Continued on next page - Delaware Business Now

June 24, 2015
European company to build
paper bag plant in state. 8
Third Year, 24th Issue
31 pages
This week
Uber is up and
running in portions
of state. 3
Delaware jobless
rate up for first time
in more than two
years. 7
Some house brands
of bottled water
recalled. 21
Investors like pending PEF Energy
buyout of Chalmette, LA refinery
I
nvestors are bullish on PBF Energy stock after
the announcement last week that the company
will purchase a Louisiana refinery.
PBF, the owner of Delaware City Refinery, signed a
definitive agreement to purchase Chalmette Refining,
LLC for $322 million. The refinery is about the same
size as PBF’s flagship refinery in Delaware.
PBF Refineries 190,000 185,000 180,000 The stock price of PBF rose from about $26 a share
to as high as $31 last week before settling in around
$29 earlier at mid-week.
175,000 PBF forecasts that the transaction will add 20 percent to 2016 consensus earnings in the first year of
operation.
160,000 Continued on next page
170,000 165,000 Delaware Chalme6e Paulsboro, NJ Toledo City (pending) (Barrels per day of production) Source: PBF)
Venezuela’s state oil company owns stake in Louisiana refinery
From previous page
The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2015. The 189,000 barrel
per day Chalmette Refinery and related logistics assets, will be sold by ExxonMobil and PDV Chalmette, LLC.
PDV is part of Venezuela’s state-owned oil company. That nation has struggled
with lower oil prices and sold assets. An indirect subsidiary of the Venezuelan oil
company is Citgo, which was put on the selling block for a time. The company
pulled back after it could not find a desirable price for the company. Citgo, which
typically has independent dealers, has few stations in Delaware, although it has a
many locations in Maryland.
With the acquisition PBF will increase its total capacity to more than 725,000
barrels per day and gives the company a strategic foothold on the Gulf Coast.
The Louisiana refinery employs about 500,with a nearly equal number of
contractors at the site. Both figures are comparable to the job numbers in Delaware City.
PBFgot its start when it purchased the former Valero refinery during the economic downturn of 2008-2009. The refinery had been closed and was headed
toward demolition.
After buying Delaware City went on to purchase the New Jersey and Ohio refineries. The company built a controversial rail unloading site in Delaware City
to take advantage of lower prices from crude oil produced in North Dakota and
Canada.
Interestingly enough, the Chalmette site will be a neighbor to a refinery acquired by Valero, the company that sold the Delaware City site to PBF. The Vale-
ro refinery, under previous ownership, saw a storm surge from Katrina hit the site
and rupture a tank. The event led to hundreds of millions of dollars in clean-up
costs.
Continued on next page
Ride-sharing technology company Uber up and running
Ride-sharing service Uber is now operating at the
Delaware beaches and in the northern part of the
state.
A spokesperson for the San Francisco company
confirmed that its lower-priced UberX ride-sharing
system was in operation in portions of the state.
There had been some confusion regarding the entry of
the company, due to a State of Delaware release that
noted the company would have to meet regulatory
requirements. Uber has been operating in a “gray
area” in regard to regulation, since it was already
being used by Delaware residents and visitors. The
company had previously expanded operations to
Philadelphia and Ocean City, MD, both adjacent to
the state.
Earlier this year, Uber and the administration of
Refinery will increase PBF capacity by 35%
O’Malley commented, “The PBF management team
“The acquisition of the Chalmette Refinery, and its that the board has put in place has a proven track
associated logistics assets, represents a significant step record of purchasing and integrating accretive acquiin the strategic growth of PBF Energy and PBF Lgis- sitions and chose the right opportunity in Chalmette
to build on that track record at an attractive cost per
tics. Upon completion, we will have increased our
refining capacity by 35 percent and added meaning- complexity barrel.”
ful Gulf Coast assets to our businesses. We will have
The Chalmette Refinery, like Delaware City, is caoperations in the Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent and
pable of processing both light and heavy crude oil.
East Coast and have diversified and increased our
commercial footprint and flexibility,” said Tom Nim- The company has profited from the ability to refine
all types of oil at Delaware City.
bley, PBF Energy CEO “We are committed to the
continued safe and environmentally responsible operChalmette is strategically positioned on the Gulf
ations of the facility and look forward to welcoming
Chalmette’s well-trained and professional workforce Coast with logistics connections that offer flexible
raw material sourcing and product distribution opto the PBF family.”
portunities, including the potential to export products, the refiner noted in a release.
PBF’s Executive Chairman and founder Tom
From previous page
Gov. Jack Markell hammered out the agreement
that cleared the way for the company to operate
in Delaware. Allowing Uber to operate is seen as
essential in keeping the state “technology friendly.”
The state is becoming a center for financial-related
apps, from both start-ups and established banks.
Uber is a smart phone or mobile device app that
summons a contractor/driver for the company to
pick up an individual or individuals. A check of the
application showed cars available in both Rehoboth
and northern Delaware.
Few signs of gas tax hike detected in Dover
Price at pump takes unexpected jump on storm news
G
Texas.
as prices unexpectedly rose in Delaware last
week, the likely result of fears of disruptions
from a tropical storm that made landfall in
The price spike came in spite of many market
experts continuing to believe that gas prices are
nearing a seasonal high due to the completion of
seasonal refinery maintenance and abundant supplies.
Crude oil traded above $60 per barrel last
Consumers saw the biggest monthly jump in prices
week due to Tropical Storm Bill making landfall in
in six years in May, as the cost of gasoline rose 10
Texas. At the same time, the Energy Information
percent compared to April, according to the U.S.
Administration reported gasoline stocks saw a
Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index.
500,000 barrel increase to 217.8 million barrels.
Delaware saw prices jump by a dime in some areas
during the past week or so. Some prices did dip by a
few cents a gallon early this week.
“Gas prices have unexpectedly jumped in many
areas over the previous week due to a decline in
gasoline stocks caused by high fuel demand and
persistent refinery problems, limiting gasoline
Friday’s average price of $2.80 per gallon is a high
production,” said Jana Tidwell, manager of Public
price for 2015.
and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic,
Wilmington. “Despite the rise in pump prices, drivers
The national average is up a penny on the week and
continue to experience significant year-over-year
nine cents more than one month ago. However, gas
savings with Friday’s average price at 88 cents per
prices remain 88 cents lower when compared to the
gallon less than the same date last year.”
same time last year.
In Dover, the legislative session was drawing a
close with few signs that a gas tax increase would be
hammered out as a way to deal with a shortfall in
transportation funding.
States surrounding Delaware have increased gas
taxes, in one case (Pennsylvania) by as much as a
Continued on next page
New Castle manufacturer aided by steel
bridge export contract with African nation
T
he Export-Import Bank will finance the sale more than $2 billion in financing to support such
of Acrow Corporation of America’s modular exports in 2014, the largest total in the bank’s 81steel bridge components to the Road
year history.
Development Agency in the Republic of Zambia.
“With this transaction, we’ve not only leveled the
playing field for an American manufacturer in a
EXIM will guarantee a $73 million commercial
highly competitive global market, but we’ve also
loan that will clear the way for the export of 144
empowered Acrow to hire more American workers,”
steel bridges.
said EXIM Chairman and President Fred P.
Hochberg. “This deal is a great example of how
This action is expected to support approximately
200 jobs at Acrow’s manufacturing facility in Milton, EXIM financing equips American exporters to beat
PA and aid a manufacturing company in New Castle the competition overseas while supporting jobs at
that fabricates galvanized steel. The bank authorized home.”
Transportation funding hashed out in Dover
From previous page
Last year, administration of Gov. Jack Markell
saw is request for a dime increase in the fuel tax shot
down by legislators of both parties, not a big surprise
in an election year.
quarter a gallon. The budget is reportedly being
held up by Republicans wanting to shift money
from the general fund for Delaware Department of
Transportation salaries, rather than raising the fuel
tax. Many years ago, salaries were paid out the general In the meantime, motorists in areas bordering
fund, rather than the Transportation Trust Fund.
Maryland, have a few times seen gas prices in that
state that were only a penny or two higher than in
Democrats want to increase certain motor vehicle
Delaware. This comes despite gas prices being a
fees, but have made relatively few comments about a nickel higher across the line.
gas tax hike.
Allen Harim faces $38,000 fine
after OSHA inspection of plant
A Delaware poultry company faces a fine over
allegations that efforts to manage injuries to the
joints that come from deboning chickens.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational
Safety and Health Administration issued the fine,
following the inspection at Allen Harim Foods’
Harbeson plant.
disorder hazards, OSHA issued serious citations for
failing to designate emergency exits properly and
to ensure employees received training related to
machinery that could unexpectedly start up during
service and maintenance. OSHA cited Allen Harim
Foods with nine violations. Proposed penalties total
$38,000.
