Author: Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Sussex Incubator Supports Food Startups

Written on . Posted in In the News.

Cooking up Success, Southern Delaware Kitchen Incubator Aims for Culinary Revolution

The Georgetown facility provides a much-needed solution for business owners facing challenges in finding a place to cook in southern Delaware.

By Johnny Perez-Gonzalez

Starting a small food business just got easier in southern Delaware after county officials unveiled a new kitchen incubator to support “foodpreneurs” looking for a space to cook up their fusion of food blends.

Items now being produced at the centralized kitchen range from key lime pies to hot sauce, breads, and pizzas. The initiative is helping pave a new career pathway for residents in mostly rural Sussex County.

The county’s director of economic development Bill Pfaff identified the need for a commercial kitchen to help small businesses produce their goods.

“One of the things that I constantly heard from foodpreneurs was there wasn’t space for them to produce their product to take the commercialization because you must produce your food products in a licensed commercial kitchen,” Pfaff said.

The pandemic hindered the county’s efforts to get the kitchen up and running.

“I started working on this kitchen incubator pre-COVID, and then COVID hit, everything had to come to a standstill, but we never gave up, we continued to work on it,” he said. “It ended up taking a little bit more work to do because of the federal shutdown.”

After years of effort, the incubator was finally made available for use in a soft launch in late April, with two dozen food business owners currently utilizing the space. The grand opening attracted a wave of entrepreneurs eager to leverage this innovative resource.

Jessica Williamson of Milton was part of that first wave with Coastal Key Lime Pie, the company she co-owns. The creation of the kitchen incubator allowed Williamson and her husband Lee to bring their unique key lime pie to the coastal area.

Since discovering the incubator at Delaware Technical Community College’s Georgetown campus, the pastry chef says the demand for her pies has skyrocketed.

“We were the one of the first ones to sign up, this was back in May,” Williamson said. “That allowed us to quickly get our permit to be able to sell the pies at our local farmers market and we really [have] grown since then pretty amazingly … it was just hard to keep up [with] the demand.”

After working in human resources for more than 15 years, Williamson says she never imagined branching out into a new career. But with the foundation provided by the kitchen incubator, the couple now plans to open their own kitchen nearby.

“This is like a totally new industry for us to learn and grow in. I’ve done this my whole career and now I’m ready to try something new and venture out and see where it takes us,” she said. “We’ve already started plans for renovating our own space and having our own little small kitchen, which will be in Seaford.”

Pfaff says the incubator helps entrepreneurs deal with the big expense of starting a food-based business, including building a kitchen from scratch, providing their own kitchen tools, and doing maintenance.

“The purpose of the kitchen incubator was to help remove restrictive barriers of high cost capital investment associated with leasing or purchasing a commercial kitchen and kitchen equipment,” Pfaff said. “We’ve taken that headache out of the mix.”

“The kitchen incubator also reduces the risk of failure by removing additional startup barriers in areas of managing and maintaining a commercial kitchen,” he said. “We take care of everything.”

In addition to providing the kitchen to cook with, the county also offers resources needed to elevate the business.

“We also provide technical assistance in training and value-added services related to distribution, branding, marketing, pricing, insurance, legal services and financial opportunities,” he said. “When you go into business being a foodpreneur, being an entrepreneur, you’re working for the business. You want to get it to a point where the biggest business begins to work for you and we give you those tools to achieve that.”

To take advantage of this resource, individuals have to be in good standing with state permit requirements, obtain the ServSafe certification, and be insured. Afterwards individuals are able to pay for a membership to gain access to the kitchen.

After that, it’s up to them to bring the food and start cooking away.

This article was originally posted on the WHYY website at: https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-georgetown-kitchen-incubator-foodpreneurs/

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Startup302 Info Session Online Dec 11

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Startup302 info session scheduled online December 11

Ventures with underrepresented founders invited to enter fourth annual funding competition

WILMINGTON, Del. – Delaware’s Startup302 pitch contest is hosting a free online information session for prospective entrants to learn more about the competition’s requirements, prizes, presentation ideas and more at noon December 11.

Coordinated by Delaware Prosperity Partnership and partners from throughout the Delaware business community, Startup302 supports entrepreneurs seeking financial and networking boosts for their businesses. Awards include cash grants, and participation benefits include mentorship opportunities and engagement with investors and key influencers.

Startup302 aims to strengthen Delaware’s innovation ecosystem by improving access to funding and facilitators for underrepresented entrepreneurs while fostering diverse perspectives, promoting inclusive and equitable consideration and attracting diverse communities of founders to the region. Underrepresented founders include women and African Americans, Latin Americans, Native Americans and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Startups don’t have to be Delaware-based to enter.

