Author: Delaware Prosperity Partnership

tapp network digital agency in delaware

Tapp Network Helps Organizations Stay Relevant Through Digital Resiliency

Written on . Posted in Success Stories.

Tapp Network Helps Organizations Catch Up, Stay Relevant Through Digital Resiliency

delaware digital agency tapp network

January 21, 2022 – 

One of the world’s leading digital-marketing transformation agencies calls Delaware home. Tapp Network develops innovative digital tools and campaigns for some of the world’s leading corporations and then transfers that knowledge to local nonprofits and state agencies to make the world a better place.

“Tapp stands at the intersection of technology, purpose and passion,” says Tapp Network co-founder Joe DiGiovanni, who opened the agency in 2013 with developer Kyle Barkins to fill the void in Delaware for a full-service mar-tech agency while serving their international clients. 

Wilmington-based Tapp, which works out of CSC Station adjacent to the city’s Amtrak station and The Mill, is gaining a lot of traction in its home state. DiGiovanni, who graduated from the University of Delaware in 1989 with a degree in biology, says he and Barkins love the work environment in Wilmington and are eager to give back to the community. 

“Kyle and I originally came together to build a website for one local client, Tech Impact, and then launched Zip Code Wilmington’s website,” DiGiovanni says. “We were then invited to be the keynote speakers at all three Nonprofit Tech Week events in California – including one at Microsoft’s headquarters. Hundreds of nonprofit attendees swarmed us seeking help. Their websites weren’t mobile responsive and lacked the modern tools and technology necessary for digital fundraising, e-commerce, and communications. That’s when we realized there was a huge opportunity in the social sector.”

Flash forward to the current COVID universe, where corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits are all playing catch-up to instill the digital resiliency needed to remain relevant and competitive.

“That’s where our strengths are,” DiGiovanni says. 

Tapp is helping position Wilmington as a digital infrastructure hub. From clean energy to electric vehicles and from AI to fintech, workforce development and healthcare, Tapp is attracting top talent to Delaware to serve their clients representing some of the world’s fastest-growing corporations and economic sectors. Denso-Japan, Microsoft, Iteris, Hubspot, Athena-Healthcare, Nonstop Wellness, CSC Global, Solomon Energy, Juice Bar EV Charging Stations and Google are just a few of the international companies seeking Tapp’s software development expertise and digital marketing services.

Tapp also leads the global digital infrastructure wave in the nonprofit sector. Tapp recently formed an exclusive alliance with Tech Soup Global, a nonprofit international network of non-governmental organizations serving 80% of all nonprofits worldwide. Tech Soup Global provides technical support and technological tools to other nonprofits, working with 1 million nonprofits in 200 countries.

“First, they were a client,” DiGiovanni says. “Now, we’re the exclusive provider to all of their clients worldwide for website development and digital communication services. If you go to TechSoup and you need software, boom, that’s Microsoft. If you need a website built, we’re the ones that do that, white labeled through Tech Soup, Tapp services more than 200 new clients a year just from that partnership alone.” 

Tapp also works with Tech Soup’s Digital Resiliency Fund, where large corporations like Truist and Google give million-dollar grants to help smaller nonprofits become digitally resilient. “We’ve built the platform process and program to help organizations identify and resolve their needs,” DiGiovanni says.  

On the civil sector side, TAPP collaborates with government agencies on their digital infrastructure and communications needs. “We’re looking to take the Digital Resiliency Program we built for Tech Soup and offer it here in Delaware, not just for nonprofits but for small and minority-owned businesses,” DiGiovanni says. “I think it could be transformational for the state.” 

As an approved state vendor for digital communications, Tapp is preparing to roll out two big marketing campaigns for the Delaware Division of Public Health and the Department of Education’s Pathways program that represent a whole-new omnichannel approach to communications within the state.

“Many states – outside Delaware – historically rely on traditional banner ads, billboards, and social media, often in silos” DiGiovanni says. “We’re bringing artificial intelligence, personalization and data-driven communications to the table to connect the dots and drive measurable impact and positive behavior change. Other states are reaching out as well. Tapp is actively involved in launching a 2.0 version of United Way’s 211 system for the state of Pennsylvania and a learning management system for the State of California and partnering with Microsoft on a COVID-screening platform for students and teachers for the State of New Jersey. Locally, Tapp leads and manages the Its Time Wilmington and Wilm Today tourism campaign, which reached over two billion people in 2021.”

Tapp also was a big part of the state’s census efforts, which were hampered in many states by COVID.

“We were fortunate enough to put the digital tools in place before COVID hit, and that really is what saved it,” DiGiovanni says. “If you look at a lot of nonprofits and the funding that’s going into a lot of these grants around digital resiliency, nonprofits and government agencies need the capacity to communicate digitally, whether it’s fundraising online, email marketing or anything social. We didn’t know COVID was coming, of course, but establishing the digital infrastructure for the census really helped all the communications. If the public-private-social institutions aren’t tied together digitally, things will fall apart. So that’s what helped that work. Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long had the foresight to support us in putting those platforms in place, and it paid off.”

The COVID pandemic has changed Tapp’s approach both internally and with clients.

“I think the ability to collaborate virtually is one of the biggest differences – it helped transform the way we operate as a company,” DiGiovanni says. “A lot of our corporate clients have had to change their business models to focus more on marketing, sales and revenue operations. For nonprofits, it’s the fundraising, virtual events and collaboration tools. How do you communicate with your communities digitally? I think COVID really forced what needed to happen anyway, at least in the nonprofit space.”

For many business owners, there’s what you do and then what gives you joy. For DiGiovanni, the joy comes when people tap into their passion and purpose. “It’s when a client sees the light, when they can do what they’ve always dreamed,” he says. “It’s transferring the innovation from our large business-sector clients to the nonprofit and government sectors that really make us happy. Because if you’re an executive director of a startup nonprofit and it’s just one person, you can completely transform what they’re doing overnight.” 

If he had “a pebble in his shoe” about his work, DiGiovanni would say it was the “bureaucracy and red tape nationally from a government standpoint, in terms of thinking outside the box and being creative.”

His suggestion? Be more like Delaware.

“I think that government agencies really need to embrace digital infrastructure and transformation,” he says. “It’s exciting to see Delaware is ahead of the curve and is trying to get that message across.”

Joe DiGiovanni, Tapp Network

Joe DiGiovanni traveled an interesting path to becoming the co-founder of one of the world’s leading digital-transformation agencies. Following his graduation from the University of Delaware in 1989 with a degree in biology, Joe briefly worked in research and development before moving on to marketing medical equipment to hospitals, becoming one of the early users of digital communications and search optimization.

delaware digital agency tapp network

What’s your personal elevator speech?

I lead a balanced life. I’m a yoga instructor. I founded the Nicaragua Yoga Institute. I just started playing pickle ball. It’s important to do what you’re passionate about. And if you can enable people that work for you to have that same freedom to grow, you’ll make work and the world a better place.

What’s the question you wish more people would ask themselves?

