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Based in Branchville since 1926, Selective Insurance recently unveiled the latest stage of its solar facility in Sussex County.

The business, home and auto insurance carrier held its Power Up NJ event April 21 to celebrate the installation, which is expected to produce approximately 5 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy per year. According to Selective, the Power Up NJ event included tours of the features and remarks from company leaders heading Selective’s sustainability efforts.

“As a property and casualty insurer, we understand climate change science and the impact increased weather-related loss frequency and severity have on our individual and business customers,” said Mark Wilcox, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Selective Insurance, in a statement. “To advance a clean energy future and reduce carbon-based power demand, we proudly unveil the latest solar installation at our Branchville, N.J., corporate headquarters. This installation allows us to produce up to approximately 5 million kWh of electricity annually that we sell to others.”

Selective said it will make that output available through the state’s Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) and Transition Renewable Energy Certificates (TREC) markets.

The company holds itself out as a strong believer in a clean energy future, with an eye toward helping mitigate impacts for stakeholders as part of its corporate responsibility.

How is the value of a TREC determined?

NJBPU multiplies the base compensation rate ($152/MWh) by the project’s assigned factor:

Some unpredictable factors the insurer cited include as the most serious and severe for policyholders, communities and businesses are hurricanes, floods and wildfires.

In an effort to reduce the impact of carbon-based power on climate change and move toward a clean energy future, Selective said its headquarters has also received additional installations, including:

Selective said its ground mount contractor was Sol Systems LLC; sub-contractors included Infinity Energy LLC and Star-Lo Electric Inc. The company’s canopy contractor was Sol CES Projects LLC, while sub-contractors included Core Development Group LLC and Star-Lo Electric Inc.

What happens when New Jersey brothers who know how to build things start a business together? They build it from the ground up.

Mike and Gordon Geerhart went from construction work to founding Milk Street Distillery in Branchville, Sussex County. It’s now renowned for its top-notch booze–and for good times in the rollicking tasting room and bar. (Attention, parents: trick-or-treaters can expect a hefty bag of M&Ms from 3:30 to 5:30 pm on Halloween.)

NJM: Why did you choose to open in Branchville, out near Stokes State Forest? Mike: We’re Sussex County boys and we love it here. The locals are great. They’re eager to support a New Jersey distillery.

Gordon: We’re just off US-206, the gateway to Sussex County’s parks and cute towns like Branchville. So we get customers from all over New Jersey and nearby areas of New York and Pennsylvania. They’ve heard that our tasting room and bar are a must-stop on a Sussex County road trip or motorcycle ride.

What did you do in the construction field? Mike: It’s more like what didn’t we do! We were general contractors for mainly commercial buildings like stores and offices.

Gordon: I’m 11 years younger, so Mike had a head start.

Mike: That’s true. In my early twenties, I was offered a construction job and liked it—working hard and seeing my efforts result in a building. I moved to Oregon, where there was a lot of construction going on. I spent eight years there and became a certified welder. I moved back to Sussex and started a general contracting business.

Gordon: I joined the business a year later, and we did that for 14 years.

What was the tipping point? Mike: In 2014, Gordon and I were working on a school going up in Newark. It was winter and miserably cold, windy and slushy. We weren’t exactly feeling a passion for construction.

Gordon: I had just seen the news that Governor Christie had relaxed the state distillery laws, making it easier to operate a small New Jersey distillery.

Mike: We were aware that craft breweries were going parabolic and thought the same thing might happen with distilleries. We wanted to be in the first wave of Jersey craft distilleries.

Gordon: And we had this pivotal moment.

Mike: Right. So we’re working on the Newark school-to-be’s metal roof deck. And Gordon draws this really cool schematic of the distilling process, with all the vats and stations. The end piece was the spout, and he drew dollar signs coming out of it.

Gordon: That’s when we got serious.

What brought you to the idea of producing spirits? Mike: We’re close to the Irish half of our family!

Gordon: We both loved Canadian whiskey, which is blended to perfection. We’d always comment on how smooth it was. That’s an art, and it inspired us.

Mike: And I had some customer-service experience. After high school I bartended and cooked at a bar and grill in Wantage, here in Sussex. I wasn’t crazy about being in the kitchen, but I thrived on dealing with customers, making sure they had a nice night out. And high-quality liquor and cocktails are essential for that.

Gordon: No argument there!

And that’s when Milk Street Distillery took shape? Mike: In February 2015, we quit our construction jobs and jumped in feet first. We rented our building. It was built in the late 1800s as a feed and grain store.

Gordon: All we had was the shell and some basic plumbing and electric.

Mike: And heat and AC. So it was already better than outdoor construction work.

Gordon: The building and setup took us nearly two years. Milk Street Distillery opened in January 2017 with our first spirits, Black Vulture Vodka and Wooden Leg Rum. They’re still in the lineup.

How did you learn craft distilling? Mike: There are two parts to that. Training our palates and mastering the technical process.

Gordon: We did a lot of tasting, learning the various flavor notes and levels of smoothness and refinement.