Early stage, tech-enabled ventures with at least one founder from one of the aforementioned underrepresented groups are invited to learn more about Startup302 through the information session. Topics will include an overview of the competition, how to apply, pitching basics and key dates. Participants also will be able to ask questions of Startup302 Committee members.

DPP’s Startup302 partners include Bronze Valley Gener8tor, Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce, New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, Emerging Enterprise Center, The Innovation Space, Chesapeake Ag Innovation Center, Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Alliance, University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship, True Access Capital’s Women’s Business Center, Small Business Development Center, Delaware State University College of Business, Sara Crawford and StartOut.

Registration for the Startup302 info session is at bit.ly/Startup302. Contest details and the application are at startup302.org. Questions may be directed to DPP’s Erica Crell at ecrell@choosedelaware.com.

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Christian Morris, Founder/CEO of Rush Roto

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Christian Morris, Founder and CEO of Product Photo A.I. Firm Rush Roto

An Ongoing Series Highlighting Delaware Innovators

Christian Morris was working on a mixed-reality app that would allow users to view a musician or performer as if they were 3D in front of them and needed software that could cut the background out and leave just the subject. Despite a lukewarm response from people who reviewed it, he believed it had potential.

Enter his wife, who runs a successful Etsy shop but needed an inexpensive way to create product videos. With a few tweaks, the app helped propel her to the top 5 percent of sellers in six months. Morris saw small business owners – particularly ecommerce sellers – who don’t have large ad budgets for Facebook or Google but depend on their own social media posts to sell products as an untapped market for his artificial intelligence-based technology.

Rush Roto’s “simple and spectacular” AI technology doesn’t just add a background. It places the picture of an object into another image that can be turned into multiple campaigns in just a few seconds. That’s important for small businesses that rely on seasonal online selling and want to turn a single product photo into images for Halloween, the Christmas season, spring — or any other time or theme.

Morris put about $10,000 of his own money into getting the startup to the point where he could apply to business growth programs. He found early support in 2022 through Amazon Web Services (AWS), which selected Rush Roto as one of 25 startups for its inaugural AWS Black Impact Accelerator. The company won $125,000 in cash and $100,000 in Cloud Credits along with in-person training at Amazon headquarters.

Morris says the AWS program and Rush Roto’s recent selection into the prestigious Techstars Accelerator Powered by J.P. Morgan program – which included Rush Roto receiving a $120,000 equity stake – has opened a new world of possibilities in terms of venture capital funding, growth and connections. In addition, Rush Roto was a winner in Delaware Prosperity Partnership’s 2023 Startup302 competition, where it placed in the Delaware Tech-Enabled category.

“Success in programs like AWS, Techstars and Startup302 provide legitimacy and help us get our funding applications looked at, which can otherwise be very challenging,” Morris said.

Morris recently shared his views on innovation in Delaware and the path forward for innovators.

Why is Delaware a great state to be an innovator?

I know other Delaware founders have said it countless times, but our central location is key. Getting started with zero network connections in the tech world was challenging. However, I was able to expand my network at an exponential rate with just new tires, gas and determination. I joined startup communities in not only Delaware, but D.C., New York City and Philadelphia. I was usually the only Delaware resident in the room. That made me even more memorable.

I just did another pitch competition where I came in second in New York just a few months ago. And another one where I was going down to D.C., so there’s a plus at being able to hit multiple cities without having to hop on a plane. I also save money by not needing to rent cars and purchase hotel rooms in those states. In other words, being here also extended my company’s runway.

Last and most important is the real effort to support innovators here. After being a finalist in the Start-up302 competition, we received a letter from Delaware Governor John Carney. I don’t know if any founder I’ve met can say their state cares about what they’re doing at that high of a level.

What qualities should a successful innovator have?

Number one, by a large margin, is grit. Startup life is difficult. It will almost always take longer and be more challenging than you expect. “Unfair” is the default setting. You must learn to make peace with it, and then make your own luck.

Number two, focus. Focusing on the “why,” not the “what.”

Three, vision. You need vision to shift your “how” and “when” if needed. The reason you took action should be your north star. It’s easy to get caught up in your solution and forget.

What advice would you give innovators just starting?

When you get started, one of the most important things is to pick an idea worth pursuing by you. Not just one that is worth pursuing. You should have a true passion for the idea, not just potential profits. Those profits don’t leave the “potential” stage with most startups. You need to have a love for the why. Rush Roto’s why is serving underfunded entrepreneurs. I founded Rush Roto with the goal of using AI to make photography affordable to all businesses, to give time and resources back to the struggling solopreneur. Seeing Rush Roto do that gives me the energy to push through those tough days.

