From previous page - Delaware Business Now

February 11, 2015
Third Year, Fifth Issue
33 pages
This week
iBio says patent
could help speed
up flu vaccine
production 5
Newark Sears
hardware,
appliance store
closes. 7
Dining. A taste of
Chicago comes
to Bear. 11
Claymont steel mill site
sold to St. Louis-based
redevelopment firm. 20
Delaware 87ers aim to build
stronghold in the First State
Click here for photo gallery
The Delaware 87ers often square off with other
NBA Development League teams in the dead of
winter.
The 87ers or 7s are one of the 18 teams in the
NBA Development (D League) and bringing out
fans in cold weather is one of the challenges facing
team President Aaron Mozer and staff.
The 87ers work hard to adopt a family friendly
atmosphere, with a large play area in the arena
that helps children burn off some energy.
The brand of basketball, which Mozer describes
as the “second best” around has its periods of intensity, including spirited exchanges between players and referees.
Photo courtesy of the Delaware 87ers
The events and the game are managed in the
crisp, professional manner of a well-run organization. Those who closely following the NBA will
recognize some of those on the rosters of most
Continued on next page
Delaware 87ers part of Sixers rebuilding strategy
League, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He ended up
with the Grand Rapids Drive in the D League and
was later acquired by the 76ers. Covington has gone
on to establish a solid presence, averaging more
than 12 points a game.
Photo courtesy of the Delaware 87ers
From previous page
teams as having spend short periods in the big
leagues.
The 87ers are part of an effort by owner and parent team the Philadelphia 76ers to develop players
who could contribute to building a contender.
The 87ers, like their parent team, have struggled
in the win-loss column in a league populated with
a combination of teams that have NBA or individual owners.
The Sixers are already seeing signs that the D
League could help in the arduous process. One
player on the roster, Robert Covington spent
time with the Houston Rockets’ affiliate in the D
now carries the Spurs name. It is the second year for
the 87ers and Mozer says the team is gaining traction in a market that is a short drive from top major league sports franchises.
There is also a parent team undergoing a someThe 87ers name comes from the year Delaware be- times controversial rebuilding process that this year
came the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution
led to predictions that the team might end up with
and dove tails nicely with the 76ers name.
the worst record in the NBA. That will not happen
as the team shows flashes under patient coach Brett
The mascot is a grey fox, the state animal in case
Brown. The Sixers have already won a doaen games,
compared to the Charlotte Bobcats, which won
you know that piece of First State trivia. NBA
teams have been taking a page from perennial
only seven contests in 2012.
powers, such as the San Antonio Spurs, which purContinued on next page
chased a team up the road in Austin, Texas that
87ers building community partnerships in state
From previous page
Mozer was literally handed a
blank slate last year when the
76ers purchased a development
league franchise and named the
minor league sports veteran as
president.
Mozer came to the post after
serving as an executive with the
Mozer
Aberdeen Ironbirds, a Class A
minor league team that is part
of the Cal Ripkin, Jr group of enterprises.
As employee No. 1, he faced the formidable challenge in putting together an organization from
scratch. The 76ers actually acquired the Utah Flash
and transferred that D League franchise to Delaware.
The team settled on Wilmington as its headquarters and landed a deal to play its games in the Carpenter Center on the University of Delaware campus.
affected by snow, ice, cold weather or a combination of the three. Along the way, the 87ers staff
continued to sign up sponsors and work to build
interest.
Mozer and the 87ers now have a large roster of
sponsors, one of the most recent being the United
Way of Delaware and the YMCA branch in BearGlasgow.
Other sponsors include Courtyard by Marriott
University of Delaware, American Spirit Federal
Credit Union, Double Tree Concord Pike, Reybold
Group and Delaware Tourism Office, just to name
a few.
One coup came when WNBA and University of
Delaware star Elena Delle Donne signed on as a
team spokesperson.
Delle Donne said the 87ers were a good fit, given
the team’s community focus. The team and Delle
Donne have worked together on causes such as
Lyme Disease. Delle Donne has been spending the
offseason in Delaware, in part, due in part to the
need to recover from a bout of the disease.
Photo courtesy of the Delaware 87ers
the country makes scheduling and regional rivalries more difficult. There is also the need to work
around the schedule of the heavily used Carpenter
Center. One game this week was scheduled at 11
a.m. at the Sports complex.
A more ideal number of teams would be the 30
or so seen in other major and minor league sports,
Mozer says. Further down the road, the league
might be the temporary home for players in need
of the rehab assignments seen in major league baseball, he said.
So far, that trend has not made its way to the D
League. The next game for the 87ers is Feb. 17 at
A press conference with Gov. Jack Markell offerthe Carpenter Center.
ing his support announced the move. Then Mother
Mozer is looking forward to further growth in the
Nature came calling with many of the game dates
D League. The roster of 18 teams scattered around
RadioShack name may be headed for the last roundup
Texas-based RadioShack and related companies have filed for Chapter 11
phones. The Quartz business news website listed six stores in Delaware that are
bankruptcy in Delaware. Plans call for the closing of stores and the conversion slated to close in Brandywine Hundred, Smyrna, Dover and Seaford
of others to cell phone outlets, with the RadioShack name likely to disappear.
As part of the process, other parties will have an opportunity to submit
Radio Shack announced it signed an asset purchase agreement with General offers for RadioShack’s stores. RadioShack stores outside the U.S. are not
Wireless Inc., to acquire between 1,500 and 2,400 of RadioShack’s U.S.
included in the filing.
company-owned stores that would be converted to stores selling Sprint wireless
A list of the stores slated for closure will be posted in the near future on
the restructuring information section of the company’s web site at www.
radioshackcorporation.com.. RadioShack has nearly 4,000 company owned
stores in the U.S.
Discussions are underway with interested parties to sell all of the
company’s remaining assets, a release stated. The company has been
struggling for years as customers went elsewhere and the company was
unable to attract enough cell phone customers. The store also catered to
electronic hobbyists, who increasingly rely on buying via the internet.
Over the years, the company bungled many opportunities. In the early
days of the personal computer era, it offered an early version of the laptop
computer, but could not keep up with the changes in the industry. Also, its
small stores did not have the space to offer a large selection of computers or
big screen TVs.
The lack of customers in stores became fodder for jokes by late night talk
show hosts Delaware has long been a center for retail bankruptcy cases. In
many cases, Chapter 11 retail bankruptcies often end up as liquidations as
assets are sold off.
iBio says patent could pave way
for faster flu vaccine production
iBio, Inc. announced
it received a U.S. patent
that could be used in
producing a vaccine for
the flu, plague and other
health threats.
iBio, which is based
in Newark, has helped to develop a plant-based
vaccine production system that uses robots and
other technology.
“The achievements with plague vaccine are just
one application of iBio’s core technology -- the
iBioLaunch gene expression platform -- that
enables advantageous plant-based development
and manufacture of monoclonal antibodies and
other therapeutics, as well as vaccines,” said
Robert Erwin, iBio’s president. “In its application
to seasonal influenza vaccines, the speed of our
proprietary technology would allow determination
of the identity of each season’s predominant
influenza virus to be made substantially closer in
time to the flu season, decreasing the opportunities
for viral mutation and thereby increasing the likely
efficacy of that year’s vaccine and decreasing flucaused illnesses and deaths.”
iBio noted that according to information
published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control,
this season’s influenza vaccine offers relatively poor
protection in comparison to prior years as different
strains emerged.
With traditional vaccine manufacturing
technologies, such as chicken eggs and cultured
cells, there is a very long lead time required prior to
the beginning of each new flu season for large scale
manufacturing, iBio noted.
iBio vaccine technology holds the potential
to significantly reduce the lead time required
to manufacture influenza vaccines, thereby
enabling selection of the virus strains for vaccine
development closer to the time the vaccine product
is actually needed, the company stated in a release.
iBio saw a run-up in its stock price last year on
prospects that the technology could be use in the
fight against Ebola. Those prospects fizzled and
the stock price plummeted from $3.21 a share
stock price in October. In trading earlier this week,
shares of iBio were trading at 60 cents.
Legislation aims to ease tax credit barriers
Coons seeks changes in small biz health insurance program
U
.S. Sen. Chris Coons
(D-Del.) introduced
legislation on
Thursday to help small business
owners who want to provide
health insurance to their
workers.
