply for the 2023 New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) Scholarship Program. This year, NJFC will be offering 30 scholarships totaling $97,500!

This year, Acme Markets/Kings Food Markets has added 2 more scholarships of $2,500 each and Inserra Supermarkets has added 2 more Lawrence R. Inserra Memorial Scholarships of $2,500 each.

“A goal of the New Jersey Food Council is to provide scholarships to students, employees and families of NJFC member companies and staff.   This program will provide member benefit investment in the future of the food industry and families of NJFC.  We’re thrilled to provide 4 additional scholarships this year,” said Linda Doherty, president and CEO of NJFC.

This year’s scholarships are as follows:

1. NJFC Founders Scholarship – $5,000
2. NJFC Student Scholarship – $5,000
3. NJFC Thomas Infusino Scholarship – $5,000
4. NJFC Scholarships – 4 Scholarships – $2,500 each
5. Acme & Kings Scholarship – Acme Markets/Kings Food Markets Employees and Family Members – 3 Scholarships @ $2,500
6. Cuellar Family ShopRites Scholarship – Cuellar Employees and Family Members – $2,500

1. Lawrence R. Inserra Memorial Scholarship – Inserra Supermarket Employees and Family Members – 1 Scholarship @ $5,000 and 2 Scholarships @ $2,500
2. Glass Gardens ShopRite – Team Member Employed at Glass Gardens

4 Scholarships – $2,500 each

1. Ben Glass Memorial Scholarship – Team Member Employed at Glass Gardens – $5,000

1. Abe Glass Memorial Scholarship – Team Member Employed at Glass Gardens – $5,000
2. Raymond J. Maniaci Scholarship Program – St. Joseph’s University Students

Majoring in Food Marketing – $8,000

1. Robert Powell Memorial Scholarship – Allegiance Employees and Family Members – $5,000

1. QuickChek Corporation Scholarship – QuickChek Corporation Employees and Family Members – $2,500
2. Grace Scaduto Memorial Scholarship – Food Circus Supermarkets Employees and Family Members – $2,000
3. Wawa Education Scholarships – Wawa Employees and Family Members –

2 scholarships – $2,500 each

1. Whole Foods Market Scholarships – Whole Foods Market Team Members –

4 Scholarships – $2,500 each

Each scholarship has different requirements.  NJFC members and their families can now apply for the scholarships at www.njfoodcouncil.com. All applications are due no later than April 17, 2023. 

Selection committees evaluate applications based on applicant’s grades, written essay, letter of recommendation and financial need.  Since its inception 13 years ago, 178 students received scholarships totaling $547,000 and this year that number will increase to 208 students for a total of $644,500.

The New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) is the Garden State’s preeminent trade association that represents the $136 billion food distribution network including 1,200 retail food stores, wholesalers, manufacturing and service companies that collectively employ more than 200,000 associates in NJ.

Over the last several years, there are countless lessons learned in the food industry from every aspect of the business including this state’s largest food trade association. We possess the uncanny ability to witness and analyze every aspect of the emergence of our members from the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. We can attest to the resiliency of the food distribution industry, and we confirm their calling is beyond essential during this epic time of uncertainty.

Prior to the pandemic, the food retail business was the reliable and traditional neighborhood store supported by a predictable supply chain network, powered by a consistent transportation and port infrastructure, fueled by reasonable gas and energy prices, populated with a vast workforce and driven by low food inflationary costs. When the Coronavirus struck followed by the aftermath of an unstable economy, it shined a spotlight on the importance of our food retailers and supplier partners who did an amazing job navigating these unchartered waters. The essential status of the food business is clear, but it went even further than that.

In 2022, as hope was in the air after member pharmacies distributed vaccines to the communities, a new wave of constraints and unpredictable challenges erupted from record food inflation costs, skyrocketing fuel increases, supply chain disruptions, a baby formula shortage and labor expenses. Families are strapped, wages are compressed and people are struggling. All the while, the local food store remains the steadfast cornerstone of the community supporting our food banks, providing alternative products, offering competitive wages, highlighting wellness goods for a healthier diet and enhancing a predictable customer experience. Today’s food retailers are beyond essential.