“The combination of musculoskeletal disorder
OSHA cited the company for exposing employees hazards, lack of proper medical treatment for
musculoskeletal disorders and unde-rreporting
on the debone line to musculoskeletal disorder
of injuries at this plant must be addressed by the
hazards that affect joints. The agency determined
company,” said Erin Patterson, director of OSHA’s
that workers performed tasks without controls in
Wilmington office. “Workers should not have to
place to prevent repetitive motion injuries
work in pain, especially when these injuries are
“Musculoskeletal injuries caused by these hazards preventable.”
in poultry plants are too common,” said Assistant
Headquartered in Seaford, Allen Harim Foods has
Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and
Health Dr. David Michaels. “These types of injuries 1,600 employees, with 960 workers at the Harbeson
plant.
can be prevented by implementing appropriate
engineering and administrative controls in the
Other job sites are a poultry-processing plant in
workplace, and when they occur, they must be
Cordova, MD; breeding operations in Liberty, NC,
treated early with appropriate medical care to
and hatcheries and a feed mill in Dagsboro and
prevent the illness from progressing.”
Seaford. The company is granted time to appeal the
decision.
In addition to the serious citation for the
company’s failure to address the musculoskeletal
T
he Delaware
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First uptick in two and a half years not viewed as sign of things to come
Delaware jobless rate up slightly to 4.6 percent
T
The most visible job growth has come out of
Amazon.com and the $12 to $13-an-hour jobs it is
now adding at its Middletown Fulfillment Center.
That has been partially offset by slight job losses in
wholesale and retail trade, an area affected by online
commerce.
he Delaware May unemployment rate rose
slightly from 4.5 in April to 4.6 percent
as job growth was offset by more people
looking for work.
The nation’s unemployment rate was much higher
at 5.5 percent in May compared to 5.4 percent in
April.
It was the first monthly increase in two and a half
years and came after the Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia forecast a slightly lower rate for May in
Delaware.
the growth. The department report also noted that
surveys of employers have shown an erratic job
growth pattern. More detailed payroll figures from
Figures from the Delaware Department of Labor
indicted that a monthly gain of 900 jobs was offset by employer reports should provide a better picture of
the state of the market.
400 people looking for jobs.
The return to a more normal labor market will
result in blips in the rate from time to time, a Labor
Department statement indicated.
The most recent payroll figures showed growth of
14,000 jobs in 2014 and the report concluded by
forecasting steady growth in jobs in 2015.
Since the 1970s, the average unemployment rate has The debate continues over the health of the
economy, with critics claiming that the jobs created
run about 5.5 percent, the department noted.
come in low-paying areas.
However, many remember long periods of rates
at four percent and less as bank operations moved
into the state and various industries benefitted from
Labor market officials have countered that gains
have taken place in a number of categories.
At the same time, jobs have been increasing in
financial services, a sector of the economy with higher
paying jobs. Employment has been flat in the higher
paying area of manufacturing, after that sector shrunk
during the downturn of 2008 and 2009.
Irish packaging company to open bag plant
AB Group Packaging Inc. - a 30-year-old paper
bag and flexible packaging producer with plants
in Ireland, Spain and the United Kingdom - will
open its first U.S. plant in Delaware in the near
future.
Today, there are 90 people working there, and AB
Group Packaging projects that there will be 200 employees at the facility in three years.
Dermot Brady, CEO of AB Group Packaging who
founded the company with his father, said they will
not stop until they accomplish the same success in
Delaware. At the Newark area facility, workers will
be making paper bags using innovative techniques
and strategies.
Last week, DelawareBusinessDaily.com reported
on plans by AB for a site in Delaware.
Employment is expected to total 87 by 2017.
Delaware Economic Development Office Director
Alan Levin, said the company hopes to have some
operations up and running next month.
sents a win for Delaware on two fronts. “I’m pleased
that AB Group Packaging has chosen to make its indemand products in Delaware. The kind of manufacNo site has been announced. Levin said the compa- turing jobs they create will help support long-term
ny is looking at two existing buildings in New Castle economic growth in a key industry,” Gov. Markell
County.
said. “With this plant, AB also joins a number of international companies that are expanding in or movThe company will receive a nearly $375,000 fiing operations to our state – an important trend in
nancial package from the state based on hiring the
today’s global economy.”
87 employees and undertaking $4 million in capital
improvements at their site. The request was approved AB Group Packaging’s largest customer is clothing
Monday by the Council on Development Finance.
etailer Primark, which has acquired shuttered Sears
Gov. Jack Markell said the arrival of AB Group
Packaging, which makes products for commercial
retailers such as T.J. Maxx, Nike and Hard Rock
Café; and industrial customers like Ball Packaging,
Crown Cork and Weber Charcoal packaging, repre-
“Delaware is a great state with great people. Our
management team was completely bowled over by
the ‘can do’ attitude, fantastic training centers and
support structure in place,” Brady said. “We were
looking for the very best America has to offer and
believe we have found it here.”
“Mr. Brady is looking for people with the right
attitude and work ethic. I believe that he will find
that here in Delaware,” said Levin. “Delaware boasts
a well-trained, highly skilled middle class workforce
that can staff this round of hiring as well as any fudepartment stores in the Northeast. Primark’s acqui- ture expansions. I believe that this is the beginning of
sition factored into the decision to expand to the US. a long and fruitful partnership between our state and
this outstanding company.”
AB has been experiencing significant growth in
recent years. Five years ago, AB opened a plant in
South Wales that started out with 34 employees.
Levin said AB continues a trend of European companies opening sites in Delaware.
law
Parsons to step down
from Chancery Court
Vice Chancellor Donald J.
Parsons plans to step down from
the court when his term expires
in October.
Persons said that while he
loves the Court of Chancery, he Parsons
believes it is the right time in his
life to make some changes.
"For 12 years, I had the great privilege and honor
of serving to the best of my ability both the citizens
of the state and a large number of Delaware
business entitites. In the future, I hope to find ways
to continue serving our community and promoting
the fair, impartial and efficient administration of
justice," he wrote.
Parsons has not announced his specific plans after
he retires from the court.
Parsons was appointed to the court by Gov.
Ruth Ann Minner in 2003. He is a law graduate
of Georgetown University and prior to joining
Chancery Court served for 24 years at the firm of
Morris Nichols Arsht & Tunnell, Wilmington,
where he was a senior partner. He is a past
president of the Delaware State Bar Association.
Reger Rizzo & Darnall
name partners
she has experience in a wide range of corporate matters, including entity formation, drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, shareholder, partnership
and operating agreements, and analyzing business
structures for legal, liability, succession planning, and
tax issues while providing cost-saving business solutions to her clients.
Reger Rizzo & Darnall LLP announced that attorneys Jennifer L.
Zegel, Esquire, LL.M., and Kath DeLacy is a member of the firm’s Estates & Trusts
Continued on next page
leen DeLacy, have been named as
Partners of the firm.
Zegel is a member of the firm’s DeLacy
Philadelphia office where she devotes her practice to the representation of clients in the areas of estates
and trusts and corporate and business law. In 2012, she received her
LL.M in Taxation, her Estate Planning Certification and Employee
Benefits Certification from Temple
University’s Beasley School of Law,
allowing her to devote a portion Zegel
of her time to estate planning and
trust and estate administration services, with a particular focus on asset distribution, while minimizing
potential tax liability on asset transfers. Additionally,
law
From previous page
Murphy was recognized for his work in civil litigation defense. He focuses his practice on general civil
litigation with an emphasis on product liability matters in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Murphy also has
experience in counseling a variety of clients ranging
from small, non-profit organizations to large international corporations. In law school, he served as a judicial intern to Judge John T.J. Kelly, Jr. in the Superior
Court of Pennsylvania and Judge J. Curtis Joyner in
the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
and Real Estate Groups in the Wilmington office. For
more than 14 years, DeLacy has been assisting businesses and individuals located throughout the State
with regards to a wide range of estate planning needs,
including estate and trusts administration, probate
services and elder law assistance.
Additionally, she recently established the firm’s Real
Estate Closing Practice and spearheaded the opening
of the Firm’s Rehoboth Beach office. In that capacity,
DeLacy assists clients through every step of the residential and commercial purchase and refinance pro- Samis was recognized for her work in civil litigation
cess, including the review of all contracts, mortgage defense. She focuses her practice on mass tort, proddocuments, title and surveys, and prepares the neces- uct liability, professional liability, medical device and
construction matters.
sary documents for the closing.