The Small Business Tax
Coons
Credit Accessibility Act would
expand and simplify the
Affordable Care Act’s small business tax credit,
making it available to more employers and for a
longer period of time.
“The Affordable Care Act is already doing a lot
of good for a lot of Americans, but where we can
make it work better, we should,” Coons said. “I’ve
spoken with small business owners in Delaware
who want to offer their employees health insurance,
but are struggling to afford it. The Affordable
Care Act created a small business tax credit to help
these businesses, but unfortunately too many are
either ineligible or discouraged by its complex
requirements.”
“I not only believe that Senator Coons’ bill to
improve the small business tax credit is a step in
the right direction, I think it is a necessary one
to preserve small business health benefits,” Nick
Moriello of Health Insurance Associates in Newark
said. “I have been an agent and a member of the
National Association of Health Underwriters for a
long time now. I have seen small businesses wanting
to offer healthcare to their employees, but are
struggling to do so. Reform needs to be made by
simplifying the process and alleviating the stringent
eligibility standards. Senator Coons’ bill will help to
achieve these reforms.”
The Small Business Tax Credit Accessibility Act,
which has been endorsed by the New Castle County
Chamber of Commerce, would:
• Raise the maximum size of businesses that are
eligible to receive the credit from 25 employees to
50 employees
• Extend the credit to businesses with higher
average wages. Currently, only businesses with an
average wage below $50,000 can qualify for the
credit. This bill would raise the maximum average
wage to 330 percent of the federal poverty line for
a family of four ($80,025 in 2015).
• Increase the threshold for a firm to receive the
maximum credit from 10 to 20 full-time employees
• Modify the phase-out of the credit to ensure
that any business that meets the full-time employee
and average wage thresholds will qualify for a tax
credit of some magnitude
• Increase the number of years for which a small
business may receive the credit to three consecutive
years
The bill has been endorsed by a number of
business groups, Coons reported.
Franchise decision comes after K Marts are shuttered in Dover, Claymont
Newark Sears Hardware store closes as company shrinks
S
tenants that can locate in centers where it operates
as an anchor store, making it difficult for landlords
to accommodate some interested retailers.
ears Hardware closed with little
fanfare late last month as company
operations shrink in Delaware and
elsewhere.
The store in the College Square Shopping
Center was the site for the Rickel home
improvement store up into the 1990s. In recent
years, the store struggled with the opening
of the nearby Lowe’s and a Home Depot near
Elkton Road.
By contrast, the College Square’s former rival,
Main Street, has blossomed, with investment now
pouring into the struggling Newark Shopping
Center with apartment development and the
relocation of Newark Natural Foods.
Continued on next page
Signage was quickly removed at the Sears
Hardware and Appliance store in College
Square.
The Sears website, which still lists the store
as open, indicated that it is a locally owned
In early December, Sears Holdings’ Kmart store
franchise. A call to the store number went
unanswered. All signage was removed from the site. in Claymont at Tri-State Mall closed its doors. The
closing of the hardware store is likely to increase
speculation on the future of the sprawling College
Sears has authorized franchise stores in smaller
Square center which has seen a steady departure of
communities and for a time owned the Western
Auto franchise system. Sears sold the company and retailers over the years.
the Western Auto brand disappeared.
The center is now down to Pathmark and Kmart
as anchor stores, with the area around the hardware
Sears has also opened or relocated appliance or
scratch and dent stores in the Christiana Mall area store largely vacant.
that carried some of the product lines of the
The closing of the Claymont Kmart led to similar
Newark store.
speculation, since Kmart has broad control over
Comcast Business again holds second contest
A
contest won
last year by
a Delaware
company has returned.
Comcast Business
announced that for the
second straight year the company will seek out innovative startup companies
and entrepreneurs to compete in the Innovations 4 Entrepreneurs competition
Contest applicants must submit a 250-word essay explaining how they
would use $30,000 in technology investment to enhance their business
Startups and entrepreneurs are encouraged to visit business.comcast.com/i4E to
submit their application and essay and review full program details. Entries are
due by March 15, 2015.
Last year’s winners came from a wide range of industries; including,
Entre Donovan, a women’s clothing designer from Delaware, a health care
Continued on next page
Sears trims operations
From previous page
Kmart spokesman Howard Riefs, a few months ago , reported the store
began its liquidation sale in late September, but did not return a request for
comment on the Newark store.
“Store closures are part of a series of actions we’re taking to reduce ongoing expenses, adjust our asset base, and accelerate the transformation of our
business model. These actions will better enable us to focus our investments
on serving our customers and members through integrated retail – at the store,
online and in the home,” Reifs said.
Sears has mall stores in Prices Corner, Dover and Concord malls, a hardware
store in Newark and an outlet office price store south of Newark in University
Plaza. Delaware Kmart stores are in Newark, Bear and Rehoboth. Other
affiliated stores are in Middletown, Rehoboth and Seaford.
Enjoy a better way to
work in Wilmington.
s
th *
on E
m E
2 FR
The Regus Business Center in Downton Wilmington has
everything you need, whether you want a professional place
to work, need a branch office for your remote employees, or
want to expand into a new market. Plus with no long-term
commitments and no leases, you’ll have no worries.
What we do for you:
Fully furnished and equipped offices
A receptionist to answer your calls
On-site IT support
Access to professional meeting rooms
State-of-the-art video communications studios
Access to over 1,700 business lounges and
cafés worldwide
Check out our center:
Downtown Wilmington
1000 N. West Street, Suite 1200
Wilmington, DE 19801
Want 2 months free on a Regus Office?
Call 1-800-OFFICES or visit regus.com
*See regus.com for complete offer details.
Comcast Business start-up contest returns
From previous page
management company from Maryland, a business
video producer from California, a mobile pet
grooming service from Texas, a knitting materials
supplier from Georgia and an animal hospital in
Florida.
“Startups and entrepreneurs play a critical role in
driving our nation’s economy and creating new jobs,
and we want to recognize and assist business leaders
who are using technology to make a difference for
their customers and employees,” said Bill Stemper,
president of Comcast Business. “The Innovations 4
Entrepreneurs program is designed to enable these
small businesses to take the next step in innovation
and continue to grow.”
Entries will be judged and two winners will be
selected in each of the 16 Comcast Business Regions:
one winner for startup companies (in business less
than two years) and one winner for entrepreneurs (in
business for more than two years).
The 32 regional winners will each earn $10,000 in
cash.
From the regional winners, six grand prize
winners will be selected – three startups and three
entrepreneurs – who will earn an additional $20,000
in cash, plus a trip to Philadelphia and business advice
from industry experts, including Celebrity Chef
Robert Irvine; Wharton entrepreneurship lecturer
and DreamIt Ventures’ Director Patrick Fitzgerald;
Comcast Chief Development Officer Sam Schwartz;
and Managing Director of Comcast Ventures Louis
Toth.
Regional winners will be notified beginning the
week of April 8. Public voting for the 32 regional
winners will be held April 27- May 10.
The six grand prize winners will be announced the
week of June 1, 2015 with an awards event planned
for August 2015.
Comcast Business delivers Business Internet,
Ethernet, TV and a full portfolio of Voice services
for cost-effective, simplified communications
management.
For more information, log on to http://business.
comcast.com/social.
Tax return hacking attempts
may delay Delaware refunds
T
he Delaware Division of Revenue
reported several attempts to file
fraudulent tax returns using stolen
identities during the 2014 tax season.
Revenue division chief Patrick Carter said all
information in Delaware’s tax database remains
secure and at no point was Delaware’s online filing
system compromised.
In a related announcement a maker of tax
software TurboTax indicated it will halt access
to its state tax software until the problems are
resolved. Filing was quickly resumed after the
company reviewed the system.
So far, 19 states – including Delaware – have
reported receiving fraudulent filing attempts
through the same third-party software.
Parent company Intuit was under pressure to
resume filings, since many people getting large
refunds file their taxes in February after receiving
various forms in January.
Delaware is also flagging a number of returns as
“potentially fraudulent” based on criteria found
on the fraudulent returns. Any Delaware taxpayer
who filed state income tax returns electronically
for 2014 or years prior through a third-party
software may be affected.
The problems could trigger delays in obtaining
refunds as the division works to detect possible
fraud cases, the state revenue chief warned.