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DE Helps Region Earn Tech Hub Status

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Delaware Part of Greater Philadelphia Region Precision Medicine Tech Hub Designated by Biden-Harris Administration

Image by macrovector on Freepik

Area is one of 31 selected from nearly 400 applicants, is identified as ‘primed for technological innovation and job creation’ under President’s Investing in America agenda

WASHINGTON, DC — The Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced the designation of 31 Tech Hubs in regions across the country, including the Greater Philadelphia Region Precision Medicine Tech hub encompassing Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania

This is the first phase of the new Tech Hubs program, which is an economic development initiative designed to drive regional innovation and job creation by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize and deploy technology that will advance American competitiveness. The program invests directly in burgeoning, high-potential U.S. regions and aims to transform them into globally competitive innovation centers.

The Greater Philadelphia Region Precision Medicine Tech Hub, led by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA, aims to become a global leader in end-to-end precision medicine. This Tech Hub will leverage the region’s density of life sciences assets and research and development expertise to weave together disparate technology applications: biotechnology, medical technology, genomics, synthetic biology supported by artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and more. Together, these tech-enabled efforts will deliver new ways to diagnose, prevent and treat disease, increasing evidence-based technology applications that improve morbidity and mortality and decrease health disparities.

Tech Hubs was authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, a key part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which he signed into law in August 2022. Winners are located across 32 states and Puerto Rico and represent a cross-section of urban and rural regions. Designation is an endorsement of the region’s plans to supercharge their respective technological industries to create jobs, strengthen U.S. competitiveness and protect national security. The Tech Hubs focus on industries ranging from autonomous systems, quantum computing, biotechnology, precision medicine, clean energy advancement, semiconductor manufacturing and more, and they highlight how the Biden-Harris Administration is investing in innovation and economic growth in every region of the United States.

The Phase 1 winners were selected from nearly 400 applications from regional consortia that include industry, academia, state and local governments, economic development organizations, and labor and workforce partners. As part of the Tech Hubs competition, each consortium outlined plans for strengthening its region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize and deploy critical technologies.

These designated Tech Hubs may now apply to receive between $40 million and $70 million each for implementation funding, totaling nearly $500 million.

Read the full Tech Hubs announcement release here.

Read more about the Tech Hubs program here.

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RiKarbon Chooses to Grow in Delaware

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Homegrown environmental solutions firm RiKarbon chooses to continue growing in Newark, Delaware

Expansion of early-stage business focusing on carbon capture and utilization includes quadrupling lab space and creating 12 new full-time Delaware jobs

WILMINGTON, Del. (October 23, 2023) – RiKarbon Inc., an early-stage company specializing in developing innovative technologies for carbon capture and utilization, has chosen to continue growing in its hometown of Newark, Delaware, with an expansion from its Delaware Technology Park incubator space to nearby Delaware Industrial Park.

RiKarbon was founded in 2018 with support from a federal Small Business Innovation Research Grant from the Department of Energy and a mission to develop and commercialize sustainable proprietary technologies that capture and repurpose carbon emissions. The company has grown steadily since then, winning a 2019 Tech Connect Innovation Award, receiving several Delaware Technology Innovation Program Grants and outgrowing its 600 square feet of laboratory space in the startup incubator of Delaware Technology Park.

To maintain the momentum of its growth so far, RiKarbon will renovate and fit out 2,540 square feet of new chemical research and development lab space in a former electronic device manufacturing facility on Dawson Drive in Delaware Industrial Park. The company also will add 12 full-time positions to its current roster of six full-time employees and two part-time employees.

“We’re pleased that RiKarbon Inc. – a recognized leader in carbon capture – has chosen to expand in Delaware,” said Governor John Carney. “The company that started in a Delaware Technology Park incubator space will quadruple its square footage and add full-time jobs to continue to make Delaware a leader in the environmental space.”

The larger facility and staff will allow RiKarbon to continue its commercial scaleup of 100% bio-based oils for emollients to formulate personal care products, bio-poly-alpha-olefin base oils for performance lubricants, products for upcycled plastics manufacturing and other cost-competitive offerings for domestic and international markets. A recently announced partnership with BASF – the world’s largest chemical producer – includes bringing one of its emollient products to market by 2024. The company also has received letters of intent from global customers to deliver products and is now raising investment funding to do so.

“Congratulations to Delaware’s own RiKarbon, born right here in the First State, on their continued growth in the field of carbon capture,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “It’s with great pride that we can say this company was incubated right here in Newark and has chosen to continue to expand where the talent lies, right here in Delaware.”

