The seeds of New Jersey’s economy were planted, quite literally, in 1698 when Scottish immigrant Alexander Laird began plying his trade as a distiller using the apples growing plentifully in what is now Monmouth County. Laird & Co. is still making Applejack in Scobeyville – one of several businesses that can trace their roots to colonial times profiled in this feature. Others date to the 18th century and many go back to the 1800s. It’s a rich history that NJBIZ celebrates with this list.

Because the feature is new, a word of explanation is in order. The NJBIZ staff looked for business that have not only been around for many decades – and centuries – but that are also still thriving, still contributing to New Jersey’s business community and still enriching the lives of the state’s residents. The result of that effort is this issue, which includes iconic names, little-known enterprises, global corporations and family-owned shops. Going through the profiles that follow should give readers a vivid picture of how the state developed over the years.

It is a history that reveals the foundations of the state’s prosperity – built by immigrants and native-born citizens alike. Throughout the centuries, the businesses driving growth came from a diverse set of industries, including technology, health care, professional services, and, of course, agriculture, travel and hospitality (Welcome to the Garden State!).

All of those sectors are represented here. As is manufacturing, an industry that has been in the spotlight in recent years. The state’s manufacturing legacy reaches back to the earliest days of the American political economy, when Alexander Hamilton, along with a partner, founded The Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures in 1791 with the goal of importing industrial knowhow to what was essentially an agrarian nation. The result was the founding of Paterson adjacent to the Great Falls of the Passaic River.

In his biography of Hamilton, Ron Chernow explains why Hamilton settled on New Jersey for his project. “The state was densely populated, possessed cheap land and abundant forests, and enjoyed easy access to New York money,” Chernow writes. “Most critically, it was well watered by rivers that could spin turbine blades and water wheels.”

Except for “cheap land” the description sounds awfully familiar. A large market, available financing and critical technology. Welcome to the Garden State!

This feature was fun to prepare – let us know if you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. The businesses are listed in alphabetical order.

– Jeffrey Kanige
Email: [email protected]

Methodology

These lists are compiled by the NJBIZ editorial staff based on our reporting throughout the past year with input from experts in a variety of fields and recommendations from our readers.