The Division of Revenue is working to identify
victims and will alert them individually of any
potential fraud and/ or identity theft.
The fraudulent filing attempts have originated
from data that was compromised through a
third-party commercial tax-preparation software
database, according to a state release. The type of
software was not disclosed.
“Protecting the personal information of
Delaware taxpayers is our greatest priority right
now,” Carter said. “As soon as our internal controls
Continued on next page
Trending
The following stories in
DelawareBusinessDaily.com recorded
the most visits during the past week.
1. Newark main fixed; boiled water
advisory lifted
2. Media Insider: News Journal plays
catch-up in Wilmington
3. Updated: State revenue chief says
software tax fraud reports may delay
refunds
4. Cinemark to open 12-screen theater at
Christiana Mall this month
5. (Updated) Sears Newark store closes
after shuttering of Claymont Kmart
6. Business people: Feb. 5-11, 2015
7. (Photo gallery) Cabela’s opens store
near Christiana Mall
8. (Gallery) Ribbon cut on luxury ‘resortstyle’ apartments on Wilmington Riverfront
9. College Ave Student Loans launched in
Delaware
10. Beef it Up opens in Bear-Glasgow
AstraZeneca adds respiratory drugs in $600 million deal
AstraZeneca and Actavis Plc announced that they development rights in the US and Canada for
LAS40464, another respiratory drug.
have entered into a definitive agreement under
which AstraZeneca will acquire the rights to Actavis’
branded respiratory business in the US and Canada
According to a release, the transaction strengthens
in a deal valued at $600 million.
AstraZeneca’s respiratory franchise globally and
builds on the acquisition of Almirall’s respiratory
Actavis is based in Ireland with an administrative portfolio in 2014. The two products had combined
annual sales in the US of approximately $230
headquarters in New Jersey.
million in 2014. AstraZeneca will also pay Actavis
an additional $100 million and Actavis has agreed
Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca
to a number of contractual consents and approvals,
will own the development and commercial rights
in the US and Canada to Tudorza Daliresp used to including certain amendments to the ongoing
treat the COPD breathing disorder that is often the collaboration agreements between AstraZeneca and
Actavis.
result of smoking. AstraZeneca will also own
Safeguards adopted by revenue division
From previous page
working to ensure all taxpayers receive their proper
refund as promptly as possible, Carter said.
alerted us to the increase in fraudulent attempts,
we implemented a number of safeguards to lessen
any potential fraud from these return filings. We are Members of the public who believe they have
been victims of Delaware Income Tax fraud or who
confident that we are taking all necessary steps to
have questions about suspicious activity are urged
ensure the safety of our taxpayers.”
to call 302-577-8200. Taxpayers may also verify the
current status of their state income tax return by
Due to the safeguards, some taxpayers may
going to http://revenue.delaware.gov.
experience a delay in receiving their State of
Delaware refund. The Division of Revenue is
Paul Hudson, president, AstraZeneca US
and executive vice president, North America,
AstraZeneca, said: “Our agreement with Actavis
builds on our acquisition of Almirall’s respiratory
portfolio and brings long-term value to one of
our key growth platforms. With the addition of
Tudorza and Daliresp, we will benefit from an
immediate boost to revenue in our biggest market,
further strengthening our growing respiratory
franchise. This combined portfolio helps us to offer
an even broader range of innovative treatments
and formulations to physicians and pulmonary
specialists for patients suffering with COPD.”
The transaction is subject to antitrust law
clearance as well as other customary terms and
conditions. It is anticipated that the transaction will
complete in the first quarter of 2015.
AstraZeneca operates its North American
commercial headquarters in north Wilmington and
has a supply site south of Newark. The company
lists total Delaware employment of 2,600 at last
report.
The announcement came after the company
released an earnings report that fell below i
estimates.
food & drink
A taste of Chicago comes to the Bear-Glasgow area
A
Road.
featuring its offerings. The company is planning
a grand opening at one of Bear-Glasgow’s favorite
gathering spots, Glasgow Park.
bit of Chicago has come to Bear. Beef It Up
opened late last month at the a shopping
center on Route 40, near Salem Church
The restaurant is also displaying its Chicago roots
by pledging a portion of its proceeds to efforts
to combat gun-related violence in Chicago and
Delaware.
The restaurant is in the former location of a Way
Back Burgers restaurant that closed last year.
The restaurant’s website said Beef it Up is a
venture of Michael Aldridge, formerly of the Windy
City and who now lives in Delaware.
The restaurant will feature Chicago-style Italian
beef sandwiches, as well as the city’s take on hot dogs
to other areas where Chicagoans have relocated,
and a sandwich with sausage from former Chicago
such as Arizona, spring training home of the beloved
Bears coach Mike Ditka.
Cubs. One Chicago-area chain Portillo’s Hot Dogs
has added locations in California and Arizona.
The thin-sliced, juicy Italian beef and hot dogs
have come better known in recent years, due to food
Still the population of the sprawling Bear-Glasgow
television shows that focus on the offerings of major
area has far more ties to New York City, Philadelphia
cities.
and even Pittsburgh.
The Italian beef and hot dogs have made their way
Beef it Up plans to raise its profile with food carts
Our meeting spaces come in
many shapes and sizes.
R E N E E O R M S B E E , E V E N T C O O R D I N ATO R
UD Conference Services
Fitting your event needs perfectly – start to finish, all in one place.
Outside-In Talent Seminar
A glimpse into efforts to build, keep cultures at Comcast/NBC
Those attending the OutsideIn Talent Seminar last week got
a peek at the complexities of
finding and retaining talent at
Comcast/NBC Universal.
And don’t forget about the Philadelphia Flyers and
local television stations in major markets.
Employment at the giant company now totals
135,000.
Ambitious efforts, led by the human resources
side, often ended up as l reports that gathered dust
on a shelf or more recently in a server in a data center.
Arnholt said the company is no longer attemptThe company’s challenge is to come up with ways ing sweeping initiatives in responding to the marPresenter at the event last
ketplace, given its size, varied businesses and the
to be innovative in an industry where technolweek at the Goodstay Center
ogy can quickly make old business models obsolete need for cultures that reflect those businesses.
on the University of Delaware
Arnholt
overnight, she says.
Wilmington campus was Beth
Instead, Arnolt looks for ways to start small with
Bunting Arnholt, vice presiArnolt has seen that transformation, as a vice pres- programs that have the ability to be ramped up to a
dent of Integrated Talent Management at the Phillarger size if successful. That work can also involve
ident of human resources at Comcast who left to
adelphia-based company.
making sure that efforts are not being duplicated.
operate her own company. She returned a couple
A graduate of the University of Delaware Lerner of years ago to take her current position.
One example came with the 360 process, a comCollege of Business, Arnholt talked about a comShe now reports to the chief financial officer of the mon term in human resources for evaluations that
pany with varied cultures or as Arnolt put it, “ways
involve input from a wide range of people who
company and works on ways to build a culture in
to get things done.”
recognizes the diversity of the businesses and people interact with a staffer, often an executive.
Not long ago, Comcast was a cable company that while attracting top talent.
Comcast NBC Universal started small in testing
employed about 4,000, Arnholt notes.
Over the years, Comcast has learned a few lessons the process that can present a challenge to staffers
about building a corporate culture after buying up worried they could lose their jobs over a critical
Now it is also a sprawling enterprise owning everything from amusement parks to a movie studio, company after company, first in cable and later on evaluation of a supervisor or executive. However,
early successes point to a bigger rollout, she said.
the content side.
the Fandango movie ticket buying site, as well as
television networks ranging from NBC to Bravo.
Continued on next page
Another big merger on horizon
From previous page
In the personnel area that involves finding talent that can not only fill current job demands, but also have the ability to take on future assignments in a
changing landscape.
Too often, it was found that an individual might be applying for a similar
job in two different areas of the sprawling company.
At times, one-time events can effect change. Arnholt pointed to a company
technology conference for women that led to women realizing they were not
alone in dealing with the challenges of a male-domination IT world. The
conference also built relationships that promise to bring change. It hit a nerve
in a good way, she says.
Arnholt may soon end up with more on her plate with the expected completion of the acquisition of the massive Time Warner Cable operation and
its legendary stories of customer service problems.
Comcast has also been plagued by customer service glitches over the years,
the most recent being reports of names of customers being changed to include a vulgarism in billing The news made its way to social media and TV
news reports that purportedly show copies of bills.
