Sussex County, Chamber Of Commerce Partner To Assist Businesses

SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ - Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the County of Sussex has continued to work collectively with the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber’s Economic Development Partnership, to provide vital information to the County’s business community.

“I’m very thankful for all the work done by our Sussex County Chamber and Economic
Development Partnership, helping to connect business with state and federal funding and
keeping them informed,” said Freeholder Joshua Hertzberg. "Tammie Horsfield (County Chamber and Economic Development Partnership President) worked tirelessly to help our business community throughout this whole disaster. Unfortunately, the work has just started; and we have a long road ahead of us.”

The Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders have been partnering with the Chamber and the Economic Development Partnership, to provide breaking news briefings to the business community during the Chamber’s weekly meetings, as well as information about business loan and grant opportunities to businesses during the pandemic. The entities have also worked together on a tri-county regional plan for reopening, along with Freeholders from Warren and Hunterdon Counties.

Part of New Jersey’s recovery is the reopening of restaurants for indoor dining statewide
on Sept. 4, with Governor Phil Murphy having made a provision that indoor dining would be
permitted for restaurants, at 25 percent capacity.

“As happy as I am that our restaurants, gyms and other businesses can open, it’s a
bittersweet feeling,” said Hertzberg. “Restaurants that are big enough may be able to break
even at 25 percent, but smaller places would lose money trying to operate at this percentage.
We need to quickly accelerate the opening plan in the fastest, safest manner.”

Horsfield said she hoped reopening inside dining would move the county forward a little bit.

"It’s a step in the right direction,” Horsfield said. “It’s been very hard on our businesses. They’ve all been very challenged. So many things have changed in our world within six months. I’m hoping that these reopenings are the beginning and that many new opportunities will follow.”

Weather-dependent, many businesses can maintain outdoor dining, in tandem with the
new indoor dining measures, she said.

She said County businesses that have survived have been able to do so when grants
have been available, through loans and with the majority using the Paycheck Protection
Program loan through the Small Business Administration, to cover payroll.

Horsfield said the Chamber is just beginning to hear about the businesses that have
not been able to reopen and does not have a full accounting yet of which businesses have not
survived the complexities of the pandemic.

Along with the return of indoor dining, Horsfield said the Chamber hopes to return to in-
person meetings with smaller groups, such as the smaller local Chamber Councils. The
Chamber’s spring Expo was postponed due to the pandemic and the Chamber is exploring a
virtual experience through VirBELA, a virtual program that will allow Expo participants to create avatars, booths, videos and more online. Attendees can also set up one-on-one meetings
through VirBELA.

The next in-person Chamber Expo has been tentatively scheduled at Crystal Springs
for Thursday, April 8, 2021.

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