Page 7 APPROACH TO BUSINESS? · Delawarean living and working in Philadelphia were uniquely glued to the ABC-TV series Feb. 3-4 about Bernie Madoff and his legendary Ponzi-type scheme

FEBRUARY 16, 2016 • VOL. 3 • NO. 4 • $2

Inside

Developers’ NightmaresInterest rates, joblessness,urban blight high on listPage 7

‘Black Jobs Matter’Conceptual drama highlights city’s plightPage 9

First State CLFBiggest lending year yetPage 4

In this issueFirst Look .......................... 3

Business News .............. 7-9

Columnists ................. 10, 11

Spotlight ...........................14

DBT Book of Lists: State Offi cials .....................17Smartboard ......................22

Market Watch ...................23

Market WatchSpotlight on Newark commercial

Page 23

Franchise SurgeAssociation projects278,000 jobs in U.S.Page 12

WILL RECENT JOB LOSSES

CHANGE LEGISLATORS’ APPROACH

TO BUSINESS?

A new voice for business grew out of the bi-partisan Small Business Caucus created by House Minority Leader Daniel Short.

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2 FEBRUARY 16, 2016 www.DelawareBusinessTimes.comDELAWARE BUSINESS TIMES

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 • VOL. 2 • NO. 20 • $2

Inside

New kind of treasurerKen Simpler behind the scenesPage 4

Powering UpMiddletown’s data center faces fewer hurdles Page 9

$3.2 million questionDelaware farmers hope to duck the avian fl uPage 6


Columnists .......................14

Spotlight ...........................16

DBT Book of Lists: Manufacturers ...........19, 20, 21Smartboard ......................26

Readers’ Guide ................27

Market Watch ...................27

Startup No MoreCnvergeexpands to Austin

Page 26

Bragging RightsDelaware’s home to more than Joe BidenPage 11

Manufacturers go high-tech

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Sam Ellers at work at Miller Metal Fabrication in Bridgeville, one of several Delaware companies that employ lean manufacturing techniques.


Bragging Rights



SEPTEMBER 29, 2015 • VOL. 2 • NO. 20 • $2

Inside

New kind of treasurerKen Simpler behind

the scenes

Page 4

Powering UpMiddletown’s data center

faces fewer hurdles

Page 9


In this issueFirst Look .........................

. 3

Columnists .......................14

Spotlight ...........................16

DBT Book of Lists:

Manufacturers ...........19, 20, 21

Smartboard ......................26

Readers’ Guide ................27

Market Watch ...................27


Page 26

Bragging RightsDelaware’s home to

more than Joe Biden

Page 11


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VOL. 2 NO. 15 JULY 21, 2015 FIRST LOOKVOL. 2 NO. 17 AUGUST 18, 2015VOL. 3 NO. 4 FEBRUARY 16, 2016

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First brick around Madoff’s fraud was pried loose by one of our ownErin Arvedlund a bemused viewer of ABC drama

The eyes of a Delawarean living and working in Philadelphia were uniquely glued to the ABC-TV series Feb. 3-4 about Bernie Madoff and his legendary Ponzi-type scheme that cost investors over $50 billion.

Erin E. Arvedlund, a 1988 Archmere Academy grad who had attended Ursuline Academy, wrote the fi rst-ever stories in 2001 for Barron’s questioning just how Bernie Madoff’s investment fi rm could consistently and reliably produce itsseemingly impossible returns.

Although she was not able to document the fraud itself, her instincts — honed by almost a decade in fi nancial journalism — were right on, and it may have been the fi rst brick to be pulled from the wall that Madoff had built around his empire based on fraud.

“Holy shit, they fi nally got him,” Arvedlund often recalls as her exuberant response years later, when the news about his apprehension in December 2008 scrolled across a fi nancial news TV channel as she worked at home. (When her mother is in the audience, as I’ve observed personally a couple times, that almost provokes a grimace from Mom.)

The 2008 arrest of Madoff led to the 2009 book “Too Good to Be True: The Rise and Fall of Bernie Madoff,” published by Penguin Books, and that put this hometown Delawarean on the national and global map of fi nancial writers.

I met Erin in 2009 in Philadelphia at the Union League, when her book was

published, and we’ve become friends in the years since. I read her work virtually daily, and I respect her writing and judgment immensely. I called her for thoughts on how the Madoff story was portrayed by ABC.

“I thought the movie was a very good piece of drama,” she said. “I thought the fi rst part was terrifi cally accurate, where Bernie Madoff made himself so desirable by turning away investors. As soon as someone of great wealth is told they can’t get into something, they want even more to be in, and Madoff knew that.”

“The part about the sons and the family, all of them proclaiming their innocence, and I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but that’s complete hogwash,” she added without uncertainty. “They were all part of a family that benefi tted to the tune of $350 million, according to Trustee Irving Picard’s estimate.”

Picard is the trustee appointed to recover as much of the money as possible that Madoff had distributed in the Ponzi scheme. Given estimates between $50 and $65 billions of money lost, he has recovered — some of it “clawed back” from early investors who had gotten out — over half, what Arvedlund called “a phenomenal recovery!”

If understanding capital and capital marks seems a bit far afi eld for an Ursuline and Archmere grad, note that her father Dick Arvedlund spent a career managing money for DuPont before retirement and founding his own fi rm, Cypress Capital, which subsequently sold to WSFS Bank, where he still works.

Her mother is a musician who taught voice. Even her sister Maggie Arvedlund went to Wall Street, where she’s a portfolio manager for Fortress. Arvedlund’s husband Patrick Beattie is an attorney with his own practice in Philadelphia.

Arvedlund earned a bachelor’s degree in 1992 at Tufts University with work in economics, international relations

and politics. She pursued her interest in language, studying Russian at a university in St. Petersburg, Russia. She describes her Russian as “passable.”

Whether Delawareans were directly impacted fi nancially by the Madoff fraud is not known, but Arvedlund noted that “quite a few LLCs incorporated in Delaware, some charities were listed, and we know for sure there were some in the Delaware Valley,” who has identifi ed some nearby in suburban Philadelphia.

Readers interested in this should pick up a copy of her book for winter hibernation reading, and follow her blog at www.ErinArvedlund.WordPress.com . Although she continues to write freelance, a few years ago she began a fi nance column for the Philadelphia Inquirer, joining another longtime Delawarean, Joe DiStefano, making the Inquirer’s business reporting team one of the fi nest in the country.

Arvedlund, by the way, was not portrayed in ABC’s series, which still can be found on the Web and likely will be re-broadcast. However, in one scene in the second episode, Madoff son Mark is seen reading her Barron’s article, commenting, “none of this is true” in terms of the questions raised about his father Bernie Madoff.

Turned out that Mark Madoff was wrong, and Delaware’s own Erin Arvedlund was right! ■

IGGEST YEAR YET FOR FIRST STATE CLFFirst State CLF, one of three Community Development Financial Institutions in the state, is coming off of its biggest year ever. In 2015, it approved more than 40 loans worth $3 million and generated more than 430 jobs for borrowers who can’t qualify for conventional loans ........... 4

FOUR DEVELOPERS BARE THEIR SOULSInterest rates, joblessness, urban blight high on list as four major Wilmington developers share what keeps them up at night at the Urban Land Institute’s Delaware Developers’ Forum ......... 7

BNO RECESSION SEEN IN 2016Maryland economist and annual keynote speaker Anirban Basu tells the New Castle County

Chamber of Commerce’s 9th Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon that consumer spending will generate enough economic growth to fend off recession in 2016 ............................................. 8

“BLACK JOBS MATTER”A local fi lmmaker prepares to premiere a conceptual drama at the Baby Grand that highlights plight of city’s jobless ..................... 9

VIEWPOINTS ............................................. 10, 11Robert Elder on “Black Jobs Matter.”

Terry Murphy on future of health care at Bayhealth.

Rich Kenney on seven computer resolutions for 2016.

FRANCHISE GROWTH SURGESFranchise small business is on track to outpace non-franchise small business growth this year, according to a study by the International Franchise Association. That’s a projected infusion of 278,000 direct jobs into the U.S. economy in 2016, led by individuals willing to plunk down an initial investment for a nuts-and- bolts business plan and a brand with traction ................................................. 12

EXPENDITURE COMMITTEE ISSUES REPORTThe committee charged with reviewing state expenses has recommended state government continue its focus on controlling costs and fi nding ways to provide services more effi ciently or more effectively ........................ 15

Sam WaltzFounding Publisher

spotlight LegislatureRecent job losses in Delaware, such as those that came with the DuPont merger, may have been a wake-up call for the General Assembly. Legislators there, many of them business owners themselves, are working to prevent any more casualties, and in the process re-evaluating what it means to be “business-friendly.”.................................14


LENDINGFirst State CLF’s specialty: Second chances

Nonprofi t serves business clients who can’t qualify for traditional loansBy Christi [email protected]

Michael Jones had already endured a rejection from his longtime bank when First State Community Loan Fund (CLF) came to his rescue. The nonprofi t lending institution approved a $50,000 micro loan for the Magnolia resident so he could purchase a dump truck and jumpstart his asphalt business.

When Andrea Sikora and her husband Bryan applied for a traditional loan to outfi t a space for their new restaurant in Wilmington’s LOMA district, they were also turned down. The bank suggested First State CLF, and they were able to secure a $210,000 business growth loan for their eatery.

They opened popular La Fia restaurant and bakery in 2013.

“We specialize in working with clients who don’t meet traditional loan requirements,” said First State CLF President and CEO Vandell Hampton, Jr. “There’s a huge demand for our services.”

First State CLF, one of three Community Development Financial Institutions in the state, is coming off of its biggest year ever. In 2015, it approved more than 40 loans worth $3 million and generated more than 430 jobs, according to Hampton.

Not bad for a nonprofi t forced to swap its focus from affordable housing to small-business lending after the recession. It was a win-win, as hopeful business owners like Jones and the Sikoras, either bruised by debt or lacking collateral, were able to fi nd the generative funds they required to build their dream.

“They give people the opportunity to start a business, people who have something to offer but not resources to do it,” said Sikora, who will open

a second Market Street restaurant this winter, thanks to another loan from First State. “It’s very important that people have skills and qualifi cations have opportunity to borrow.”

The organization was just named one of the top 25 Community Advantage lenders in the country, a program of the U.S. Small Business Administration designed to meet the credit, management and technical assistance needs of small businesses in underserved markets.

“Part of helping them switch gears was perfect timing for when SBA introduced program called Community Advantage,” said John Fleming, director of the Delaware offi ce of the SBA. “It really allowed organizations like First State to become SBA lenders in normal banking 7A program.”

First State CLF offers two lending options through its Small Business Lending Program, which includes a micro loan fund and business growth fund, and its Community Development Fund, which meets the needs of mixed use, community facilities, nonprofi ts, child-care facilities and affordable housing.

With an average loan $80,000 to $100,000, Hampton said 60 percent of the lending and technical assistance must go to underserved communities.

But if switching gears enlarged the scope of its lending capacity, growing its Technical Assistance Program has shored up the viability of the loans they make.

