Joining Assemblyman Zwicker in the discussion were Ben Reytblat, CEO of 3DMonstr and Peter Dawson, President of Leigh Imaging.
Both are small business owners in Princeton Junction, New Jersey — Reytblat of a start-up and Dawson an established business serving the region for over 70 years.
The tour and roundtable, one of many Zwicker is having, highlighted the importance of high tech industries to fuel economic growth and job creation. Zwicker, a physicist at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, listened to what these entrepreneurs need to start, grow and be successful.
“What I heard today is what I have been hearing from entrepreneurs and business owners around the district,” Assemblyman Zwicker said. “New Jersey needs to embrace and encourage an innovation economy if we are going to create the jobs necessary to compete globally and with neighboring states.”
Reytblat noted, “We have 3D printers that we need to build and deliver, and we need to continually be innovating. For this we need qualified people and capital to accomplish this.”
For Dawson, “Buy Local” is the message. “Quality and customer care has always been first with us and has always been important to customers. Yet, with customers turning to online purchases where quality and customer care isn’t as important, how can we stress to the local community the importance of buying local?”
“New Jersey needs more people like Ben and Peter. People with ideas and dreams who are willing to risk, invest and start companies. People who provide work and paychecks to grow our economy. Our future depends on generating more innovative ideas and risk-takers and then building an environment that keeps them here,” Zwicker stated.
3DMonstr designs and manufactures large-format, industrial grade, quad-extruder 3D printers while Leigh Imaging specializes in commercial photography, large format printing, and signage.