And as we focus on our work here in Trenton, our efforts in 2022 have been to support and advocate for our members through this tsunami of disruption. Most importantly, we rolled out the country’s most ambitious plastic law and single use bag ban in the country. Since May, our New Jersey members have eliminated 3 billion plastic bags and 68 million paper bags; an astounding industry environmental accomplishment.

Additionally, we were victorious with participation in a slip and fall amicus brief, refreshed our Green Guideline Handbook, ensured the smooth transition to eWic, grew the membership, had record member sponsorships, expanded the scholarship program, saved participating members $24 million in electric utility costs, and hosted all our major events in-person.

We accomplished these feats with the engagement of our board of directors and the new officer leadership team led by NJFC chairman Andrew Kent of Glass Gardens ShopRite, whose vision and partnership are impressive.

2022 was a whirlwind year but member resiliency and their new role of beyond essential will benefit consumers, industry partners, those in need, policy makers and suppliers as we extend our role as the cornerstone of the community in the new year to come.

In May 2022, just five months ago, New Jersey implemented a plastics law and bag ban, the most comprehensive bag law in the country. This legislation bans both plastic and paper bags from being provided by supermarkets and allows grocers to offer reusable bags for sale. It is the food retail community’s experience that the vast majority of shoppers complied and endorsed the reusable bag mandate. The successful transition of costumers away from plastic and paper bags occurred after a vigorous Bag Up NJ public education campaign in partnership with NJFC, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), NJ Clean Communities Council and the NJ Business Action Center.

This was a big win for supermarkets to be environmentally friendly, but there is also currently a slight bump in the road for the success of the plan. Orders that occur online for pickup or delivery are creating a growing number of reusable bags for consumers. NJFC is working with state legislators, policy makers and stakeholders to develop innovative and practical approaches to meet the new opportunities of the law without backtracking on the intent of it. NJFC is also encouraging the donation of the bags to local food banks and the creation of new bag exchange solutions, such as the GOATOTE system.

Several other legislative priorities include extended producer responsibility, liquor licensing reform, and unemployment insurance.

We remain concerned with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Bill, which requires producers of packaging products sold in the state to implement packaging product stewardship plans. Manufacturers are already working toward sustainable packaging and investing in solutions that address the underlying problems in the recycling markets. We believe there are a number of principles that producer responsibility plans should include to better achieve the goal of increasing recycling rates. Areas of focus for NJFC include shared responsibility and costs, feasible timeframes, consistency with the post-consumer recycled content law, stakeholder coordination and engagement, incentivizing recycling instead of waste disposal, and development of a comprehensive recycling needs assessment.

Also, NJFC strongly supports the change that would come from legislation that allows the state to pay off federal Unemployment Insurance (UI) loans and avoid additional assessments on interest payments from these loans. This legislation would also provide for more advanced notice of rate changes and tax credits for small businesses.

Also, we are gearing up for the Good Government Breakfast, a celebration of the political and policy process. It will be held at Forsgate Country Club, Monroe, NJ on October 6. This event is the opportunity for food industry executives to break bread with state legislators, policy makers and business leaders. We will present our 2022 Good Government, Outstanding Legislator of the Year awards and our inaugural Good Government Partner Award. The Good Government award will be presented to Jennifer Sweeney, head of government affairs and public liaison, Campbell Soup Company. Outstanding Legislator Awards are being presented to Senator Theresa Ruiz and Assemblyman John DiMaio. The Good Government Partner Award is being presented to JoAnn Gemenden, executive director, NJ Clean Communities Council.

We will host the Mid-Atlantic Loss Prevention Conference and Exhibition at Forsgate Country Club in Monroe, NJ on November 2 in partnership with Delaware Food Industry Association and the NJ Retail Merchants Association. This year’s event will focus on “Hometown Security” and will features speakers from the NJ Office of Homeland Security and the NJ attorney general’s office to discuss serious topics surrounding threat landscape and assessment and concealed carry and preparedness. We will honor Mike Nelson, Regional Director of Asset Protection, Wegmans Food Markets, with the NJFC Loss Prevention Professional Award.