Arnholt did not comment on the recent revelations.
The event, is part of a continuing series by Outside-In a group of consulting, placement and staffing companies based in Newark. For futher information, click here.
Data Centers lawsuit touches raw nerves
R
aw nerves over the University of Delaware
decision to terminate a lease with the Data
Centers project have been exposed as a suit
was filed in Superior Court by developers of the
project.
first class science and technology campus and high
quality development to which UD is committed. The
review included discussion among faculty, students,
environmental groups, neighbors and others about the
project.
The suit led to concern among organized labor
and legislators about the university’s actions
and calls for an investigation, the News Journal
reported. A few legislators were upset by the tactics
of opponents and want to put pressure on UD to
approve the project that would have added to the
tax base.
It is extremely important that development on the
STAR Campus, which is held to the highest standards,
is appropriate both for the short and the long term,
and that future generations of students will have a topquality education.
The News Journal also reported the lawsuit claims
the university was swayed by efforts by opponents
after first pursuing the project. The report also
indicated that an attorney with the blue chip law
firm of McCarter & English has taken the case.
The University of Delaware does not comment
on pending litigation, but we can say that we stand
behind our evaluation process and the final decision
on The Data Centers project. On July 10, 2014,
the University of Delaware announced that it had
terminated its lease agreement with The Data Centers,
LLC (TDC), putting a halt to TDC’s plans to develop
a data center on the University’s Science, Technology
and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus.
The Data Centers, a company based in
Pennsylvania, faces lawsuits over unpaid bills in
The University exercised full diligence in reviewing
the failed effort to build the $1 billion project that
would have included a controversial natural gas fired The Data Centers’ plans and determined that they
were not a good fit for the STAR Campus. A thorough
power plant that drew fierce opposition.
analysis by the UD Working Group, composed of
UD through spokeswoman Andrea Boyle Tippett, UD faculty and administrative leaders, concluded
that the proposed facility was not consistent with a
issued the following statement:
In terminating the lease, UD took pains to praise
opponents for their determination.
The campaign against the Data Centers included
demonstrations at times when prospective students
and parents were visiting the Newark campus and
extensive use of social media and other tools that
showed the plant belching plumes of steam and
posing a safety hazards.
Those concerns were eased a bit when technology
company SevOne announced plans to move its
headquarters to the STAR Campus
The opposition and UD’s decision led to fears that
Continued on next page
Campus Delivery coming to the UD student community
Campus Delivery, a new student-run business, is
slated to be launched for the spring semester. It will
offer deliveries from all food and convenience stores
in the immediate Newark area. The delivery service
will operate seven days a week.
Concerns ease about impact
of Data Center opposition
on attracting businesses
From previous page
companies would stay away from Newark for fear
of meeting opposition from the same forces that
opposed the Data Centers project.
Organized labor was also upset by a letter
from opposition leader Amy Roe that indicated
construction workers working at the project
would pose a danger to female students.
Campus Delivery is based upon a business
model from a parent company at Ohio University.
Sophomore student Brett Snyder, who transferred
to Delaware from Ohio, brought the idea with
him. “People ask me what makes us different from
our competitors,” said Snyder. “We offer delivery
of anything a student could want, including food,
groceries, and even school supplies.”
Students who want to use Campus Delivery will
text their name, order, and address to (302) 6857260. Drivers will be on call and will immediately
pick up the order and deliver it to the customer
for a small $3 delivery fee. The Campus Delivery
website will be up and running in March. For more
information, email mycampusdeliveryUD@gmail.
com.
News,like many
things in life, is best
when served fresh
Opponents stood by Roe, who took a less visible
role in the opposition from that point forward.
Absorbing the costs of the litigation over the
zoning are taxpayers in the City of Newark. The
city has received no reimbursements from the
University of Delaware following its decision to
terminate the lease.
DelawareBusinessDaily.com
Now...not later
State Auditor Tom Wagner
avoids Kent sheriff’s sale
Longtime Delaware State
Auditor General Tom Wagner
has avoided a sheriff’s sale of his
home.
In a more sympathetic story from the Delaware
State News. Wagner cited the holidays and health
problems as reasons for the delay in resolving the
situation.
The Kent County Sheriff’s
office removed the listing.
A News Journal story contained more financial
details including a loan modification agreement
made with M&T carrying 7.5 percent interest
rate. That rate verges on “subprime” in a
market where figures of less than 4 percent are
commonplace for those with good credit ratings.
Wagner, who was re-elected Wagner
to another term in November
is charged with auditing school
districts and other state entities. His office often
has harsh words for sloppy accounting practices.
He has served in the post for a quarter of a
century.
WDDE, Dover, reported that Wagner and his
wife did not appear at a foreclosure mediation
session in 2013.
Sheriff’s sales are closely watched in the real
estate community and those seeking to “flip”
houses. In most cases, the home goes back to the
lender.
Left unanswered, especially with the
modification agreement in place, was an
explanation as to why an individual whose office
examines financial records and practices did not
read bank statements or monitor activity online.
Wagner told media outlets he missed a “bunch
of payments,” blaming an automatic payment
system.
Such practices are recommended as a way to
detect attempts to hack into accounts in a world
where online transactions are the norm.
T
he Delaware
Business
Bulletin is an
electronic business
journal published in
a digital format each
Wednesday by Bird
Street Media, LLC,
Newark, Del.
The Business Bulletin offers numerous
opportunities for advertising messages and
sponsorships for its business-to-business
audience.
For further information on advertising and
sponsorships, e-mail Michael Klezaras at
[email protected]
The Business Bulletin and the companion
DelawareBusinessDaily.com website are
proud members of Local Independent News
Publishers (LION).
healthcare
Chrisiana Care restructuring
behavioral health program
Christiana Care
confirmed it is
making changes in
its behavioral health
program.
A statement was
issued by the state’s
largest health care
system after news reports outlining the changes and
the possible impact on patients. Confirmed were
the following changes:
Christiana Care summed up the reasons for the
changes as follows:
“To meet the need for high-quality behavioral
health care in the community we serve, Christiana
Care is embedding behavioral health therapists
directly in primary care practices. In this model,
primary care doctors, who often are the first to
recognize a need for behavioral health care, can
recommend convenient, confidential consultations
with therapists who are on-site. This approach
builds on our successful model of integrating
behavioral health professionals within specialty
services including cancer care, heart and vascular
health, women’s health and family medicine. We are
partnering with all patients to ensure they receive
the care they need during the transition.”
The Rosenblum Adolescent Center will close on
February 20. All of the patients currently in this day
Beebe Millville center now open yearprogram will complete their course of treatment and
around
no new patients will be enrolled
The Adult Transitional Care (ATC) program
will close in May. All of the patients currently in
the program will complete their treatment and
enrollment will continue until March. 6.
Beebe Healthcare announced that Beebe WalkIn Care in Millville will remain open year-round,
due to the growth in the number of year-around
residents. The hours for Beebe Walk-In Care in
Millville, Georgetown and Millsboro have been
expanded to 9
a.m. to 7 p.m.
Days at Millville
are Monday
through Friday,
while hours at
Georgetown and Millsboro extend to a seven-day-aweek schedule.
“We have experienced a tremendous population
growth in recent years, which has created more
demand for medical care,” says Douglas B. Allen,
MD, medical director of all Beebe Walk-In Care
locations. “Walk-in care is an excellent option
for people who either do not have a primary care
physician yet because they are new residents, for
those who are visiting our area, and for those who
need to be seen right away, but whose physician’s
office already has closed for the day.”
“We have expanded our hours to meet the needs
of those in the communities that we serve,” Allen
said. “Beebe works closely with leaders throughout
Sussex County to identify the many healthcare
needs and to find ways to meet them.”
DuPont spurs Peltz, appoints two turnaround CEOs to board
outperforming the 215 percent
total return of the S&P 500 over
the same period.
DuPont appointed Edward
D. Breen and James L. Gallogly
as independent Directors to its
board, effective immediately,
as the battle over board seats
continues.
Both directors come with
strong experience in corporate
turnarounds, including recent
work in the chemical industry.
Gallogly headed
LyondellBasell shortly after the
company filed for Chapter 11
protection.
Breen
Activist shareholder Nelson Peltz of Trian Fund
Management earlier rejected an offer to put a
member of his slate on the board, insisting that he
personally join that group.
