Page 16 - Delaware Lawyer - Spring 2019

FEATURE
aspiring to pursue STEM education at historically black colleges and univer- sities.
• We are a member of the Delaware Prosperity Partnership, the state’s newly redesigned economic devel- opment agency. Through our mem- bership in this group, we’re helping
give back to the city and state by supporting broader economic devel- opment work to attract and retain businesses of all sizes. As a com- pany that in the very recent past had a choice, we are actively telling our story to help attract new companies to Delaware.
Was it worth it to try to keep Che- mours in Delaware? The ratio of direct investment we’ve effected in the state versus the direct investment in us is well over 25-to-1. But the lesson here goes beyond economic payback. Economic development, when done right, is more than a simple contract between a govern- ment entity and an organization promis- ing headcount. Economic development, when done right, is a strategic investment that can produce an immense return, not just for taxpayers but for the community at large. What we hope is more valuable to the state and the city than monetary payback is our commitment to being a re- spected and valued member of the com- munity and a good neighbor. This is the potential of economic development done right — indeed, the power of economic development done right, which brings us back to the Mt. Cuba Room.
14 DELAWARE LAWYER SPRING 2019