The NJFC holiday reception to raise funds for the NJFC educational scholarship program will be held at the Park Chateau Estate & Gardens, East Brunswick, NJ on December 7. This popular holiday gathering concludes the year of NJFC events as an industry celebration and scholarship fundraiser to support the young professionals seeking higher education. In 2022, 29 scholarships were awarded totaling $93,500 including seven NJFC scholarships of $25,000 and 22 member scholarships of $68,500.

On June 30, NJ Governor Murphy signed the $50.6 billion Fiscal Year 2023 State Budget, in time for the start of the new fiscal year. This Budget is the largest appropriations bill in state history and a 40% increase in spending since Governor Murphy’s first budget 5 years ago. This Budget increases spending by more than 9% compared to the current fiscal year, including nearly $600 million in additional spending requests by individual legislators. This spending plan provides for a $6.7 billion surplus, $2 billion in property tax relief, and makes the full pension payment of $6.8 billion. The Budget bill was passed largely along party lines, with the majority of Democratic legislators voting in favor of the plan and the majority of Republicans voting against the bill, saying it does not provide meaningful tax relief.

There were other notable actions taken that impact NJFC members. The Budget agreement includes a sales tax holiday, which provides an annual 10-day exemption period from the State sales tax for school supplies and sports and recreational equipment. The exempt items are computers, school computer supplies, school supplies, school art supplies, school instructional materials, and sports or recreational equipment. This year the exemption period will be August 27-September 5, and the Division of Taxation recently issued FAQ’s for retailers.

UEZ Sales Tax Exemption for Grocers Signed

The full Legislature passed and the Governor signed a bill which restores the full sales tax exemption on business purchases made by food retailers in Urban Enterprise Zones (UEZ) provided certain conditions are met. Beginning January 1, only food retailers located in newly designated food desert communities were able to continue to utilize the full UEZ business sales tax exemption. For grocers not located in the designated food deserts, this exemption is capped at $100,000 annually. When NJEDA released their list earlier this year of areas that they designated to be official food deserts, several NJFC members that were long considered to be food desert communities lost this designation. NJFC supported this bill which would exempt all grocers in UEZ’s from this cap with certain stipulations.

Minor Employees

NJFC was thrilled when Governor Murphy signed into law a bill which expands the hours minor employees may work during the summer and updates the process for obtaining working papers. This bill makes permanent the temporary expansion enacted last year which allows minor employees between 16 and 18 years of age to work up to 50 hours in one week and up to 10 hours in one day beginning on the last day of the minor’s school year and ending on Labor Day. Additionally, this bill increases the amount of time a minor may work before a 30-minute break is required from five to six hours. These provisions take effect immediately.

SNAP Access

The Legislature passed and the Governor signed a package of bills which will increase access to SNAP benefits. Bills supported by NJFC include an appropriation of $18 million to the NJ Department of Human Services to tackle hunger. Food security is important to NJFC members, who partner with food banks and anti-hunger organizations to reduce hunger in their communities and increase access to healthy foods. SNAP is an integral part of New Jersey’s nutritional safety net for low-income residents. Enhancing and expanding the availability of SNAP benefits has a significant positive impact on food insecure households in the State.

Food Desert Relief Act

The full Legislature approved and the Governor signed into law a proposal which revises the Food Desert Relief Program and provides incentives to food retailers to establish and maintain stores in food desert communities.

After this flurry of State Budget and Legislative activity at the State House, the NJ Legislature is on summer hiatus and will resume more activity in September.  On their Fall agenda, we expect to see discussion on EPR and liquor licensing reform.  NJFC will also continue to work on Food Waste regulations, Plastic Law implementation, Child Labor Law Enforcement activities, Unemployment Insurance reform and workforce development. Ain’t no rest for the wary!

