How the NY/NJ Regional Supply Chain Luncheon during NYC Climate Week at OPTO NYC

On September 25th, the OPTO NYC event space in Manhattan’s Flatiron District was abuzz with an unmistakable sense of momentum. The **NY/NJ Regional Supply Chain Luncheon**, held during **NYC Climate Week**, brought together a high-powered mix of utilities, developers, manufacturers, nonprofits, and suppliers—each with a stake in the rapidly evolving energy and infrastructure landscape of the nation. If there was a single takeaway from the day: New York and New Jersey are positioning themselves not just to compete, but to lead across sectors on the global stage.

Moderated by **LocalContent.com Senior Director of Economic Development Dwayne Wilkins**, the luncheon had a clear purpose: to underscore that **infrastructure development cannot progress without public support**. Supplier and workforce development—sourcing, training, and hiring within the very zip codes where these projects rise—is the linchpin. When stakeholders see tangible benefits in jobs, contracts, and investment, projects move forward faster and with fewer risks.

The conversation also reinforced that **supplier growth requires diversification**. In dynamic markets like clean energy, past performance in one sector can power entry into others. In New York and New Jersey, the range of opportunities across industries and regions makes diversification not only possible but essential.

Finally, attendees were reminded to **lean into local content policies**. Depending on the regulator tied to each project, “local” can be defined in several ways: geography, company size, gender, race, or military status. The luncheon was about bridging billion-dollar industries with small suppliers who qualify under these policies—making inclusion both a compliance requirement and a competitive advantage.

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Partner Spotlight: Excelsior Wind with Vineyard Offshore

**Excelsior Wind** highlighted the scale of opportunity offshore wind brings to New York. The project will add **1,350 MW of offshore wind capacity**—enough to power **700,000 homes**—while creating **2,000 union jobs** and delivering **$2.6 billion in direct economic benefits**. By reducing **1.2 million tons of carbon pollution** and securing more than **100 letters of community support**, Excelsior Wind is proving that climate solutions can also be economic engines.

Key to its community-first approach, the project’s preferred landfall site and onshore cable route are designed to **minimize disruption to Long Island neighborhoods**. Beyond clean power, the initiative will forge **partnerships with local businesses, educational institutions, and nonprofits**, ensuring that benefits flow directly into the communities hosting the project.

For suppliers across the region, Excelsior Wind signals more than renewable energy—it represents **long-term economic opportunity** across manufacturing, maritime, logistics, and community benefit investments.

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Partner Spotlight: Promatech, Inc. and the Pro-NJ Grantor Trust

Founded in **1985** and headquartered in **Mount Laurel, NJ**, **Promatech, Inc.** has built a reputation as a trusted construction consultancy serving the Mid-Atlantic’s A/E/C industry. Its services range from **construction and program management** to **M/WBE compliance, DBE supportive services, payroll review, and public outreach**—making it an invaluable partner in ensuring projects meet cost, schedule, and compliance benchmarks.

At the luncheon, Promatech highlighted its expanding leadership in supplier readiness through its recent award from the **Pro-NJ Grantor Trust**. This independent **$15 million fund** was established to ensure that New Jersey’s offshore wind industry develops in a **sustainable and inclusive way**. The Trust provides **grant support for small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses** to reconfigure operations for offshore wind, while also funding **infrastructure resiliency improvements** in Atlantic, Ocean, and Cape May counties.

Promatech’s recognition as a Trust awardee underscores its role as both a solutions provider and a bridge between large-scale infrastructure projects and local businesses. By leveraging decades of expertise in compliance and project management, the firm is helping ensure that mandates around diversity, equity, and resiliency translate into **real opportunities for suppliers and communities**.

