Discount retail chain Ocean State Job Lot is adding rooftop solar panels to 14 of its stores across the Northeast, including one in New Jersey. In an April 17 announcement, the Rhode Island-based company said it will install 1,712 panels with 933.2-kilowatts capacity over the next year at its Princeton location. Plans also call for solar projects at seven stores in Connecticut, six in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island, as well as at corporate headquarters. The upcoming work will be done in partnership with Ecogy Energy in Brooklyn and NextGrid in Boston. It expands the chain’s rooftop sol ..read more

A Westwood-based brand of men’s grooming essentials backed by NBA star James Harden is making its retail debut at Target. In an April 19 press release, Beard Club announced that its curated toolkit of premium, beard-first men’s grooming essentials is available at store locations nationwide as well as online at Target.com. Founded in 2015, Beard Club’s line includes a beard trimmer, body trimmer, beard oil, leave-in thickening conditioning, beard & face wash, and beard cream. The product formulas use ingredients to nourish, strengthen and style beards of all lengths and textures, acco ..read more

The state added 13,800 jobs last month, according to the March jobs report released this week by the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development. The report reflects a nice rebound for the state following a rough February. “March is known for its erratic weather, and those conditions also applied to New Jersey’s labor market numbers,” said Charles Steindel, former chief economist of the State of New Jersey, in his analysis of the data for Garden State Initiative. “The good news was the marked increase of 13,800 in the number of jobs in the state – the largest gain since last Ju ..read more

As part of an ongoing effort to give back to the communities where it operates, Campbell Soup. Co. awarded $880,000 in grants to more than three dozen nonprofits that are making a difference. The Camden-based company, along with the employee-led Campbell’s Foundation, provides support to groups working to increase food access and encourage healthy lifestyles through its annual Community Impact Grant program. The newly announced recipients include 44 organizations across 16 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Each will receive $20,000 to support programming and operations. Within New Jersey ..read more

The Murphy administration announced April 18 Rajpal Bath will serve as inaugural executive director of the New Jersey India-Commission. Bath In February, Gov. Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 354, establishing the New Jersey-India Commission under the purview of the Department of State. The group is tasked with advancing bilateral trade, investment and economic development between New Jersey and India. Bath previously served as a senior aide to Murphy. The governor pointed to his ability to address complex issues and forge meaningful partnerships as well as Bath’s robust background in c ..read more

The Children’s Place secured another loan from its majority shareholder. In an April 17 press release, the Secaucus-based children’s apparel retailer said it entered a new financing agreement with Mithaq Capital for an unsecured and subordinated $90 million term loan to be funded no later than April 19. The company, which issued a profit warning two months ago, said the financing will help repay an existing $50 million loan, reduce account payable balances with vendors and other general corporate purposes. The funding comes after an event of default was triggered by a change in control when M ..read more

Looking ahead, Prologis predicts activity will get slower yet in the industrial sector. Reflecting on the first quarter of the year, New Jersey posted a vacancy rate under the national average. However, as more space remains available and with plenty slated to come online in the near term, the state is not insulated entirely from national trends. “It’s a very perplexing environment and one that I haven’t seen before. You have all the indicators of demand, whether it’s top-line GDP or retail sales or e-commerce sales, which are on fire, all pointing in the right direction,” Prologis Chief Exec ..read more

Top sales 299 Murray Hill Parkway, East Rutherford 99,173 square feet $28.5 million Buyer: Oliver Street Capital Seller: Braha Industries   55 Van Keuren Ave., Jersey City 33,000 square feet $21.6 million Buyer: Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. Seller: James G Nicholas II LLC   390 Central Ave., East Rutherford 47,310 square feet $19.40 million Buyer: Sagard Real Estate Seller: Deugen Development   1 Dodge Drive, West Caldwell 111,000 square feet $17.5 million Buyer: Venture One Seller: Terreno Realty 152 Ridge Road 216,000 square feet $55 million Buyer: Invesco Sell ..read more

Dispensaries across New Jersey plan to mark 4/20 – the biggest day of the year for cannabis culture – with special deals, promotions and freebies. With April 20 falling on a Saturday, and more adult-use markets online than ever before, industry analysts expect this year the U.S. will see record-breaking sales.  New Jersey is home to 120-plus dispensaries and counting. This year marks the second 4/20 since the April 21, 2022, launch of legalized recreational sales. Scott Franco is vice president of marketing for C3 Industries, the multistate operator that runs High Profile in Lakehurst. H ..read more

Atlantic City is once again playing host this week to the 27th Annual East Coast Gaming Congress (ECGC), bringing together the industry’s top leaders and stakeholders. The two-day event kicked off April 17 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino AC. It features an exhibit hall, networking opportunities, panel discussions, speeches from gaming leaders and more. “The basic notion of ‘Leaders Speaking to Leaders’ will be on full display at this event,” ECGC co-founders Lloyd Levenson and Michael Pollock, wrote in their welcome note. “Our roster of speakers begins with 11 CEOs as well as the Attorney Gen ..read more