Delaware Prosperity Partnership supported RiKarbon’s request to the Council on Development Finance for a Graduated Lab Space Grant of up to $34,000 and a Jobs Performance Grant of up to $26,000 from the Delaware Strategic Fund. Distribution of these grants is dependent upon the company meeting commitments as outlined to the CDF, which reviewed and approved RiKarbon’s request.

“We are recreating similar ingredients that we use every day in our shampoo, conditioner, facial products or automotive engines, but making them in a socially responsible way from organic wastes that are causing environmental challenges globally,” said Basudeb Saha, president and CEO, RiKarbon. “It is very satisfying that we are able to deliver green and upcycled products to our customers to promote health and environmental efficacy while tackling climate challenges.”

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About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (choosedelaware.com) is the nonprofit public/private organization that leads Delaware’s statewide economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent.

About RiKarbon

RiKarbon (rikarbon.com) develops technologies for cost-competitive renewable products that use non-conventional and typically unused carbon feedstocks to serve the domestic and international specialty and performance chemicals market.

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Evernorth Will Grow Accredo In Delaware

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Evernorth Health Services to Expand Operations in Delaware with New 200,000-Square-Foot Specialty Pharmacy and Distribution Facility

WILMINGTON, Del. –  Evernorth Health Services, The Cigna Group’s health services business, has chosen Newark, Delaware, as the location of a new approximately 200,000-square-foot specialty pharmacy and distribution facility. Within the facility, Accredo, Evernorth’s specialty pharmacy, will dispense lifesaving medications to patients across the Northeast. Additionally, Evernorth intends for its specialty pharmaceutical distributor, CuraScript SD, to operate from the facility alongside Accredo and distribute specialty medications to health care providers who treat rare and complex conditions.

The Newark, Delaware, facility will expand and replace Accredo’s existing location in New Castle, Delaware, which it has operated since 2007. The facility will be staffed by nearly 90 existing Delaware employees consisting of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, warehouse associates, operations staff and more. Evernorth anticipates more than doubling the number of Delaware employees at the Newark facility over the next several years. These employees are dedicated to supporting patients diagnosed with some of the most rare and complex conditions known today, as well as providers who help treat these patients.

“Delaware is a health care hub for the Mid-Atlantic region. That’s one of the reasons Evernorth chose Delaware to grow their existing specialty pharmacy services and fulfillment facility,” said Governor John Carney. “We are pleased Evernorth plans to make a significant investment in the First State to expand their operations, which will enable the company to retain and add jobs over the next several years.”

“Congratulations to Accredo on their expansion in New Castle County,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “Increasing job opportunities here in the first county in the First State is important to continue to make our state a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

Delaware Prosperity Partnership supported Evernorth’s request to Delaware’s Council on Development Finance for a Jobs Retention Grant, a Jobs Performance Grant, a Capital Expenditure Grant and a matching Training Grant.

“This new facility will help us meet the growing demand and need for specialty medications, which have risen by 280% over the past two decades,” said Matt Perlberg, President, Pharmacy, Evernorth Health Services. “Evernorth is a leader in specialty pharmacy, dispensing millions of medications to patients and providers every year. As more complex medications come to market in the years ahead, our expanding location in Delaware will enable us to more efficiently and effectively distribute these lifesaving medications to individuals throughout the country, particularly in the Northeast.”

“Delaware has been home to one of our Accredo specialty pharmacy facilities for many years, and we look forward to deepening and expanding our ties in the community as we develop our new location,” said Perlberg.

About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (choosedelaware.com) is the nonprofit public/private organization that leads Delaware’s statewide economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent.

About Evernorth Health Services

Evernorth Health Services creates pharmacy, care and benefits solutions to improve health and increase vitality. We relentlessly innovate to make the prediction, prevention and treatment of illness and disease more accessible to millions of people. Evernorth capabilities are powered by our businesses, including Express Scripts, Express Scripts® Pharmacy, Accredo, CuraScript SD, eviCore and MDLIVE, along with holistic Evernorth platforms and solutions that move people and organizations forward. All Evernorth solutions are serviced and provided by or through operating affiliates of Evernorth Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), or third-party partners. Learn more at evernorth.com.

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$750M Grant Funds DE/PA/NJ Hydrogen Hub

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Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub Wins $750 Million Federal Grant

Delaware/Pennsylvania/New Jersey Clean Energy Collaboration Will Bring 10,000 New Jobs to Region

The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) has been approved for $750 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Program – one of just seven hubs so funded nationwide.

