Adjacent states were considered before Incyte picked Delaware, says Swain.
“To be honest, we were small fish to them,” she relates. “The sense was we could locate there if we wanted to, but they didn’t have much in the way of incentives we needed at the time. Delaware in the early days provided hiring incentives and helped with capital in the beginning. We don’t need that support today, but as a small startup we did. Delaware made us feel wanted and that they would help us be successful in the state. The other states did not. We weren’t a big enough player. Delaware was excited about the prospect of our locating and growing here.”
Wilmington’s location gives Incyte employees many options when it comes to where to live. Swain says a number of younger workers prefer the urban vibe the Philadelphia area affords. Young families tend to reside in Delaware’s smaller communities. Others commute from Princeton, New Jersey, and many other locations. Those living in Delaware know the state’s tax climate is a strong motivator for doing so. It has no statewide sales tax, and it has the sixth-lowest property tax burden in the United States, according to a recent report from WalletHub. That allows for three-quarters of the state’s households to own their own home.
“Because of Delaware’s size, it’s easier to get things done,” says Swain, “and state officials work with you long after the operation is set up. For our new building ribbon cutting, for example, they coordinated their calendars to find a date when our two senators, our state representative and others could be here live to talk to our employees about what Incyte means to them. We get incredible support from the state.”