What is my intention? If you ask that when you make decisions, you can choose the right path and pivot along the way.

You have one giant billboard. Where do you put it and what does it say?

I would put it in Times Square, and it would say, “Be Grateful.”

Best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

It was from my neighbor, who was a film professor at UD, quoting Steven King: “Write with the door closed. Rewrite with the door open.”

What advice would you give your younger self today?

My daughter is 24, and the advice I’m giving her is to continue to educate yourself. It’s not just about what college you went to. Sometimes that’s one of the last things we look at when we interview people. It’s really about their experience and ability to teach yourself, especially now that there are so many tools to do it online. There are so many opportunities now that weren’t around when we were younger. People can start their own businesses, consult, work for companies and set their own course.

Name a couple of books that have inspired you, that you recommend to others or that you gift.

I just got a copy of “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy. It’s a quick 30-minute read and will be my holiday gift for everyone in my family. “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” really helped me learn to focus on detail. “Writing to the Bones” by Natalie Goldberg helped me think about creative writing and opening up the creative side of my mind. I’ve been reading a lot of Ryan Holliday, particularly the “Daily Stoic,” and Robert Greene’s “Mastery” is a good book for business and personal growth.

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DPP wins Business Facilities Impact Award 2021

WuXi STA Project Earns Delaware a Business Facilities Impact Award in the Biosciences Sector

Written on . Posted in Press Releases.

Delaware Prosperity Partnership’s WuXi STA Project Earns Delaware a Business Facilities Impact Award in the Biosciences Sector

DPP wins Business Facilities Impact Award 2021

January 18, 2022 

Wilmington, Del. — Delaware and its public-private economic development group, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) were recognized with a Business Facilities 2021 Impact Award in the Biosciences category for successfully attracting WuXi STA – a leading global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) – to build a new pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Middletown, Delaware. This $510M investment aims to add nearly 500 jobs to Delaware’s booming biotech industry in the next few years. WuXi STA offers efficient, flexible, and high-quality integrated solutions for development and manufacture of small molecule Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and pharmaceutical drug product to support preclinical-to-commercial uses for its worldwide customers. The Middletown facility is WuXi STA’s first East Coast pharmaceutical clinical and commercial manufacturing complex.

This recognition reflects Delaware’s long-standing strength and capacity in the biosciences sector. The number of life sciences operations in Delaware has grown significantly in the past decade — most notably in the biotechnology R&D subindustry with an increase of 65% — and the state now ranks 7th nationally for life sciences venture capital funding per capita.

A powerful economic driver in Delaware, the life sciences sector employs approximately 11,000 people and directly generates $2 billion in GDP (both 2.5% of total state employment and GDP) along with payrolls of at least $230 million.

DPP, Delaware’s nonprofit public-private economic development resource, partnered with a host of stakeholders throughout Delaware including the Town of Middletown, the Delaware Division of Small Business, New Castle County, Select Greater Philadelphia, and others to support WuXi STA’s choice of Delaware for its site. Hiring has already begun for the project, adding its nearly 500 full-time jobs to Delaware’s world-class innovative workforce by 2026 and eventually expanding to more than 1,000 employees.

The 190-acre site will feature space for testing laboratories, manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients and manufacture and packaging of solid dosage pharmaceutical and sterile products.

“Now in its fourth year of operation, the DPP team is proving that the public-private economic development model works well to leverage Delaware’s distinctive capacity to collaborate,” said Corporation Service Company President Rod Ward III, who, along with Delaware Governor John Carney, co-chairs the DPP Board of Directors.

About Business Facilities

The leading source for corporate site selectors and economic development professionals for more than 50 years, highlights economic development and site selection news from around the world. 2021 Deal of the Year judges were Howard Silverman, President and CEO, The CAI Global Group; Philip Anderson, President and CEO, P.W. Anderson & Partners; David Hickey, Managing Director, Hickey & Associates; Angelos Angelou, President of Angelou Economics.

About WuXi STA

WuXi STA, a subsidiary of WuXi AppTec, is a leading pharmaceutical development and manufacturing capability and technology platform company serving the life sciences industry, with global operations. As a premier contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), WuXi STA offers its worldwide partners efficient, flexible, and high-quality solutions for integrated chemical, manufacturing and control (CMC) from preclinical to commercial uses.

About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Delaware Prosperity Partnership leads Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; to build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and to support private employers in identifying, recruiting, and developing talent. The DPP team works with site selectors, executives and developers focused on where to locate or grow a business and helps with reviewing potential sites, cost-of-living analyses and funding opportunities, including available tax credits and incentives. DPP advances a culture of innovation in Delaware, working with innovators and startups to spotlight and celebrate successes and connect them with the resources they need to succeed. DPP and its partnerships throughout Delaware support and advance the missions of companies of all sizes and sectors. 

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DDOE education programs for Delaware workforce

DDOE Program Successes Support Statewide Economic Development

Written on . Posted in Success Stories.

Delaware Department of Education Program Successes Support Statewide Economic Development

DE Department of Education Program

January 11, 2022 –

It’s been well documented that employers are struggling to find qualified workers or help existing employees get better jobs. That’s why states and municipalities focusing on the intersection of education and workforce development are seeing economic development success.

Forward-looking states see an aging workforce in key industries and students with skills that could translate to the changing needs of the workforce. They focus many of their efforts on middle and high schools and on retraining the existing workforce.

As Delaware eyes one of the biggest capital budgets the state has ever seen, Luke Rhine, director for career and technical education and STEM initiatives with the Delaware Department of Education, predicts that with a federal infrastructure bill in place, “connectivity, cybersecurity, those types of things are all going to be underlying infrastructure issues, which means we’ll see a lot of IT jobs directly connected to the expansion of that infrastructure.”

Rhine’s area is already supporting the change in the environment with:

  • College and career-ready programming in middle grades. “Our middle grades focus is really around student identity development, helping young people establish confidence and develop an identity within their schools, their communities and their future workplaces,” he says.
  • High school, which is centered around the state’s Delaware Pathways strategy. “It’s helping students determine what kind of post-secondary path is right for them – the job that they want to hold and the career that they want to pursue or whether they want to move into a two-year degree or a four-year degree or a credential program.”
  • Post-secondary education. This includes support of the state’s Registered Apprenticeship system and an increased focus around stackable credentials that count toward the pursuit of higher-level credentials and degree models.

“All of our initiatives are essentially employer-driven, which gives them substantial influence over education and training models,” Rhine says. “And then we work with post-secondary institutions and K-12 institutions to think differently around how we structure relationships. And that helps us recruit young people who see themselves in Delaware and as part of a community.”

Adult Career Pathway Strategy Fuels Delaware’s Work in Higher Education

Rhine says the state’s work in the higher education space is really an adult career pathway strategy that helps adults move as quickly as possible through higher education to pursue gainful employment.

For the credential model, the state is primarily working with four institutions, including the three vocational-technical (vo-tech) schools – Polytech, Sussex Tech and New Castle County – which each have an adult education division that runs the state’s Registered Apprenticeship program and short- and long-term credential programs.