MACH2 aims to reduce pollution – particularly for frontline communities experiencing the “first and worst” environmental consequences – and advance clean energy. With a network of hydrogen producers, consumers and infrastructure throughout Delaware, Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey, MACH2 will create more than 10,000 jobs in the production, delivery and use of zero-emission green and pink hydrogen for industrial, transportation and agricultural uses. It also will further Delaware’s prominence in the clean energy economy.

According to Delaware Governor John Carney, who co-chairs the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) Board of Directors, Delaware companies and institutions already have led on hydrogen and now will play a key role in this initiative.

Photo illustration by David Barczak

“This is a big deal,” Carney said. “Hydrogen is a clean fuel of the future, one of the ways we can pollute less. Our region has been chosen for a federal infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars that will create thousands of jobs and show how hydrogen can be made, transported and used in a real-world way. When we have talked about the opportunities for Delaware from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law championed by President Biden and our Congressional delegation, this has been one of the big ones, and we got it. I’m looking forward to getting to work with our partners in the region.”

Dora Cheatham and the Delaware Sustainable Chemistry Association (DESCA) were among the critical organizations that spearheaded development of the winning proposal and public-private regional collaboration structures. Delaware partners – including DPP – worked alongside entities in Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey on this winning plan. DPP, a proud member of the MACH2 collective, was able to financially support the more than year-long process that will have a substantive impact in Delaware and region for years to come. The October 13 announcement is another milestone in furthering DPP’s mission of advancing prosperity for all Delawareans.

“The exciting news coming from the Department of Energy about MACH2’s selection as one of our nation’s hydrogen hubs is great for the region and tremendous for the State of Delaware,” said CSC President and CEO Rod Ward, who co-chairs the DPP Board with Governor Carney. “DPP’s investment in the initiative made a lot of sense at the onset of the process. That forethought will help advance our region’s economic and environmental goals, positively impact families who live in environmentally challenged neighborhoods and provide more well-paying jobs for individuals who are part of our state’s workforce.”

The White House release about the grant awards is here. 

Additional details about MACH2 are here. 

An article about the University of Delaware’s role in the initiative is here. 

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Delmarva Chicken Industry at 100 Years

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Delmarva chicken industry celebrates 100th birthday

2023 also marks 75th anniversary of Delmarva Chicken Association

The Delmarva Chicken Association (DCA) was founded in 1948. That same year, chicken farmers nationwide turned an eager eye toward Georgetown, Delaware. After a three-year nationwide search, the Chicken of Tomorrow contest winner would be announced at the first Delmarva Chicken Festival.

The contest’s goal? Create a better breed of broiler chicken.

California-based Vantress Hatchery received the $5,000 first prize, but the Delmarva Peninsula’s farmers were already winners. The industry for broilers, which are raised for meat rather than eggs, had been born in Delaware in 1923, and a meatier bird would assuredly boost the state’s output and stature.

Today, the $5 billion-a-year Delmarva chicken industry encompasses more than 1,300 family farmers, 18,000 poultry company employees and hundreds of related businesses for 50,000 total jobs. Such vitality, according to the DCA, is cause for celebration.

Throughout 2023, the trade association has been marking the centennial of this key Delaware agriculture sector’s founding along its own 75th anniversary. Its “Growing for 100 Years” campaign illustrates the evolution and impact of the industry and the DCA’s work. To culminate the festivities, the Delmarva Chicken Festival is returning for a one-time event from 1 to 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland.

“Our focus and the way we serve our members,” notes James Fisher, DCA communications manager, “have changed so much over the years.”

An Advantageous Error

It all started in 1923 when Cecile Steele of Ocean View, Delaware, ordered 50 chicks from Vernon Steen’s Hatchery in Dagsboro. Like most women in rural areas, Steele raised chickens for eggs.

The rare chicken dinner was a tough rooster or a hen that no longer produced eggs. Young, tender chicken was a high-priced luxury item.

But Steen’s hatchery sent Steele 500 chicks instead of 50, and she opted to raise them for meat. It was a daring move at the time.

Eighteen weeks later, Steele had 387 surviving chickens weighing about 2¼ to 2½ pounds, which she sold for 62 cents a pound — about $11 a pound in today’s dollars. The budding entrepreneur ordered 1,000 chicks in 1924. By 1928, she was selling 26,000 birds a year.

Plagued by a series of crop blights, neighboring farmers followed in her footsteps. “There was a receptive audience in Kent and Sussex counties in Delaware and on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia,” Fisher says.

A Better Chicken

But a chicken dinner remained too pricy for most consumers, and the Greater Atlantic & Pacific Co. — better known as A&P — and poultry grower influencers decided to do something about it. Enter the Chicken of Tomorrow contest.