Two Eckert Seamans Delaware
lawyers on Super Lawyers list
Samis defends Fortune 500 companies in litigation
in state and federal courts and has successfully argued
multiple summary judgment motions.
The national law firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin &
Mellott, LLC announced that associate Peter S. Murphy and Member (partner) Krista Reale Samis were
recently selected for inclusion in the 2015 edition of
Delaware Super Lawyers and Rising Stars, published
by Thomson Reuters.
She has a record of obtaining favorable results for
clients by working with them closely to understand
their objectives, allowing her to provide holistic counsel that considers the effects of the clients’ defense
strategy on the pending litigation, potential future
Continued on next page
Trending
The following stories in
DelawareBusinessDaily.com recorded
the most visits in the past week.
1. (Update) Voluntary recall of bottled water
announced
2. 27 arrested in prostitution sweep along
Routes 9 and 13
3. Fisker to assemble flagship vehicle in
California
4. Bear residents indicted on billing scam
charges in Maryland
5. Christiana Fashion Center lands marquee
retailers
6. (Photo gallery) Business people: June 1622, 2015
7. Elliott runs out of Morning Drive Time at
WILM
8. Traffic preparations made for Firefly
9. Video offers vision for First State Crossing
redevelopment in Claymont
10. Travel notes: Jet Blue adds Florida
flights; Frontier service stable; Qatar Airways
ups its game
Governor nominates Kerr for state Family Court judgeship
From previous page
litigation, public opinion and other client-specific
concerns.
Silar joins Reger Rizzo
Reger Rizzo & Darnall announced that Scott L.
Silar, Esq. has joined the firm. Silar will be located in
the firm’s, Wilmington office and will join members
of the Insurance Practices, Employment and Litigation groups.
Silar has experience handling a
wide range of defense litigation
cases, including personal injury/
general liability, premises liability,
subrogation, bad faith, asbestos exposure, and insurance coverage. Additionally, he has been involved in Silar
appellate work at both the Superior
Court and Supreme Court levels.
He has a history in workers’ compensation law, having represented and defended employers in more than
500 workers’ compensation cases . He has experience
handling multi-employer matters involving issues of
successive carrier liability and occupational diseases,
including asbestos exposure. Additionally, he has represented a number of automobile manufacturers and
other large self-insured companies in cases dealing
with Medicare Set-Aside issues for purposes of commutations, and catastrophic work-related injuries,
including amputation and death.
In addition to his litigation practice, Silar provides
training and counseling for employers and insurance
carriers with regards to the Delaware Workers’ Compensation system and the Delaware Health Care Payment System.
Continued on next page
law
From previous page
Kerr nominated to family court
Governor Markell announced he has nominated
Felice Kerr to serve on the Family Court of the State
of Delaware.
Upon confirmation by the Delaware Senate, Kerr
will fill the vacancy left by Judge Michael Newell,
who was confirmed and sworn in as Chief Judge of
the Family Court.
partner at Laffey & Kerr (1994
2000). In addition to her courtroom experience, Kerr is involved
in numerous volunteer activities
and professional associations.
–
She serves as a volunteer attorney for the Delaware Volunteer
Legal Services, the Domestic
Violence Advocacy Program, and Kerr
Office of the Child Advocate. In
addition, she volunteers at the Lutheran Church of
the Good Shepherd, and serves as a mock trial coach
at The Tatnall School, among other volunteer efforts.
“Felice Kerr is an accomplished and well-respected
family law attorney who has more than 2 decades of
experience practicing family law,” said Markell. “If she Kerr is also a founding member of the Parenting
is confirmed by the Senate, I believe she will serve our Coordination Council of Delaware, and a member
state well as a Family Court judge.”
and past chair of the Family Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association.
Kerr currently serves as the managing partner of
the Delaware office of MacElree Harvey. In that
“It is an honor and privilege to be nominated by
capacity, she maintains an active family law pracGovernor Markell to the position of Associate Judge
tice, handling cases on numerous issues including
of the Family Court of Delaware,” said Kerr. “I have
divorce, property division, alimony, custody, visitremendous respect for the judges, commissioners and
tation, child support, and domestic violence. She
staff of the Family Court and if confirmed by the Senalso maintains an active alternative dispute resoluate would be proud to serve alongside them.”
tion practice. Previously, Kerr served as an associate attorney for Bayard, P.A. (2000 –-2007) and a
Kerr received a Bachelor of Arts from Villanova
University in 1986. She earned her law degree at Suffolk University Law School in 1989 and was admitted to the Delaware Bar in 1990. She resides with her
family in Wilmington.
Cicoski to serve term on Inns of Court
Ryan C. Cicoski, from the law firm Potter Anderson Corroon LLP, Wilmington, has been elected to
serve a two-year term on the American Inns of Court
Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The American Inns of
Court is an association of lawyers, judges, and other
legal professionals from all levels and backgrounds
who share a passion for professional excellence.
Through regular meetings, members are able to
build and strengthen professional relationships; discuss fundamental concerns about professionalism
and pressing legal issues of the day; share experiences
and advice; exhort the utmost passion and dedication for the law; provide mentoring opportunities;
and advance the highest levels of integrity, ethics, and
civility. The American Inns of Court have gained a
national and international reputation as an organization that bridges the gap between formal law school
education and legal practice.
Markell signs pot decriminalization bill; GOP legislators not happy
he Delaware Senate approved a bill 12-9 on
Thursday that would remove criminal penalties and
potential jail time for adult possession of a small
amount of marijuana, the Marijuana Policy Project
announced. The governor immediately signed the
bill, the group reported. The softer penalties will go
into effect in six months. The governor’s office issued
the following statement following passage of the
measure:
“The governor remains
committed to reducing the
number of people entering the
criminal justice system and
refocusing resources where they are
needed most and House Bill 39
supports these efforts.”
Republican legislators were not
pleased with the bill.
Bonini
Speaking on the Senate floor, Sen. Colin Bonini
(R-Dover South) said it was a bill “we’re going to
regret.”
“We have a huge drug problem in this country,” he
said. “Regardless of what the popular opinion is, this
is absolutely a gateway into much worse behavior.
… And I think the impact and the message we’re
sending, especially to young people, is one we simply
should not send.”
Sen. Brian Pettyjohn (R-Georgetown) used a
sandwich-sized bag filled about halfway with oregano
to illustrate what an ounce of marijuana looks like.
Pettyjohn disputed language in the bill calling an
ounce of marijuana “personal use quantity.” Based on
Continued on next page
Legalization advocates see days of pot ban numbered
From previous page
the amount of tobacco in a regular-sized cigarette, he
said an ounce of marijuana would produce more than
40 joints.
“And you’re saying that’s personal use? If you baggie
those up individually, that’s distribution,” he said. …
“That’s a lot of marijuana. You could do a lot with it.
You could have a big party with it if you wanted to.
In my opinion this is not personal use, this is much
more than what personal use would be.”
‘That’s a lot of
marijuana. You could do
a lot with it. You could
have a big party with
it if you wanted to. In
my opinion, this is not
personal use.’ - State
Sen. Brian Pettyjohn.
“Marijuana prohibition’s days are numbered, not
just in Delaware, but nationwide. States around the
country are rolling back their outdated marijuana
prohibition policies. We’re seeing rapid progress from
coast to coast, and we do not expect it to slow down
anytime soon,” Capecchi stated.
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have
adopted laws removing the threat of jail time for
simple marijuana possession. The Illinois General
Assembly approved a similar measure in May, which
is now awaiting action from the governor.
More than two-thirds of Delaware voters support
the law that makes small amounts a civil offense,
punishable by a fine of up to $100 with no possibility
HB 39, introduced by Rep. Helene Keeley
The Senate vote in favor of the law was not a
(D-Wilmington South) in the House and sponsored of jail time, according to a survey conducted in
sure thing, due to traditionally strong ties to law
March 2014 by Public Policy Polling. Only 26
by Judiciary Committee Chair Margaret Rose
enforcement. However, lobbying for the law was
percent said they were opposed.
Henry (D-Wilmington East) in the Senate. The bill
intense and some in law enforcement have backed
would replace criminal penalties for adult marijuana
away from speaking out against the change.
“We commend Gov. Markell and the Delaware
possession with a civil fine similar to a traffic ticket.