The program helps lenders navigate the application process. It also provides critical advice in business planning and follow-up services. Both

the popular Retail Assistance Program and the Women’s Business Center are outgrowths of the program.

The Retail Assistance Program provides help ranging from recommendations about growth and improvements, assistance with lease negotiations and fi nancial and market analyses for business owners.

The Women’s Business Center, an SBA resource partner, offers services to women entrepreneurs, including marketing analysis and business planning. Last year, it packaged more than $700,000 in fi nancing for First State CLF.

“We don’t just make a loan, we’re fi ne-tuning projections, bookkeeping, accounting,” said Hampton. “That’s an integral part of our business model.

“We provide a host of services to women owned business — training classes; networking events; connect them with mentors in the industry; one-on-one consulting,” said Hampton.

If it weren’t for the technical assistance and a bit of handholding, Melanie Thomas-Price said she’s certain her early childhood development center would have gone under years ago.

The former teacher opened A Leap of Faith Child Development Center in 2002, certain she could parlay her years of education experience into a thriving daycare and education center.

“But it was a lot more complicated than I thought,” conceded Thomas-Price. “And I began to go under.”

She called First State Community Loan Fund. Its technical assistance program helped the educator craft a business plan, connect her with SCORE

volunteers and radically shift her business blueprint.

“They didn’t feed me milk and cookies,” said Thomas-Price. “They said, ‘We’ve got some issues here.’ But they explained the issues and told me how they were going to help me.”

Last year, she purchased a 12,000-square-foot building on Fourth Street thanks to a $75,000 loan from First State and fi nancing through M & T Bank.

“I went from 40 children to 140, six employees to 21,” said Price-Thomas, who credits First State with her growth as a business owner and entrepreneur.

An offi ce in Wilmington as well, one in Georgetown and another at the Entrepreneur Center at Delaware State University, puts First State in contact with clients throughout Delaware.

“We’re doing so much now — half of what we do is downstate and that wasn’t the case six or seven years ago,” said Hampton.

“Many times we are the only option and we’re having a huge impact,” he said. “We’re creating jobs for folks, ownership opportunities.”

This year, Hampton said the organization has $1 million worth of loans in the pipeline. Still, raising money for the nonprofi t continues to be its biggest challenge.

“We focus on businesses that don’t qualify for conventional services,” said Hampton. “We’re giving these folks an opportunity to achieve their dreams, to build personal equity and net worth.”

Thomas-Price, who said she was close to being a small-business statistic, credits the organization with keeping her business safe and connecting her with the right resources.

“You don’t get that support everywhere,” said Thomas-Price, who said she’s developed a better sense of herself as an individual and entrepreneur.

“When you dig down deep we’re really doing something for the community,” said Hampton. “What would have happened to those businesses, to those ideas if we weren’t there to provide that support?” ■

Michael Jones purchased a dump truck thanks to a loan from First State Community Loan Fund. He started his asphalt business last year, and hopes to purchase a second truck soon.

Vandell Hampton has worked at First State CLF for 12 years, moving from executive director to president and CEO. He said many times the nonprofi t is the only option for folks looking to start or expand their business.

Andrea Sikora and her husband Bryan were able to secure a $210,000 business loan from First State CLF so they could open their popular restaurant La Fia in Wilmington’s LOMA district.

Melanie Thomas-Price, founder of A Leap of Faith Child Development Center, credits First State CLF’s technical assistance program with giving her the tools to craft a business plan and help navigate the loan process.

First State Community Loan Fund2015 Lending Activity

African American – 27%

Asian – 3%

Hispanic – 3 %

Caucasian – 62%

Uncategorized – 6%

Lending Activity Since Inception (1992)

LOAN PROGRAMS $ AMOUNT # OF LOANSAffordable Housing Fund $ 13,563,535 189Business Growth Fund $ 9,064,530 193Micro Loan Fund $ 2,966,574 762Community Development Loan Fund $ 3,418,231 28

$ 29,012,870 1172

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Portrait by renowned illustrator Joseph Adolphe.

W I L M I N G T O N T R U S T R E N O W N E D I N S I G H T

F I D U C I A R Y S E R V I C E S | W E A LT H P L A N N I N G | I N V E S T M E N T M A N A G E M E N T | P R I VA T E B A N K I N G

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the sale of any financial product or service. This article is not designed or intended to provide financial, tax, legal, accounting, or other professional advice since such advice always requires consideration of individual circumstances. If professional advice is needed, the services of your professional advisor should be sought. The Capital Markets Forecast reflects the informed opinion of Wilmington Trust and is subject to a range of assumptions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. No assurance can be given as to actual future market results.

Private Banking is the marketing name for an offering of M&T Bank deposit and loan products and services.

Investments: • Are NOT FDIC-Insured • Have NO Bank Guarantee • May Lose ValueWilmington Trust is a registered service mark. Wilmington Trust Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of M&T Bank Corporation (M&T). Investment management and fiduciary services are provided by Wilmington Trust Company, operating in Delaware only, and Wilmington Trust, N.A., a national bank. Loans, retail and business deposits, and other personal and business banking services and products are offered by M&T Bank, member FDIC. Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc., a subsidiary of M&T Bank, is a SEC-registered investment advisor providing investment management services to Wilmington Trust and M&T affiliates and clients.

©2016 Wilmington Trust Corporation and its affiliates. All rights reserved.

At Wilmington Trust, our team has analyzed markets and economies through one-year and decade-long lenses. In our Capital Markets Forecast, we examine three trends we see developing, and explore how obstacles can also point to a ra� of comparatively robust investment opportunities. Where are we now? Short term, we see a continuation of the United States’ economic leadership, with employment, wage, spending, and business investment growth all promising. Still, bloated debt levels and easing growth weigh heavily, and we expect another recession within the next �ve years. We envision it as shallower than the recent post-crisis downturn with, hopefully, a quicker recovery. Demographics is destiny. Long term, we expect the tables to turn, and we see the world’s leading economy at risk of becoming overdeveloped. Root causes include structural decelerations or even declines in key long-term determinants of growth, such as labor force growth, capital investment, and productivity expansion. Over the next 10 years, we expect labor force growth to continue the trend of deceleration, due

to slowing population growth, the aging of the existing labor force, and reduced labor force participation.

Other trends on the horizon. We see income likely to reign supreme as investor focus shi�s from capital appreciation to interest and dividend income. We also see nontraditional income sources becoming more relevant. �e reemergence of emerging markets is projected, with new economy stocks gradually achieving greater prominence as old-economy stocks give way. For more of our insights on the coming year and beyond – and for the guidance our clients welcome to help sidestep obstacles and pursue opportunities – download our annual Capital Markets Forecast at wilmingtontrust.com/CMF.

Tony M. Roth

M.A., J.D., LL.M. (Tax)

Chief Investment Officer

Tony brings his extensive knowledge

and more than 20 years of experience

to bear on client portfolios each and

every day. He is responsible for strategic

direction and providing quality risk

management and comprehensive

investment solutions. He is part of a

seasoned team of professionals who

exemplify Wilmington Trust’s 112-year

heritage of successfully advising

clients. For access to knowledgeable

professionals like Tony and the rest

of our team, contact Tony Lunger

at 302-651-8800.

“Is your portfolio poised to prosper in the decade ahead?”

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Delaware Business Times /10”w x 13”h


TRADE

Gregory Lloyd Morris, Gregory Lloyd Morris, Gregory Lloyd Morris, PlaywrightPlaywrightPlaywright

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A Wilmington ExperimentA Wilmington ExperimentA Wilmington Experiment”””

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Ambassador says trade talks moving forwardBy Christi [email protected]

Negotiations in the world’s largest free trade agreement are making headway and could vastly expand trading opportunities for the United States and Europe, according to David O’Sullivan, European Union (EU) Ambassador to the United States.

O’Sullivan was the featured guest at a joint reception hosted by the British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, international chambers of commerce, the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce and The World Trade Center Delaware.

In his fi rst offi cial visit to the region, O’Sullivan offered an update on the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP), currently being negotiated between the United States and the European Union, considered the world’s largest free trade agreement. Goals include easier market access for American and European companies, as well as alignment of regulatory and trade rules.

Citing the need for comprehensive policies to generate growth in open

markets, O’Sullivan said a trade agreement between the United States and the European Union is an opportunity to update regulations toward generating streamlined trade options.

The result could be open markets for sectors like automobiles or pharmaceuticals and chemicals, where standards are generally the same but trade is prohibited.

“There are many areas where we could reduce costs without lowering standards,” said O’Sullivan. “We’re

making very good progress.” He added that a trade deal could

result in 30 percent of the world gross domestic product.

Negotiations have taken center state in Europe, where discussion has focused on just how both sides can craft a regulatory agreement without compromising standards for at least one side. According to O’Sullivan, 58 percent of people in Europe say they would support TTIP.

“You have the law of comparative advantage,” said O’Sullivan, regarding trade markets. O’Sullivan suggested that while many markets could mass produce the same product, each is best served by focusing on those industries they produce most effi ciently.

Eliminating tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade are also crucial to a successful agreement. The ambassador conceded those points have presented some obstacles during negotiations.

Some opponents of TTIP argue it will mean a lowering of standards and regulations, and an increase in competition as protective barriers to

trade and investment are removed. According to O’Sullivan, “artifi cial and

imagined fears that hormone-fed beef will be imposed” were simply untrue.

Gov. Jack Markell, who also attended the event, said Delaware must focus on investing in a skilled workforce at home and engaging the world through a robust exporting plan.

The European Union and United States will continue their 12th round of talks on TTIP next month in Brussels. The European Union is represented in the United States by the Washington, D.C., delegation of the European Union, which works with the embassies and consulates of the 28 EU member states.

The BABC of Greater Philadelphia has been promoting increased trade and investment between the United Kingdom and the Greater Philadelphia region, including southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware for 25 years, according to BABC offi cials.

The event was held earlier this month at the Hercules Building on Market Street. ■

European Union Ambassador to the U.S. David O’Sullivan paid his fi rst offi cial visit to Delaware to discuss the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP).

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DEVELOPMENTDevelopers share what scares them mostBy Kathy [email protected]

Four major Wilmington developers told what keeps them up at night at the Urban Land Institute’s Delaware Developers’ Forum earlier this month.

Michael Hare, senior vice president of Buccini Pollin Group, got a round of applause when he joked, “The presidential election terrifi es me. It does keep me up at night, especially last night [Iowa Caucus]. My God, 300 million people and this is the best we can do?”

Hare said interest rates are one of his concerns: “The interest rate issue is terrifying to all of us, although the government has demonstrated they have the ability to intervene when needed.”

With Buccini Pollin a major investor in downtown Wilmington, Hare said his other concern is “the issues we live with every day” — the amount of homeless people, burned-out streetlights, buses on Rodney Square.

“The City of Wilmington keeps me up at night,” said Greg Pettinaro, CEO of Pettinaro, a major player at the Riverfront. “I think a lot of it is hearsay and it’s getting overblown as to what the problems are,” he said, but he said

people from outside the city might be infl uenced by the talk.