The industry wanted a bird with more white meat and larger drumsticks than were typical among the speckled Barred Rock breed favored for eggs and meat at the time. The contest succeeded by leading to the white-plumed bird that is so common today.

While the contest results interested agricultural experts, the first festival’s parade, pageant fireworks and food appealed to the public. When held as an annual event, the festival’s activities continued to be a draw.

For instance, in 1950, the Delmarva Chicken Festival unveiled a 400-pound, 10-foot-wide frying pan capable of cooking a half-ton of chicken. The gargantuan pan was retired in 1987 and donated to the Georgetown Historical Society, where it remains in a museum collection.

Changing Times

In 1962, almost all chicken was sold as whole birds. Thirty years later, parts — breasts, thighs, wings — dominated sales. Also in 1962, farmers sold their flocks at auction. But, increasingly, companies like Perdue Farms began contracting farmers to grow for them, creating a vertical integration system that remains today.

Although the number of Delmarva growers has dropped, technology and efficient business practices have helped the industry do more with fewer growers, Fisher says. For example, it takes 75% fewer resources to produce chickens today than it had in the 1960s, and 95% of poultry litter is now recycled and reused as crop fertilizer.

As the industry changed, so did the DCA, which formerly was known as Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. The trade organization focuses on advocacy, education and outreach to its 1,600 members and promotes initiatives such as a vegetative environmental buffers program and an electric buying group.

The labor-intensive annual festival ceased after the 2014 event, but Fisher says people never stopped asking about it. So the trade association’s 75th anniversary seemed to be the perfect time to bring it back for one day.

The DCA is working with the Greater Salisbury Committee, the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce and the Wicomico Farm Bureau to organize the event, which will feature local food trucks, vendors and children’s activities. The Jones Boys, Jimmy Charles and Mike Hines & The Look will perform live music throughout the day.

Teams from Delmarva’s five chicken companies — Allen Harim Foods, Amick Farms, Mountaire Farms, Perdue Farms and Tyson — will compete in Chicken Capers contests, a medley of field day-style games. The event also will include historical and educational exhibits paying tribute to an industry that drives Delaware’s economic engine.

Sussex County still has more broiler farms than any county in the country, and it all started with Mrs. Steele.

“It’s not often you can trace an entire way of farming or a sector to one person,” Fisher says. “We want to make sure that agriculture and farming don’t lose a place on Delmarva because it’s so important to our history, culture, economy and the way we eat.”

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Liam Fitzgerald, Co-Founder of Connect2Co

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Liam Fitzgerald, Co-Founder of Digital Workspace Firm Connect2Co

An Ongoing Series Highlighting Delaware Innovators

Liam Fitzgerald believes many businesses have a lack of cross-departmental clarity, an inability for executives to make strategic decisions and a lack of overall workplace morale. This belief led to the creation – with co-founder Robbie Parisius – of Connect2Co, which describes itself as “the future of productive work.”

“As a founder, my objective is to improve communication and collaboration, implement sustainable practices into companies of all sizes and drastically improve scalability in startups for fellow founders to reach their goals more effectively,” says Fitzgerald, whose company vision is to “transform the digital workspace into something that is engaging and meaningful, data-driven and efficient.”

Connect2Co won a 2023 $100,000 Encouraging Development, Growth & Expansion (EDGE) Grant from the Delaware Division of Small Business to support the growth of a business-to-business platform that enables businesses of all sizes to manage, optimize and collaborate with other companies. The tool essentially enables customers to operate a digital workspace from one central location, eliminating the need for toggling between various applications such as Gmail, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Salesforce.

Fitzgerald spoke to Delaware Prosperity Partnership about his views on innovation in Delaware and his advice to hungry innovators.

Why is Delaware a great state to be an innovator?

Delaware’s ecosystem of entrepreneurs and business professionals – and government entities driven by their ability to support small businesses and systems by providing access to vital resources and people – make Delaware a “Goldilocks zone” for innovation and innovators alike. Small businesses account for more than 98% of the businesses in Delaware, employing over 55% of the workforce. This supports the obvious presence of a breeding ground for entrepreneurs to provide value to each other in a multitude of ways.

In your view, what qualities should a successful innovator have?

  • Successful innovators have core qualities that define their success:

  • Understanding in the form of malleability. The presence of individual identity should not supersede an entrepreneur’s ability to listen to others in relation to feedback, criticism and support. Innovators must be sure in their mission and overarching objective but must simultaneously be willing to change course and pivot as their business or venture progresses. Communication and understanding are vital to improvement. Even if feedback is not used, shared perspectives give clarity to beautiful ideas and ventures.