Legislature for moving the state forward and leaving
Capecchi’s statement aside, decriminalization
its antiquated marijuana possession law behind,” said
Under current law, possession of up to one ounce
Robert Capecchi, deputy director of state policies for does not mean the state is much closer to legalizing
of marijuana is a misdemeanor with a maximum
marijuana.
the Marijuana Policy Project. “Adults in Delaware
punishment of a $575 fine and three months in jail.
will no longer be branded as criminals simply for
The process of offering medical marijuana is in its
“Laws that criminalize people for simple marijuana consuming a substance that is undeniably less harmful
than alcohol. Law enforcement officials will be able to early stages and Markell said legalization would not
possession are outdated and counterproductive,” .
spend more time addressing serious crimes instead of happen during the his administration. Markell’s term
Keeley said. “Delaware is taking an appropriate step
ends in early 2017.]
to right size the penalty for small quantity possession. arresting and prosecuting adults for simple marijuana
possession.”
development
Neighborhood opponents also questioned the height
of the structure and operations of nearby hotel, which
is near a residential area.
The Candlewood Suites is at the edge of the property housing Red Roof Inn and Suites, formerly
Howard Johnson, which is also owned by SSN. SSN,
which is based near Newark, owns more than a dozen
hotels in the Delaware Valley and the Rehoboth area.
Ground broken for new Candlewood
Suites in Newark
Ground has been broken on a multi-million dollar
Candlewood Suites hotel in Newark. The six-story
hotel is at the corner of College Avenue and Route
896.
Three additional hotels are under development.
Candlewood is a limited service hotel brand owned
by the parent company of Holiday Inn. The Newark
property will include large rooms and a convenience
store that operates around the clock.
Candlewood will serve I-95 travelers as well as business people who may have extended stays in the area.
Cost of the hotel was not immediately available.
The hotel industry has undergone a modest recovery
Owner is SSN Hotels. Bancroft Construction is the
with new hotels opening in Christiana and Wilmingconstruction manager. Tevebaugh Associates is the
ton.
architect. Financing is through M&T Bank.
Development of the site dates back to 2008. However, the financial crisis and overcapacity in the hotel industry apparently contributed to the delays.
Becker Morgan cuts ribbon at new office
Becker Morgan Group last week held a ribbon
cutting ceremony and reception to mark the opening
of its office in Rittenhouse Station on South Main
Street, formerly Elkton Road. Becker Morgan has
other offices in Dove,r Salisbury and Wilmington,
NC.
Shown in the ribbon cutting photo are: Bob Cronin
(Planning Commissioner, City of Newark); Fred
Miller (Delaware State Chamber of Commerce);
Margrit Hadden (City of Newark District 4 Council
Member); Mike Riemann (Becker Morgan Group
Associate Principal); Gregg Moore (Becker Morgan
Group Principal); Polly Sierer (Mayor, City of
Newark); and Todd Ruckle (City of Newark District
2 Council Member).
Continued on next page
development
From previous page
Colliers to handle leasing for 300
Delaware Avenue
The Colliers Wilmington team of Rick Kingery and
Lisa Bariglio, were selected to exclusively represent
Brandywine Realty Trust at 300 Delaware Avenue.
space in the building,
which is in walking
distance of courts.
led it to become one of the top 300 architecture firms
in the country. Also added to the firm’s identity are
the words “DREAM. DESIGN. SUCCEED.”
Current available
space consists of
pockets of smaller
suites and a block of
34,548 contiguous
square footage.
Brandywine Realty
Trust is headquartered in Radnor, PA, and is one
of the largest, full-service, integrated real estate
companies in the nation.
Kerry R. Haber, AIA, will be leading the firm as
President while William E. Holloway, AIA, and
Neil B. Liebman, AIA, assume the roles of Vice
President and Managing Principal, respectively.
The firm’s senior leadership also includes Principals
Paul Andrew Sgroi, AIA, Douglas C. Hertsenberg,
AIA, and Timothy J. Cassidy, PhD, RLA, as well
as Associate Principal Michael S. McCloskey, AIA.
Arthur Bernardon will assume the role of Chairman.
Bernardon Haber Holloway announces
new name
The 17-story, 298,071-square-foot, office tower
has amenities such as on-site property management,
24/7 security guard coverage, a conference center,
two retail banks and a café on-site. The building is in
walking distance of historic Hotel DuPont and other
areas of downtown.
Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects, an
architecture, interior design, and landscape
architecture firm, has announced a new name,
graphic identity, and leadership structure as the next
chapter in its 42-year practice.
The property is popular with financial services and
law firm with more than 16 practices occupying
The firm’s new name will be simply Bernardon,
a nod to the leadership of founder Arthur A.
Bernardon, AIA, who began the firm in 1973 and has
Bernardon has designed numerous landmark
projects in the region, including the Chester
County Justice Center, the Air Liquide Delaware
Technology and Research Center, Dansko Corporate
Headquarters, and the restoration and renovation
of the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Railroad Station in
Wilmington. The firm has also designed millions
of square feet in the senior living, multifamily,
healthcare, higher education, civil & cultural, retail,
and residential sectors.
Current projects by Bernardon include the new
Continued on next page
development
From previous page
North American Headquarters of SaintGobain and CertainTeed, Chestnut Square
Apartments in West Chester, and a one
million square foot distribution center
for Five Below in South Jersey. Bernardon
is also involved with the redesign of the
Coatesville Train Station, part of the urban
redevelopment efforts currently taking place
in the City of Coatesville.
“We are a growing firm, constantly
improving with new leaders and colleagues.”
says Kerry Haber, President. “We will seize
opportunities to highlight the strengths of
our people and showcase our abilities as
a highly creative and collaborative firm.”
Bernardon has offices in Kennett Square and
Wilmington.
Wohlsen ranks in top 300
Wohlsen Construction Company ranked
303rd in The Engineering News-Record’s
(ENR) 2015 Top 400 Contractors List.
The company advanced 14 spots from
last year’s ranking, Wohlsen Construction
Company, celebrating its 125th anniversary,
is a Green Plus Certified company and one of
the largest merit shop construction firms in
the Mid-Atlantic States.
The company, based in Lancaster, PA, has an
office in New Castle.
Returning in September
DEVELOPMENT DIGEST
Schell Bros. homes indoor air
efforts honored
Schell Brothers, Rehoboth Beach. reported
the largest number of Indoor airPLUS
qualified homes in 2014, according to the
program from the Environmental Protection
Agency. Schell Brothers is part of a large
home-building and real estate company in
Delaware.
The program aims to improve indoor air
quality in new homes. “Schell Brothers is
committed to offering homes with improved
indoor air quality. They are also building a
number of homes to the ICC-700 National
Green Building Standard, showcasing the
opportunity for builders to move toward
green building practices with multiple
nationally-recognized labels,” an EPA release
stated.
Remember when the Delaware Business Ledger used to print
its “Development Digest?” It was a highly anticpated report
on commercial real estate, construction and other aspects of
our vibrant local development community. We are pleased to
announce its return in September under the Delaware
Business Bulletin/DelawareBusinessDaily.com umbrella.
We are offering special packages ranging from sponsorship
in the special editions as well as online assoication with this
new electronic edition of a trusted business resource. Reach
Delaware’s business elite- decision-makers who impact
the state as well as companies needing your products and services.
For story ideas and suggestions, email Doug Rainey at
[email protected]. For affordable
advertising packages, contact Michael Klezaras
at [email protected].
DelawareBusinessDaily.com
Business news now - not later
opinion
$100 million transvaginal mesh award here should lead to recall
By Paula Foraker, Wilmington
T
he $100 million jury award recently handed down in a Delaware
courtroom against Boston Scientific has raised hope among victims of
transvaginal mesh.
Not only was the size of the verdict astronomical – including $75 million
in punitive damages – but it was clearly meant to send a message to all the
manufacturers of mesh who refuse to do the right thing and make victims like
myself whole.
The state-court jury found that two of Boston Scientific’s vaginal mesh inserts
– marketed as a treatment of incontinence and organ prolapse in women – were
defective and dangerous. More than 70,000 women have filed claims against the
seven major manufacturers of transvaginal mesh.
Each victim has a story similar to mine. I have lived in near constant pain
since the device was implanted in 2009. Despite multiple attempts to relieve
my symptoms it remains torn and ineffective, a permanent reminder of how the
makers of medical devices put profits over patient safety.
despite thousands of victims suffering personal anguish, government regulators
refuse to order meshes off the market for transvaginal use – a use never approved
by the FDA in the first place. The manufacturers of mesh have so far considered
million-dollar jury awards simply the cost of doing business. Under no regulatory
pressure to do the right thing and self-withdraw, they continue to market the
devices for transvaginal use.