“I worry about, of course, the interest rates,” said Angela Tsionas-Matulas, principal in Tsionas Management, the company that plans a new $40 million luxury-apartment and retail center on the site of the Galleria Shoppes on Pennsylvania Avenue. She pointed out that Delaware historically trends better economically than the rest of the nation.

“What keeps me up at night most is job growth, said Louis Capano III, a principal in Capano Management, LC Construction and LC Homes. He said without job growth his company can’t build apartments, the offi ce market

won’t be buoyed and retail will probably sag. Capano’s other concern: interest rates. “We’re basing everything on a 2 percent 10-year note. If that goes to 5 percent, our deals don’t look so good.”

Wilmington Economic Development Director Jeffrey C. Flynn said the city is growing jobs, now up to 53,039 from about 50,000 in 2000. The largest job sector is fi nance with 12,473 jobs. Other strong sectors include professional, government and health.

Flynn said small companies that service those sectors are beginning to dot the downtown. “We’re starting to see a little startup quarter happening ...,” Flynn said. “I think it’s going to have an

impact on real estate. Wilmington’s going to have its third co-working space open up in a couple months, The Mill in the Nemours Building.”

“Nothing attracts young professionals like a well-paying job,” he said. “ Nothing attracts well-paying jobs like a talented workforce.”

Capano said his company is building apartments and expanding its retail centers, but has no new retail in the pipeline.

Pettinaro said his company’s 2016 focus would be on multi-family. He said the company’s purchase of much of the commercial property in Greenville last year will allow the company to work with community groups on plans that everyone will want. “Having one developer control everything helps,” he said.

Tsionas-Matulas told the group all of her mostly mixed-use student apartments around Newark’s Main Street are 100 percent leased and she has waiting lists for apartments currently under construction.

Hare discussed his company’s plans to do over the Concord Plaza offi ce park as a mixed-use development with shops, high-end restaurants and a four-story signature offi ce building. “We think it’s a great contribution to set a trend for Brandywine Hundred, revitalizing Brandywine Hundred,” he said. ■

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Developers disussed challenges and plans for new businesses in 2016.

http://www.gunnip.com/tax


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Del. fully recovered from recession, economist saysBy Christi [email protected]

Economist Anirban Basu said that in a “shockingly weak” global market, the United States is holding its own. He also believes the strength of the strong consumer market will hold off a recession — at least in 2016.

A highlight closer to home? Moody’s analytics shows that Delaware has fully recovered from the great recession, said Basu.

The Maryland-based economist and policy consultant was the featured speaker at the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce’s 9th Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon attended by more than 260 business leaders and legislators. His economic forecast — delivered with a mix of humor and self-deprecation — has been a centerpiece of the event every year.

Basu said that personal consumption is the biggest contributor to the more than 2 percent economic growth of the United States in 2015. Drawing a football metaphor, he likened the economy to the Washington Redskins — not that strong, but the best in its division.

“The economic outlook is much more complicated than it’s been in recent

years,” said Basu, chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group, Inc., an economic and policy consulting fi rm based in Baltimore, Md. “The world is simply not growing enough.”

Compared to countries like Brazil, which saw its currency decrease by 33 percent last year, or Russia, where the ruble declined by 20 percent compared to the U.S. dollar, the United States continues to set the standard. He pointed to the decline in demand for globally utilized economies like oil

and raw materials as indicators of a weakened economy.

U.S economic growth has accelerated because of consumer spending, said Basu. Another hallmark of the economic recovery is an increase in employment fi gures, with 151,000 jobs added in January alone. Education and healh services experienced the biggest increase in job growth in 2015, followed by professional and business services, and the leisure and hospitality industries.

“Some say the recession will begin this year,” said Basu. “But I think the consumer market is strong enough and job growth is strong enough to support us through 2016.”

Basu noted that corporate profi t margins are slipping and interest rates are on the rise. He said only the consumer is really contributing signifi cantly to growth, with state and local government spending playing a supporting role.

Other highlights included: • Auto dealers in the sold 1.75

million cars last year with an average transaction of $34,000.

• Americans spend their money most frequently at full-service restaurants.

• Mining and logging industries are

the big losers on the job front.In 2015, Delaware employment increased

by 1.7 percent, according to Basu.With young college graduates the

most likely generation to relocate, Basu said that cities across the country are seeing the greatest infl ux of millennials to their markets, and suggested that Wilmington will be a draw if it can meet that demographic with an ample selection of restaurants and bars.

He also predicted two interest rate increases this year and said the second half of the year won’t be as good as the fi rst.

“We may be transitioning very quickly from the mid-cycle stage of the recovery to the late-stage,” said Basu. “The 2017 outlook is very murky.”

Basu said the consumer-led recovery stops at housing ownership, now at just 63.7 percent. Basu said fi rst-time homebuyers, buried by student debt and a culture less focused on asset accumulation, have affected the economic outcomes of the housing market. Millennials are opting to rent instead of buy.

“But it will come back with a vengeance,” noted Basu. “Once people have children, they look like everybody else.”

The NCCC event was held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront. ■

Anirban Basu, an economist and policy consultant, was the featured speaker at the New Castle County Cham-ber’s 9th Annual Economic Forecast Luncheon.

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ARTSTo change lives, all the stage is his worldExperimental playhighlights plight ofcity’s joblessBy Michael J. MikaMike@Delaware Business Times

(RELATED STORY: Page 19Gregory Morris, an L.A. fi lmmaker

who moved to Wilmington 15 years ago, is excited about the premiere of his latest work that he describes as “street participatory acting to bring attention to the jobless crisis in the city.”

“Black Jobs Matter, A Wilmington Experiment” will premiere Feb. 25 at the Baby Grand Theater in Wilmington.

Morris said the conceptual drama “is a play in which we take a brief look at three examples at what it is like to be unemployed and black in the city of Wilmington. It’s like ‘The Wire’ (an HBO series about life in Baltimore) … We’re literally going to put the streets on stage,” he said.

As a writer Morris has dedicated himself to writing about the streets. He uses actors from the neighborhood, who get the gigs, not through auditions, but observations Morris makes about them. The troupe of fi ve actors is currently going through rehearsals at various venues in the city

“The climate in the city is very combustible for several reasons: Disenfranchisement with police that many residents have and complaints about civic and local government. But the big thing is the unemployment situation, more than 9,000 in the city,” Morris said.

He cites the lack of jobs, job opportunity and no real network to pull from as reasons for the high unemployment.

“I can speak to what it’s like to be a father and not have enough money to take care of them. Unemployment forces

you to negotiate the things that you need. It affects a person’s self esteem,” he said. The vignettes in the play will show examples of this negotiation.

Morris, also a professor of English at Wilmington University, holds a master’s degree in fi ne arts. He has been writing and producing plays and fi lms on life in the “Hood” for several years. He participated in last month’s Wilmington Black Film Festival with another work called “20 Minutes.”

The Black Jobs Matter project all

started with a Morris presentation to the Caesar Rodney Rotary club. After his presentation he was asked what could be done about the crime in Wilmington.

“I said, if you want to see it plummet, provide jobs for the black and brown men in the city. If the men in the community are working it will stabilize the home fi rst, and then the community,” he recalls.

After the meeting, Bob Elder, a former president of two Delaware banks, and marketing director of the Santora CPA

Group, invited him for coffee and they started a project with ABC to fi nd fi ve men from the city who could work in construction, and get chance to go through the apprenticeship program. Four of the fi ve completed the training.

Elder brought on some more corporate supporters and Alan Levin, a legendary Delaware businessman, who also donated one night’s tickets to the Baby Grand, and the project took off.

Although invites have been sent to all the Wilmington mayoral candidates, Morris said he intends to keep the non-partisan. Delaware’s twin poet laureates, Nnamdi Chukwuocha and Albert Mills, will open the evening with their poem “It’s not illegal to dream” which he says is perfect preface to the play.

The play, with a $5,000 production budget, will take about 45 minutes to run. Once it concludes, Morris will take the stage for a few minutes, to talk about the call to action —An enterprise zone for the three most crime-ridden city ZIP Codes that encourages new business with tax breaks if they hire from the neighborhood for three years.

Critical to that, however, is also a call to make Delaware a Right to Work state so companies will be encouraged to come in.

Gov. Jack Markell concludes the evening with brief remarks. Morris’ hope is that conversation continues as the crowd leaves the theater, but said he didn’t want the event to turn into a town hall meeting with comments from all the candidates, etc.

“The hero to this situation will be sitting in this room,” Morris said.

After the Wilmington showing, the troupe will also perform in Dover and Sussex County.

“In fi ve years, I’d like to see a majority of the men in Wilmington working. It will have a cascading effect … We need the African American men in the city to have a livable wage so they can take care of their families.” ■

We’re going to use art to put on the table to put solutions to the problems residents have to deal with … The issues and desires are the same no matter where we live. We’re more similar than different. A real parent will do anything to have the best for their kids, no matter what the circumstances, said Gregory Morris.

Family Owned Business nominees sought

Today Media and Delaware Business Times are seeking nominations for the second annual Family Owned Business

Awards to be presented June 23.Awards are presented to businesses

in three categories (Small, Medium and Large) based on employee size. Eligible businesses must be based in Delaware and have been active in business for at least two generations.

Finalists from the 2015 awards may submit nominations if they did not win the top award last year. All nominations must be submitted online and received by Noon, Friday, March 18.

You may also nominate your business

for one of four specialty awards by explaining how the company demonstrates traits for that award.

• The Community Service Award is given to that business which shows excellence in its level of community service.

• The Customer Service Award is given to that business which shows excellence in dealing with customer service.

• The Innovation and Technology Award is given to that business that is doing something different or modernizing their operations to better

serve their customers and clients with the use of technology.

• The Emerging Family Business Award is given to the business that is showing remarkable growth or market share.

Finalists will be published in the May 24 issue of Delaware Business Times, with the awards presented June 23 at the Christiana Hilton Hotel. Event details and nomination form can be found at www.delawarebusinesstimes.com/event/family-owned-business-awards/ ■


VIEWPOINTVIEWPOINTVIEWPOINT

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Create 9,000 jobs: One remedy for many social illsThree daunting

issues face the City of Wilmington and Delaware which, if not confronted, will consign each of them to an unending downward spiral of economic and social destruction. They are:

• run-away crime which has already brought Wilmington

an unwanted title nationally • a less-than-mediocre performance

record in public education • an insolvent fi nancial condition The effects of all of these have

combined to produce a national shunning of Delaware and Wilmington as a place for out-of-state businesses to locate, or for that matter for existing businesses to even want to stay here. Our leaders tell us that the answers are simple: hire more cops, get better teachers and build new schools, and tax an already overburdened and shrinking tax base even more. Really smart.

Here is the real answer:CRIME: Create jobs for 9,000 unemployed black men in Wilmington.