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The luncheon’s backbone was a session charting **regional supply chain trends and opportunities** across multiple sectors:

• Anthony “AJ” Negrelli, Founder of Clay Bridges**, drew from a decade of offshore wind experience to illustrate how grassroots supplier engagement, technical readiness, and targeted investment have transformed local firms into credible players in global procurements.
• Jen Brock Chief Development Officer for the Oceantic Network previewed the **International Partnering Forum (IPF 2026)**, set for February in New York City. IPF will convene global leaders across offshore wind, hydrogen, marine carbon removal, ports, vessels, and transmission—positioning the Northeast as a hub for next-generation ocean energy.
• Teresa Tarulli, Industrial Engineer and Supply Chain Specialist at NJMEP**, showcased the impact of **“Made in NJ” Manufacturing Day**, the state’s largest annual convening of manufacturers. She emphasized how lean practices, training, and innovation programs help small and mid-sized manufacturers stay globally competitive.
• Robin Tabkain, President of Technoforce**, stressed the importance of aligning global events with local mandates. Drawing on her leadership in the **NJ Board of Public Utilities Supplier Diversity Development Council, NJ Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and NJ Diverse Business Advisory Council**, she highlighted supplier readiness for upcoming opportunities, including the **2026 FIFA World Cup**.
• Organizers also spotlighted **Sports Power Infrastructure™**, an affiliate of LocalContent.com. Through partnerships like its collaboration with Haugland Group at Citi Field, SPI uses sports and entertainment to attract, train, and certify the workforce and suppliers for trillion-dollar infrastructure projects.

Together, these perspectives underscored the **cross-sector opportunities** emerging across the Northeast—from energy and manufacturing to broadband, defense, sports & entertainment, and AI-driven technologies.

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Launching the NY/NJ Energy + Industry Supply Chain Tour

The event’s most consequential announcement was the launch of the **NY/NJ Energy + Industry Supply Chain Tour**, a 12-month pilot initiative led by Promatech in partnership with LocalContent.com and powered by the Pro-NJ Grantor Trust.

Anchored in energy yet spanning **manufacturing, marine, real estate, healthcare, construction, defense, broadband, sports & entertainment, and AI/tech**, the tour is designed to strengthen supplier readiness, boost visibility, and connect local businesses to contracts and funding opportunities.

For **local and small businesses**, the tour offers certification support, AI-powered visibility through **Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)**, matchmaking with buyers and funders, and inclusion in the official supply chain database used by developers and primes. For **investors, developers, and primes**, the program provides a pathway to meet compliance mandates, expand local sourcing, and reduce project risk through measurable community engagement.

**Anchor Partners**—industry leaders committed to advancing the regional supply chain—gain recognition, visibility, and competitive advantage in proposals and grants. The tour will feature supplier engagement events across New Jersey and New York, culminating in a **Certification Master Class in Atlantic City in September 2026**.

Designed to move conversations from **boardrooms to shop floors**, the tour is set to accelerate public–private collaboration across the region.

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### The Fortune View

The NY/NJ Regional Supply Chain Luncheon was more than networking—it was a **strategic reset built on purpose**. By aligning utilities, developers, manufacturers, and suppliers, the event crystallized the region’s competitive edge: a market unafraid to turn regulatory requirements into engines of growth. For companies with ambitions in energy, infrastructure, and beyond, the message was unequivocal: **the time to secure your place in the NY/NJ supply chain is now.**

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📥 **To download materials from the meeting, [click here].**

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### Contact Participating Organizations on LinkedIn

* [LocalContent.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/localcontentcom/)

* [Vineyard Offshore](https://www.linkedin.com/company/vineyardoffshore/)

* [Excelsior Wind](https://www.linkedin.com/company/vineyardoffshore/) *(operated by Vineyard Offshore)*

* [Promatech, Inc.](https://www.linkedin.com/company/promatech-inc/)

* [Pro-NJ Grantor Trust](https://www.linkedin.com/company/pro-nj-grantor-trust/)

* [Clay Bridges Consulting](https://www.linkedin.com/company/clay-bridges-consulting/)

* [Oceantic Network](https://www.linkedin.com/company/oceantic-network/)

* [NJMEP](https://www.linkedin.com/company/njmep/)

* [Technoforce](https://www.linkedin.com/company/technoforce-global/)

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