Perhaps that’s why some pelvic surgeons report spend so much time on mesh
removal procedures – a tremendous burden on the health care system. It’s not
unusual for women to have a dozen or more surgeries to try to remove the mesh,
which is considered a permanent implant.
Advocates for mesh victims are hoping the large jury award in Delaware serves
as a wake up call for mesh manufacturers to settle all outstanding claims fairly. A
federal judge in West Virginia is attempting to bring the parties together to do
just that, although the companies want him to agree to put a cap on future claims
as part of the deal. That would leave thousands of women who have yet to come
forward or who receive the mesh in the future with no legal recourse.
For the sake of all victims, the court must resist pressure to put a moratorium
on future claims. Meanwhile, Congress must step in and force the FDA the order
The jury was clearly shocked by the pain the plaintiff in this particular case faces meshes off the market for transvaginal use. Nothing short of an absolute recall
will suffice. Let’s end this national nightmare once and for all.
day after day. They would have been even more shocked to have learned that
media insider
New publisher for Gatehouse; A Firefly social media stumble?
After doing an admirable job in covering the passing of Attorney General Beau Biden, the News Journal and its DelawareOnline.com website may have
stumbled a bit when it came to the Firefly Music
Festival.
Earlier, the News Journal hit a lot of the right
notes in covering those difficult days for Delaware,
with a blend of respectful conventional print coverage and social media posts.
since the event attracts sought after
millennials and
generation Xers
who have deserted print.
The stumble
may have taken
place when it
came to a sudden
The strategy in both the case of Biden’s funeral and round of intense
Firefly was to put a lot of reporters to work. That led storms that hit the
to comprehensive coverage of both events, perhaps
Firefly Woodlands grounds on the Dover Internatoo much for many of the older readers of the News tional Speedway Saturday night.
Journal when it came to Firefly.
DelawareOnline.com and other media quickly
The other issue is whether the all hands on deck
posted news of the order to leave the site, but aeft
approach affected future coverage for a staff that has people hanging by waiting until the next day for an
seen continued downsizings.
update.
Covering events, like Firefly is essential to the future of the News Journal and newspapers in general,
based on social media engagement. Firefly itself did
a slightly better job, via Twitter, of keeping patrons
updated, although it took time to sort out the situation.
For the NJ, It appears to be missed opportunity in
reaching millennials who live on their mobile devices.
There was no outrage about the coverage gap
among younger people who simply turned to other
sources of information and probably knew little
about the News Journal in the first place.
It was a yet another chapter in the struggle that
newsrooms face in the digital age in throwing off the
habits and culture of the past.
New Publisher for Gatehouse Delaware
The Delaware operations of Gatehouse (Dover
Post, Hockessin Community News, etc.) have their
It was a puzzling situation, given the fact that GanContinued on next page
nett papers and website are evaluating staff work
Bear residents accused of concocting $2.5M billing scheme
A federal grand jury in Baltimore indicted two
defendants secretly controlled. The indictment was
Bear, DE residents in connection with a billing scam returned and unsealed following the arrest of the
defendants last week.
involving a mental provider in Maryland.
previous HIM positions with St. Francis Hospital
Wilmington and Universal Health Services, a
Delaware Valley-based provider.
The panel s indicted Lyneth Nyabiosi, 49, and her
husband, Willie Evans III, a/k/a “James Davies” and
“James Davis,” 53.
Sheppard Pratt Health System is a private, nonThe department in Maryland was responsible for
profit health system in Maryland which offers mental receiving, organizing and storing patient medical
health, substance use and special education services. records.
The charges came out of a scheme to falsely
bill Nyabiosi’s employer, Sheppard Pratt Health
Systems, Towson, Md., for about $2.5 million for
work purportedly performed by a company that the
According to court filings, from November 2005
to September 2014, Nyabiosi was the director of
the Health Information Management Department
at Sheppard Pratt. Her LinkedIn profile also listed
Media Insider: A Business Bulletin blog
From previous page
third publisher since late 2013.. Amy Dotson-Newton succeeds Kevin Todd, who in turn succeeded Clarissa Williams. Williams took the helm in late 2012.
Dotson had been a regional advertising director for
the Philadelphia market of Digital First Media, publisher of the Daily Local and other newspapers in the
metro area.
Gatehouse, which purchased a half-dozen weekly
Dover Post Co. newspapers in 2008, has struggled
with a heavy debt load and staff cuts that left many
of its weeklies short-staffed on the news side at least
when compared to the Dover Post days.
Gatehouse underwent a “prepackaged” Chapter 11
bankruptcy proceedings in 2013 that resulted in a
friendly buyout deal, with New Media Investment
Group controlling the company.
According to the eight- count indictment, Nyabiosi
and Evans controlled and operated an entity named
Information Management Solutions Technology
(IMST), which was purported to specialize in record
management.
On March 7, 2007, Nyabiosi, on behalf of
Sheppard Pratt, entered into a contract with IMST
to manage medical records for Sheppard Pratt, in
violation of Sheppard Pratt’s conflict of interest
policy.
From 2006 to October 2014, and to conceal the
conflict of interest, the defendants falsely represented
to Sheppard Pratt and others that IMST was
operated by an account representative named “James
New Media has been acquiring newspapers, the
Davis” and “James Davies,” when in fact no such
most recent being the Columbus Dispatch, a mid-sized person was employed by IMST.
metro daily in Ohio. New Media reported a small loss
in the first quarter, but showed an improvement in
The indictment further alleges that from 2007
cash flow. - Doug Rainey
Continued on next page
$2.5 million scheme outlined
From previous page
to August 2014, the defendants submitted more than 150 false invoices
requesting that Sheppard Pratt pay IMST approximately $2.5 million.
The invoices requested payment for work which was never performed, or
for excessively inflated amounts for the work that was actually performed.
For example, the invoices and other documents provided to Sheppard
Pratt falsely represented that IMST stored and then shredded hundreds of
thousands of boxes of sensitive medical records, when in fact IMST had
stored substantially less.
Nyabiosi, nonetheless personally approved all of the false invoices, thus
causing Sheppard Pratt to mail checks to IMST totaling approximately $2.5
million.
The defendants deposited the money in their bank account and used the
money for personal expenditures, including loan and mortgage payments;
home renovations and upgrades; personal wire transfers to Africa; and
vehicle, food, clothing and entertainment expenses, the indictment alleges.
The indictment seeks $2.6 million, two residences in Bear and Newark,
DE and three vehicles.
The defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each of
the eight counts of conspiring to commit mail fraud and mail fraud.
The defendants were released on home confinement and under the
supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.
Shoprite, Acme recall Niagara water
ACME Markets and Shoprite
announced that Niagara Bottling is
issuing a voluntary recall of certain
bottled water products, including
Natural Spring Water sold under
their brand names due to concerns
that one of Niagara’s spring sources is
contaminated with E. coli.
Niagara also announced that 7-11
and Wegmans were also selling water from
the company’s Hamburg and Allentown
plants in Pennsylvania. A representative
for Wakefern Foods, the cooperative
that owns Shoprite, did not respond to a
request for comment on the recall.
E. coli bacteria were found in the water
supply on June 10, 2015. No illnesses
have been reported to date. The recall
affects multiple retailers in the region
and was issued out of an abundance of
caution, ACME stated.
People with severely compromised
immune systems, infants, and some
elderly may be at increased risk if
contaminated water is consumed. People
with specific health concerns should
consult their physician if they have
questions.
Presence of E. coli bacteria indicate
that the water may be contaminated with
human or animal wastes. Microbes in
these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps,
nausea, headaches, or other symptoms.
The following bottled water products
sold at ACME Markets in Delaware,
Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania
have been recalled. The recalled products
have Best By dates of 08DEC2016
through 16DEC2016 (December 8, 2016
through December 16, 2016). Products
will have the letter F (for Hamburg) and
A for Allentown. Shoprite posted the same
dates on a notice on its website.
technology
Windows 2003 server now in the rear view mirror
By Greg Gurev
Gurev is Head Sherpa at My Sherpa, Wilmington
L
Since 2003 there have been sea changes in
technology. June 2003 was the start of the
“telemarketing do-not-call list.” Four years later,
the original iPhone hit the market, launching us
enthusiastically into a brand new era of smartphone
technology. Tablets followed, further increasing
workforce mobility. Windows Server 2003 lags way
behind today’s computer technology environment.
would be taking a giant step forward to what newer
technology offers.