These men have already lost all hope of ever fi nding a job. There is nothing in their refrigerators, there is no rent money, there is no place to go and nothing to do. So they do what you and I would do just to get their next meal. They turn to the streets and they “hustle.” Ask any one of them if they would trade that life for a job with a career and they will all tell you “in a New

York minute.” So crime would plummet.SCHOLASTIC PERFORMANCE: Create jobs for 9,000 unemployed black men in Wilmington.

The child of an unemployed black man in Wilmington may not even know she has a father. He is not in the home. Without even the hope of a job her father has lost all his self-respect and sense of self- worth. He knows his children don’t respect him and he knows he can’t even provide them with dinner. So he doesn’t show up. So this child goes to bed without dinner. She didn’t do her homework because there is constant turmoil in the house. She doesn’t sleep well and when she wakes up breakfast is a bag of potato chips. So she puts on yesterday’s clothes and walks to school through a war zone. And she too has absolutely no self- respect. If she gets to school she places herself in the charge of an overburdened and much-maligned teacher who knows that child is anything but ready to learn.

But today she must take a standardized test, the outcome of which will determine how her teacher and her school are regarded competitively in Delaware. All this would be different if her father had a job with a career and would be in the home, together with her mother, and nurture his daughter the way a Greenville father does. The scholastic performance of the child’s school district would contribute to a much higher state average. The teacher is not the problem.WILMINGTON AND DELAWARE’S FINANCIAL CONDITION: Create jobs for 9,000 unemployed black

men in Wilmington. Take a look at the budget of either

Wilmington or Delaware and you will see, on the expense side, an ever-increasing level of transfer payments for welfare, Medicaid, unemployment, etc., which have absolutely no productive outcome. Most of this is to support people without incomes. Now take a look at the revenue side and you will see a constantly dwindling revenue base to support these transfer payments.

If 9,000 unemployed black men had jobs they would come off the public dole, thereby lessening the expense side, and broadening the tax-paying revenue base thereby helping to eliminate Wilmington’s and Delaware’s apparent insolvency.

Wilmington is sitting on a powder keg and to not do something about it right now is to bring a lighted match closer and closer. How long would you expect these men to wait? How long should they? There is no coherent argument against the theory that by providing 9,000 unemployed black men in Wilmington jobs we could solve the above three issues and thereby make Wilmington once again “A Place to Be Somebody”.

The question: How? Here’s how:Government can provide a limited

hand in facilitating a solution and then step back and get out of the way and let private industry take over. One way to do this is for government to proclaim Wilmington to be an “Enterprise Zone,” free to invent its own economic rules and waive others. Then Wilmington devises a package of economic incentives, exclusively for those businesses willing to come in and

hire 9,000 unemployed black men. These incentives have to be creative

and powerful. But they need to be so powerful that private industry is induced to do the job. We did this at the state level in the 1980s when government came up with the Financial Centers Development Act (FCDA) and private industry made Delaware the undisputed domain of the credit card industry.

On Feb. 25 at the Baby Grand Theater you will be able to see the premiere of a play titled “Black Jobs Matter, A Wilmington Experiment” by Gregory Lloyd Morris. Before he became an acclaimed playwright Greg was involved with one of the largest production, distribution, marketing, and collection enterprises in Los Angeles: a street gang. He is the living example of the potential of every unemployed black man in Wilmington — talented, bright, industrious, creative, and driven to achieve.

Holding a master’s degree in fi ne arts, Greg teaches at the college level and writes and produces plays and fi lms on life in the “Hood” and he lives here in Wilmington. In his play, written just for Wilmington, you will see actors right off the streets of Wilmington give a graphic portrayal of real-life experience woven into a compelling story of why all of us must throw away our petty prejudices and together make Wilmington “A Place For Everybody to Be Somebody.”

Black jobs matter. ■

Robert Elder, a former president of two Delaware banks, is marketing director of the Santora CPA Group. He served as a U.S. Navy of� cer in the Vietnam War, and has remained active in civic leadership.

Robert ElderGuest Columnist


VIEWPOINTVIEWPOINTVIEWPOINT

Six computer-related resolutions for 2016By Rich KenneyGuest Columnist

Just as a doctor gets asked about that nagging pain during normal conversation at a dinner party or other social event, IT professionals similarly are asked about what to do for slow computers or about suggestions to make an IT environment more secure. So as a means to fi eld some of those questions through a public forum instead of individually, I have compiled a list of six things you can do to keep your digital assets running in top form and in a secure manner.Ensure you are running a proper antivirus solution

With new virus threats being released daily, security has become a top priority for many businesses. Antivirus software on a PC is an absolute must. While it will not protect against all bad things out there, you are leaving yourself with a serious security risk by not having one installed. In a business environment, the antivirus software should be part of an enterprise solution so that all devices can be managed through a single pane of glass. Through that single interface, an administrator can check for current defi nitions, set up regularly scheduled scans and even give the command for all computers to immediately run virus scans. Enterprise level AV software is a necessity for all businesses with more than three or four computers in the mix.

Disable unnecessary startup programsThroughout the life of a computer,

applications get installed and then forgotten. Many times, an application will set itself or one of its components to automatically start with a reboot of your computer. Over time, this can result in slowing down a computer because of an unnecessary use of resources. Periodically, you should take the proactive step to view what is automatically happening each time you power on your computer and remove the programs that just don’t belong. If you are uncertain whether a particular program should be removed or not, do an Internet search to investigate what it is doing and why it is starting automatically. If your search does not provide a conclusive answer then it would be best to leave the program alone. Microsoft has included a utility with each of its operating systems called “MSConfi g” that allows you to see all of the auto-start apps. In addition, there are some free third-party programs that are a bit more useful than MSConfi g, such as CCleaner and Glary Utilities. In my opinion, both of these programs are more intuitive and easier to use than MSConfi g.Physically clean devices

Depending on your environment and surroundings, the inside of computer towers can sometimes accumulate a half-inch of dust on the circuitry components. The most common issue with dusty components is overheating

which leads to hardware failure. As a yearly ritual, you should remove the cover, take the tower outside and use a can of compressed air to blow out the dust from the circuitry. Compressed air cans are also useful in removing crumbs and other particulates from keyboards.Keep operating systems and third-party apps up-to-date

On a weekly basis, you should ensure that your computers are being kept current on Windows Updates (or OS X updates for Macs). This is a very simple process that will ensure that known security vulnerabilities are being addressed as well as help keep your computer running at peak performance. Along those same lines, outdated third-party applications such as Acrobat, Java, and Flash can present even more security vulnerabilities than not keeping Windows up-to-date. Many third-party apps will download updates themselves, but will rely on the end user to install the updates, whereas others will rely on the end user for the entire process.Think before you click

End users are the weakest link in the digital security chain. It is imperative that businesses see this issue as a priority and address it. Implementing tighter security controls such as a web content fi lter, instituting strong passwords, creating written Internet usage policies, and training end users to recognize malicious e-mails would

be critical steps to help strengthen this weakest link. Viruses and phishing schemes typically rely on the end user to fall into a trap to deliver their payload. Many times, that trap comes in the form of a hyperlink sent in an e-mail or as an attachment to an e-mail. Once you click the hyperlink or open the attachment, the deed has been done and you have been compromised (regardless of which antivirus software is installed). If something seems fi shy in an e-mail even from someone you know, consider it bad. Update Your Business Continuity Plan

As an IT professional, I am always surprised when I come across a potential new client who has no idea IF the data on the network is being backed up … or WHEN the data on the network is being backed up … or HOW the data on the network is being backed up.

Not having at least two copies of your data is as dangerous for a business as driving in a NASCAR race going 200 MPH with no seat belt or helmet would be for Kyle Busch. Without two copies of your data, all it would take is one hard drive to die, or one user to get the wrong virus, or countless other scenarios and your critical business data is gone forever. Some methods of backing up your data are cheaper than others. ■Rich Kenney is vice president of Wilming-ton-based TechSolutions Inc., which has provided skilled technology services to small and midsized businesses since 1999.

Future of health-care delivery looks bright at BayhealthFor the past 14

years, I’ve been honored to work for Bayhealth. Our mission has driven Bayhealth’s continued growth, and I’m proud of the progress we’ve been able to make. While understanding that today’s health-care industry presents

many challenges, I look forward to the future with optimism.

Underserved populationsWe are continually working to

improve access to quality health care for many Delawareans who are uninsured or underserved.

We’ve been able to make some headway on this important work by implementing programs that help patients take a proactive approach to their own health care. Patients have access to free mammograms, prostate screenings, diabetes education, smoking cessation, health fairs, and more. We encourage our

aging population to participate in free educational initiatives and screenings designed to keep them strong.

Population changesSussex County has seen an infl ux of

retirees in the last decade. In Delaware, adults 65 and older represent 16.4 percent of our population, two points above the national average of 14.5 percent. Across the nation, health-care organizations are gearing up to meet the needs of this aging population. At Bayhealth, we’re addressing this growth in a number of ways.

We are actively recruiting new physicians to meet the needs of the community. In the last year, we’ve added nearly 15 primary and specialty care physicians to the area.

We are actively recruiting top nurses. In 2015, Bayhealth obtained Magnet® designation for excellence in nursing, which assists with drawing top nursing talent from across the nation.

New Health CampusThis spring, we plan to break ground

on a new health campus in southern Delaware. Positioned on a 165-acre

property just off of Del. 1, the new health campus will allow Bayhealth to provide cutting-edge health care in an accessible and convenient location.

In fall 2015, we announced an agreement had been made with award-winning health care provider Nemours Children’s Health System to provide pediatric and senior care in a separate facility on the new health campus.

The Nemours collaboration is just the beginning in showing the community that the health campus is more than a hospital. It will redefi ne health care in southern Delaware. Bayhealth’s goal is to provide many different services in one location to maximize the community’s access to the best health care in the region.

Improved patient experience The new health campus is designed

around our patients. Among the many benefi ts, highlights will include:

• Improved Access and Convenience: Patients will be able to access and navigate the grounds of the new health campus easily and have access to forward thinking expertise from specialists to lab and diagnostic testing

on one location.• Private Rooms: With the friendly

care brought by the familiar values of Bayhealth Milford Memorial, patients at the new health campus will also have a modern facility with comfortable common areas, easier internal navigation and all private rooms.

• Advanced Technology: The new health campus will be designed and built with the infrastructure needed to continuously incorporate the latest technology in treatments.

• Advanced Emergency Services: A much larger Emergency Department with all private rooms will decrease wait times and allow patients to be more comfortable. A critical decision unit will also be placed in the Emergency Department to monitor patients who may need to be admitted to the hospital.

We are driven to be a health-care organization that cares for members of our community as if they are family. Our physicians and staff make this their No. 1 goal. ■

Terry Murphy, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, is president and CEO of Bayhealth Medical Center.

Terry MurphyGuest Columnist


SMALL BUSINESS

Buying in to a franchise is like joining a winning teamBy Christi [email protected]

There’s good news for the corporate cog, the tradesperson or even the dreamer hungry for a chance to be his or her own boss: Franchise small business is on track to outpace non-franchise small business growth this year, according to a study by the International Franchise Association.