“We want to ensure that a person who acquires a licensed practical nurse (LPN) credential is able to move immediately into employment and then that LPN credential allows them to navigate higher levels of education,” Rhine says. “The LPN’s credential also carries credit so a student can, with an LPN certificate, take less time to complete their associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing.”

Accomplishments in Workforce Development

During his seven years in his current role, Rhine says he’s most proud of three accomplishments:

  1. Broadening the definition of career and technical education (CTE). “People often think about CTE as areas like carpentry or cosmetology,” he says. “We are still focused on skilled trades and human services but have also diversified the types of industries and occupations that we support from a college and career-ready standpoint. It’s amazing what young people are doing in terms of their ability to code or automate or even use a drone to collect data for agriculture or construction. It’s very interesting how young people are translating their skills into data science. They’re asking themselves what they want to become and what steps they need to take to get there.”
  2. Student outcomes. “There are two outcomes that I’m most proud of,” Rhine says. “The first is the percentage of students who demonstrate college- and career-readiness, who are completing advanced coursework while still in high school. That can be a student who is part of a youth apprenticeship program, they’re taking college courses while still in high school, or completing AP, they’re in a paid work experience. Prior to last year, that number had increased to 58% from 38% over three years. The other thing that I’m really proud of is placement. More than 75% of our students are seamlessly entering higher education, with an increasing percentage who choose to simultaneously work, essentially working while upskilling.”
  3. Expansion of instructional programs. Rhine says more than 70% of youth in grades nine through 12 are enrolled in any given year in a career pathway, with two-thirds of graduating classes completing the program. “These are young people who have college credit, who have credentials, who have work experiences in the industry that they want to move into,” Rhine says. “These experiences help to shape who they are and accelerate their trajectory and network. And it’s a great way in which we can help to meet the future needs of Delaware employers at scale and across the state.”

But Rhine believes something else also has spurred greater interest in the state’s post-secondary programs.

“The last 18 months have caused adults to reflect on whether they’re on the right trajectory, if they have the relationships they want and if they have the relationship with their employer that they want,” he says.

Rhine’s team, working in partnership with the state’s technical school systems, are ready to do a full rollout of the youth apprenticeship program, with high school seniors sponsored by an employer and paid a living wage – the average is $17-plus an hour, with wage increases as they progress through the training program – while they’re simultaneously moving toward high-school graduation.

“We’re working with our three Technical School Districts as well as Delaware Technical Community College in partnership with the Associated Builders and Contractors, Delaware Contractors Association, the Delaware Restaurant Association and Tech Impact,” Rhine says. “We want employer-facing groups to recruit employers, and we want educational institutions to prepare more young people to this level of standard and then meet in the middle. So lots of young people, lots of employers, lots of talent. Marry that, away we go.”

Rhine also believes more people will be choosier about the jobs they want.

“I think you’re going to see increases in experiential learning models in higher education, or residency-type models in higher education, because people want to know what’s on the other end of that training program,” he says. “If you want to be a doctor, you do a residency. If you want to be a nurse, there’s a clinical experience. We’re seeing this in education as well. We launched a residency model where we’re actually paying students who want to move into education as resident teachers to work under the wings of a teacher mentor for a much longer period of time than was traditionally associated with student teaching.”

Rhine notes that Delaware schools like DelTech and Wilmington University found that a number of students in their programs needed remedial education, which don’t provide class credit. He said the statistics show that students who move into remedial courses are less likely to complete a credential or degree within a cohort graduation rate. So DelTech, as an example, has completely revamped its remedial education policy to simultaneously enroll youth and adults in credit-bearing math and language classes with the remedial programs and providing support to help the student get the credit toward certification or a degree.

Rhine says in-state schools are also embracing the idea of credit for prior learning.

“If credentials are gateways, then degrees and credentials should align,” he says. “If an older Delawarean enrolls in college with 20 years of work experience, our schools are trying to figure out how that work experiences translates into clock hours or credit hours so they don’t need to sit through things they already know how to do. That enables them to move faster in an apprenticeship program or earn a degree, and the research is very clear: Institutions that have more robust credit for prior learning policy see people graduate faster. It’s common sense.”

Rhine said his area is supporting other state agencies like the Department of Labor, which received funding to look at the H1B1 visa policy and a companion grant to expand IT training programs and a separate grant to expand Registered Apprenticeships. Rhine’s team also received an apprenticeship expansion grant focused on youth. There is great coordination across agencies, he says.

Rhine’s team also has worked to revise Regulation 525, which governs the administration of Delaware’s career and technical education programs.

“Regulations are like guardrails on a road,” he says. “What we’re trying to do with Reg 525 is to align the progress we’ve made with state’s college and career readiness agenda and how we think about CTE programs more globally.”

Rhine says Delaware’s size enables it to adapt and react quickly – and also provide scale.

“Every employer wants access to talent, and every school system with post-secondary institution that we work with wants access to employers who want to integrate into their community,” Rhine says. “Every single one.”

This article was originally posted on the Live Love Delaware website at: https://www.livelovedelaware.com/ddoe-program-successes-support-statewide-economic-development/

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Site Readiness Fund Delaware Division of Small Business

Delaware Launches New Site Readiness Fund

Written on . Posted in In the News.

Delaware Launches New Site Readiness Fund – Online Application Process

Site Readiness Fund Delaware Division of Small Business

January 7, 2022 – 

The Delaware Division of Small Business is now accepting applications for the Site Readiness Fund from qualified businesses or local governments. Established through Senate Bill 127, the fund promotes economic growth and stability by investing in the development or improvement of commercial and industrial sites to attract job-creating businesses.

The Site Readiness Fund provides grants, loans or other economic assistance to qualified businesses or local governments that invest in constructing, renovating or improving commercial, industrial sites that are readily available to new businesses, established businesses that are considering moving to the state, or existing businesses within the state that need additional sites to remain or expand in Delaware.

“There is significant competition between Delaware and surrounding states to attract and keep vital businesses that create and maintain employment opportunities,” said Jordan Schulties, Director of the Division of Small Business. “The Site Readiness Fund is an important tool we can use to stay competitive and incentivize those businesses to locate in our state.”

“The Site Readiness Fund creates more viable options for companies looking to locate or expand right here in Delaware,” said Kurt Foreman, President and CEO of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership. “The fund provides an investment in ensuring that sites throughout the state are ready for the kinds of development and job growth we all value.”

Site Readiness Fund applications are available at business.delaware.gov/site-readiness-fund. Once completed, applications can be emailed to business_finance@delaware.gov.

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kent county small business and hospitality grants 2022

New Kent County Small Business Grants

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New Kent County Small Business Grant Program

kent county small business and hospitality grants 2022

January 6, 2022 –

Attention Kent County Small Businesses Seeking Funds

Kent County Levy Court, Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce and Kent County Tourism have launched a new $3 million grant program for Kent County small businesses. Grant funds are available for small businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees who had established operations in Kent County during calendar years 2020 and 2019 and are in still in operation today. Grant funds can be used to directly support the operation of the business.