  • Innovators must be leaders. Successful entrepreneurs and thinkers have different personality types. Some can lead in a school of thought, industry or field. Some are great managers who can realize the dormant abilities of their team and empower them to excel personally and within their organization. Some lack these qualities, but lead in their relentless persistence, drive and hunger to solve problems and create/offer solutions. Ideally all three leadership qualities should be evident in the perfect leader, but the third quality (persistence) will inevitably allow them to penetrate the market and achieve the other two qualities.

  • Innovators must have ideas or systems that are better than those that previously existed. This may be evident in the form of improvement to solutions, products and systems that already exist; innovative and cutting-edge solutions/products or services that do not exist; or the enablement of team members to realize their full potential and, in turn, bring their ideas to light. The ability to execute on these ideas is what differentiates thinkers from doers.

What advice would you give innovators just starting?

  • Understand your why, then your what, then your how. Figure out your purpose for your venture, then what you will offer and then dissect how you will fulfill what you will offer.

  • Plan with the objective to execute. You can write business plans, forecast your expenses and your revenue, create feasibility analysis and research statistics on your market, industry and customers, but nothing will come close to talking to your target customers. If I analyze what I did wrong and right, I can truly say that the best practice is to find an idea, talk to people you trust to establish preliminary validity of the idea, build part of the idea and start showing it to these people and getting users to test it.

  • Rinse and repeat this process incrementally, and your idea will grow into a tangible thing. Your customer/communication base will also increase. Creating or building something people want enables you to figure out if an idea is worth pursuing. This should be done in a way that the person/group you are targeting is so compelled by the product that their want becomes a need. Turning wants into needs creates urgency and encourages retention. This, however, depends highly on the target market and customer segment you are selling to. Luxury goods are attractive due to their exclusivity and scarcity – taking advantage of the want factor. Commodity goods like toothpaste and soap are attractive due to their necessity. Services offered, solutions developed or products created, however, can initially be something the consumer wants that, after use, makes them realize they need it (such as iPhone, Gmail, CRM Systems).

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PCOnline Spinoff EtailFlow Chooses DE

Written on . Posted in Press Releases.

PCOnline Chooses Newark, Delaware, for Location of Strategic Spinoff for Supply Chain Management

EtailFlow expansion creating at least 45 new jobs over next three years

WILMINGTON, Del. – EtailFlow LLC, a supply chain management company created as a strategic spinoff from Delaware-based national ecommerce leader PCOnline earlier this year, will grow its operations alongside its parent company in Newark, Delaware.

PCOnline leadership actively searched sites in Delaware and throughout the region for a new location to grow EtailFlow before selecting space adjacent to its 80-employee headquarters in Prides Crossing off Route 4. The EtailFlow facility will feature a fulfillment center; a fully customized ERP system, including a smart warehouse; fulfillment of Seller-Fulfilled Prime orders; Fulfilled by Amazon preparation services; direct business-to-consumer orders; purchasing agent services; and return processing services.

With this breadth of services and a pipeline of business with projected year-over-year revenue increases of 20%, EtailFlow plans to add at least 45 jobs to its current Delaware staff of two during the next three years. These full-time positions will include warehouse staff, technicians, workshop operators and logistic specialists.

“We’re pleased that EtailFlow LLC is expanding their operations and creating new jobs in Newark,” said Governor John Carney. “We remain committed to helping entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses here in Delaware. This decision reaffirms that Delaware is the ideal place for businesses to thrive.”

PCOnline was founded in a home garage in Newark by two University of Delaware graduate students in 2015 as an ecommerce business to resell computers on Amazon. Since then, the company has become the top Amazon reseller in the PC category and expanded onto the Walmart Marketplace and Newegg Marketplace platforms while developing relationships with most major computer manufacturers.

PCOnline grew nearly 300% in revenue from 2020 to 2022. In recognition, the company received a 2022 Blue Hen 17&43 Award as the fastest-growing company led by UD alumni and ranked #3 on the 2022 Philadelphia100 Forum 100 Fastest Growing Companies list.

As part of that growth, the company expanded from its focus on ecommerce to providing additional supply chain services. In 2023, the decision was made to spin off those services – distribution, logistics and warehousing – from PCOnline’s main business into EtailFlow.

“EtailFlow LLC’s expansion in Delaware is a testament to PCOnline’s commitment to growth and innovation,” said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “As they set their sights on new horizons, they exemplify the spirit of entrepreneurship and the opportunities that are here in the First State.”