Mike: As far as the blending and distilling process, we read books and manuals and watched I don’t know how many videos and tutorials. It helped that we’re good with machinery.

Gordon: As in construction, distilling depends on doing all the steps right, and adding some flair to your solid foundation.

Mike: And consistency is key. To create a reliable liquor brand, you need more than great flavor. You need to get the same result from every batch.

Gordon: It took us two years to get to that point. We now produce 10 different liquors. Malt whiskey, rye whiskey, cinnamon-and-birch-flavored whiskey, two bourbons, rum, gin, three vodkas including ginger-infused, and more on the way. They are all completely “grain to glass,” meaning that everything is mashed, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled on-site.

A lot of distilleries have tasting rooms, but yours is more of a lively bar. What was behind that decision? Mike: We wanted to introduce as many people as possible to our liquor, so they could buy it and ask their liquor stores to carry it. And we liked the idea of a cocktail menu in addition to the usual tasting flights.

Gordon: The bar is also a profit source to supplement our craft-distillery output, which is relatively small.

Mike: Another reason for our hoppin’ bar scene: we aimed to provide a nightspot for Branchville, which is very special to us both. A place that would provide our community with a welcoming, kind of down-home bar experience.

Gordon: There’s a pretty relaxed lifestyle out here in Sussex County, and people are very open to having fun. A casual bar with a lot of socializing worked. We were already going for an edgy vibe—think: tattoos—with our liquor names and labels.

Mike: I think of the mood here as party atmosphere. We have a two-sided bar you can settle into and lots of picnic tables for groups of friends.

Gordon: Or friends that you run into here. Year-round!

That’s appealing. Gordon: Things just happened that way. We took the party outdoors during Covid, when the state permitted us to expand our seating. Branchville was, and still is, ultra-supportive of our plans.

Mike: On Saturday evenings we invite one of many excellent food trucks we know. It could be barbecue, pizza, tacos, fat sandwiches, lobster rolls.

Gordon: Don’t forget the chicken and waffles truck.

What are your drinks like? Mike: We serve shots, tasting flights, and all kinds of cocktails made with our various liquors. We distill pretty much every type of hard liquor except tequila—which must be made in Jalisco, Mexico–and we offer over 50 different cocktails to spotlight our spirits’ distinctive flavors.

Gordon: Most customers order from our 34-item bar menu. There’s something for everyone, with your favorite spirit. A drink that’s sweet or tart. Spicy, fruity or herbal. Rocks, neat, frothy or not.

Mike: We have two fantastic and friendly bartenders, Rayna Funari and Leah Del Guidice. They make all the cocktail classics plus their own wildly tasty recipes. They know what a perfect cocktail is. And customers love it that every drink can be tweaked to their tastes.

Gordon: Our cocktails are big pours but cost only between 9 and 13 bucks; those are the martinis. Shots are less.

Mike: What every Milk Street cocktail has in common is its honesty. We don’t stretch our drinks with junky mixers or tons of ice and we don’t skimp on the liquor–unless a customer asks us to go light!

What’s upcoming for Milk Street Distillery? Mike: We’re introducing our McNally’s Irish-style whiskey in 2024.

Gordon: That’s our mom’s maiden name.

Mike: And we’re seeking broader distribution in the state and beyond. We have that Jersey can-do attitude going for us. Seeing our liquors on store shelves is the best feeling.

Milk Street Distillery’s cats, Harry and Ester. Photo: Courtesy of Milk Street Distillery

What about the next generation of Geerharts? Mike: Well, my son Michael is 19…

Gordon: …And my daughter Ava is five. I know that’s a little young for a hospitality career. [Laughs.] But she loves our lively atmosphere and our distillery cats, Harry and Ester.

Milk Street Distillery: 1 Milk Street, Branchville; tasting room and bar open Friday through Sunday; 973-948-0178

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BRANCHVILLE — A Sussex County company got some national recognition Thursday, as Fortune named Selective Insurance one of the top 40 places to work among financial service and insurance businesses for 2021.

The company headquartered in Branchville made the Great Place to Work list for the first time this year, slotting in at 38th place out of all financial service workplaces in the country. Among New Jersey businesses in the category, only the Princeton-based WithumSmith+Brown, at 34th, scored higher in the ranking.

"Today, as our workplace evolves, we and our employees continue to celebrate the diverse talent, individual identity, and different points of view that each brings to the table," said Selective President and CEO John Marchioni. "Selective is honored to be recognized as a Best Workplace in Financial Services and Insurance by Fortune. This honor confirms our belief that Selective is a great place for our employees to grow and apply their talents and abilities."

The 2021 list was compiled by analyzing feedback from an anonymous survey of nearly 840,000 financial service and insurance employees throughout the United States. The results placed Selective on the same list as companies in large cities like New York, Chicago, Houston and Boston.