If you have fewer than 10 computers, you might
opt to not replace the server, depending on your
programs. We have helped many businesses go to a
cloud operating system for their file sharing, off-site
backup and data versioning. Corporate-class email
is also easy to migrate to the cloud Microsoft 365 or
If you are stubbornly clinging onto Windows Server Google Apps cloud. Your IT service provider can help
2003, your business technology functionality is falling point out the pros and cons for each.
way behind and productivity is slowing compared to
If you choose to upgrade to Windows Server 2012,
your competition.
there are huge gains in speed, stability and capacity.
• First, it puts your business at a significant
Functions that used to take minutes or hours to run
disadvantage by not adequately protecting your
network and valuable data from security holes and
can be completed in seconds. You would be able to
Now return to the present. For those loyal
expand your digital library of business information on
new cyber threats.
enthusiasts of Windows Server 2003, the day of
vast amounts of inexpensive, fast storage.
• Second, modern software and all that
reckoning will be July 29. This is the day “the music
contemporary technology has to offer is becoming less
dies” – the End of Life for the beloved operating
Windows Server 2003 End of Life is only bad for
compatible or has no compatibility with Windows
system. Microsoft’s support, updates and security
your business if you choose to ignore this golden
Server 2003.
enhancements end after that date. It’s no big surprise;
opportunity for improvement. Call your IT provider
Microsoft has been announcing this date for years.
or MySherpa for guidance.
I’d argue that, aside from Microsoft forcing your
hand, upgrading your server operating system
et’s face it. In small business, Microsoft had
us at “hello.” Let’s get nostalgic for a moment.
In tech time, we don’t have to backtrack too
far, just to 2003 when Microsoft’s Windows Small
Business Server was the popular go-to operating
system for businesses with 75 employees or fewer.
Microsoft’s server business operating system was one
stop for file, print, security, email, database, remote
access and a host of other features for one low price,
making it so popular that a number of businesses are
still tightly clutching their 2003 servers.
not for profit
Food Bank kicks off Summer Food
Service Program
The Food Bank of Delaware kicked off its 2015
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) with a
Summer Fun Fair for kids and adults at Newark’s
Dickey Park.
The kickoff event was made possible thanks to
a $20,000 Hunger-Free Summer grant from the
ConAgra Foods Foundation. In addition, the grant
will allow the food bank to operate mobile meal sites
in New Castle County. A driver will travel from site
to site delivering meals, and a Food Bank of Delaware
park coordinator will distribute the meals.
The Food Bank of Delaware is providing free meals
to 92 other sites throughout the summer. Meals
are planned to feature healthy, kid-friendly foods,
including cereal and milk, bagels, soy butter and jelly,
turkey and cheese, grilled chicken on a whole-wheat
roll, yogurt, oranges, nectarines, celery sticks and
more. No paperwork is needed for a child to visit a
SFSP site.
“The Hunger Free Summer grant allows us to
provide meals to kids, so they don’t have to worry
about food, and have more time to run, play and
be kids,” says Charlotte McGarry, Food Bank of
Delaware programs director. “Working with Feeding
America and our partners at ConAgra Foods
Foundation through the Hunger Free Summer
program, we will be able to provide more healthy
meals to more children in our community.”
One more Summer Fun Fair is planned for
Tuesday at Centennial Park in Bear.
Children and teens up to age 18 are eligible to
receive free meals. To locate free meals, families can
text FOOD to 877-877 or dial 2-1-1.
Axalta partners with foundation
Axalta Coating Systems is working to make a
difference, by making a positive impact in a young
person’s life through education and encouragement.
Its partnership with Young Men and Women in
Charge (YMWIC) Foundation Inc., an organization
focused on providing opportunities for students who
are economically disadvantaged or under-represented
within the science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) fields, is helping junior high and high school
students prepare for collegiate programs and careers.
Axalta recently hosted YMWIC program
Richard Roberts III, YMWIC President and CEO presents
Axalta’s Lisa Miree-Luke with an award for Axalta’s support of
YMWIC’s scholarship program. (Photo: Axalta)
participants at its Coatings Technology Center in
Wilmington, where students had an opportunity to
job shadow chemists and research associates. Axalta’s
Corporate Affairs Head for North America, Lisa
Miree-Luke, recently announced Axalta’s support at
YMWIC’s scholarship banquet.
“It is truly our pleasure to give back to the
communities in which our employees live and work.
It is part of our corporate culture,” said Miree-Luke.
“YMWIC is making a difference and helping to pave
the way for so many young people and the need for
students schooled in STEM disciplines is increasingly
Continued on next page
Adami Fund to aid child mobility
From previous page
important to Axalta and to society. The impact that the organization is making by providing
these unique opportunities and experiences is simply brilliant.”
“YMWIC is so grateful to be partnering with Axalta to help enrich the lives of future
STEM professionals,” said Richard Roberts III, YMWIC President and CEO. “Axalta and
its dedicated employees are providing valuable in-kind support. We also appreciate Axalta’s
financial contribution that will be used to support the 2015 Girls STEM and Leadership
Camp, the 2015 Elementary School Robotics and our scholarship fund. We applaud the
efforts and great work of Axalta Coating Systems.”
GoBabyGo cars headed to Georgetown
Easter Seals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore has announced the winner of its first
“Bill Adami Fund for Innovation” award. Through the fund, Easter Seals Children’s Therapy
department in Georgetown will be receiving 10 GoBabyGo cars, which are modified, ride-on
cars to be used in therapy and on loan to families to encourage mobility and independence
among the children receiving therapies in Sussex County. “The Bill Adami Fund for
Innovation” was created in memory of Easter Seals late President/CEO, and longtime
disability advocate, William J. Adami. “Throughout his 22-year career with Easter Seals, Bill Adami was committed to providing
services and support to people with disabilities to allow them the highest level of
independence possible,” Craig Binetti, Easter Seals Board Member and Chair of the Bill
Adami Fund for Innovation Committee, said. “The Bill Adami Fund for Innovation will
make it possible for Easter Seals to continue innovative services that have become the
hallmark of the organization.” Incorporating GoBabyGo cars into the Easter Seals Children’s
Therapy program was one of several innovative proposals submitted by Easter Seals staff for
consideration to receive the Adami Fund award. See the video here: https://youtu.be/
u4c3eog6hPU.
kudos (business achievements)
Union Ridge Farm owners win conservation honor
N
orman and Gwen Pierce, owners of
Union Ridge Farms near Townsend, are the
recipients of the New Castle Conservation
District’s Cooperator of the Year Award, presented
to a farmer in the district who has exhibited a high
degree of interest in conservation for their farm
operation.
To improve their
farming operation,
the Pierces asked for
help from the USDA
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
and the New Castle
Conservation District.
pastures every 10-20 days. This gives the first pasture
30-60 days to rest and recover. Since installing these
conservation practices in the fall of 2013, the Pierces
have seen a great improvement in their operation,
pasture quality and animal health.
In addition to the help the Pierces have gotten
from NCCD and USDA, the University of Delaware
Cooperative Extension Service has also provided
The Pierces, both Delaware natives, have
assistance and advice for their farming operation.
To improve overall
implemented a conservation plan that addresses
drainage on the
concerns with soil, water, air, plants and animal
The Pierces have hosted two goat seminars at their
resources, and have addressed those resource concerns property, an existing
farm and two at the Southern States farm store in
ditch was redone
through technical and financial assistance from the
Middletown. They are also involved in a de-wormer
U.S. Department of Agriculture and the New Castle and a new pipe installed. Existing pastures were
study being conducted by Delaware State University
rejuvenated using a combination of warm and cool
Conservation District.
based on pumpkin seed – trying to find natural
season grasses and milk vetch to provide for both
methods to de-worm the goats. Ultimately, the
grazing and hay production. The milk vetch will
The Pierces have a farm background but did not
Pierces would like to add more acreage to their farm
continue to grow through the winter months.
begin their current enterprise of raising Boer goats
to increase the number of goats they can raise.
until 2006. They raise about 30 animals per year on
their five-acre operation. Some of the does are sold for A rotational grazing program also was put into place The Pierces were also recently honored as minority
meat while others are sold as breeding stock or show with new fencing and two animal watering devices
farmers of the year in Delaware by the USDA Natural
to make water accessible from Union Ridge Farms’
goats. Besides rearing goats, the Pierces also raise
four pastures. The goats are rotated through the four Continued on next page
rabbits and bobwhite quail.
Burger Battle moves to new location on Philadelphia Pike
Delaware’s annual burger competition will return
late August in a new location.
will vote on the People’s
Choice Winner.
In recent years, national
media including Business
Insider and Thrillist.com
have picked the winners
of the Delaware Burger
The Delaware Burger Battle has become an end-of- Battle as the state’s best
summer tradition in the sate.
burger.