That’s a projected infusion of 278,000 direct jobs into the U.S. economy in 2016, led by individuals willing to plunk down an initial investment for a nuts-and- bolts business plan and a brand with traction.

“One of the advantages of a franchise is if you have no experience, the franchisor is going to do their due diligence to see if you’re going to fi t into their business,” said Bill Pfaff, director of the Small Business Development Center in Sussex County. “At the end of the day, they’re looking for success too.”

Across the country, they’re fi nding it. FRANData, which tracks and measures

the franchise performance of about 3,000 active brands, reveals that about 300 new brands franchise every year.

Christen Maroulis opened the fi rst Brightway Insurance agency in Delaware after lots of research and some direct questions of the founders. Their willingness to meet with her in person helped seal the deal.

“I read article after article about

them,” said Maroulis, who already had some franchise experience and knew she wanted to run her own business. She sat down with founder David Miller, who countered every one of her misgivings about teaming up with the insurance industry.

Brightway, started by brothers David and Michael Miller, is a national

property/casualty insurance retailer selling through a network of franchised independent insurance agencies throughout the country. Franchised in 2008, it’s the seventh-largest privately owned property-casualty insurance agencies in the country.

It’s also one of the fastest-growing franchises. Today, the company has

Stephanie Rhodes opened Painting with a Twist last fall at Suburban Plaza Shopping Center. She said the franchise was affordable, and fi t her dream of a business she could see herself working every day.

Classes at Painting with a Twist are led by one of 11 part-time artists who teach participants how to paint everything from Monet’s Water Lilies to their own original works.

Christen Maroulis opened Brightway Insurance a year go. She said she looked at a number of franchise options but found the company’s founders to be accessible and engaged.

Business-in-a-Box

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The Delaware Economic Summit will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 and

Thursday, April 21, 2016 at World Cafe Live at The Queen.

www.deleconsummit.comRegister Today – Early Bird Pricing

Delaware’s premier event for Business Owners and Key Executives to get inspired and impact the bottom line

TO BE ANNOUNCED

KEYNOTE SPEAKERSWednesday, April 20th

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Thursday, April 21st 12pm-1:30pm

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NEWLOCATION

about 117 offi ces in nine states. An initial investment is around $100,000.

“Our missions matched,” said Maroulis, who said she knew the direct access to Miller was crucial. “A lot of times you enter into an organization and you’re talking to an assistant of the VP of the department,” she said. “This wasn’t like that.”

Maroulis opened her Brightway Insurance offi ce on Lancaster Pike in February 2015. For her money, she said the franchise provides full support, including technology, systems, marketing appointments and customer services. Maroulis focuses on selling new properties.

“I have access to about 23 insurance companies, while the average independent agent represents about seven companies,” said Maroulis, who earns a commission from the companies she represents.

“They don’t want to see you fail so they work hard to make sure you’re successful,” said Maroulis. “It takes a lot of work but there’s a big benefi t to being in a franchise.”

The business service sector is one of 2016’s projected growth leaders, according to the IFA’s 2016 Economic Outlook report. It trails just behind the lodging sector and retail products and services and quick service and table service restaurant business lines.

An average investment of between $350,000 and $400,000, excluding real estate costs, can buy marketing and tech support, a robust business plan, round-the-clock advice from corporate and fellow franchisees, even hiring help.

In Delaware, there are nearly 900 franchisees who operate 1,235 franchise businesses, a modest 2 percent growth from 2014 to 2015, according FRANData Senior Research Analyst Kate Zhang.

In the First State, Dunkin’ Donuts leads with 64 stores, followed by 40 Subways and 31 McDonald’s franchises.

But while longtime fast food favorites may never lose the appeal of the generational bookends, millennials are opting for “fast casual” restaurants, one of the hottest sectors in franchising, according to Zhang.

Zhang describes it as a wedge between fi ner dining table service restaurants and fast foods, led by names like Noodles and Company, Chipotle and Jimmy John’s.

Russell Lehmann has purchased fi ve Jimmy John’s franchises in just the last two years, three of them in New Castle County. He said he hopes to continue his franchise march through the mid-Atlantic region, adding additional restaurants to his locations in Newark, Wilmington, and West Chester, Pa.

“We grew fast by design,” said Lehmann, who lives in Philadelphia and divides his time between the stores. He said he drove through Delaware to scope locations, and has been rewarded by the state’s sense of community and the crop of great employees.

Buy-in is about $80,000 with an overall investment of more than $300,000. Lehmann said the Jimmy John’s franchise offers ample marketing and business support, his presence at the stores is still critical.

“Franchising is not as easy as relying on the power of the brand you get involved with,” said Lehmann, who employs about 150 people at his fi ve stores. “You’re still the one that’s going to make things happen.

The Jimmy John’s restaurants have been around for more than 30 years, according to Lehmann. But others, like Painting with a Twist, are new to the franchise market, borne out of paint and sip trend where artists teach participants to paint.

It’s a trend that franchise owners like Rhodes hope will have some longevity, especially as she prepares to open a second and third location in Delaware.

“I’ve never been a business owner,” said Rhodes, who opened the franchise at its Newark Suburban Plaza location last fall.

An accountant with an MBA, Rhodes worked for years in the manufacturing industry, overseeing production operations, shipping and receiving. But she said she always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and began to research franchise options about six years ago.

She stumbled on “Painting with a Twist,” a concept that allows participants to take an art class, and enjoy a beverage, usually with number of friends.

Rhodes fl ew to New Orleans for a discovery day, where she learned more about the business to see if she was indeed a match. Buy-in was $25,000.

Now, Rhodes said she plans parties full time. The store offers 16 public and private events each week, where participants fi nd their inner artist and produce copies of works that range from Monet’s “Water Lilies” to original works by one of the 11 part-time artists employed by Rhodes.

“It’s met and exceeded my expectations,” said Rhodes, who added that she’s reached some of her goals and no longer feels it’s necessary to attend every single class. She said she’s already seen thousands of customers, and she’s preparing to open a second location this spring in Middletown, and has put in a request for a third location in Wilmington.

According to franchisees like Rhodes, the key is fi nding the right fi t.

“I was looking at different types of business and franchises for fi ve or six years,” said Rhodes. “But I could never fi nd anything that was right balance of, ‘Could you make money, how much was it to get into it, and could I see myself doing it every day?”’

Indeed, Pfaff said he recommends ample research if you’re considering a franchise. Not all are created equal, and some come in like a fl ash and exit quickly.

“I always ask if it’s a fad or if it’s here to stay,” said Pfaff. ■


spotlight Legislature

Legislators listen to business

Members of the 148th General Assembly should be sympathetic to small businesses — one out of

every fi ve legislators owns one. Twelve members of the House and two senators run their own small businesses.

And, legislators of all stripes are paying more attention to business since Chrysler and General Motors vanished and DuPont and AstraZeneca shrank, business leaders said.

DuPont’s layoffs last month tipped the scales. “We’re in a situation now where they know how dire it is,” said A. Richard Heffron, president of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.

Even legislators who would not have been considered “business-friendly” fi ve years ago are listening a little more closely to chambers and business federations and their own small-business constituents. As one business lobbyist put it, “Most of them in the House, we can talk to. The Senate’s different. The Senate’s a little bit more liberal, but, once again, most of them will work with you. Even the union guys, we can work with.”

“I think there’s a recognition by almost every legislator that you’ve got to be pro-business and pro-growth or else you’re not going to have a successful economy,” said John Casey, government affairs director of the Delaware

Contractors Association. “Since the closing of the auto industry and the shrinking of the economy, people from the governor on down are focused on creating jobs.”

A major voice for business grew out of the Small Business Caucus, a bipartisan group created by Democrat Rep. Byron Short of Highland Woods and Republican Minority Leader Daniel Short in 2008. The caucus holds regular public sessions where business people can expound on pending legislation or explain issues that affect their companies.

“That caucus has been very, very helpful on business issues like eliminating regulations that are burdensome or antiquated or overly restrictive,” Casey said.

Last month’s smooth passage of the Delaware Competes Act simplifi ed the way corporate taxes are calculated. Now small-business owners are focused on minimum wage legislation, tripling health insurance costs, workers comp costs, costly storm water management regulations and the threat of higher taxes.

• “We’re always concerned about any bill that increases taxes and fees. They are one of the draws to Delaware — why people are leaving other states and moving to Delaware,” said Bob McVey, president of the Delaware

By Kathy [email protected]

Were job losses such as DuPont a wake-up call for state policy-makers?

Rep. Jeffrey Spiegelman talks with legislative assistant Dawn Hopkins and House Minority Leader Daniel B. Short at Legislative Hall in Dover.

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Association of Realtors. • “Passing anti-job and anti-business

legislation like minimum wage just sends the wrong message to companies that are looking to settle in Delaware,” said Mike O’ Halloran, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business.

• Fifteen percent of the businesses that make up the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce could close if the legislature passes more laws that make it diffi cult for them to make their bottom line, Chamber President Judy Diogo estimated. “That’s huge for Kent County — to think that 15 percent of the businesses that are employing our people are put in a situation where they can’t operate anymore,” she said.

• Businesspeople facing tripling health insurance costs at their own companies are crunching the numbers on what state employees pay for their health insurance and what part of the tab the taxpayers pick up. “It’s not fun to tell your employees they’re going to have to pay more, but every business person has had to do that. At one time, the state employee didn’t get paid as well as other employees and they made it up in benefi ts, but that doesn’t appear to be true anymore. That’s how it appears. We have to wait for the data,’’ Heffron said.

• Business leaders and business-receptive legislators say they want to guarantee clean water but they fear overregulation could tip things in the wrong direction for Delaware farmers and builders. “We don’t want to make regulations so costly that we can’t build any more chicken houses. Then we won’t be able to keep up with the demand for chickens — or that chicken house will get built somewhere else in another state and we’ll lose that business altogether,” said Rep. S. Quinton Johnson III, the Middletown Democrat who co-chairs the Small Business Caucus. “The bottom line is what looks good on paper may have a catastrophic effect once it’s implemented.”

House Minority Leader Daniel B. Short said state regulations are so burdensome that small-business people have taken to calling the agency that regulates roads “DelDON’T” instead of DelDOT. “I’d like

to see that changed,” he said.Short said he’s encouraged by the

appointment of Transportation Secretary Jennifer Cohen, who transformed the Division of Motor Vehicles with her customer-service emphasis, but he thinks DelDOT and DNREC employees leave their offi ces and try their hand at getting a builder’s project through their own system. “I’d think they might change the system, because they’d realize what folks are doing every day to make ends meet,” he said.

“In some cases, through a variety of agencies, what we have created in the state is an adversarial relationship with business,” Short said. “With the economic development offi ce, we’re trying to say, ‘Come do business here and, if you are here, stay.’ We just changed the corporate tax structure to help with that. So, on the front end, we’ve got the governor’s offi ce and the economic development offi ce working hard, and we’re doing a good job advertising. We just changed the corporate tax structure to help with that. But when they try to go get their storm water permits, for example, it seems like we create barriers for them to jump over. And when they get over them, we put up another barrier. What I would like to see is to have those barriers removed.”