The survey showed 91% of Selective employees identified the company as a great place to work, significantly higher than the 59% average for U.S.-based companies. Other positive factors of Selective cited by at least 93% of survey respondents include ethical and competent management, a welcoming atmosphere and a strong overall working environment.

"The culture brings a strong sense of community where we can speak what's on our minds and collaborate with all levels," read one employee's statement on the Great Place to Work website. "They really believe in us and provide opportunities to partake in projects that affect the entire company and our community."

Selective executives expressed pride at being named to the list for the first time, particularly following a difficult year for many due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"At Selective, our strong employee culture helps team members create unique insurance solutions for our customers and is as important to employee satisfaction as benefits and other workplace perks," said Cyndi Bennett, the company's chief human resources officer. “Inclusion on this list is an honor, especially after a year that has tested the strength of many organizations, and is a testament to the incredibly resilient employees that make Selective a stand-out workplace in the financial services and insurance sector."

Kyle Morel can also be contacted on Twitter: @KMorelNJH, on Facebook: Facebook.com/KMorelNJH, or by phone: 973-383-1292.

Executives, employees and customers at Branchville-based Selective Insurance Co. of America made the holiday season a little brighter by donating more than $30,000 to charitable causes during the company's inaugural Week of Giving.

The insurer kicked off the initiative, which ran from Dec. 14-18, by providing 400 laptops to the Kids in Need Foundation. The donation to benefit under-resourced students is especially helpful in the COVID-19 age where many children are learning virtually, Selective said in a statement last week.

“The digital divide is a systemic issue in education that has been magnified as a result of the global pandemic. With varying learning environments, access to the equipment and connectivity is a necessity for students to continue their education,” said Corey Gordon, the CEO of Kids In Need, a nonprofit that provides school supplies to underserved students.

“We are grateful for Selective Insurance’s donation as 400 students will now be better prepared for remote learning as we look ahead to the second semester.”

Selective also donated $5,000 to four other organizations, for a total of $20,000 during the Week of Giving: the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, Meals on Wheels America, the American Red Cross and the Petfinder Foundation.

The insurance company also provided links to each organization for employees and agents to contribute and matched individual donations up to $500. Additionally, it pledged $5 for every post on its social media pages shared by users on the respective days.

Giving back:Selective 'Build-a-Bike' campaign benefits Sussex County children during the holidays

Relief:Newton 'Restaurant Week' to support local eateries during COVID-19

Heroes:Meet the unsung heroes of North Jersey, quietly making our communities better for years

"Selective’s Week of Giving is designed to inspire our employees, agency partners, and customers to engage with causes and charities making a meaningful difference in our communities," said President and CEO John Marchioni. "Through our insurance coverages, we make the world a safer place – but through our charity, we can make the world a better place."

According to Katelyn Leondi, Selective's director of public relations, the community involvement added $10,000 on top of the original $20,000 in company donations, though the final amount is still being tallied.

With a decline in traditional volunteer efforts due to COVID, the Week of Giving benefits several groups when they need it most, Leondi said.

"We saw everyone – from our employees, our customers, our followers – rally behind these organizations," Leondi said. "It's a different way to still be supportive of our local communities."

Kyle Morel can also be contacted on Twitter: @KMorelNJH, on Facebook: Facebook.com/KMorelNJH, or by phone: 973-383-1292.

Branchville business owner Sherri Cecchini and her staff recently towed a 2024 24’ Nautique GS24 boat packed with toys and gift cards to Project Self-Sufficiency. The boat’s arrival is part of the annual “Stuff the Boat” initiative on behalf of the Season of Hope Toy Drive. The tenth annual Stuff the Boat effort was coordinated by Off Shore Marine in conjunction with members of the fire departments in members of the Branchville Hose Company, the Blue Ridge Rescue Squad, Frankford Township Fire Department, the Kiwanis Club of Sussex, Royal Buick GMC of Sussex, Sussex Fire and Emergency Medical Service, the Ladies Auxiliary of the Sussex Fire Department, and the Wanderer’s Car Club.

“We are exceptionally grateful for this community’s steadfast commitment to our neighbors in need. This ongoing collaboration between a local business and area first responders perfectly demonstrates the true spirit of giving during the holiday season,” commented Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “Thousands of families in our area will be helped by this initiative.”

“This year marks the tenth annual Stuff the Boat collection for Project Self-Sufficiency’s Season of Hope Toy Drive, and we surpassed our expectations, thanks to the generosity of this community,” remarked Off Shore Marine owner Sherri Cecchini, who was inspired to launch the effort after dropping off a bag of toys and touring the non-profit agency. “We are invested in our community; we have built our business and raised our family here. Putting goodness into the world is the right thing to do, and if we each contribute where and what we can, together we can make a real difference.”

The Season of Hope Toy Drive is coordinated by Project Self-Sufficiency to benefit thousands of children in Sussex and Northern Morris and Warren counties. Toys, gift cards and monetary donations will be gratefully received at Project Self-Sufficiency, 127 Mill Street in Newton, Monday – Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. or Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. To donate online, or for more information, visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org or call 973-940-3500.