The Delaware Burger Battle will take place on
Saturday, Aug. 29, from noon to 3:30 p.m. on the
grounds of the Cauffiel House, 1016 Philadelphia
Pike, Wilmington.
Restaurants at the battle will offer unlimited samples of their best burgers. A panel of expert judges
will select the Critic’s Choice Winner, and guests
Last year, the Delaware
Burger Battle raised $10,000 for the Ministry of Caring’s Emmanuel Dining Room. Over three years,
Diamond State Financial earns ‘platinum’
recognize first-line managers (agency or firm heads)
Resources Conservation Service with a featured article and frontline or second-/middle-line managers (sales
or unit managers) for business produced in the
in Minority Farmer magazine.
following distribution styles: multiline; ordinary/
traditional; and financial planning.
Diamond State Financial honored
From previous page
Diamond State Financial Group, Newark, received
GAMA International’s* International Management
Award at the Platinum Level. The GAMA
International Awards Program recognizes excellence
in traditional and contemporary field management
throughout the financial services industry. GAMA
created the International Management Award to
The recipients of this year’s International
Management Award were recognized at GAMA’s
annual LAMP conference in Orlando in March and
are included in the July/August 2015 issue of GAMA
International Journal.
burger battles have raised more than $21,000 for the
Ministry of Caring.
A list of competing restaurants will be released in
coming weeks. Any restaurant interested in entering
the Burger Battle Arena can contact JulieAnne Cross
at [email protected].
Burger Battle attendees enjoy all-you-can-eat burger
samples; beer and wine are included in the ticket
price for adults, while soft drinks are available for
children and designated drivers.
Early-bird tickets will soon be available on the Delaware Burger Battle website. Tickets are $39 (plus
processing fees) through June 29.
people
McMilan named manager
at M. Davis
M. Davis has named Christina
MacMilan as Manager of Supplier
Diversity.
She will enhance the program by
working with diverse vendors to
McMillan
help identify opportunities with
M Davis. MacMilan will continue to promoting
economic growth and community development
through our diversity and inclusion initiatives, while
also expanding our current vendor base.
MacMilan currently oversees the Accounting
Department. She is involved in Women’s Business
Enterprise Council, Associated Builders and
Contractors Delaware Chapter’s Diversity and
Inclusion Committee and the Emerging Leaders
Council for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Greater Delaware Valley Chapter.
Delaware Trust adds staff
Delaware Trust Company announced that Nelson
Kercado and Dana Dugan it will now provide loan
agency services.
Delaware Trust Loan Agency Services offer
syndicated loan originators and lenders access
to experienced debt professionals who perform
valuable services associated with drawdown, interest
payment, principal repayment, and ongoing deal
administration. Supported transactions include
third-party loan administration for bi-lateral lending,
syndicated and leverage lending, and loan asset
servicing.
Kercado comes to Delaware Trust from Citibank,
where he served as vice president for transaction
execution, with specialties in corporate trust and
loan agency products including administrative agent,
escrow agent, collateral agent, and project finance.
Dugan, a former deal-closing senior analyst and
She received her degrees in Business Administration operations team coordinator at Citi Global Loans,
and MBA from Goldey Beacom College.
possesses more than a decade’s worth of experience
in deal analysis for syndicated, private banking,
international, and trade finance
deal closings.
Rogers named to
Nemours board
The Nemours Foundation
Board of Directors has name
Geoffrey M. Rogers to the
Rogers
board. Rogers is a Managing
Director with Glenmede Trust
and Director of the firm’s Wilmington office.. He has
more than 25 years of estate planning and financial
services experience. Prior to joining Glenmede,
Rogers was a vice president with Scudder Private
Investment Counsel and held senior positions with
the Wilmington Trust Company and Delaware Trust
Company (now Wells Fargo).
He is a member of the Philadelphia Federal
Reserve Nominating Committee. He serves as a
board member of Washington College, Winterthur
Museum, Operation Warm, the Historical Society
of Delaware and he is a member of the Delaware
Business Roundtable. He is Past Chairman of the
Continued on next page
people
Continued on next page
Shillingford, Lebel join
Cardiac Center
Amanda Shillingford, MD,
has joined the Nemours Cardiac
Center at Alfred I. duPont
Hospital for Children as an
attending pediatric cardiologist
specializing in fetal cardiology
Shilingford
and echocardiography. A graduate
of Bryn Mawr College and the Columbia University
College of Physicians and Surgeons, Shillingford
served her pediatric residency and pediatric cardiology
fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
She also completed an advanced fellowship at
CHOP, in pediatric echocardiography and fetal
cardiology. Prior to joining Nemours, She was an
attending cardiologist at the Children’s Hospital of
Wisconsin and assistant professor of pediatrics at the
Medical College of Wisconsin. She is double board
certified in pediatrics and pediatric cardiology.
Sylvie M. Lebel, MD, has joined Nemours/Alfred
I. duPont Hospital for Children as an attending
pediatric gastroenterologist. Lebel is a medical
graduate of McGill University,
Montreal, where she completed
residencies in pediatrics and
anatomical pathology. She also
served a pediatric gastroenterology
fellowship at McGill, as well as
a fellowship in pediatric liver
transplantation at the University of
Toronto.
Lebel
She is double board- certified
in pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterology by
the American Board of Pediatrics. Prior to joining
Nemours, Lebel was on the staff at Children’s
Hospital of Los Angeles and Children’s Hospital
of Orange County, Calif., where she was associate
professor of pediatrics, University of California,
Irvine.
She has received numerous awards for scholarship,
teaching and research. She actively publishes and
presents in both the U.S. and Canada. She sees
patients at the main hospital in Wilmington, Del.,
and at Nemours satellite offices in Camden, N.J.
(Cooper Health System) and Bryn Mawr, Pa. At
duPont Hospital for Children,
Dr. Lebel co-directs the NIFTy intestinal
rehabilitation program with general surgeon Abigail
Martin, MD. Lynn Fuchs, MD, provides neonatology
expertise for the program, designed to benefit infants
born with gastrointestinal failure as well children
unable to eat by mouth due to obstruction or
underlying disorders.
Guy named CNB vice
president
CNB announced that Cassandra
“Cassie” A. Guy has been
promoted to Vice President,
Compliance Officer.
Guy will be responsible for
Guy
managing, administering and
coordinating the compliance
program for all areas of the bank. She also supervises
and manages the credit administration department
to ensure accurate and timely processing of loan
documents.
Guy earned a bachelor’s degree in business
administration from the University of Mary
Continued on next page
people
From previous page
Washington in 1986 and graduated from the
Maryland Banking School with honors in 2010.
of individuals committed to helping children
facing adversity on their journey to adulthood.
Board guidance is particularly important now, as
Children & Families First begins to implement a new
strategic plan that focuses on a “continuum of care”
for children and families. Joining the Children &
Families First Board of Directors are:
Prior to joining CNB, she worked for Maryland
National Bank as a Teller and then New Account
Representative/Personal Banker. She joined CNB in
1995 as a Consumer Loan Officer. She was promoted
Alison Houck, CPA, lives in Lewes and is
to branch manager of the Rt 213 branch in 1998
until 2013 when she took on the role of Compliance Managing Partner in the Rehoboth Office of Faw
Casson, Certified Public Accountants and Business
Officer.
Consultants. Graduating from University of Delaware
with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting,
Children & Families First
Alison has been working in this area since 1998. She
names board members
is the recipient of honors that include BPW Young
Careerist Award and the NAWBO Bridge Builder
Children & Families First, a
Award.
statewide human services nonprofit, elected five new community
members to its Board of Directors
at its annual meeting.
Jennifer Joseph serves as the Senior Vice President
& Market Executive for PNC Bank. Jennifer began
her banking career in 1986 with Gettysburg National
Houck
Bank which was later acquired by PNC. In 2003,
They are Sussex County
representatives Alison L. Houck and Jennifer Joseph Jennifer relocated to the Eastern Shore and acquired
market responsibilities for nine counties across the
and New Castle County representatives William N.
Eastern Shore of Maryland, Virginia, and Sussex
Britton, Tamara DeFer, and Jeffery A. Hayter.
County, Delaware.
These newly-elected board members join a group
Joseph is a 2005 alumna of
the Stonier Graduate School of
Banking and 2013 alumna of the
Graduate School of Retail Branch
Management. She resides in
Rehoboth Beach with her husband,
Jeff.
William Britton joined the
Britton
CFF Board of Directors while
serving as Associate Administrator,
Operational Finance at Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont
Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE, where he
has worked in various positions since 1991.
He previously worked for Albert Einstein Medical
Center and the Medical College of Pennsylvania in
Philadelphia and Shared Medical Systems in Malvern.