Business leaders say more legislators are willing to listen as high-paying jobs vanish, but, a solution requires cooperation.

• “With the Dupont change, I think even some of the least pro-business legislators will realize now that you’ve got to think about maintaining the quality jobs that are still in play,” Casey said.

• “We have a lot of serious problems. We need to start working together,” Heffron said. “We’re going to have a new governor. Let’s go back to the model of the ’70s and the ’80s when we worked together. We all have different opinions, but we need to respect each other and focus on what’s good for all Delawareans.”

• “I fi rmly believe that, if the legislators would be willing to work with the chambers of commerce and the other business associations, there are ways for us to fi nd solutions so we can save these businesses and attract other businesses,” Diogo said. ■

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The Delaware House Small Business Caucus• Chairmen: Democrat Rep. S. Quinton Johnson IV

and Republican Rep. Daniel B. Short.• Meetings will be held March 17, April 21, May 12

and June 16 in the House Majority Hearing Room in Legislative Hall in Dover from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Meetings are open to the public, but those who cannot be present can express their business concerns to a member.

• The members of the caucus are:Rep. Daniel B. Short at (302) 744-4172Rep. S. Quinton Johnson at (302) 744-4351Rep. Byron Short at (302) 744-4297

Rep. Mike Ramone at (302) 744-4351Rep. Harvey Kenton at (302) 744-4171Rep. Dave Wilson at (302) 744-4150Rep. Richard Collins at (302) 381-1610Rep. Ronald Gray at (302) 744-4171Rep. Ruth Briggs King at (302) 744-4251Rep. Steve Smyk at (302) 744-4171Rep. Trey Paradee at (302) 744-4351Rep. Jeff Spiegelman at (302) 744-4171Rep. Lyndon Yearick at (302) 744-4171Rep. Paul Baumbach at (302) 744-4351Rep. Deborah Hudson at (302) 744-4171Rep. Kevin Hensley at (302) 744-4171


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Expenditure review panel issues reportGovernment urged to keep lid on spendingBy Kathy [email protected]

The committee charged with reviewing state expenses has recommended state government continue its focus on controlling costs and fi nding ways to provide services more effi ciently or more effectively.

The state budget has shrunk by an average of 0.58 percent per year during the Markell administration. The Delaware Expenditure Review Committee, appointed in September, was tasked with fi nding ways to save money and deliver effective service. They issued their recommendations Jan. 29.

A short list of their fi ndings:• The largest component of General

Fund spending is personnel costs, including employee benefi ts. Employee and retiree health costs are expected to hit $81.1 million by 2017.

• While cabinet agencies have trimmed employment, local school districts have grown the number of teachers and other personnel.

• The largest share of state spending goes to K-12 education. Delaware spends more on K-12 education than most states, and that cost drives much of the growth in expenditures. (Comparisons are skewed because many states handle K-12 expenses on a local government level with school costs paid by school districts through local property taxes.)

• Medicaid spending is also driving costs up, partially due to the Affordable Care Act. Medicaid and Medical Assistance accounted for almost 18 percent of the 2015 budget and 4.5 percent of the year-to-year budget growth.

The committee looked to the best practices in other states, tried to discern why certain expenditures are growing and, because it was in operation for only fi ve months, it focused on setting a strategic direction for the future.

A short list of their recommendations: • Use an outcomes-based approach.

Focus resources on programs that can both reduce costs and improve outcomes. This includes studying sentence reforms that could reduce the number of low-level, non-violent inmates, investigating ways to reduce pre-trial detainees, transforming the state Medicaid program, improving foster care program and considering the state’s options regarding the Senior Property Tax Credit.

• Contain personnel costs by

investigating alternatives that could bring Delaware retiree healthcare costs in line with national averages, investigate public and private healthcare programs and exchanges, investigate alternatives to the state’s current pension system that will make it possible to serve all prospective pensioners without expanding the state budget, and manage overtime, particularly in the Department of Correction and in the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services’ secure-care facilities.

• The state has offered incentives for departments to consolidate or share or centralize services. The report recommends that, in some cases, the state should require it. The committee suggested investigating increased shared services and perhaps facilities for school districts and possibly including additional fl eets in its fl eet management initiatives.

“Delaware state government has undertaken substantial actions to control costs in recent years, which has mirrored national trends,” the report said. “Given continued cost pressures, the committee believes it is important to maintain this focus.” ■

Don’t be left off the LISTWe are fi nalizing these business categories for publication in Delaware Business Times. Here’s how to complete an online survey to make sure your company is listed.

Go to: DelawareBusinessTimes.com/Lists and fi nd the list for your category. If you’re not included click the DATA button at the top of the list and fi ll out the information.

ISSUE LIST DEADLINE

TO RETURN SURVEY

3/1 Private Schools 2/16

3/15 Computer Consulting Firms 3/1

3/29 Hospitals, Home Health Services 3/15

4/12 Family Farms 3/29

off the

business categories

Computer Consulting CompaniesRanked by No. DE Employees

Rank Company

Phone / Fax No. DE Employees Person in charge (Title)

Year Founded

1CAI1201 N. Market Street, Suite 1404Wilmington, DE 19801www.compaid.com (302) 888-5500(302) 888-5700 1,200 Ernest J Dianastasis (Managing Director)

19812

ARKIEVA5460 Fairmont DriveWilmington, DE 19808www.arkieva.com (302) 738-9215(302) 454-7680 50

Harpal Singh (CEO)Sujit Singh (COO)Georgi Genov (Director of Software Development)Peter Murphy (Director of Software Implementation)Garry Morton (Director of Sales ) 19933

SSD TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS1024 Justison StWilmington, DE 19801www.ssdel.com (302) 652-3370(302) 652-4591 42 Lisa Detwiler (Chief Operating OfDcer)1981

4DIAMOND TECHNOLOGIES221 W 9th St, Ste 200Wilmington, DE 19801www.diamondtechnologies.com

(302) 656-6050(302) 656-6058 38 Greg Ballance (President & CEO)1996

5BRANDYWINE TECHNOLOGY1521 Concord PikeWilmington, DE 19803www.brandywinetechnology.com (302) 656-6100 25 B Joyce Lockhart (Owner)

19996

INTELLITEC SOLUTIONS2002 West 14th StreetWilmington, DE 19806www.intellitecsolutions.com (302) 656-7050(302) 397-2055 20 Rick Sommer (President)1986

7MYSHERPA2060 Limestone Rd, Ste 204Wilmington, DE 19808www.mysherpa.com (302) 781-3005(413) 383-9671 16 Ethan Tancredi (President Sherpa)Greg Gurev (Head Sherpa)

20018

TECHSOLUTIONS, INC.5630 Kirkwood HwyWilmington, DE 19808www.techsolutionsinc.com (302) 656-8324(302) 656-2929 12 Rick Monnig (President)Rich Kenney (Vice President)1999

9PROACTIVE PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS560 Peoples Plaza #139Newark, DE 19702www.proactiveusa.com (302) 375-0451 10 Andy Thompson (President)

199310

ADVANCED NETWORKING1316 Philadelphia PikeWilmington, DE 19809www.advnetwork.com (302) 792-9200(302) 792-9294` 10 Rick Raphael (Owner)1986

11INCITE SOLUTIONS5714 Kennett PikeWilmington, DE 19807www.inciteofDce.com (302) 655-8952

5 Bob Hill (President)

200012

BRANDYWINE INFORMATION GROUP1 Innovation WayNewark , DE 19711www.brandywineinfogroup.com (302) 529-02125 Wayne Kingston (President)

200113

PCS818 N Market StWilmington, DE 19801www.helpmepcs.com (302) 456-9500

5 Jake Ruddy (President of DE/MD)2003

14TOWER BUSINESS SYSTEMS278 Quigley BlvdNew Castle, DE 19720www.towerbiz.com (302) 395-1445

4 Rick Raphael15

XPRESS COMPUTER SYSTEMS1246 Peachtree RunMagnolia, DE 19962www.xpressinc.com (302) 697-31121 Rocky Patel (President)

200116

CRISPIN ASSOCIATES CONSULTING28 Riva Ridge LnBear, DE 19701www.solomondeveloper.com (302) 832-81561 Keith Crispin (Proprietor)

1995Source: Researched by: DBT and DataJoe. Some companies may have been omitted due to lack of information, deadline restrictions, or space constrictions.

Editorial Estimate = Information derived from: publicly available sources, observation, news sources, and general market knowledge of the editorial team.


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BOOK OF LISTSState OfficialsListed Alphabetically By Last NameState OfficialDepartment Office Address Office Phone Term

Anas Ben AddiDelaware State Housing Authority

18 The GreenDover, DE19901

(302) 739-4263 2009

Carla Benson-GreenDepartment of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Familes

1825 Faulkland RoadWilmington, DE19805

(302) 633-2500 2015

Jeffrey W BullockDepartment of State

Townsend Building 401 Federal Street Suite 3Dover, DE19901

(302) 739-4111 2009

John C. CarneyU.S. Representative, Democrat

233 N. King Street, Suite 200Wilmington, DE19801

(202) 225-4165 2015-2016

Thomas R. CarperU.S Senator, Democrat

301 N. Walnut Street, Suite 102L-1Wilmington, DE19801

(202) 224-2441 2013-2019

Jennifer CohanDepartment of Transportation

Highway Administration Building, PO Box 778Dover, DE19903

(302) 760-2303 2015

James CollinsDepartment of Technology and Information

801 Silverside Lake RoadWilmington, DE19904

(302) 739-9500 2014

Thomas CookDepartment of Finance

Carvel State Office BuildingWilmington, DE19801

(302) 577-8979 2009

Christopher A. CoonsU.S. Senator, Democrat

1105 N. Market Street Suite 100Wilmington, DE19801

(202) 224-5042 2015-2021

Robert M CoupeDepartment of Correction

245 McKee RoadDover, DE19904

(302) 739-4271 2013

Matthew P DennAttorney General, Democrat

102 W. Water StreetDover, DE19904

(302) 739-4211 2015-2019

Steven GodowskyDepartment of Education

Townsend BuildingDover, DE19901

(302) 735-4000 2012

Edwin KeeDepartment of Agriculture

2320 S. DuPont HighwayDover, DE19901

(302) 698-4500 2009

Rita LandgrafDepartment of Health & Social Services

Herman M. Holloway Sr. Campus, 1901 N. DuPont HighwayNew Castle, DE19720

(302) 255-9040 2009

Jack A. MarkellGovernor

Tatnall Buildng 2nd Floor, 150 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard SouthDover, DE19901

(302) 577-3210 2009-2016

Jim MosleyDepartment of Safety & Homeland Security

Safety & Homeland Security Bulding, PO Box 818Dover, DE19903

(302) 744-2677 2009

OpenDepartment of Labor

4425 N. Market Street 4th FloorWilmington, DE19802

(302) 761-8001 2009

Kenneth SimplerState Treasurer, Republican

Delaware State Treasury 820 Silver Lake Boulevard Suiite 100Dover, DE19904

(302) 672-6700 2015-2019

David SmallDepartment of Natural Resources & Environmental Control

89 Kings HighwayDover, DE19901

(302) 739-9000 2014

Karen Weldin StewartInsurance Commissioner, Democrat

Rodney Building, 841 Silver Lake BoulevardDover, DE19904

(302) 674-7305 2008-2016

Major General Frank VavalaDelaware National Guard

1st Regiment RoadWilmington, DE19808

(302) 326-7001 1999

Ann S. VisalliiOffice of Management & Budget

Haslet Armory, 122 William Penn StreetDover, DE19901

(302) 739-4204 2009

R. Thomas WagnerState Auditor, Republican

Townsend Building 401 Federal Street Suite 1Dover, DE19901

(302) 739-4241 2015-2019

Bernice WhaleyDelaware Economic Development Office

99 Kings HighwayDover, DE19901

(302) 739-4271 2015

Source: Researched by: . Some companies may have been omitted due to lack of information, deadline restrictions, or space constrictions.Editorial Estimate = Information derived from: publicly available sources, observation, news sources, and general market knowledge of the editorial team.