 A similar $2 million grant program was also launched for Kent County hotels and banquet/meeting facilities. Eligible organizations include hoteliers and for-profit banquet/meeting facilities with established operations in Kent County during calendar years 2020 and 2019, which are still in operation today.

Both grant programs are currently accepting applications. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2022, or when funds are exhausted for the programs.

Visit the Kent County website to apply for a grant and get answers to frequently asked questions.

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Dover/Kent County MPO Sees ‘Inseparable’ Link Between Economic Development and Transportation

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Dover/Kent County MPO Sees ‘Inseparable’ Link Between Economic Development and Transportation

January 3, 2022 – 

Marilyn Smith sees a very clear role for the Dover/Kent County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in supporting economic development efforts.

“I came from an economic development background, so I see economic development and transportation – anything that gets people or goods from Point A to Point B in Kent County, particularly those initiatives that will be primarily funded with federal dollars — as inseparable,” says Smith, who joined the MPO in December 2020 as executive director, replacing the retiring Reed Macmillan. “I don’t know how you can realistically pursue economic development without the transportation infrastructure in place to support it. It’s not my job to go out and attract companies. But it is my responsibility to make sure that we don’t miss opportunities because someone said Dover or Kent County doesn’t have the roads to get us from A to B.”

“Like everyone, things were humming along before the pandemic and then everything came to a screeching halt,” she adds. “Things started coming back right as I came on board [in December 2020]. We had to assess where we were with the projects that had started, asking whether anything had happened that would change the scope of those projects and our ability to work with our consultants to complete them.”

At the beginning of the current fiscal year on July 1, the MPO prioritized some new projects and started working on those.

“A lot of our projects are focused on rail and freight movement, and a couple are devoted to bicycle and pedestrian,” said Smith, whose previous role was supporting a Democratic Congressman from upstate New York and is now responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the MPO while ensuring compliance with Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) directives and oversight requirements. “We also have a few more traditional projects on such things as interchanges and traffic movement.”

Smith says it’s been an “interesting adjustment” coming from a state the size of New York.

“It can take you the day to traverse from end to end in New York,” she said. “Delaware is small. There are two degrees of separation between everybody. You don’t have that same bottleneck that I oftentimes experienced in a big diverse state where people are very far flung and you have lots of bureaus or departments. It certainly does allow us to move things quickly. If there’s a question, you can find someone who has the answer pretty fast.”

One of the things that she enjoys about her new role is the work that’s already been done to focus on the county’s strengths.

“We’re not chasing 100 things in Kent County, we’re focused on the things that we have determined we can be good at, or where we see opportunities,” she says.

For example, Kent County economic development officials commissioned a study that indicated the county should pursue opportunities in logistics warehousing, given the proximity to so many large population centers, the proximity to ports, the proximity to rail, and the availability of some large parcels of land that could lend well to that kind of business to that industry.

Over the past few months, the MPO and others in Kent County finished up a few projects that were started before Smith’s arrival, including the Harrington intermodal study, the Dover Air Cargo study and the City of Dover’s update of its bicycle and pedestrian plan, providing each entity with a solid roadmap.

Smith says there are a lot of places that do a pile of studies that ultimately just gather dust in a drawer, but the Dover/Kent County MPO has a history of providing solid recommendations and implementation plans so that the municipalities can take them and run and see something good come out of them.

“The City of Harrington and Kent Economic Partnership came to the MPO in 2019 and asked us to look at four largely undeveloped parcels – one owned by the city itself — that are adjacent to the rail spur in Harrington. The owners were willing to discuss the feasibility of a multi-modal industrial park but didn’t know exactly what it would look like. So the MPO’s study was designed to talk to the railroad and a potential terminal operator and explore the likelihood of goods and commodities coming in and out via rail versus completely being transported by truck.”

“One of the studies we finished in the last couple of months was how we could connect the Dover Air Cargo facility north of the Air Force Base and the Garrison Oaks Industrial Park that are a few miles apart,” she says. “There are a lot of one-lane roads with no shoulders, no striping, that go through residential areas. We needed to ask what we can do to make these things workable for each other because we’ve apparently had some site selectors respectfully pass on pursuing it further simply because of transportation and connection issues.”

Smith also sees opportunities to move forward with addressing other infrastructure opportunities that are already in the pipeline, such as separating commercial traffic from residential traffic at the East Camden and West Camden bypasses.

“I think it’s a mixed bag,” she said. “I think there are some places where traffic moves pretty well and supports industrial development and some places where we still have some work to do.”

But the Kent County organization is not focused just on industrial property. Where some might look ahead and see an opportunity for large family-owned farms to sell their land, Smith sees potential for farmers to change their business models to moving their products on rail cars instead of by truck.

“People are having problems finding truckers, fuel prices are going up, and we need to be very concerned about air quality,” she says. “This is a great project because it seems simple, but it could be really transformative for decades to come.”

Smith also says Kent County is working hard to make sure that anything that organizations like the MPO are working on do not leave out traditionally underserved or disenfranchised groups of people.

Focusing on those issues are at the top of MPO’s list as it looks at previous studies on passenger rail and some of the challenges with that, she says. “I think some people are changing their views that passenger rail in Delaware needs to be Amtrak. I grew up in Utah and they were having to figure out how to deal with hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics. In the 20-plus years since moving from Utah, the light rail system that was designed to move athletes and spectators to different venues has expanded to being a primary way of moving people north and south and east and west.”

“Transportation can transform the lives of people,” she says. “I think the importance of having access to transportation to get to work, getting to education, meeting basic life needs like health and food often gets overlooked and we’re [Dover/Kent County MPO] committed to addressing those challenges.”

‘Epiphany” brought Marilyn Smith to Delaware from Upstate NY

MAGNOLIA — Marilyn Smith and her husband spend their weekends in the car, getting to know the state after moving here from Upstate New York in early 2021.

“It obviously serves a professional purpose for me,” says the executive director of the Dover/Kent County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

“My husband is a school bus driver so he’s all over the place,” she says. “Sometimes he just says, I have got to take you to this place where I went and picked up kids the other day. You’ve got to see this.”

An undergraduate of Weber State University, with a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Utah, Smith came to the Dover/Kent County MPO from a role as senior economic development advisor for Democratic Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20).

The parents of two children, Marilyn and Steve are empty nesters who enjoy “grabbing our kayaks and going in a different body of water that we haven’t been in.”

Smith says she is “very pleased that there are four distinct seasons here,” particularly given that her last stop in Upstate New York often found her shoveling six feet of snow. “I also like that Magnolia is 10 minutes from my work. In New York, I was commuting an hour each way, so I was driving a minimum of 500 miles a week. I love that I can work until six o’clock if I want to and that it’s not after seven when I get home.”

