Hartz history

Since 1966, Hartz' industrial portfolio was originally developed and maintained primarily in Northern New Jersey, within a 30-minute drive of the company's headquarters in Secaucus, NJ and a short distance from New York City.

In order to rase the $40 million needed for the Meadowlands project, Stern took Hartz Mountain Pet Foods public in 1972.

“Cages to Collars—Hartz Mountain Finds Pet Supplies Growth Business,” Barron’s, February 9, 1976.

By the early 1980’s Hartz products were sold in more than 40,000 United States and Canadian retail outlets.

In 1985, he purchased the Village Voice, a well-known Manhattan weekly newspaper, from publisher Robert Murdoch for $55 million, then two years later launched another Manhattan weekly newspaper he christened 7 Days.

Unicharm entered into the pet-care business in 1986 and is currently the leading pet care manufacturer in Japan.

In 1988, Stern formed the Harmon Publishing Company, a new division developed to oversee his real estate publications.

The company continued as a largely family-run enterprise, with Stern’s son Edward, who joined the firm in 1989, serving as executive vice-president of the Hartz Group’s pet supply operations, and another son, Emmanuel, as executive vice-president of the real estate arm of the Hartz business.

In 1990, after failing to receive a suitable offer from bidders, Stern ceased publication of 7 Days, which had proven to be a $10 million loser despite earning positive reviews and being nominated for a coveted National Magazine Award.

In order to continue to develop products in line with the tastes of a new generation of pet owners, the company bolstered its research and development efforts in 1995, building new laboratories near its main New Jersey manufacturing plant.

Edward Stern was named president of Hartz Mountain Corporation in 1997, but like his father he grew less interested in running the pet supply business.

Out of these efforts came a new line of over-the-counter flea- and tick-control systems that was launched in 1998.

In 2000, The Hartz Mountain Corporation was sold to the J.W. Childs Associates, LP, a leading private equity investment firm, which gave a renewed focus to research and development.

Under the leadership of Emanuel Stern, Hartz launched a companywide sustainability initiative in 2007.

Also in 2009, NJBIZ recognized President and Chief Operating Officer Emanuel Stern as the "Green Executive of the Year."

On October 12, 2011, as a further tribute to Max Stern's American dream, the Stern family unveiled an actual replica cast from the original plaster sculpture of the Statue of Liberty at their 667 Madison Avenue building in Manhattan.

Hartz acquired luxury multifamily buildings in Chicago, Austin and Seattle and in 2012 Hartz completed its first new ground-up residential development in years, the 116 unit Osprey Cove, in Secaucus, NJ.

In February of 2014, Hartz opened The Estuary, a 582 unit, 3 building complex in Weehawken, NJ. The Estuary will be joined by a new Whole Foods, a Blue Ale House Gastro Pub and many more amenities securing Lincoln Harbor's future as a dynamic place to live, work, and play.

Hartz brought Top Golf to its Edison, NJ retail development in December of 2016.

Hartz commenced the leasing of 240 residential units at 3 Journal Square, Jersey City, NJ in March 2017.

In December 2019, Hartz purchased an office building and lab space at One Malcolm Avenue, Teterboro, NJ, with plans for adaptive reuse of the site.