A unique school program vies for the top spot in a nationwide contest Thomas Gaudio

BRIDGETON - The Rutgers Food Innovation Center is one of four business incubators named as finalists in the 2007 Incubator of the Year awards, to be handed out this week by the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA).

Athens, Ohio, chose the four programs from a field of 12 self-nominated incubators that are members of the organization, which has 650 member incubators around the world. There will be two winners: one in the high-tech category and one in the service and manufacturing category in which the food innovation center is competing.

Rutgers Food Innovation Center was chosen as a finalist because of its clients’ successes and the strong financial backing that it receives. “It is a unique incubator in that we don’t have many around that are purely food incubators,” Morris says. “And it’s impressive that they’re doing business on a pretty large scale without a building.”

Bridgeton office to about 750 organizations throughout the state, including start-up and established food manufacturers, farm cooperatives, retailers and restaurants. Clients include organic gelato maker Blackwell Organic of Red Bank; Nutty Ducky’s, an Edison-based producer of nut and chocolate brittles; and importer Lacas Coffee of Pennsauken.

Bridgeton. It is designed to house offices, laboratories for chemical and microbiological testing, equipment to make food and beverages on a small scale and even a room with a one-way mirror for clients to watch focus groups respond to their test products.

Rutgers and the state that does applied research and offers programs in a variety of areas related to food and land. The incubator is funded by grants from the station and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and by clients’ fees.

Hamilton Square and East Windsor and eight Whole Foods stores around New Jersey.

"It sounds expensive, but it’s a really good value when you consider that we puree our own fruits and use only fair-trade certified ingredients,” says Blackwell.

The gelato maker turned to the incubator because the fledgling company needed guidance on how to do such things as pricing its products and ramping up production of the frozen dessert while maintaining its homemade flavor. Blackwell’s lactose-intolerant husband, Tom, created the recipe as a way to enjoy a lactose-free treat.

Many others are enjoying Blackwell Organic as well, says Rudi Ringwald, vice president of Black Forest Acres. “People really seem to like it,” he says. The stores carry the organic gelato for its taste and the high quality of its ingredients, Ringwald says. “We try to key in on products that fit our mold, things that aren’t mass produced,” he says.

Ringwald would like to see more small food makers on the shelves of Black Forest Acres. “Twenty years ago, there were a lot of more companies like Blackwell’s. Everything is being bought up now through mergers,” he says. “The industry is shrinking because of big business. We want to see companies like Blackwell succeed.”