She’s not ready to talk about “favorite restaurants” given the pandemic (“we are very pleased to have found a couple of good Mexican restaurants because where we came from wasn’t known for good Mexican food”), and she says she loves watching the planes flying into and out of Dover Air Force Base.

“We are close enough to the flight path that will never get old as long as I live, and we’re 10 minutes from the beach, so what’s not to love?”

The Smiths had their eyes set on Delaware well before the MPO position became available.

“We had been vacationing for a few years and we had said, we’ll retire to Delaware. And one day last summer, I had an epiphany and said maybe they shouldn’t wait to retire to move to Delaware.

“It occurred to me that when you retire and go to a place, you plop yourselves down in that place and you expect that community to just embrace you for the rest of your life, but you don’t have any skin in the game. That was really a motivating factor for us. It’s easy to have skin in the game when you have kids because you have the PTA and youth sports and all this and that. As an empty nester couple, we’re really pleased that we have been able to get out and start building some of those relationships.”

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Delaware entrepreneur Sierra RyanWallick

Sierra RyanWallick Catalyzes Positive Change in Delaware

Written on . Posted in Success Stories.

UD Student and Serial Social Entrepreneur Sierra Ryanwallick Catalyzes Positive Change in Delaware

Delaware entrepreneur Sierra RyanWallick

December 30, 2021 – 

Some might call Sierra RyanWallick an overachiever

She’s raised nearly $100,000 over the past 14 years – most of it going to the Forgotten Cats animal rescue service in Greenville – through AutumLeaf Fundraisers, which sells handmade items at community events made by volunteers (200 so far). In 2020, she co-founded a business that focuses on reducing the 10 million tons of fabric thrown away every year in the United States. Meanwhile, she’s also spent the last few years on the University of Delaware’s First Year Experience Common Reader Committee and as a judge for the Diamond Challenge.

In 2016, she received the Jefferson Award for Outstanding National or Global Service by Young Americans. She later received a Diana Award, which recognizes humanitarian work and community action in the spirit of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. More recently, she won both the post-revenue track of the University of Delaware’s 2021 Hen Hatch funding competition and the 2021 Great Dames Remarkable Ideas Pitch Competition.

Now here’s the kicker: Sierra RyanWallick is a 24-year-old undergraduate at UD who took a gap year after high school to battle Lyme disease and related symptoms. So, yes, she started AutumnLeaf at age 10 and launched UP Cycle Design to repurpose used items headed for a landfill as a college sophomore.

UP Cycle took off through UD’s Horn Entrepreneurship Summer Founders program as an enhancement to an idea that RyanWallick had worked on through the Clinton Global Initiative University. She and co-founder Michelle Yatvitskiy, a UD fashion and design student, are creating decorative iron-on patches to cover stains and holes, cloth stickers for laptops and wall art from clothing donations.

They have been sourcing material from New York-based FABSCRAP, which obtains textile waste from factories. RyanWallick handles the operations side – including fabric sourcing and building a strong advisory board – while Yatvitskiy designs and produces the patches. Their mission is to create affordable, upcycled products with a transparent process while supporting community causes. Their goal? To align each design with a social-justice issue and donate a percentage of the proceeds to that charity.

  • UP Cycle Design logo

  • UP Cycle Design 1

  • UP Cycle Design samples

  • UP Cycle Design world sample

“We see ourselves as a scalable, for-profit business with a social mission,” RyanWallick said said. “We have an incredible [20-person] advisory group, and we’re trying to raise money and awareness from various pitch competitions.”

During the inaugural UD MakerGym and Horn Entrepreneurship Make It Happen Challenge in Spring 2021, for example, UP Cycle won an award package that included a $3,248 grant for supplies and materials.

RyanWallick and Yatvitskiy also have been connecting with local organizations like the Small Business Development Center. Throughout, they’ve asked a lot of questions.

One thing RyanWallick’s learned is that only 30% of the donations to roadside Goodwill collection bins end up being used, which opens a sourcing opportunity with Goodwill given the increase in volume as people have cleaned out their closets during the pandemic. She also was introduced by former New Castle County Economic Development Director Tamarra Morris Foulkes to The Warehouse, a collaborative workspace run by teens for teens and overseen by the REACH Riverside nonprofit in Wilmington. There, she’s run two LevelUP entrepreneurship, sustainability and design program cohorts through which students create patches and prepare them for market.

RyanWallick sees herself as an “activator and a connector.”

“I identify problems and then act to solve them,” she said. “I also have a large network and help introduce people who may need co-founders or help on a specific project. But that’s what I do. What makes my heart sing is being a mentor – being a listening ear and encouraging people, particularly high schoolers. The power of that conversation can drive long-lasting change.”

To that end, a project she completed for a UD course with Spur Impact led to the launch of a pilot mentoring program to pair millennials with members of Generation Z. Its success led RyanWallick to intern with the organization and transform that pilot into Impact Mentoring, which pairs individuals from any generation to function as thought partners for one another rather than serve in traditional mentor-mentee roles.

Six Quick Questions with Sierra RyanWallick

  • What’s the question you wish more people would ask themselves? I think you need to be constantly checking in with yourself and asking where you’re at. You need to be more inward-focused than outward-focused to avoid burnout. If I don’t ask myself those questions on a regular basis, I get out of sync.
  • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received? It actually came from Ryan Holiday’s “The Daily Stoic” podcast. He said there’s a difference between being aware and being anxious. You may be working on things that never come to fruition, but you have to keep reminding yourself not to be anxious about that. I’ve spent a lot of time reminding myself and others about that, and it’s changed my life.
  • How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your creativity? I’m immunocompromised, so [self-isolating gave] me the opportunity to work full-time on projects and the space to try new things. I started a YouTube channel in August 2020 – which I’ve wanted to do for six or seven years – and have learned to edit videos. All the extra time [was] like a retreat.
  • Is there a particular place in Delaware that fuels your creativity? I do my best thinking walking the trails of White Clay Creek in both Delaware and Pennsylvania. The Newark Reservoir is also a beautiful place.
  • You have a lot on your plate. Is it difficult to say “no” to new opportunities? I’ve gotten better at saying “no” this year. I wrote down everything that I was doing and identified the things that made me happy, the ones where I provided value and that I’m good at. I left one job but started a new one.
  • What do you do when you’re feeling overwhelmed? I have to keep reminding myself that I’m not a healthy college student. After starting UP Cycle Design, it was challenging to find the right balance between that and my schoolwork. When I feel overwhelmed or burned out, I need to get back into sync. I need to reduce the number of stimuli on my system, so I put away the electronics and let my mind wander. I try to do things like mediation, free thinking or even journaling.

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MRA Group in Wilmington DE

MRA Group Signs Lease at Chestnut Run

Written on . Posted in In the News.

MRA Group Signs First Long-Term Lease at Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park in Wilmington, Delaware

MRA Group in Wilmington DE

December 23, 2021 –

WILMINGTON, Del. – MRA Group (MRA)  announced that on November 30, 2021, it signed the first long-term lease for research and laboratory facilities at Chestnut Run Innovation & Science Park (CRISP), MRA’s recently announced life science and manufacturing campus in Wilmington, DE.