Gallogly
Gallogly guided the company
out of bankruptcy within a year and upon relisting,
oversaw a 593 percent total return to shareholders,
before announcing his retirement. .
Peltz has claimed that DuPont has a costly
corporate structure and should spin off other
businesses of the company post Chemours.
Chemours is the former Performance Chemical
business of DuPont.
we would have the opportunity to discuss a path for
constructive resolution that would serve the interests
of all shareholders. We are disappointed that you
refused to consider any path forward that did not
involve putting you personally on the Board,”
Kullman wrote. “Following your public nomination
of a slate of directors, the Board carefully reviewed
the qualifications of each of your proposed
candidates and conducted interviews with all of
them, including you. After careful consideration,
the Board concluded that our two candidates are the
best possible choices to fill the vacancies created by
our departing directors.”
“However, the Board also concluded that based on
qualifications, there was one independent nominee
on your slate that we would consider as a potential
additional Board member, provided you would
agree to withdraw your slate and support DuPont’s
nominees. Unfortunately, you insisted - while
refusing to hear the details of our proposal that you
will not consider any proposal that does not include
you personally being added to the DuPont Board,”
Kullman wrote.
The appointments were made in anticipation of
two current DuPont directors, Curtis J. Crawford
and Richard H. Brown, moving off of the DuPont
The Peltz effort has already been cited as a reason
board to serve initially as consultants to The
Chemours Company and then as directors of
for concern about the company’s financial outlook
Chemours upon completion of its separation from by a tiny credit advisory firm, Gimme Credit.
DuPont. Upon separation. Brown will serve as nonDuPont CEO Ellen Kullman wrote a letter to
executive chairman of Chemours.
Peltz regarding a meeting in Chicago with Trian and Kullman said the company remains open to
dialogue with Triad.
did not close the door on talking with Peltz.
Breen led the revival of Tyco and oversaw
the repayment of over $20 billion in debt and
“When we arranged to meet with you, we thought
delivered 703 percent total return to shareholders,
real estate
St. Louis developer buys Claymont steel mill site
C
ommercial Development Company Inc.
(CDC), a St. Louis-based commercial
real estate and brownfield redevelopment
company, formally announced the acquisition of
a 425-acre, former steel mill in Claymont from
steel manufacturer Evraz.
A possible deal was first reported in November
by media outlets that were invited to a meeting on
the project. Financial terms were not immediately
disclosed.
real estate and also transfer legacy environmental
liabilities, CDC. EnviroAnalytics Group (EAG),
another CDC affiliate company, will now commence a series of remediation projects, including:
soil and groundwater remediation, environmental monitoring, and oversight of contamination
abatement and demolition of existing structures.
The expected timeline for completion is two
years. EAG is working with the Delaware Department of Environmental Resources and Environmental Control (DENREC), to finalize the
remedial plan under the state’s voluntary cleanup
program.
CDC and Environmental Liability Transfer, Inc.
(ELT), an affiliate of CDC, have assumed responsi- Valley became shopping ares and a casino. Evraz
bility for legacy environmental liabilities associated acquired the property in 2007 for more than half a
billion dollars and continued operations until 2013 Following remediation and demolition, this curwith the site and its former operators.
when it closed its doors due to economic reasons
rently blighted industrial site will be positioned for
new vertical development purposes.
For nearly a century, this facility was home to steel and a heavy debt load. Prior to the closing, Evraz
making operations for rail, infrastructure and other was looking at the possible sale of surplus property.
Throughout the process, CDC will be performing
industrial applications. The industry has been disDue to contamination issues, an environmental
land studies, market assessments, and meeting with
appearing in the region. Earlier, the massive Sparrows Point complex in Baltimore was demolished. liability transfer and remediation plan proposed by community stakeholders to determine the highCDC has enabled Evraz the ability to sell surplus
Mill sites in suburban Philadelphia and Lehigh
Continued on next page
real estate
From previous page
est and best use for this site going forward. The
property is near the Delaware River, has direct rail
service and is adjacent to I-95 and I-495.According to a release, CDC considers the former steel
manufacturing plant an excellent prospective site
for a variety of development purposes.
“We consider the Evraz site in Claymont a tremendous opportunity for new development, and
we are very excited to see the economic and environmental benefits this transaction brings to the
Claymont-Philadelphia area” said Tim Smith, vice
Thursday for Market Street Village in downtown
president of business development at Environmental
Wilmington.
Liability Transfer, Inc. “Our acquisition and environmental liability assumption of this strategicallyThe project will feature 76 apartments in buildings
located site is the first step toward repurposing this
on the 800 block of Market Street. The project
property and moving it back into productive use.”
is expected to revive the northern end of Market
Street, which has not seen the investment that has
News of the pending sale led to speculation in real
been poured in to the LOMA area to the south.
estate circles on what might be a once-in-a-century
redevelopment opportunity for the state.
The project is made possible by several supporters
including The Downtown Development District
Ground breaking slated for Market
Program, Delaware State Housing Authority and
Street apartments
the Delaware Community Investment Corporation
A ground breaking ceremony is scheduled for
The project is designed by Blackney Hayes
Architects and the project lenders include Citi Bank
and Discover, according to a Buccini/Pollin release.
As Market Street comes full circle and develops
into a hub of educators, entrepreneurs and creative
innovators, the timing is right to introduce new
apartments for the growing population, according
to the release.
Residential development downtown got under
way with the successful conversion of the former
Delaware Trust building on the north end of Market
Street into apartments by Bucci/Pollin.
The ground breaking follows the publication
of a The New York Times story on downtown
development that outlined a number of projects in
the works.
A link to the Times story was released in a press
release from the City of Wilmington and in an
email announcement of the ground breaking from
developer Buccini/Pollin Group.
Buccini/Pollin has a number of projects under
way along Market Street that were outlined in the
Times story.
media insider
News Journal plays catch-up in Wilmington coverage
T
he News Journal is feeling the heat these
days as writers from outside its ranks
come up with compelling stories, like
the recent piece on apartment development in
downtown Wilmington.
This trend has been around for a while. Over the
years, the New York Times or other national media would step in and write a trend story, sometimes with a News Journalesque flavor and without the daily’s sometimes world-weary tone.
News Journal staffer Maureen Milford worked as
a free lancer for the Times for many years offering
pieces that put a different spin on real estate matters
in the city and state.
The Wall Street Journal would also stop in from
time to time to talk to corporate poo-bahs or academics.
Milford’s bosses on Basin Road were OK with
Most of us had not picked up a copy of Newsweek
in years, but social media and email links led to the
well-crafted story being read by tens and perhaps
hundreds of thousands of people.
The piece produced a heated response from the
administration of Mayor Dennis Williams. More
importantly, it spurred a conversation and a flurry
of activity.
City Council members, business, new Attorney
that. After all, the Times, while influential, sold
General Matt Denn, legislators, the Markell adminonly a handful of copies in Delaware. Conversations istration and to some extent the Williams adminisabout stories were largely confined to rarified circles tration went to work on the issue.
in business, arts or academia.
The digital revolution changed all that and of late,
the News Journal has not been able to simply look
the other way.
The News Journal responded with a front section
piece taking note of the story and the response.
Fast forward to February and a New York Times
story surfaced from free lance writer John Hurdle
on a wave of apartment of development in down-
In December, we had the controversial Murdertown USA piece in Newsweek that depicted a dreaContinued on next page
ry city struggling with a high homicide rate.
media insider
From previous page
town as younger people come to Wilmington, often
without the built-in perceptions of the population
in the suburbs. Hurdle, who works out of the Philadelphia area, has done a number of stories on environmental, business and urban affairs in the region.
‘For those who don’t care about the future of the
News Journal, keep in mind that we do not know
how long the Times, Newsweek and others will
have the resources to come to town and write these
important stories.’
not to blame. The numerous departures, the rise
of digital media and the long-running monopoly
mind set of the News Journal have led to a lack of
thoughtful well-written and tightly edited stories
that would grab the attention of readers.
This legacy media outlet needs to find writers and
editors with the time and talent to write compelling
The News Journal had actually done some reportThis time around, it hurt that for the third time,
ing on the expansion, but no one had fully covered the digital world took hold and the latest Times was stories, perhaps on a free lance basis and outside the
often dysfunctional newspaper culture.
the impressive effort, mainly by the Buccini/Pollin
shared over and over again.