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New president takes reins at Del. Community Foundation

Stuart Comstock-Gay began work last week as Delaware Community Foundation’s new president and CEO. He succeeds longtime CEO Fred Sears, who retired in December.

“Stuart Comstock-Gay, the current president and chief executive offi cer of the Vermont Community Foundation, joins the DCF at a pivotal moment in our history,” said Marilyn R. Hayward, chair of the foundation’s board. “Stuart brings an esteemed national reputation fueled by a dynamic vision and passion as a proven leader with nearly 14 years of combined community foundation experience.”

Hayward said the foundation will focus on community engagement and civic leadership, while continuing to provide philanthropic services.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Delaware Community Foundation as it embarks on an exciting new direction,” Comstock-Gay said. “The DCF has the potential to play a key role in the future of the state, and it’s an honor and a privilege to help lead that effort.”

Comstock-Gay led the Vermont foundation for seven years. Before that, he worked as director of the Democracy Program at Demos, a public policy

organization; executive director of the National Voting Rights Institute in Boston, and vice president and chief operating offi cer at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. He also spent 14 years with the American Civil Liberties Union in Maryland, including 10 as executive director.

Attorney Data Engine advances legal analytics

Lex Machina, a LexisNexis company and creator of Legal Analytics recently released Attorney Data Engine, which aims to improve the quality and accuracy of attorney data for District Court cases.

Lex Machina will provide lawyers with complete data about who worked on what case. The aim is to help them land more clients and possibly win more cases.

“With our new Attorney Data Engine, Lex Machina continues to innovate and push the boundaries of legal analytics,” said Karl Harris, vice president of products at Lex Machina.

Lex Machina’s Attorney Data Engine mines attorney and law fi rm information from PACER, its signature block analyzer, which will initially be available in New Jersey and Delaware, extracts data from the signature blocks of court documents so client see all attorneys who worked on a case. Its pro had vice extractor

identifi es and associates attorneys with cases for which they were admitted pro had vice, information that is often missing from basic counsel data. It also stores daily historic snapshots of PACER data, providing information about which attorneys and law fi rms worked for which clients at any given time.

College Ave Student Loanssecures $20 million

College Ave Student Loans, the locally based next-generation student loan marketplace lender, announced it secured $20 million in fi nancing from Comcast Ventures.

Comcast Ventures is the venture capital affi liate of Comcast NBCUniversal. College Ave also secured funding thanks to participation from Fenway Summer Ventures (headed by former CFPB Deputy Director Raj Date), DW Partners, former SLM Corp. CEO Al Lord, and existing and new individual shareholders.

In addition to the funding, Dave Zilberman, managing director, Comcast Ventures, will join College Ave’s board.

“We’re very excited about the success of our recent capital raise,” said Joe DePaulo, College Ave’s co-founder, chairman and CEO. “The education fi nance market is in the fi rst stage of a meaningful change. With our innovative products and state-of-

the-art technology platform, we’re able to deliver what today’s customers want: loans that are simple, clear, and personalized to their unique needs.”

Founded by former Sallie Mae executives and industry veterans to address the needs of an evolving student loan landscape, College Ave began originating loans in December 2014 and has received more than $1 billion in loan requests from applicants since inception. It is the fi rst and only marketplace lender to launch with a focus on the in- school student loan market.

“With its exceptional growth and strategic long-term vision, College Ave Student Loans is well positioned to disrupt the multi-billion dollar student loan marketplace,” said Dave Zilberman, managing director of Comcast Ventures. “We are very excited to lead College Ave Student Loans’ funding round and help the company to continue to grow and scale.”

College Ave has now raised more than $40 million in equity funding since its creation in August 2014 and currently has more than $1 billion of committed loan purchasing power from multiple sources, with Moelis & Company as exclusive fi nancial advisor and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP providing legal counsel.

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Young Conaway announces promotionsMargaret (Molly) DiBianca has been promoted from associate to counsel at Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor. She joined the fi rm’s labor and employment practice in 2004. She maintains a legal practice consisting of equal parts litigation and client counseling, and represents employers in a variety of industries in employment rights claims, discrimination matters and equal employment disputes at the state and federal court level. DiBianca defends employers against claims brought by former and current employees and assists employers seeking to enforce restrictive covenants. She assists clients with internal investigations, wage-and-hour reviews, and employment-practices audits. DiBianca also counsels employers in the facilitation of reasonable accommodations and strategies for compliance with federal leave laws.Sara Beth A.R. Kohut joined the fi rm in 2001 and was recently promoted from associate to counsel. She focuses on representing and advising the legal representatives for future claimants in connection with more than a dozen mass tort Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases and post-bankruptcy personal injury claim settlement trusts. As co-chair of Young Conaway’s cybersecurity, privacy and data protection practice team, Kohut assists clients with developing policies and strategies for the protection of confi dential and sensitive data. She has advised clients with respect to website terms of use, privacy policies, incident-response plans, legal compliance, security audits, data retention, and vendor contracts.

New hires on board at Santora CPA Group

Colin C. Soukup joined Santora CPA Group as a bookkeeper in the tax department. She is a graduate of Goldey-Beacom College with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. Soukup comes to the fi rm with years of bookkeeping experience with several local companies. She will be providing bookkeeping support to the fi rm’s clients.

Bonnie L. Igo has rejoined the fi rm as a supervisor in the tax department. She originally joined the fi rm in 1983. Igo is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. She will be providing tax services to the fi rm’s clients.

Meghann M. Felice has rejoined the fi rm as a senior accountant in the A&A Department. She originally joined the fi rm in June 2002. Felice is a 2000 graduate of the University of Delaware with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. She will be providing a variety of accounting and auditing services to the fi rm’s clients.

Spofford takes top spot at The Archer GroupJen Spofford was promoted to chief client offi cer at The Archer Group.

As head of client service, Jen has been instrumental in the growth and success of The Archer Group. Since she joined the agency in 2009, it has nearly doubled in size and has continued to expand its responsibilities with a number of Fortune 1000 clients in the retail,

fi nancial service, and utilities sectors, among others.

Prior to joining Archer, Jen worked both in creative boutiques as well as established industry giants in New York City. She has managed integrated communications — including broadcast, print, OOH, online, and emerging media – for brands such as Kraft, Johnson & Johnson, LG, The Coca-Cola Company, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Six Flags Theme Parks.

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J. Mack Wathen named chair at Delaware State Arts CouncilThe Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA) announced that Gov. Jack A. Markell has appointed J. Mack Wathen of Hockessin as chair to the Delaware State Arts Council.The Delaware State Arts Council is the advisory body to the Delaware Division of the Arts. The Council advises the Division of the Arts on matters of arts policy, funding for the arts, and other issues relevant to support for the arts in Delaware.

Wathen is active in the Delaware arts community serving on the Delaware State Arts Council from 2010-2015, and as a board member of the Arts Consortium of Delaware from 2011-2015, which manages the Arts Stabilization Fund supporting capital needs of the state’s eight largest arts organizations. He also serves on the board as an offi cer of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation from 2014–present, an organization based in Baltimore which connects performing artists, arts presenters, and state arts agencies throughout the Mid-Atlantic and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Wathen serves as vice president, support services for Pepco Holdings, Inc.

Cruce named board president at Delaware Arts AllianceThe Delaware Arts Alliance announced the appointment of Dan Cruce to president of the DAA Board of Directors at its 2016 annual meeting in January.

Cruce is vice president of education at the Hope Street Group, a national organization that works to ensure every American will have access to tools and options leading to economic opportunity and prosperity. Previously, Cruce was deputy secretary and chief of staff at the Delaware Department of Education. He was also assistant

superintendent/chief of staff at the Christina School District.

He is immediate past president of the Delaware Humane Association and current president of the Delaware Arts Consortium Board of Directors. He also sits on the Executive Committee of the Delaware Theatre Company’s Board of Directors. Cruce earned his JD from Widener University School of Law.

Four new board members were elected at the annual meeting: Peter A. Harrigan (president of the board, Coastal Concerts Inc.); Krys Johnson (executive director, Rehoboth Beach Main Street); Lindsay Lederman (registered and board certifi ed art therapist, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children); and John Sarro (adjunct assistant professor and coordinator of music management studies, Department of Music, University of Delaware).

Opera America recognizes Cynthia du Pont TobiasOpera America, the national service organization for opera, has named OperaDelaware’s Cynthia du Pont Tobias as one of its recipients of its 2016 National Opera Trustee Recognition Awards. Now in its ninth year, the awards program honors outstanding trustees of U.S. opera companies for their exemplary leadership, generosity and audience-building efforts on behalf of their respective opera companies.

Honorees were chosen by the National Opera Trustee Recognition Program selection committee.

A set designer, director and vocalist, Tobias has served almost continuously on opera boards, including the Opera Company of Boston, The Santa Fe Opera and OperaDelaware. She is vice president of the board at OperaDelaware, where she is also interim chair of the Resource Development Committee and serves on the Executive/Finance and Artistic Committees.

Tobias played an integral role in the turnaround story of OperaDelaware. She helped to guide the company through a restructuring that led to the launch of a spring opera festival, now entering its second year. Tobias also helped secure the largest single capital gift that OperaDelaware had received in its 71-year history. This gift set the stage for a second unrestricted foundation grant of $450,000, making it possible for OperaDelaware to return to the Grand Opera House with Verdi’s “Falstaff ’’ and the East Coast premiere of Franco Faccio’s lost opera “Amleto’’ (Hamlet) in May 2016.