Prelude Therapeutics Incorporated (Prelude Therapeutics)  is the first major tenant at CRISP, aside from DuPont who is currently leasing approximately 190,000 square feet of space on the campus. However, according to Mike Wojewodka, MRA Group Executive Vice President and Partner, “Activity has been brisk, with a significant pipeline of prospects looking at the various options on the campus.”

“MRA’s acquisition of a significant portion of the Chestnut Run property is great news for Delaware and the state’s role in an ever-expanding life sciences sector,” said Kurt Foreman, President & CEO of Delaware Prosperity Partnership. “We can think of no better location for an innovation park than the place that includes the DuPont Company’s global headquarters. DuPont began Delaware’s tradition in breakthrough innovation and now with MRA’s acquisition that tradition will continue raising the bar for transformative developments created through scientific research.”

“Since our founding in 2016, Prelude Therapeutics has proudly contributed to the growth of an evolving biotech hub in the Wilmington area,” said Kris Vaddi, PhD, Chief Executive Officer. “We believe our planned state-of-the-art office and lab space, and centrality to a life sciences campus, will enable us to continue attracting top-tier, diverse talent to our exceptional team. We look forward to establishing our new headquarters in Chestnut Run as we continue to advance our pipeline of potentially transformative medicines for people living with underserved cancers. We thank the State of Delaware for its ongoing investment in building an entrepreneurial and connected business community.”

“This is great news,” stated Delaware BioScience Association President Michael Fleming. “Prelude Therapeutics’ decision to make their new long-term home at CRISP underlines the significant momentum and opportunity in the Delaware life sciences sector. Prelude’s new, expanded presence in that exciting site will undoubtedly be a magnet for more innovative science companies there and in other great locations, our state offers. Most importantly, we should remember this significant investment and the new jobs it has the potential to create is all focused on the hard but noble work of developing breakthrough therapies for patients with some of the most difficult and deadly cancers, and for that we should be grateful. We look forward to continuing to partner with the MRA Group to ensure CRISP flourishes as a thriving hub of scientific investment.”

“This is how we win the future,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “A homegrown, innovative advanced sciences startup is choosing to stay home, thanks to the investment of MRA Group and the collaborative efforts of state and county governments and the Delaware Prosperity Partnership.

“The construction of Prelude Therapeutics’ new headquarters is included in the initial phase of MRA’s $500M redevelopment plans for the campus. Other plans include creating additional R&D laboratories, and advanced manufacturing space, as well as campus amenities such as a hotel, a fitness center, conference space, an outdoor amphitheater, and accommodations for food services including restaurants and eateries. More information regarding CRISP can be found on the campus website at www.crisp-campus.net.

Kurt Foreman

PRESIDENT & CEO

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digital fintech company ICM Delaware

ICM Chooses Wilmington for New Headquarters

Written on . Posted in Press Releases.

Investor Cash Management Chooses Wilmington, Delaware, for New Headquarters

 

digital fintech company ICM Delaware

December 14, 2021 – 

Early-Stage Digital Fintech Company to Invest $15 Million to Create 395 Jobs as Part of Delaware’s Growing Fintech Hub Over Next Several Years

WILMINGTON, Del. — Following a considerable site search that included major markets across the United States, the early-stage digital fintech company Investor Cash Management (ICM) has selected Wilmington, Delaware, as the site of its new $15.37 million headquarters and customer service center. The company, which started in 2018 and currently employs 30, plans to grow its workforce tenfold, projecting the creation of 395 new jobs over the next three years.

A platform as a service (PaaS) provider in the fintech space, ICM uses an application programming interface – or API-driven technology – to link cash management accounts directly to specified investments, transforming investment products such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and/or shares into digital transaction currencies. The technology combines banking, investing and payments to drive client acquisition and increase assets.

The company plans to invest up to $15 million in its future headquarters and customer service center in the City of Wilmington. The jobs ICM will create in Delaware over the next three years will include tech positions, such as coders and programmers, along with sales, marketing, customer service, administrative, finance and managerial positions. Delaware Prosperity Partnership began working with ICM earlier this year on its site selection process.

“We are pleased to welcome ICM as it expands its operations and creates new jobs here in Delaware,” said Governor John Carney. “Delaware has a long legacy of excellence in the financial services industry, and we remain committed to fostering an innovation ecosystem for businesses of all sizes. Our location in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic region, strong workforce and quality of life make Delaware a great place for companies to put down roots and create jobs.”  

ICM founder and CEO Fred Phillips presented to Delaware’s Council on Development Finance, requesting a performance-based grant of $3,797,310 and a capital expenditure grant of $461,100 from the Delaware Strategic Fund. Distribution of grants from the Delaware Strategic Fund are dependent on the company achieving goals as outlined in their proposal to the CDF, which reviewed and approved the request.

“We are thrilled to welcome Investor Cash Management and its growing workforce to our Downtown District – the beating heart of Wilmington – where you can dine in first-rate restaurants such as James Beard nominee Bardea, visit fine museums and galleries, enjoy live music most any night of the week or live theater that rivals the best Broadway has to offer,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “By locating its operations in Wilmington, a market with one of the highest concentrations of financial services jobs in the country, ICM joins a community of new and existing financial technology firms that are developing innovative banking products. And as a key tenant in our thriving central business district, ICM will operate among a variety of other well-established businesses, both large and small, as well as an increasing number of residents who are choosing to live downtown and take advantage of all the rich amenities Wilmington has to offer visitors and residents alike.” 

ICM is a Visa Ventures company, backed by marquee players in both the digital and financial services sectors, including the founders of Morningstar and Ariel Investments. The company also has partnered with PIMCO, Invesco, Trusted Capital Group/HUB Financial, WisdomTree and others to market their investor cash management account products and services.

Locally, the fintech firm announced in September a partnership with Delaware State University, which offers its cash management account products and services to students, faculty, staff and alumni. DSU leadership hopes to improve financial literacy among its students and improve the economic trajectory of traditionally un- or under-banked minority communities. Additional community involvement includes partnerships with the National Education Association, representing more than 3 million educators, and the Service Employees International Union, representing more than 2 million frontline workers.

Phillips commented: “After an extensive search, ICM is pleased and proud to announce that Wilmington, Delaware, is the home of our new corporate headquarters. We look forward to building on its foundation as a world-class center of payments and financial services, and we believe the appeal of the city and state will contribute to our ability to attract new colleagues and create a significant number of quality jobs while developing next-generation technologies that empower individuals to build better financial futures.”

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About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Delaware Prosperity Partnership leads Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; to build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and to support private employers in identifying, recruiting, and developing talent. The DPP team works with site selectors, executives and developers focused on where to locate or grow a business and helps with reviewing potential sites, cost-of-living analyses and funding opportunities, including available tax credits and incentives. DPP advances a culture of innovation in Delaware, working with innovators and startups to spotlight and celebrate successes and connect them with the resources they need to succeed. DPP and its partnerships throughout Delaware support and advance the missions of companies of all sizes and sectors.