Group, into a comprehensive story that would grab
In the end, writing thoughtful stories may be the
the attention of readers.
The Williams administration did its part, by sendonly way the paper and website can hope to remain
ing a link along in its city email alert system that
The same thing had happened elsewhere in the city goes out to some residents, business and the media. relevant in an unforgiving digital environment.
with the Times’ coverage of the sale of paintings at
The Markell administration did the same on its popFor those who don’t care about the future of the
the Delaware Art Museum. The issue was covered in ular Facebook page.
News Journal, keep in mind that we do not know
detail by the News Journal, but the Times’ expertise
how long the Times, Newsweek and others will have
in the rarified world of art gave it a distinct edge.
The News Journal was playing catch-up and postthe resources to come to town and write these imed a lengthy “me too” story over the weekend.
portant stories.
On a much smaller scale, this website reported
news of a warehouse conversion to apartments
Back in the old days they called that getting
(A final note. Sunday’s print edition featured a ramand a hotel that will be built in a now vacant office “scooped” and it is a terrible feeling for a reporter.
bling Page 1 piece with three authors on the homicide
building.
Too often, we would point back to an earlier story
epidemic. The story on downtown apartments was on
and blame the short attention spans of readers.
the business section, near the back of the paper).
Neither project on the north edge of downtown
was directly featured in the News Journal.
This time around, reporters and even editors are
not for profit
M&T hosts community leadership
event
Last week, M&T Bank hosted YWCA
Delaware’s Investor’s Cabinet Reception, “It’s
Up to Us – The Importance of Engaging in Our
Communities.” The event is aimed at inspiring a
new generation of leaders to make a difference in
their communities and create quality of life for the
state’s residents.
Nick Lambrow, president of the Delaware
Region for M&T Bank, welcomed attendees and
set the tone for the afternoon’s discussion. “One of
our core beliefs is that the well-being of the bank is
dependent on the well-being of the communities we
serve,” Lambrow said. “It is every one of us in this
room that can make a difference.”
Carla Markell, Delaware’s First Lady, delivered
the event’s keynote address, and spoke about her
personal experience volunteering and focused on
making a strong impact on a young person’s life
through one-on-one mentoring and support.
“Our job is to recognize if there is something we
From left: Carla Markell, Nick Lambrow and Michelle Basham. At right, Markell gives speaks at the event.
Markell said, “I believe so deeply that this
community is a community in which if you ask you
shall receive. It might take a little while, but if you
keep at it, it will happen because there is so much
heart where we live.”
The YWCA Delaware’s CEO, Michelle Basham,
“Every child deserves someone who will advocate
for them. All people can play a role with helping to closed the event by encouraging attendees to get
be a part of the solution whether mentoring a child, involved with their community. “We all try to
do what we can in small ways, big ways, and in
teaching someone a new skill, helping nonprofits
raise money or volunteering in some other way,” she between,” she said.
concluded. Speaking of the Delaware community,
can do to help people feel part of a healthy culture
and community. I think it is a really amazing gift if
we can help young people who are struggling with
how they can fit into a world they may not have
grown up in or are comfortable with,” Markell said.
opinion
( Video) Weekly video remarks from GOP and Gov. Jack Markell
Weekly messages from the Delaware GOP
and Gov. Jack Markell featured different
themes. Click on images to view videos.
Delaware Republican Party Executive
Director John Fluharty stressed what he
views as the inclusiveness of the party. He
pointed the decision by former Wilmington
Democrat and mayoral candidate Scott
Spencer to join the party. Spencer said he
became frustrated his former party’s response
to issues, such as crime in Wilmington.
In his weekly message, Markell outlined
efforts to ensure entrepreneurs have the
best opportunity to turn their great ideas
into thriving, expanding businesses in
Delaware. He talked about the launch of a
website (http://firststeps.delaware.gov/) so
entrepreneurs can easily find and understand
licensing and other requirements.
kudos (business honors)
DuPont Hospital for Children. Abessinio holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management
from Neumann University and Mrs. Abessinio is a
graduate of Goldey Beacom College.
Abessinios to be honored by
Catholic Charities
R
occo Abessinio, chairman and CEO of
Applied Bank and Roch Capital, Inc.,
and his wife Mary, CEO of the Abessinio
Family Foundation, will receive the Msgr. Thomas
J. Reese Award at Catholic Charities Annual
Tribute Dinner on April 15.
“Mr. and Mrs. Abessinio are enthusiastic
supporters of Catholic Charities,” said Richelle A.
Vible, executive director. “Their commitment to
promoting the well-being of people by providing
caring service to those in need – with particular
consideration to our homeless shelter in Milton,
Casa San Francisco – mirrors Monsignor Reese’s
commitment to the most vulnerable. They live the
mission of Catholic Charities, and we are thrilled to
recognize this gracious couple for their devotion to
our communities.”
Abessinio, is the founder of Applied Bank. He is
a Delaware resident for over 60 years, He currently
serves or has served as a director or trustee for
Roccco and Mary Abessinio
The Award, created in 1989 in memory of Msgr.
Thomas J. Reese, community activist and longtime
director of Catholic Social Services, the forerunner
of Catholic Charities, recognizes exemplary
individuals who have demonstrated a deep
commitment to promoting and restoring the wellbeing of people – Catholic Charities’ mission.
Neumann University, Together Against Gangs,
Christiana Care Health System, and the Delaware
Historical Society. They are both members of
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, where he was a
Eucharistic minister, in charge of annual fund, and
was a coach for Catholic Youth Ministry.
W. Francis Malooly, D.D., bishop of the Diocese
of Wilmington, will present the award at the dinner
to be held at the Chase Center on the Riverfront.
Mrs. Abessinio worked as a private secretary to
the head of the Biochemistry Department at the
University of Pennsylvania prior to her marriage
to Abessinio. In 1987, she assisted her husband
in starting his businesses, and served as Corporate
Secretary of Applied Card Systems. She retired
in 1997, and today also volunteers at the Alfred I
Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library
received a $425,000 federal challenge grant from
the National Endowment for the Humanities
(NEH) and raised an additional $1,275,000 to
Winterthur endowment leadership
post named in honor of Hummel
Continued on next page
kudos (business honors)
From previous page
endow a key leadership position
that has just been named the
Charles F. Hummel Director of
Conservation.
Hummel, who rose to Senior
Deputy Director of Winterthur
in 1989, began his career at
Winterthur in 1958 as assistant Hummel
curator. As an Adjunct Full
Professor for the University of
Delaware, he still teaches graduate students and
conducts research at Winterthur, where he remains
Curator Emeritus.
The grant and match funding are part of
Winterthur’s $50 million Building on Strength
Campaign.
is highly respected both here at Winterthur and
throughout the country.”
Hummel’s respect for conversation and what
conservators could bring to object research
encouraged a collegial relationship between
curators and conservators that became a model for
generations of students.
Lois Olcott Price, Winterthur director of
conservation, said that Hummel exemplifies
creative collaboration between various professions.
The endowment of the Director of Conservation
will guarantee that Winterthur remains competitive
in attracting and maintaining the most highlyqualified leaders in conservation while expanding
its fundamental educational and research activities,
according to a release.
Clearwater wins national honor
“Hummel’s dedication to Winterthur, scholarship
Clearwater Spas, Inc., a New Castle Caldera Spa
in the decorative arts, and the museum field are
dealer, has received the national Retail Excellence
unparalleled,” said Museum Director David P.
Award for Customer Satisfaction.
Roselle. “His long service to Winterthur has been
an inspiration to museum professionals, and he
The award was presented at the 2015 Thrive
From left: Don Adams and Pat Forester,
Clearwater Spas; and Steve Hammock, president
of Watkins Manufacturing
.Caldera Dealer Summit in Newport Beach, CA.
For the past 30 years Clearwater Spas, Inc. has
specialized in the sales, maintenance and repair of
hot tubs and saunas, in order to provide a healthy
lifestyle for valued customers.
The company received this award because
of a high volume of product and no customer
complaints at all in 2014, according to a release.
datebook
Access our online Datebook, which includes map of the Idea
location of event and a link to your online calendar by Challenge
clicking here.