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(SmartBoard is compiled by Michael J. Mika, editor. If you have a comment, or suggestion for contribution to SmartBoard, send it to [email protected])

biz pic Carper brings SBA tour to Delaware

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper and federal and state offi cials recently conducted a small business walking tour in the Kent County towns of Camden and Wyoming. The tour of two retail stores and a restaurant along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway marked the beginning of Black History Month. Later, Sen. Carper, accompanied by Seaford Mayor David Genshaw, visited with the leadership team of Trinity Logistics to discuss Trinity’s growth and position in the community and the transportation industry. With the recent launch of their new fi ve-year business plan, Trinity’s leaders are positioning the team for aggressive strategic growth not only in revenue, but also in size.“When I am not in Washington, I spend as much time as I can visiting constituents and businesses up and down the state to fi nd out how they’re doing, and what

I can be doing to help them,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. “I was pleased to visit Trinity Logistics and see how the company has grown since I last visited over a year ago. This Sussex County company has great leadership and a great team that will guide it well as it continues to expand and add more good-paying jobs to the western side of our state.”“The leadership here at Trinity really appreciates that we have a senator who lends an ear and a voice to the concerns of the citizens and businesses of Sussex County,” said Jeff Banning, president and CEO of Trinity Logistics. “As one of the top employers in Western Sussex County, we take our responsibility to partner with the City of Seaford and our legislators to shape the policies that affect our industry and our community very seriously.” The Small Business Administration is promoting the businesses along the byway with byway bucks — coupon vouchers that can be redeemed for special offers. The byway winds through many historic small towns.

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper discusses the Small Business Administration’s Byway Bucks Program with Kim Bomberger and Barbara Gooden, owners of Simply Charming, a retail store participating in the small business program.

From left: Seaford Mayor David Genshaw, Billy Banning (Senior VP of Agent Support for Trinity), U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, Jeff Banning (President and CEO of Trinity), Rich Clair (COO of Trinity), Sarah Ruffcorn (Senior VP of Strategic Development), and Lauren Vanaman (Director of Corporate Services).

coming soon Creative District

Creative District Wilmington announces artists selected for fi rst phase of 7th Street Arts Bridge

Creative District Wilmington announced the artists selected for the fi rst phase of public art projects for the 7th Street Arts Bridge (7SAB), a transformative and unifying project in an area in need of renewal that will connect artists, entrepreneurs and residents to downtown Wilmington. The goal of 7SAB is to transform this strategic corridor by creating structural, visual, event-driven and spiritual connections

between people and places. The artists selected are Andre Reyneard Hinton, New Wilmington Art Association’s Jen Hintz, Jessica Taylor and Anne Yoncha, Smashed Label’s Crae and Corei Washington, and Terrance Vann.Creative District Wilmington solicited responses to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the phase-one projects that will be located on 7th Street from Shipley to Madison in Wilmington. Specifi c criteria for each location was provided in accordance with property owners’ wishes as well as the Creative District’s goals. “We are very excited to start the fi rst phase of the 7th Street Arts Bridge with such a diverse and exceptionally talented group of artists,” said Laura Semmelroth, Creative District Wilmington’s strategist and program director. “This project will not only beautify the neighborhoods but also instill a sense of pride, provide employment for artists in their own fi eld, combat vacancy and blight, and engage people in the beautifi cation of their own communities.”

accolades JPMorgan Innovation Center at UDThe University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business partnership with JPMorgan Chase to create the on-campus JPMorgan Chase Innovation Center has been nationally recognized.The facility provides on-campus jobs and research opportunities to train the future workforce.

Last month, during the 2016 Deans Conference, AACSB International (AACSB), the global accrediting body and membership association for business schools, it was included among a sampling of 30 innovations that represent how business schools are innovating and diversifying the business education environmentThis initiative refl ects the groundbreaking approach to business management education that was one of 30 innovations recognized as part of AACSB International’s inaugural Innovations That Inspire.Business schools have long been important drivers of change by creating an environment where out-of-the-box thinking fl ourishes.“Globally business schools are contributing to society in unprecedented ways, through their groundbreaking ideas, pioneering academic practices, and unwavering commitment to preparing the business leaders of the future,” said Thomas R. Robinson, president and chief executive offi cer of AACSB. “The Innovations That Inspire initiative brings visibility to the innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship ingrained into the DNA of business schools. We’re proud to highlight a sample of the depth, and breadth, of ingenious thinking that takes place in management education every single day.”For a detailed overview of the featured innovations, please visit www.AACSB.edu/Innovations-That-Inspire.


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Bowman Printing buildingLocation: 955 S. Chapel St., NewarkAsking price: $825,000Size: 6,050 square feetPrice per square foot: $136.36Setting: Offi ce building previously used as a print shop. Situated on one acre, at a signalized intersection at the entrance to Blue Hen Business Center, just outside Newark city limits. Proximity to University of Delaware and I-95.Features: Vacant block-wall-construction building, zoned industrial, with 3-phase, 220-amp service and 42 parking spaces available. Contact: Gordon Winegar of DSM Commercial at (302) 283-1800

Projects to receive $4 millionDOVER — New projects in

Wilmington, Dover and Seaford are slated to receive funding from Delaware’s Downtown Development Districts program.

The Delaware State Housing Authority and Gov. Jack Markell announced that 11 projects have been selected to receive $4 million in DDD funding. Delaware’s new grants will leverage $45 million in private investment in commercial and residential development in all three cities.

New projects include the redevelopment of vacant properties to promote homeownership in downtown Wilmington; mixed-use reconstruction on Market Street; new home construction on

New Street and Reed Street in downtown Dover; and additional development at The Residences at River Place in Seaford.

“Our Downtown Development Districts program continues to leverage signifi cant private investment in Delaware’s downtowns,” said Markell. “More Delawareans want to live and work in urban areas, so this kind of revitalization of our cities will drive future economic growth. We’re seeing great progress.”

Due to signifi cant ongoing interest in the program, DSHA will initiate another DDD funding round this spring. The round will open on March 1, with applications due by May 15. ■

District Total Awards Total TDC Total QRPI Total Reservations

Dover 5 $14,226,060 $11,096,123 $1,470,396Seaford 1 $11,461,567 $ 9,512,678 $ 700,000Wilmington 5 $19,967,190 $11,893,114 $1,837,090Grand Total 11 $45,654,817 $32,501,915 $4,007,486


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New kind of treasurerKen Simpler behind the scenesPage 4




Columnists .......................14

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DBT Book of Lists: Manufacturers ...........19, 20, 21Smartboard ......................26

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Market Watch ...................27


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Fitbit and BeyondTrackers help keepBusinesspeople fi tPage 14

WREX is for KidsMedical exoskeleton helps children walkPage 16

In this issuePublisher’s Notebook ........ 3 Commentary ....................18Guest Columns ................19People on the Move .........24DBT Book of Lists: Delaware Banks ...................25Smart Board ................... 26Readers’ Guide ................27

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Brew HaHa!Owner plans two new businesses for Trolley Square in 2015.Page 3

In this issueBusiness Highlights ..........15 Commentary ....................18Guest Columns ................19Publisher’s Notebook .......19 DBT Book of Lists: Nonprofi ts ...................... 20Technology ...................... 26

TurkeythonsRadio media campaigns bring out support for nonprofi ts’ holiday donation drives.Page 8

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Honorees celebrate fi rst DBT40 event with friends and family at the Delaware Art MuseumPages 22, 23

WOMEN IN BUSINESS Highlights of 36 women’s secrets for success.Page 14

Dr. Janice NevinNew hospital CEO’s commitment to delivering health services to Wilmington’s neediest citizens was shaped by her parentsPage 12

Vintage Atlantic Wine Region

More than 50 wineries create multistate region on East Coast.

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In this issueCommentary ................... 18Guest Columns ............... 19DBT Book of Lists: School Districts ............ 28Business Highlights ......... 29Honors ............................ 31Business Data ................. 32Calendar ......................... 33Smart Board ................... 34

VetsOpportunities for Delaware veterans are on the risePage 15

EducationDelaware private school enrollments on the rise.Page 26

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FIRST JOBSuperior Court Judge Jan R. Jurden shares what she learned from her first job.

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KSIKent-Sussex Industries gives meaningful work to participants and industryPage 16

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DBT40DELAWARE ACHIEVERS & INNOVATORS UNDER 40

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 • VOL. 1 • NO. 1 • $2

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TechnologySome advice if you’re thinking of duplicating the successful Ice Bucket ChallengePage 22

NetworkingTEDx Wilmington and other live forums growing in popularityPage 20

First JobWe ask Vice President Biden what he learned from his first paid jobPage 33

In this issueBusiness Success Story .... 9Creative District ............... 12Wilmington U Incubator ... 16Commentary ................... 18Guest Columns ............... 19Business That Bounces .. 27List of Banks ................... 29Smart Board ................... 33

DBT 40Make plans to join us as we celebrate 40 Delawareans under 40 making a difference in our state.

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MARCH 3, 2015 • VOL. 2 • NO. 5 • $2

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Star ExpandsCampus moves to third phasePage 18

My First JobBrother Ronald Giannone started a union at his fi rst co-op job when he was 17Page 22

1313 InnovationExpands into Hercules headquartersPage 4

Woman of DistinctionGirl Scouts Honor Rita LangrafPage 12

In this issuePublisher’s Notebook ........ 3 Commentary ....................16Guest Columns ................17People on the Move .........20DBT Book of Lists: Higher Education ................21Smart Board ................... 22Readers’ Guide ................23

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Home Offi cesWhat to deduct to avoid red fl ags

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EnterprisingNonprofitsCharities Put Every Asset to Work

WYRA rents its rowing tanks to raise money

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Business modelsBoutique owners’ photo published in 17 regionsPage 7

In this issuePublisher’s Notebook ........ 3 Commentary ....................16Guest Columns ................17Business Highlights ..........19People on the Move .........20DBT Book of Lists: Largest Meeting Facilities ......21Smart Board ................... 22

Commercial RealtyDelaware offi ce market on the rebound in 2015Page 17

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Newark Shopping CenterIt may not look like a million dollars now, but 60-year-old Newark Shopping Center is getting a facelift.Page 10, 11

Online NowCity councilman Darius Brown uses social media to tweak Wilmington unemployment.Page 18

Book of ListsCredit UnionsPage 21

Joe ZilcoskyDEDO

Cindy SmallKent County Convention & Visitors Bureau

James WaddingtonKenty County Levy Court

a new economy forDelaware agriculture

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Staying PowerThese businesses never left downtown WilmingtonPage 12

Mayor Williamsat 17His First JobPage 22

Join UsAs DBT lauds Family-Owned Businesses

Page 3

A Win-Win in N.E. WilmingtonMasley Enterprises brings jobs and hope, and reaps benefi tsPage 10

In this issueReaders’ Guide ................. 2Publisher’s Notebook ........ 3 Commentary ....................16Guest Columns ................17People on the Move .........20DBT Book of Lists: SBA Lenders ......................21Smart Board ................... 22

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Don’t askInterviewer beware when searching online

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Documents

Page 7 APPROACH TO BUSINESS? · Delawarean living and working in Philadelphia were uniquely glued to the ABC-TV series Feb. 3-4 about Bernie Madoff and his legendary Ponzi-type scheme