In an 18-month runway, the nation’s most trailblazing single use bag ban and plastic law was recently implemented in early May. The New Jersey Food Council (NJFC), the New Jersey Clean Communities Council (NJCCC), the NJ Business Action Center (NJBAC) and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) teamed up to develop a robust public campaign to educate and inform NJFC food retail members, bag suppliers, New Jersey’s business community and 9.2 million residents how best to comply with the law.

In this landmark legislation, the impact is vast to the shopping experience because it encapsulates the operations of all retailers, grocers, restaurants, schools, main street shops, meals on wheels, food trucks, senior centers, dining facilities, movie theaters, pharmacies, liquor stores, and foodbanks who have a 6-month delay.

Since the law was signed, NJFC developed a toolkit of Bag Up NJ resources for members to use from signage, in-store announcements, social media messaging, collateral materials, sponsored events and food retailers found innovative and cost-effective ways in which to spread the important message, especially to overburdened communities.

NJFC members have reached all corners of the state, handing out reusable bags and educational materials, while also answering questions and serving as a consistent, informed resource for the public.

The industry braced for May 4 – the day the law went into effect. And it came and went without any fanfare. The public was prepared, most shoppers remembered their bags or ran back out to their cars to retrieve their reusables or purchased a new bag to transport their groceries or found another means to carry their stuff.

There have been some lessons learned including the loss of hand baskets, a new look at bagging policies, evaluation of on-line shopping programs and pilot programs on bag exchange services. Nevertheless, the new law is in place, the education campaign prepared the public and NJ’s grocery shoppers have quickly made the adjustment to the new normal.

Our next messaging campaign will target bag cleaning, sanitizing and properly maintaining reusable bags as a reminder. Shoppers are quickly learning the reusable bags come in many shapes and sizes, as well as material such as woven or nonwoven polypropylene, nylon or polyester, bamboo or hemp, cotton or insulated.

While these reusable bags are a sustainable alternative to single use bags, they can generate germs and mold, and cross-contaminate food. Phase two of the public education campaign will focus on spreading the word on how best to wash and store bags safely between each use. Shoppers will be reminded to Clean, Separate and Store the bags.

For now, kudos to our New Jersey grocery and retail industries for taking on this arduous public service and moving the Garden State to a more sustainable and litter-free environment for generations to come.

After many years of being in the middle of policy discussions on single use paper and plastic bags, and polystyrene, this landmark plastic legislation, signed by Governor Phil Murphy on November 4, 2020, went into effect in New Jersey in early May.

We can all be immensely proud that New Jersey now has the most groundbreaking bag ban and plastic law in the nation. Our legacy for years to come will be our industry’s steadfast commitment to the environment and taking a stand against the plastic pollution that has become a worldwide menace.

May 4 was the culmination of the hard work of many individuals and member companies within the New Jersey Food Council (NJFC) and our strong partners: the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey Clean Communities Council and the New Jersey Business Action Center.

At the New Jersey Food Council, we have initiated every tool to be certain our members are informed of the new law. We held numerous working group sessions to toil  through compliance, hosted webinars to educate members, distributed guidance and clarifications on the law to members and the public, produced public service announcements for in-store systems and radio stations, uploaded member podcast, highlighted the effort in our weekly newsletter, completed countless media interviews, posted regular social media messaging, served as a sounding board for members, participated in regular meetings with our government partners to address member questions and concerns, placed a countdown clock on our web-site and supported a tool kit of resources on our web-site for member downloads to promote the law to their associates and customers.

It has been a complete effort and campaign in which we have reached millions of New Jersey residents and all food retailers with this important message over a relatively short period of time.

While we acknowledge the law will be a challenge to our growing eCommerce shopping platforms, members are already developing innovation solutions.

I want to pause for a moment to express my appreciation to the many NJFC members, board of directors, working groups, and government partners who have played such a significant role in this overall effort, as well as reflect on the meaning of what we – together – have accomplished for the future of New Jersey.

This is truly a remarkable moment and a milestone in the history of the NJ food retail business as the Garden State moves toward a more sustainable environment for generations to come.