Feb. 18
Economic lunch on Feb. 13
The Technology
Forum of Delaware
On Feb. 13 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront is holding the 2nd
in Wilmington, the New Castle County Economic Annual Idea Challenge on February 18. The Idea
Development Council will host its 8th Annual
Challenge is a battle between multi-skilled adEconomic Forecast lunch presentation.
hoc teams of five to six people that demonstrates
how collaboration and teamwork can result in
The event will recap the economic activities of
innovation and “truly great ideas.”
2014 and the outlook for 2015. Featured speaker
will be Dr. Anirban Basu. Basu is CEO of Sage
The event is not just for start-ups or angel
Policy Group, Inc., an economic and policy
investors – the Idea Challenge is for everyone
consulting firm based in Baltimore.
who loves to see how innovation, tech trends and
Basu has written several high-profile economic
development strategies. In recent years, he has
focused upon health economics, the economics
of education and economic development. He
currently lectures at Johns Hopkins University
The event will be begin at 11:30 a.m. and end at
2 p.m. Click here to register.
futuristic thinking can be combined with creativity
and passion. It’s for everyone who believes that
we can make a difference in Delaware through
the creative application of today’s technology. The
winning team gets recognition, prizes and a chance
to present their concept to area VIPs. Presentations
will take place at 1313 Innovation in the Hercules
Building, downtown Wilmington at the Tech
Forum’s regular meeting. Click here to register.
Meet the Ambassadors, Feb. 25
The Delaware Lahore Delhi Partnership for Peace
“Meet the Ambassadors” luncheon series begins on
Wednesday, Feb. 25 from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m the
University & Whist Club, 805 North Broom Street
in Wilmington, Delaware.
Speaker is Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani. A career
diplomat, Jilani’s served as Pakistan’s Foreign
Secretary from 2012-2013, a position equivalent
of that of the United States Secretary of State.
His diplomatic postings include that of Pakistan’s
Ambassador to the European Union and Director
General of South Asia Affairs in the Foreign
Ministry. Jilani will respond to questions during an
open forum following his address.
Registration required by February 20. Luncheon
fee is $45/person. Payment choices are either on
line via credit card at the World Trade Center
Delaware. Click here to register and pay or send
a check payable to Delaware Lahore Delhi
Partnership for Peace. Mail to DLD at 110 South
Road, Wilmington, DE 19809
people
Click here for online photo
gallery
Ryan promoted to YMCA
group VP
Christopher Ryan has
been promoted to Group Vice
President for YMCA Buildings
and Properties in Delaware after Ryan
successes in improving reliability
and reducing costs at the company’s facilities.
facilities’ employees work related injuries. He
implemented an Energy Management program that
reduced the organization’s annual utility expenses
by over $600,000 while utility rates increased
regionally.
Ryan was deeply involved in managing the
property related insurance claims for Camp
Tockwogh, the YMCA overnight camp in Worton,
MD on the Chesapeake Bay.
In the summer of 2012, the camp was crippled
Ryan’s leadership centralized all facility operations, with $1,000,000 in property damage from an
unexpected ferocious storm. Camp remained
resulting in savings of over $1.5 million in the
in operation during the entire rebuilding effort
first five years. He developed and implemented a
due to Chris’ planning and strategic construction
comprehensive preventive maintenance program
schedules.
for the organization’s major mechanical systems
that significantly improved the mechanical
The YMCA of Delaware is Delaware’s largest nonsystem’s operation and reliability. Additionally, the
profit organization committed to strengthening the
organization’s annual HVAC service call expenses
citizens of Delaware through youth development,
were reduced by more than $100,000.
healthy living and social responsibility.
Ryan also developed an organization wide
Ageline takes post at Convention Bureau
computerized maintenance work request system.
Since it’s inception over 43,700 work requests have
Diane Angeline joined the Greater Wilmington
been completed. His safety and training program
Convention & Visitors Bureau GWCVB as
led to a 98% reduction in expenses resulting from
Director of Community and
Member Relations. In this role
she will focus on relationships
in New Castle County and the
Brandywine Valley to foster
membership sales, services and
retention. Angeline worked the last 13
Angelene
years at the DuPont Theatre
in various roles that have most
recently included Operations Manager and Series
Coordinator of the Copeland Children’s Series. She is a graduate of St. Mark’s High School
and Boston University College of Fine Arts.
During her career she has worked for several
nonprofit organizations including OperaDelaware,
Huntington Theatre Company and Boston Lyric
Opera.
The Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors
Bureau is a non-profit organization founded in
1978, chartered by the Governor of Delaware,
the New Castle County Executive and the
Continued on next page
people
From previous page
Mayor of Wilmington. Its mission is to serve as
the community’s customer-focused destination
marketing organization, generating economic
growth through leisure travel and meetings
development by aggressively marketing attractions,
facilities, amenities and services for visitors.
Fleming to lead sales and marketing
for Whitehall
companies in the tri-state region.
of several new members to its
national sales team. Made up of
seasoned higher education and
financial aid professionals, the
Sallie Mae sales team is a liaison
and resource for colleges and
universities on a multitude of
higher education topics.
Wilmington Trust tax
department expands
Wilmington Trust expanded
its Fiduciary Tax Department
to handle increased demand for
fiduciary tax return services.
Roberts
Robert
Whitehall Realty announced
Weidner
the hiring of Nancy Fleming as
was hired
Director of Sales & Marketing.
to lead the
Fleming joins Whitehall
department,
Realty with almost 30 years of
which is part
residential real estate experience,
of Wilmington
including a specialization in
Trust’s Wealth
planned communities and social
Advisory
Weidner
Valentino
Fleming
living.
division. New
additions to the team include John Roberts, Daniel
She was involved with the development of the
Valentino, and Anthony Ward. The Fiduciary
Somerset Lake and Hartefeld National communities, Tax Department is based in Wilmington Trust’s
and has held positions with Anderson Homes in
headquarters in Wilmington.
Middletown, and Long and Foster in New Castle
Sallie Mae adds to sales team
County, working with relocating families, Delaware
residents and Human Resource Directors for
Sallie Mae, Newark, announced the appointment
Ward
David Long joins Sallie Mae
as vice president and head of the
company’s South Region. Long comes to Sallie Mae
after spending the last four years at USA Funds
where he was Vice President of Sales managing
the national sales and consulting teams. Long is a
graduate of the University of South Alabama and
holds a master’s degree from Samford University.
Nicki Bucceri returns to Sallie Mae as director of
business development for North Carolina. Bucceri
brings more than eight years of experience in higher
education, including previous roles at Sallie Mae and
most recently with Higher One, Inc. Bucceri is a
graduate of the University of South Carolina.
Chris Earnshaw brings more than 12 year of
Continued on next page
people
Director of Financial Aid at the University of Denver
and previously held positions at Rider University, the
higher education and financial experience to his new New Jersey Higher Education Assistance Authority
role as director of business development for New
and Citigroup Student Loan Corporation. He is a
York. Prior to joining Sallie Mae, Earnshaw held
graduate of Rider University.
positions at Nelnet Diversified Solutions, Key Bank
and Chase Education Finance. He is a graduate of
Sallie Mae offers responsible private education
Rhode Island College and earned a master’s degree
loans, saving products and insurance options to
from Providence College.
students and families to facilitate their investment in
From previous page
higher education.
Melony Ohalek returns to Sallie Mae as director
of business development for Western Pennsylvania.
Rivera certified advisor
Ohalek brings more than 15 years of higher
education and financial aid experience most recently
Patricia Rivera, owner of Hook PR Group,
at Apollo Education Group and previously at Sallie has become Master Certified
Mae. She is a graduate of Ohio State University.
by Constant Contact®, Inc.,
the trusted marketing advisor
Brad Riebel comes to Sallie Mae with more than
to more than 600,000 small
20 years of experience in higher education finance
organizations worldwide.
and banking, most recently at US Bank. Riebel
will serve as director of business development for
To achieve this Master
Minnesota. He is a graduate of St. John’s University. Certification, the highest level
Shawn Murphy brings more than 18 years of
higher education and financial aid experience to his
new role as director of business development for
Colorado. Murphy most recently served as interim
of Constant Contact’s Solution
Rivera
Provider partner education,
Rivera has completed a rigorous
curriculum with five levels of assessment. These
assessments include a Constant Contact knowledge
exam, proven customer satisfaction results, and an
interview and consultation, among other significant
measurements. This comprehensive program ensures
that when a business chooses to work with a Master
Certified Solution Provider, they are getting the
services of an expert with proven results.