Tamara DeFer lives in Wilmington with her
husband, Darin. DeFer holds degrees from both
the University of Delaware and The George
Washington University. She graduated from UD with
a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resources
Management and Services, continuing on to The
George Washington University School of Business
Continued on next page
people
From previous page
where she received an MBA and
a Master’s Degree in Business
Administration with a Health
Care concentration. Tam began
her career as a Director at the
Baylor Health Care System in
Texas and now works as Talent
Advisor for the Christiana Care
Health System.
Hayter
Associates in Washington, D.C. concentrating in
Energy and Transportation.
Incyte names top executives
Incyte Corporation announced that it has created
two new units to better position the organization for
future growth in the U.S. and internationally.
One of these is a U.S. country organization that
will lead commercial and medical affairs in the
United States. In the future, the company expects to
establish other similar country- or regionally-based
Jeffery Hayter is Global Finance Manager for the
organizations. The other new unit is a Global Product
DuPont Electronic and Communications Growth
and Semiconductor Fabrication Material portfolios. Strategy and Business Development & Licensing
He provides financial leadership and oversight to six (BD&L) unit that will lead global competitive
diverse businesses within the portfolios and one joint strategies for Incyte’s expanding portfolio beyond
Jakafi (ruxolitinib), as well as review business
venture with Hitachi Chemical. Jeff has worked in
diverse finance roles with DuPont for nearly 15 years development opportunities.
as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Coastal Training
Jim Daly Executive Vice President and Commercial
Technologies, a wholly owned subsidiary of DuPont
Officer has indicated he will leave Incyte later this
in Virginia Beach VA.; Finance Leader for the
Tyvek construction materials business; and Finance month, and commented, “My decision to return to
California was a personal one. I leave Incyte knowing
Consultant with DuPont Sustainable Solutions,
that the business is performing well and that the
consulting on benefits of safety and sustainability.
team is well-prepared to grow Jakafi, and to advance
Prior to his work at DuPont, he worked as a
Incyte’s pipeline..”
management consultant for Smith, Bucklin &
Barry Flannelly, has been appointed to the newly
created position of Executive Vice President and
General Manager U.S., effective immediately. The
existing U.S. commercial team, including those
responsible for Jakafi, remains intact and will now
report into Flannelly. A newly created position of
Head of Global Product Strategy and BD&L is
expected to be filled in the near future.
Flannelly has been working in oncology since
1987, and began his career in the pharmaceutical
and biotech industry at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer,
which later became Sanofi-Aventis. He has since
had roles of increasing responsibility at Novartis,
Abraxis Oncology, Onyx Pharmaceuticals and Nektar
Therapeutics.
During his career, he has held positions in medical
affairs, strategic planning, commercial operations,
including head of sales and head of marketing, and
business development. He earned his Doctor of
Pharmacy from the University of Maryland School of
Pharmacy, his Master in Business Administration
from the University of Baltimore and his Bachelor of
Science in Pharmacy from Massachusetts College of
Pharmacy.
business licenses
Y
Editor’s note: Business licenses are
issued in Delaware as a revenue raising
tool.
Professional and Personal Services
ABRA AUTO BODY & GLASS LP
7225 NORTHLAND DR N STE 210
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55428-1575 AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE INC
444 E 20TH ST APT ME
NEW YORK, NY 10009-8142 ALL IN THE LINES
6470 MILLINGTON RD
CLAYTON, DE 19938-2598 ACADEMY OF MARTIAL SCIENCE
AMS DOJO
1201 PHILADELPHIA PIKE
WILMINGTON, DE 19809-2042 ACRODUN INC
42 READS WAY
NEW CASTLE, DE 19720-1649 ALL ABOUT YOU BAIL BONDS LLC
AAU BAIL BONDS
2915 LANCASTER AVE
WILMINGTON, DE 19805-5226 ASHLEY CARTER YOGA
OM YOGA
68 E NEWTOWN PL
NEWARK, DE 19702-2974 ASIAN WELLNESS SPA INC
245 S DUPONT BLVD
SMYRNA, DE 19977-1550 AVERAGE GAMES LLC
AVERAGE GAMES
1521 CONCORD PIKE STE 303
WILMINGTON, DE 19803-3644 PREMIER CAPITOL CIGAR
668 N COAST HWY # 230
LAGUNA BEACH, CA 92651-1513 BLE COMPOUND INC
1880 CENTURY PARK E STE 200
LOS ANGELES, CA 90067-1602 A&M INDUSTRIAL INC
37 W CHERRY ST
RAHWAY, NJ 07065-3214
ASPIRION WATERS LLC
73 GREENTREE DR # 302
DOVER, DE 19904-7646 BERTA SERVICES LLC
200 S BISCAYNE BLVD STE 2790
MIAMI, FL 33131-5324 WILMINGTON, DE 19802-2224 ATLANTIC COAST BUILDERS LLC
21538 SHELL STATION RD
FRANKFORD, DE 19945-2432 Restaurant
251 LLC
BEACHSIDE BAR AND GRILL
251 REHOBOTH AVE
REHOBOTH BCH, DE 19971-2137 Contractor
BOLAND PATRICIA
6 PINTAIL CT
LEWES, DE 19958-2300 BLOOMING SPEECH
12 PEIRCE RD
WILMINGTON, DE 19803-3726 BLOODSWORTH PRISCILLA
WALKING IN THE WORD MINISTRIES
23 HOLLAND CIR APT 25
NEW CASTLE, DE 19720-5845 BETTER HEALTH CHIROPRACTIC, INC.
22996 SUSSEX HWY
SEAFORD, DE 19973-5861 BLEND OF FRIENDS INC
CLEANPRO DETAIL CENTER
5221 SUMMIT BRIDGE RD
MIDDLETOWN, DE 19709-8823
BETHANY BELL
COSMETOLOGIST
30998 SUSSEX HWY
LAUREL, DE 19956-4429 Wholesale
1492 INC
1ST IMPRESSION LANDCAPING
1ST STORMWATER &EXCAVATING
1521 COMMERCE AVE
CARLISLE, PA 17015-9166 ABP CORPORATION
4755 OGLETOWN-STANTON ROAD
4755 OGLETOWN STANTON RD
NEWARK, DE 19718-2200 ASPHALT PAVING EQUIPMENT &
SUPPLY SUPPLY
26822 LEWES GEORGETOWN HWY
HARBESON, DE 19951-2856 ASK MATE LLC
40 E MAIN ST STE 561
NEWARK, DE 19711-4639 ANAK & CO APPAREL
11625 S DUPONT HWY
FELTON, DE 19943-4821 Lessor
ARTEMIS FLETCHER
42 HELIOS CT
NEWARK, DE 19711-5914 AON CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LLC
AON HOMES LLC
961B HAWKSBILL ST
BETHANY BEACH, DE 19930-9647 ABLE MOBILE LIFTS INC
3476 GERMANTOWN PIKE
COLLEGEVILLE, PA 19426-1504 AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER
1228 ARUNDEL DR
WILMINGTON, DE 19808-2157 ANTECH COMPUTER SOLUTIONS LLC
PO BOX 555
NASSAU, DE 19969-0555 ABLE MOBILE LIFTS INC
3476 GERMANTOWN PIKE
COLLEGEVILLE, PA 19426-1504 AMERICAN SPORTSMAN LLC
110 N GABRIEL DR
BEAR, DE 19701-4824 ANDERSON LANDSCAPING
95 JUMP DR
SMYRNA, DE 19977-4633 ALBE DRIVE PARTNERS 50 LLC
50 ALBE DR
NEWARK, DE 19702-1322 Collection Agency
1ST STATE ACCESSIBILITY LLC
755 WALKER RD STE B
DOVER, DE 19904-2724 Broker
AMERICAN ADJUSTMENT BUREAU INC
73 FIELD ST
WATERBURY, CT 06702-1906 ACE PRINT
13 FIELDS DR
SMYRNA, DE 19977-4642 ASSET MANAGEMENT SERVICES
GROUP 6245 POWERLINE RD STE 102
FT LAUDERDALE, FL 33309-2047 Retail
Photographer
ADVANCE STORES COMPANY INC
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS #7633
4200 N MARKET ST
ANTONELLI MICHAEL
M R ANTONELLI PRODUCTIONS 34488
EASY ST MILLSBORO, DE 19966-6703 ALLMARK DOOR COMPANY LLC
5 CROZERVILLE RD
ASTON, PA 19014-1431 ARTISAN CONTRACTING LLC
4 MINOR CT
NEWARK, DE 19713-1945