While May the 4 is a notorious reference to a Star Wars movie tagline, in New Jersey that date signifies the ban of single use plastic and paper bags offered to shoppers by food retailers and polystyrene foam food service products provided by restaurants and food service providers. Plastic straws are now available only on request. Various components of the law impact a variety of businesses and other operations including all retailers, grocers, restaurants, schools, main street shops, meals on wheels, foodbanks, food trucks, senior centers, dining facilities, movie theaters, pharmacies, and liquor stores.

This journey began in late 2020 when Governor Murphy signed a uniform statewide plastic policy standard into law. With an initial 18-month runway, now New Jersey is only weeks away from implementation of this plastic ban law, the most stringent in the country. However, there are various exemptions for types of plastic bags and polystyrene packaging along with other implementation extensions. Also, NJFC was successful in securing flexibility within the definition of a reusable bag, so that more affordable options are available such as bags with ultrasonic stitched handles. We continue to advocate that plant-based bags should be exempt if they do not have a plastic component.

Over the past 18 months, NJFC has been working closely with partners from the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, the State Department of Environmental Protection and the NJ Business Action Center, which launched a statewide “Bag Up NJ” education campaign geared toward the business community and educating shoppers about the new law encouraging shoppers to bring their own reusable bags or another means to carry out groceries.

This effort features a multitude of messaging features including the launch of a website with a toolkit of resources that explains the law and how it affects New Jersey, a vendor clearinghouse for suppliers, an NJFC member podcast on compliance, presentations before the NJ League of Municipalities, five NJFC member working groups, a video with the NJ DEP Commissioner and a public service announcement for radio and in-store broadcast systems.

We recommend using these websites to check how the law impacts a certain business or operation at NJDEP Plastics Law FAQs or NJBAC Resources or BagUpNJ.com.

In the meantime, New Jersey grocers are ready for implementation, and this move towards a more sustainable environment. May the Fourth be with you and beyond.

In 2014, the New Jersey Food Council board of directors launched the Food Council Leadership Development Program for future leaders who have a passion for working in the food industry, possess an interest in the dynamics and trends of government, and who want to make a difference in the direction of this industry. This program combines elements of mentoring, organizational education, leadership, policy trends, skill training and guiding experiences.

NJFC member companies nominate potential candidates for participation in the program and only a limited number of individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the business and who have great potential for growth and advancement in the food distribution business are accepted.

One of the main goals of this program is to educate future leaders on public policy areas that impact their business model and expand their network beyond the silos of their respected organizations with like-minded individuals who work in New Jersey’s food industry.

The ultimate intention is for the training and mentoring they receive throughout this entire program will not only help advance their careers, but also ensure the NJ food industry and NJFC continue to flourish as they develop as leaders.

To date, six classes made up of more than 50 professionals have graduated from the program and their impact has been immediate. Today, some of the graduates serve on our board, regularly participate in committees or lead as committee chairs. The pay-off of the talent, enthusiasm and commitment of these young leaders is remarkable.

Our most encouraging example of the investment of this program is the nomination and election of the newest NJFC chairman of the board, Andrew Kent of Glass Gardens ShopRite, a graduate of our inaugural leadership development class in 2014. Andrew is an impressive grocery executive and recently was named by NJ BIZ as a next generation business leader in New Jersey. Andrew has expressed his intention to follow the path of the past 21 chairs and continue to instill the values and principles that have endured over the course of the last 53 years.

Andrew will work with a robust officer team supported by Suzanne DelVecchio of QuickChek as vice chair, Mike Styer of Acme as secretary, Mike Rothwell of Pennington Quality Market as treasurer, and Mike Biase of Mission Foods as associate vice chair. With their combined knowledge, passion and experience of the NJ marketplace, members will be left in the best of hands.

As we head into this new year with Andrew at the helm of this new leadership team, we know these are challenging times with some tough issues on the horizon in Trenton and Washington, DC. Areas we expect to focus on include updating our NJFC Strategic Plan in a post-COVID world, supporting our in-person events, growing our Educational Scholarship program, and examining ways to expand our workforce.