Based in Lewes, Hook PR Group is uniquely
positioned to make it easier for nonprofits and
service professionals to share creative stories and
compelling content via email, social media, web,
mobile, special publications and the press — in both
English and Spanish.
Forensic Science director named
Lewis D. Schiliro, Secretary of Safety and
Homeland Security, announced the appointment
of Michael J. Wolf as Delaware’s Director of
Forensic Science. Wolf, who will manage the overall
operation of the Division of Forensic Science (DFS),
is filling a new position created during the legislative
reorganization of the Office of Chief Medical
Examiner last year, the wake of a wide-ranging
Continued on next page
people
From previous page
scandal at the office that led to the departure of its
director and others.
“Director Wolf brings the administrative and
leadership skills needed to work through the many
challenges facing this new division. His experience
working with three other states to manage forensic
science labs and solve problems similar to those
discovered in our state last year will help the
division fulfill its critical mission supporting our
criminal justice community,” Gov. Jack Markell
said.
drug samples to render positive results.
In Connecticut, he served on the Governor’s
Forensic Laboratory Working Group analyzing
audit reports, developing remedial strategies and
making recommendations to resolve 100 noncompliance findings that resulted in the revocation
of the laboratory’s accreditation.
In North Carolina while serving as Special
Inquiry, he reviewed over 6,000 questionable
cases, uncovered documentation discrepancies and
vulnerabilities and offered recommendations that
enhanced reporting accuracy.
Wolf, who recently concluded a Special Inquiry
for the Massachusetts Inspector General’s Office,
has extensive experience managing turnarounds in
state forensic drug laboratories.
Wolf holds a Masters of Science in Forensic
Science from George Washington University and
Bachelors of Science in Mathematics and General
Science from Villanova University. He also is a
retired FBI Agent.
Working in Massachusetts for the past two years,
Wolf has provided assistance and guidance in the
inquiry of a state forensic drug laboratory that was
closed following reports of serious malfeasance,
flawed analytical practices, failures in conducting
tests, reporting results, and tampering with certain
“I am looking forward to working collaboratively
with laboratory personnel and department
management in bringing the division forward as a
state of the art forensic operation,” Wolf said.
Home Helpers Direct
Link now serving
New Castle county
H
ome Helpers and Direct Link are
bringing comprehensive home
care for seniors, new mothers
and individuals needing recuperative and
continuing assistance to New Castle and
Delaware County in Pennsylvania.
Home Helpers is a comprehensive home
care franchise. Direct Link is its proprietary
line of 24/7 medical alert systems.
Home Helpers & Direct Link offers free
in-home consultations and works with each
client to create a flexible, affordable care plan
based on a person’s individual needs.
Services offered include companionship,
laundry, light housekeeping, respite care,
meal preparation and transportation as
well as medication management and care
management.
For more information about how Home
Helpers & Direct Link of Wilmington
might be able help you and your family, call
(302)746-7844, or click here.
business licenses
Editor’s note: Business licenses are
issued in Delaware as a revenue raising
tool. The following license are from
Nov. 1, 2014.
Real Estate
COMPLETE SERVICES LLC
TOUR LEWES
510 KINGS HWY
LEWES, DE 19958-1422
Contractor
DISABATINO OUTDOOR LIVING, LLC
471 B&O LANE
WILMINGTON, DE 19804
IFEBO PAUL
PAUL DIFEBO SR FLOORS
2007 WILDWOOD DR
WILMINGTON, DE 19805-1060
COMPLETE SERVICES LLC
510 KINGS HWY
LEWES, DE 19958-1422
CRITICAL DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION
1525 BARLEY MILL RD
WILMINGTON, DE 19807-2231
CUSHING JOSHUA R
TIGHT LINES
712 WOODTOP RD
WILMINGTON, DE 19804-2628
62 JOSHUA DR
MAGNOLIA, DE 19962-2213
7 CAPANO DR APT 1
NEWARK, DE 19702-1884
BEAR, DE 19701-2603
Food Services
DELBEST, INC
BEST CONTRACTING
1 W MARKET ST
WILMINGTON, DE 19804-3138
DELAWARE BREW BUS LLC
49 BENTLY CT
DOVER, DE 19904-3810
Pawnbroker
DIVISION #9
445 COPPER DR
WILMINGTON, DE 19804-2429
DON NOEL PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES
DON NOEL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS
240 CAMERTON LN
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19144
EAST COAST STEEL
SPECIALTIES,LLC
30835 OLD LANDING RD
LAUREL, DE 19956-3501
DELAWARE PAWN SHOP LLC
333 NAAMANS RD STE 33
CLAYMONT, DE 19703-2804
DR DEL LLC
THE DOUGH ROLLER
44 REHOBOTH AVE
REHOBOTH BCH, DE 19971-2120
EKTU, LLC
LAUREL DUTCH INN
1012 S CENTRAL AVE
LAUREL, DE 19956-1416
Wholesale
Professional Services
DELHAIZE AMERICA DSTRBTN LLC
1703 E D ST
BUTNER, NC 27509-2552
DELHAIZE AMERICA DSTRBTN LLC
COMMERCE AVE LOT 16
GREENCASTLE, PA 17225
DEPALMA PATRICIA T
ORGANIZED FOR LIFE
109 SMYRNA AVE
WILMINGTON, DE 19809-1234
EDILMAR CLAUDIO RAMIREZ
GAMBOA
RAMIREZ PLASTERING
11359 PASSWATERS DR
BRIDGEVILLE, DE 19933-4079
Retail Sales
DESTEK ENGINEERING, LLC
1281 KENNESTONE CIR STE 100
MARIETTA, GA 30066-6035
DELTA MEDICAL SYSTEMS INC
W239N2890 PEWAUKEE RD STE E
PEWAUKEE, WI 53072-6235
DEVANE SHANEE
262 E SHELDRAKE CIR
DOVER, DE 19904-5688
EMERALD HOME INVESTMENTS LLC
EMERALD GENERAL CONTRACTORS
23 TYSONS FORD RD
NEWARK, DE 19711-4813
OLGENCORP LLC
DOLLAR GENERAL STORE #15178
1621 RED LION RD
BEAR, DE 19701-1842
DEWITT & ASSOCIATES, LLC
55 FIELDS END
REHOBOTH BCH, DE 19971-1611
Misc
CUSTOM COLORS LLC
111 LINDEN AVE
GEORGETOWN, DE 19947-1720
CROPPER LIGHTHOUSE LLC
LIGHTHOUSE PARK
39974 W OLIVER CIR
FENWICK ISLE, DE 19944-4085
DE-SUPERTECH APPLIANCE REPAIR
CV CLEANING
DUPRAS ZACHARY T
ZD ENTERPRISES
758 JACKSON DITCH RD
HARRINGTON, DE 19952-2415
ELLICOTT BEVERLY M
CRAVE
740 ELIZABETH LN
DIFRANCESCO KATHLEEN T
26911 MISSION PL
MILLSBORO, DE 19966-3803
DIGISERVED INC
625 BARKSDALE RD STE 113
NEWARK, DE 19711-4535
DINETTA CYNTHIA K
DINETTA FINANCIAL SERVICES
9 E SAVANNAH DR
BEAR, DE 19701-1633
DOVOCO REALTY, LLC
315 SENATOR DR
MIDDLETOWN, DE 19709-8021
DYNAMIC THERAPY SERVICES LLC
1413 SAVANNAH ROAD
1413 SAVANNAH RD
LEWES, DE 19958-1610
E R VICKERS LLC
626 BLACKBIRD GREENSPRING RD
SMYRNA, DE 19977-9429
ELDRETH JAMES A JR
DIGITAL PROTECTION CONSULTING
134 GARRETT RD
NEWARK, DE 19713-2809
ELLET KIDD LLC
5714 KENNETT PIKE STE O
WILMINGTON, DE 19807-1331
EMERGE INVES
MENT & BUSINESS DEV
3628 12TH ST NE
WASHINGTON, DC 20017-2546
EMPOWER EDUCATION
CONSULTING SER
38 CRIPPLE CREEK RUN
MILTON, DE 19968-9731
ENDLESS WISHES
407 LAURA LN
MIDDLETOWN, DE 19709-9107