Page 36 - Innovation Delaware 2019

MICHELLE KRAMER-FITZGERALD
THE DELAWARE LIFE FThe First State is cost-effective, culturally rich and full of opportunities BY PAM GEORGE
or those seeking a high quality STEM programs. It also has nationally growth is set to continue as the county’s of life, Delaware has become a recognized health care systems. economic development office engages destination. And thanks to Delaware’s small size, in a campaign to attract more business
“Delaware offers an all of this is within easy reach for owners, promoting the county’s 2.6% attractive quality of life at an extremely residents and visitors. Major arteries job-growth rate, 24-minute average
competitive cost,” explains Kurt Foreman, president and CEO of the nonprofit Delaware Prosperity Partnership, which leads the state’s economic development efforts. “Professionals are hungry to live and work in a place that has texture and genuine character — and Delaware offers just that.”
Andrew Cottone, president of the rapidly growing Adesis Inc., would agree. “You can live in Trolley Square, historic New Castle or the suburbs of Middletown,” says Cottone, whose company has a 96% retention rate. “There’s something for everybody: arts, sports and low cost of living.”
Along with the low property taxes and no sales tax, Delaware has a diverse amount of public and private schools, as well as charters focused on
34 DelawareBusinessTimes.com
include I-95, U.S. 301 and Del. 1. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry and Delaware Memorial Bridge link Delaware and New Jersey. Wilmington and its Amtrak station are under 30 minutes away from Philadelphia International Airport and an hour away from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The Port of Wilmington is a full-service, deep-water port located
63 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
DOWNSTATE GROWTH
However, Delaware’s appeal
for businesses doesn’t end at the Wilmington-Newark corridor along I-95. The population of Delaware’s southernmost county, Sussex, grew 14.3% between 2010 and 2017, according to the U.S. Census. That
commute and beautiful beaches.
In a sign of the times, local employer Bayhealth recently opened a new state-
of-the-art hospital with private rooms to serve the rapidly expanding area. “Sussex County continues to be the fastest- growing county in the state of Delaware, so the population growth was something that led us to decide to expand,” says Terry Murphy, president and CEO of Bayhealth.
The other downstate county, Kent, has seen significant growth as well: 8.9% between 2010 and 2017, according to Census estimates.
That growth is largely driven by retirees, and by residents of New York and New Jersey relocating to Delaware due to its more favorable real-estate tax environment, says Linda Parkowski, executive director of the Kent Economic
JOE DEL TUFO/MOONLOOP PHOTOGRAPHY