Delaware Prosperity Partnership supported EtailFlow’s request to the Council on Development Finance for a Jobs Performance Grant of up to $155,970 from the Delaware Strategic Fund. Distribution of these grants is dependent upon the company meeting commitments as outlined to the CDF, which reviewed and approved the request.

“At EtailFlow, our core mission is to redefine the supply chain industry while leaving a meaningful impact on our community,” said Charles Zhang, chief executive officer, EtailFlow. “We are dedicated to generating more employment prospects for our local community, ultimately infusing vitality in the Delaware economy.”

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About Delaware Prosperity Partnership

Created in 2017, Delaware Prosperity Partnership (choosedelaware.com) is the nonprofit public/private organization that leads Delaware’s statewide economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent.

About EtailFlow LLC

EtailFlow is a leading supply chain management company focusing on efficiently distributing electronic goods. With a strong emphasis on quality, reliability and customer satisfaction, EtailFlow offers a comprehensive suite of services that includes purchasing services, add-on-value services and logistics.

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DPP’s Kurt Foreman Interviewed by WDEL

Written on . Posted in In the News.

Kurt Foreman interviewed for WDEL show

President/CEO discusses DPP’s role and activities on ‘Del-Aware’ radio program with Peter MacArthur

Delaware Prosperity Partnership President and CEO Kurt Foreman recently was interviewed live in-studio by host Peter MacArthur for the morning news show “Del-Aware” on WDEL 1150 AM/101.7 FM.

The segment focused on DPP’s role as “the sales force for Delaware” and the leadership and service that the statewide economic development organization provides to the Delaware business community.

Click here to hear the segment.

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What the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is Delivering for Delaware

Written on . Posted in Blog.

US Infrastructure Bill will revitalize Delaware’s transportation systems

The November 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, spearheaded by President Biden and Vice President Harris, promises to revitalize Delaware’s transportation systems. With a focus on climate change mitigation, safety, equity, and resilience, this historic legislation is set to usher in a new era of progress for Delaware’s public transportation.

Repairing and Rebuilding Roads and Bridges will revitalize Delaware’s surface transportation systems

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law addresses the dire state of Delaware’s roads and bridges. With 19 bridges and over 253 miles of highways needing repair, this legislation is the largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system. Delaware stands to receive approximately $1.4 billion over five years for highway and bridge repairs, representing a significant increase in federal funding. In addition, Delaware can also expect to receive approximately $27 million over five years in formula funding to reduce transportation-related emissions.

Enhancing Safety

Safety is a crucial aspect of the transportation infrastructure. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests billions directly into improving roadway safety, which also installs programs to help improve driver behavior, and reduce deaths and injuries from motor vehicle-related crashes. Local governments can also access funding through the Safe Streets for All program to reduce crashes and fatalities, with a particular focus on protecting cyclists and pedestrians.

Improving Public Transportation will revitalize Delaware’s public transportation systems

By increasing accessibility and efficiency, Delaware aims to promote sustainable transportation while improving equity in communities where non-White households are more likely to depend on public transit. The state is expected to receive approximately $186 million over five years to enhance public transportation options and address the outdated transit vehicles and help reduce commuting times for residents.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law emphasizes the need to transition to electric vehicles (EVs) to combat the climate crisis. To support this shift, Delaware will receive around $18 million over five years to expand its EV charging network. This funding is part of a $7.5 billion national investment to build the first-ever EV charger network across the United States. By encouraging the adoption of EVs, Delaware will reduce carbon emissions and support domestic manufacturing jobs.

Modernizing Rail and Air Travel

The law includes significant investments in passenger and freight rail, benefiting Delaware’s transportation system. The provision of $102 billion aims to eliminate the Amtrak maintenance backlog and modernize the Northeast Corridor while extending rail service to areas beyond the northeast and mid-Atlantic. In addition, Delaware’s airports will receive approximately $6 million over five years for infrastructure development, ensuring the improvement of runways, terminal development, airfield safety, and noise reduction projects.

Revitalizing Delaware’s infrastructure and transportation systems

In conclusion, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law brings a new light to Delaware’s transportation infrastructure, addressing long-standing issues and driving progress across various sectors. With substantial funding allocations for road and bridge repairs, safety enhancements, public transportation improvements, EV infrastructure, and rail and air travel modernization, Delaware is poised for a transformative era. These investments will create good-paying jobs, enhance safety, reduce commute times, and promote sustainable transportation options, ultimately improving the lives of Delaware residents.

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United States of America Department of Transportation. (2022 April). The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Will Deliver for Delaware. https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-01/BIL_Delaware.pdf

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