About Investor Cash Management

ICM is a Visa Ventures portfolio company that has developed unique, API-powered technology to create investor cash management accounts (ICMAs) linked concurrently to both bank accounts and specified investment products (e.g., mutual funds, ETFs, and/or shares), thereby enabling the client to obtain an objectively better combination of higher investment returns and immediate liquidity.  ICMAs transform the specified investment products into immediately liquid digital transaction currencies to seamlessly use via a debit card, ATM access, P2P transfers, and online bill pay. ICM has been listed among the world’s 10 leading fintech companies by Capgemini and UBS, and ICM was the featured fintech company at the Morningstar and Envestnet conferences.

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analytical biological services inc. expands in Delaware

Analytical Biological Services Chooses to Expand in Delaware

Written on . Posted in Press Releases.

Analytical Biological Services Inc. To Grow Operations and Team in Delaware

analytical biological services inc. expands in Delaware

December 14, 2021 – 

Company Plans $4.2 Million Renovation of New Castle Office and Lab Space, Doubling of Workforce Over Next Three Years

WILMINGTON, Del. — Delaware’s booming life sciences sector continues to expand with plans by Analytical Biological Services Inc. (ABS) to double its workforce over the next three years.

The internationally recognized bioscience services company is retrofitting 30,000 square feet of space in New Castle for its new office headquarters and lab space. The expansion, supported by two grants from the Delaware Strategic Fund, will allow the company to meet significant projected growth and add 36 new high-paying, full-time, skilled trade and professional-level positions – more than doubling its current workforce – to the state’s economy.

Since 1990, ABS has provided cell culture services, gene editing, human biospecimens, cell and tissue preparations and analyses, and samples storage. ABS provides these research services to nearly every major pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in the world that is involved in early-stage drug discovery or diagnostics research.

“We are proud to have a number of startup science and tech companies here in Delaware,” said Governor John Carney. “When we realized we had a shortage of lab space for them to use as they grow their business, we made sure there was funding available for what we call Lab Space Grants. The life science industry is essential to both public health and Delaware’s economic future. We are pleased that Lab Space Grants are making a difference for companies like ABS, because we want companies that start here to stay and grow here.”

ABS leadership presented to the Council on Development Finance (CDF) today, requesting a Performance Grant of $262,260 and $1 million from Delaware’s relatively new Lab Space Grant incentive program.

The Performance Grant, to be drawn over the next three years, is for the creation of 36 new full-time high-quality Delaware jobs ranging from skilled trade to professional level. Qualified Delaware residents will have first opportunity for employment with ABS in the newly grant-supported created positions.

ABS will lease 30,000 square feet of a 48,000-square-foot office building in New Castle that will be purchased by ABS BioAccelerator LLC, a separate but related entity. The company will renovate 10,000 square feet for offices, and the Lab Space Grant will help ABS invest $3.7 million to renovate 20,000 of those square feet (at roughly $188.13 per square foot) for lab space. The grant requires ABS to remain in Delaware for five years.

“Congratulations to Analytical Biological Services Inc. on their continued investment in our state and our county,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “We are thankful for ABS as they grow their company and expand Delaware’s reputation as the place to find talent in the life sciences arena. I wish ABS continued luck and growth into the future.”

The company, which employs 33 full-time workers at its current location in Wilmington’s Cornell Business Park, has achieved considerable growth in recent years. That growth has been driven by investment in a larger and more highly trained business development team, along with continuous improvement of processes and business systems. Their ability to increase revenues has resulted in what will now be further investment in more staff and equipment — all to remain right here in Delaware.

In 2019, ABS engaged the services of Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) — Delaware’s nonprofit public-private economic development organization facilitating the important conversations that drive growth, increase investment and support the talent needs of statewide employers — to help identify suitable R&D and lab space to accommodate their expanding needs.

Charles Saller, Ph.D., sole owner, president and CEO of ABS, said: “Our roots are in Delaware. ABS was founded in Delaware. We work with Delaware organizations such as Incyte and the Gene-Editing Institute of ChristianaCare to foster drug discovery research. New laboratories and headquarters are major investments, and the Strategic Fund Grants are essential in enabling us to continue to grow in Delaware. We are grateful to DDP and the State of Delaware for making this possible.”

In all, ABS will invest $4.2 million in the renovation project. The remaining 18,000 square feet of space in the new building may be reserved for potential ABS company growth. ABS and ABS Bio Accelerator LLC also may consider leasing space to other early-stage bioscience companies, which could be strategic partners as ABS continues to grow.

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About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Delaware Prosperity Partnership leads Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; to build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and to support private employers in identifying, recruiting, and developing talent. The DPP team works with site selectors, executives and developers focused on where to locate or grow a business and helps with reviewing potential sites, cost-of-living analyses and funding opportunities, including available tax credits and incentives. DPP advances a culture of innovation in Delaware, working with innovators and startups to spotlight and celebrate successes and connect them with the resources they need to succeed. DPP and its partnerships throughout Delaware support and advance the missions of companies of all sizes and sectors.

About Analytical Biological Services Inc.

Since 1990, ABS has made research and discovery faster, easier and more reliable. Nearly every major pharmaceutical and biotech company have relied on us to provide, process, characterize, and quality-control high-quality cells and tissues. By taking care of these non-core but critical research activities, ABS frees drug discovery and diagnostics companies focus on their key scientific and business goals. As a global provider of custom biological products and services, our team supplies with Cell Culture Services, Gene-Editing and CRISPR, Human Biospecimens, Cell and Tissue Preparations and Analyses, and Sample Storage and Logistics.

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B&M Philly Steaks new food production facility

New B&M Meats Chooses Delaware for $18M Food Production Facility

Written on . Posted in Press Releases.

New B&M Meats Chooses Delaware as Home for Expanded Production, Diversified Product Offerings

B&M Philly Steaks new food production facility

December 13, 2021 – 

Will Add 80,000 Square Foot Production Facility and 190 New Food Production Jobs and Help Rejuvenate Wilmington’s Seventh Street Peninsula

WILMINGTON, Del. — New B&M Meats Inc., a leading manufacturer of raw sandwich steaks and chicken steaks in the Northeast United States, is expanding in the City of Wilmington and will invest more than $18 million in the construction of a new 80,000 square-foot food production facility and add 190 new jobs to the city’s food production industry sector over the next several years.

Delaware Prosperity Partnership – Delaware’s nonprofit public-private economic development organization – and Wilmington’s Office of Economic Development began working with New B&M Meats in 2020 to help the company evaluate scenarios for combining operations in the region to achieve its expansion goals.

New B&M Meats presented before the state Council for Development Finance today to request grant funding from the Delaware Strategic Fund. Approval for the grants by the Council helped solidify the company’s decision to grow its Delaware presence through expansion of its current Wilmington location and construction of a new food production facility nearby.

