A Hunterdon County-based car dealership that made national headlines after pulling local TV ads from NFL games is now awarding its employees with a $500 bonus, citing President Trump's recent federal tax reform.
Flemington Car and Truck Country is giving more than 700 full-time employees a $500 bonus, CEO Steve Kalafer said Monday.
He also plans to revamp some of his eight facilities, including upgrading the Ford, Subaru, Infini and BMW dealerships.
"Instead of sending this money to Washington, D.C., I'd rather send it to my people that work hard every day. Instead of sending money to Washington, D.C., we're reinvesting in our community," said Kalafer, who also is part of the Somerset Patriots' ownership group.
Rather than take a $500 bonus for himself, Kalafer said he will be donating the money to RWJBarnabas Health.
The decision came after Trump signed into law new law that cut the corporate tax rate from 35- to 21-percent, he said.
Companies like AT&T and New Jersey-based Unity Bank and OceanFirst Financial Corp. are among business that announced employee bonuses following the $1.5 trillion tax cut.
What companies will do with some of their new cash
While Kalafer wouldn't disclose how much the company would save from the tax cut, he said it's "complete equity."
"The reform allows us to reinvest. That's the purpose of a tax reform. We have to be thoughtful and reinvest," Kalafer said.
The family-owned business made national news in October after pulling local TV ads from the NFL in response to players protesting during the national anthem, but stressed his problem was with lack of leadership in the sport rather than the controversy.
The decision to give bonuses to employees was a business move, not a political one, Kalafer emphasized.
"This is a social responsibility," he said. "Instead of a government saying who gets the money, the business that earns it and people that work for it will receive it in the proper way."
This has nothing to do with politics, he maintained, but reinvesting his money and making committed employees who work hard happy.
"If we share it with them, they'll share it within the community. We're keeping the money local," Kalafer pointed out.
Employees were delighted to hear of the bonus, he said. One employee said they were worried about paying a tuition deposit for school until receiving the bonus. Another had tears in his eyes and hugged Kalafer.
"I'm the luckiest guy in the world that I have the opportunity and privilege to do this today," he said. "I'm thankful for it, and I will never stop being thankful for it."
Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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