WE VIEW OUR COMMUNITY IMPACT AND OUR BUSINESS IMPACT AS ONE AND THE SAME, AND DEEPLY LINKED.
The Team
CHRIS MURPHY
President
An economist and research analyst by training, Chris has a strong interest in entrepreneurship and economic development. Before West Morris Capital, he spent 14 years working at a major NYC hedge fund. He also has experience working in small businesses, including a couple years as manager of the country's leading performance sailing retailer, as well as five years at his family's printing company.
While his primary residence is in Essex County (Maplewood), Chris has spent a big part of his life in western Morris County. Both of his parents started spending summers on Lake Hopatcong when they were kids in the early 1940s. He met his own wife there, and they hope that their four children will be enjoying Lake Hopatcong far into the future.
Chris has his bachelor's degree in economics, with honors, from Williams College ('95), and he earned his MBA at Duke University ('04), where he graduated in the top 10% of his class.
BÉLA SZIGETHY
Investor
People familiar with Lake Hopatcong may know him as the guy whose family owns the Windlass, Miss Lotta, and other lake businesses, but Béla's real job for the past three decades has been Co‑CEO of a global private equity firm focused on small-company investments. Over that time, his firm has invested in more than 1,000 companies across more than 25 countries, with the goal of making each of those companies bigger, better and more valuable.
Béla's parents immigrated from Hungary following World War II and eventually settled in western Morris County. The son of a minister, he grew up in Wharton and Flanders. For the past few decades, Béla, along with his wife and children, have been summer residents and prolific business-builders on Lake Hopatcong.
Béla has his bachelor's degree in psychology and French from Oberlin College ('77), and a master's of international affairs in international finance from Columbia University ('81).
In creating and funding West Morris Capital - namesake of his high school alma mater - Béla's goal is to help sustainably grow the economy of western Morris County for generations to come.
Our Mission
West Morris Capital is a locally focused impact investment firm backed by experienced professionals with backgrounds in private investing. Our goal: to do what we can to make western Morris County an even better place to live and work.
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We seek to achieve that goal through four activities:
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Identify and rehabilitate neglected properties and return them to economic vitality as flexible physical spaces that accommodate entrepreneurs and growing businesses.
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Provide guidance and resources to help entrepreneurs create and grow their businesses.
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Selectively invest in businesses that fit our criteria, with a focus on small businesses that foster physical and mental wellness.
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Be engaged as an apolitical force for positive change in the communities where we invest.
Projects
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In 2020, West Morris Capital purchased 111 Bassett Highway - originally built in the 1950s as a Food Fair supermarket but then vacant and derelict - and embarked on a full interior and exterior renovation.
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Then, in 2022, West Morris Capital launched Dover Sportsplex as a place for sports enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. With 2 hard courts and 2 indoor turf fields, Dover Sportsplex is a perfect place to play soccer, basketball, volleyball and many other sports.
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An adaptive reuse project with tremendous benefits to the community and a focus on physical wellness, this project was a strong fit with West Morris Capital's mission.
Standing proudly at 1 West Blackwell Street in the heart of Dover, New Jersey, the Richards Building (also known as the Newberry Building) is a centerpiece - in terms of both location and historic significance - for Dover's downtown. This beautiful landmark building, which has stood for over a century as a silent witness to the bustling history of Dover, is poised for a renaissance under the ownership of West Morris Capital.
Our goal: to protect, preserve and restore the Richards Building while making smart investments that create a vibrant contributor, both aesthetically and economically, to the future of Dover and its downtown