“I want to thank B&M Meats for their commitment to our state and choosing to expand their production in the City of Wilmington,” said Governor John Carney. “These new jobs will support Delaware workers and their families. This announcement once again proves that Delaware is a great place for companies to grow.”

New B&M Meats currently employs 98 people in Wilmington. The company will use a Performance Grant of $195,975 to add 70 jobs to support organic growth at its existing Commerce Street location. The new facility will be completed along East Seventh Street on three parcels of land totaling 10 acres with support from a Capital Expenditure Grant of $555,300. A second Performance Grant of $359,450 will help the company add another 120 jobs at the new site to support increased production capacity, diversified product offerings and operational expansion through entry into new markets. The company plans to start construction on the new facility in 2022 and open it in late 2023 or early 2024.

“We are very excited to welcome New B&M Meats to Wilmington as the company expands to the Seventh Street Peninsula, producing nearly 200 new jobs in the coming years,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “Together with Light Action Production’s new multi-million-dollar sound stage and the new CP Furniture factory, B&M Meats will augment the Seventh Street Peninsula’s unique blend of business park and historic cultural amenities. My thanks to the Delaware Prosperity Partnership as well as Jeff Flynn and his team in Wilmington’s Office of Economic Development for helping to see this project through to fruition. It is just one more example of how Wilmington is on the move, continuing to attract new businesses, jobs, and residents to all parts of our city.”

By 2026, New B&M Meats projects total employment of 288 people between the two Wilmington facilities. New positions will include production line workers; operators; maintenance and production supervisors; and shippers/handlers. The company is currently hiring for positions at the Commerce Street location, and interviews will begin in late 2023 or early 2024 for the Seventh Street facility.

“As one of the largest Philly steak manufacturers in the country, we’re excited to grow our presence in the rapidly growing and vibrant Wilmington community,” said Steve Realbuto, president. “With a strong pool of talent, supportive local and state government, and proximity to critical transportation routes, Delaware is a great place for a manufacturing company to do business.”

“As we were looking for the site of our next facility, the City of Wilmington and State of Delaware were true partners every step of the way,” said Chris Linteris, CFO. “Jeff Flynn assisted us throughout the entire process, from searching for land and planning for development, he provided key introductions to local vendors and stakeholders. We would also like to thank our banking partner, ConnectOne Bank, for support of our continued growth. With these critical partnerships, we plan to continue our investment in the community and develop additional projects in the coming years.”

“B&M is a shining example of the critical role small and mid-size businesses play in fueling the local economies in which they operate,” said Elizabeth Magennis, president of ConnectOne Bank. “We are proud to support B&M in this exciting endeavor – a client committed to creating opportunities to enhance local communities through its own growth and expansion.”

About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Delaware Prosperity Partnership leads Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; to build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and to support private employers in identifying, recruiting, and developing talent. The DPP team works with site selectors, executives and developers focused on where to locate or grow a business and helps with reviewing potential sites, cost-of-living analyses and funding opportunities, including available tax credits and incentives. DPP advances a culture of innovation in Delaware, working with innovators and startups to spotlight and celebrate successes and connect them with the resources they need to succeed. DPP and its partnerships throughout Delaware support and advance the missions of companies of all sizes and sectors.

About New B&M Meats Inc.

Delaware-based New B&M Meats Inc. is part of the Wonder Meats family of businesses, which also includes Brooklyn Provisions, Broad Street Butcher, Lindee Corned Beef and Nations Best Deli Meats. Wonder Meats began as a family-owned storefront butcher shop in New York City in 1971 and has been based in Carlstadt, New Jersey, since 1994. Company President Steve Realbuto, whose father, Santo Realbuto, opened that first butcher shop 40 years ago, acquired B&M Meats in 2016.

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EDGE grant recipient desikant technologies

Desikant Technologies Help Surgeons Keep Cool

Written on . Posted in Success Stories.

Helping Surgeons Keep Their Cool

EDGE grant recipient desikant technologies

December 1, 2021 –

Wilmington-based Desikant Technologies Creates “Smart Garments” to Beat the Heat

It is a classic scene from a TV medical drama. As a surgeon stands over the operating table, a nurse reaches up to dab the doctor’s damp brow. By the time the life-or-death procedure is over, the surgeon is soaked with sweat.

For many physicians, the depiction is all too real. For hours at a time, they wear scrubs, sterile gowns, masks, gloves, hats and other gear that trap warm, humid air against their bodies. Overheating can affect concentration and cause dehydration.

Wilmington-based Desikant Technologies has a solution. Founded in 2019, the startup creates thermoregulation “smart garments,” including a cooling vest that prevents heat exhaustion. The innovation has received encouragement. In April, Desikant Technologies received the top $75,000 prize in the Delaware Innovation Award Category at Startup 302, a funding competition organized by Delaware Prosperity Partnership. The Delaware Division of Small Business provided the funds for the award. In August, the company received an Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) Grant from the division.

The company is the dream of Kwaku Temeng, a former DuPont Co. employee turned entrepreneur. “Since my days at DuPont, there was something in me that wanted to start a company to solve an important problem,” he says. “I knew that one day I would start a venture.”

Born in Ghana, Temeng came to the United States to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering and a master’s in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His career with the DuPont Co. brought him to Delaware in the early 1990s. “I haven’t moved away from the state since,” he says.

Indeed, Temeng remained a Delaware resident after becoming the director of innovation for Baltimore-based Under Armour. He continued living in Delaware after joining Dropel Fabrics in New York, an early-stage startup that develops and manufactures performance garments using sustainable natural fabrics, not synthetics.

Commuting by train gave Temeng time to think about how heat stress affects athletes. “Stamina drops quite a bit, and the ability to focus on the activity suffers,” he explains. “When the body can’t cool itself down, there’s the risk of dehydration.”

In mid-2020, Temeng founded Desikant Technologies’ startup. He reached out to Alisa Esposito, an Under Armour colleague who built high-performance garments for Olympic athletes and electronic-integrated apparel. She agreed to be the vice president of technical design. Joel Melnick, an electrical engineer who had built flight-control systems for Boeing and designed devices for surgeons, became the chief technical officer.

The first product is a vest for the surgical market. Worn over scrubs and under the gown, the vest has sensors that detect when the body overheats. Sophisticated electronics in the apparel actively replace the warm, humid air around the body with cool, dry air. The Army bought the initial prototype; the second will be tested in operating rooms. The team will then tackle applications for outdoor activities, such as hiking and running.

The Ideal Location on the East Coast

With the grants, Desikant is looking for office space. “Delaware’s position along the East Coast is ideal,” Temeng says. “It’s near New York’s fashion industry and Baltimore, where there is a community experienced in building high-performance products. There are a bunch of potential partners that make electronics.” Consider the DuPont Co., which has an electronic materials business.

While at DuPont, Temeng once spent up to 80 hours a week on an internet-based project. He remembers the sense of satisfaction – a sentiment he hopes to experience next year when, hopefully, Desikant Technologies’ vest will be available.

“When you bring a solution to market and see people adapt it,” he says, “it’s a wonderful feeling.”

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