Governor will meet with business leaders at small business roundtables and innovative business tours

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Tuesday that he will spend August talking to Delaware business owners about Delaware’s economy, economic development, and the importance of supporting Delaware small businesses, innovators and entrepreneurs. Governor Carney also will sign two major pieces of legislation to modernize the Coastal Zone Act and to restructure Delaware’s economic development efforts.

“Delaware’s economy remains in a period of significant transition, and we’re focused on making sure our economy works for all Delawareans,” said Governor Carney. “That starts with improving access to good-paying jobs across our state. This month, I will sign into law pieces of legislation that will help revitalize Delaware’s abandoned industrial sites, and restructure our economic development efforts to support small business owners, innovators, and entrepreneurs. And I look forward to meeting with business leaders up and down our state to discuss their concerns, their thoughts and ideas for moving our state’s economy forward.”

Follow the Governor’s tour on social media using the hashtag #DEworks.

Additional details:

Bill Signings

WHAT: Governor Carney will sign two major pieces of legislation to modernize the Coastal Zone Act and to restructure Delaware’s economic development efforts.

2:00 p.m., August 2 – House Bill 190 – Coastal Zone Act Modernization
– Location: Former General Chemical site, 6300 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, DE 19703

2:00 p.m., August 14 – House Bill 226 – Economic Development Restructuring
– Location: Delaware Innovation Space, Building 500, DuPont Experimental Station, 200 Powder Mill Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803

Small Business Roundtables

WHAT: Governor Carney will meet with small business owners across the state to hear their thoughts, ideas and concerns at small business roundtables hosted by members of the General Assembly.

The following roundtables are invite-only for participants and open to the press.

3:30 p.m., August 3 – Middletown – Hosted by Representative Quinn Johnson
– Location: Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce, 402 N. Cass Street, Middletown, DE 19709

Noon, August 16 – Bethany Beach – Hosted by Senator Gerald Hocker
– Location: Cottage Cafe, 33034 Coastal Highway, Bethany Beach, DE

10 a.m., August 28 – Dover – Hosted by Senator Brian Bushweller
– Location: Becker Morgan Group, 309 S. Governors Ave, Dover, DE 19904

10:30 a.m., August 30 – Delaware City – Hosted by Representative Valerie Longhurst
– Location: Crabby Dick’s, 30 Clinton St, Delaware City, DE 19706

2:00 p.m., September 19 – Lewes – Hosted by Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf
– Location: Bethany Blues,  18385 Coastal Hwy, Lewes, DE 19958

2:30 p.m., October 10 – Seaford– Hosted by Representative Daniel Short
– Location: Seaford Public Library, 600 N. Market Street Ext., Seaford, DE 19973

4:30 p.m., October 26 – New Castle– Hosted by Senator Margaret Rose Henry and Representative J.J. Johnson
– Location: Bowlerama, 3031 New Castle Ave, New Castle, DE 19720

2:00 p.m., October 31 – Milton– Hosted by Representative Steve Smyk
– Location: Irish Eyes, 105 Union St, Milton, DE 19968

Innovative Business Tour

WHAT: Governor Carney will meet with business leaders and tour innovative businesses across Delaware.

The following tours are open to the press.

2:00 p.m., August 14 – Delaware Innovation Space – Alapocas
– Location: Building 500, DuPont Experimental Station, 200 Powder Mill Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803

3:00 p.m., August 18 – The Mill – Wilmington
– Location: 1007 N. Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801

1:00 p.m., August 29 – Avalanche Industries – Selbyville
– Location: 144 Dixon St, Selbyville, DE 19975

3:30 p.m., August 30 – Incyte – Wilmington
– Location: 1801 Augustine Cut-off, Wilmington, DE 19803

###

*Additional details will be added to the Governor’s public schedule as they become available.

Dover, Del. (July 24, 2017) – The Delaware Division of Small Business, Development & Tourism and Sallie Mae are working to find new jobs in the state for people recently displaced from HSBC and Barclays in the Wilmington area.

Sallie Mae plans to create 285 new positions in northern Delaware bringing its total employment in New Castle County to more than 1,000. The company is negotiating to lease space at the Churchman’s Corporate Center off of DE 273. HSBC announced in May it would be gradually moving employees out of its office at the same location.

The Council on Development Finance Monday heard a proposal for a grant to Sallie Mae from the Delaware Strategic Fund.

The grant would provide an incentive for each worker hired and a small additional amount for each hired from the group affected by changes at HSBC and Barclays.

The total potential outlay from the Strategic Fund is $2.16 million.

Delaware would see an immediate return on investment from these hirings in the form of money not spent on unemployment insurance. A displaced worker that had made around Delaware’s average annual wage would be eligible to receive a maximum of 26 weeks of unemployment insurance totaling more than $8,000.

In 2014 Sallie Mae received a $3.7 million grant from the Strategic Fund to create more than 300 new jobs. By the end of 2016, the company had actually exceeded its original benchmark. Disbursements of that grant were made incrementally as new hires were created. The same would be true for the grant proposal heard on Tuesday.

At the same meeting, CDF also heard a proposal for a $433,500 grant from the Delaware Strategic Fund to General Refrigeration Company. The company has outgrown its current facility in Delmar and plans to expand into a new 49,000-square-foot building south of Laurel. The grant will provide up to $195,000 for 30 new, full-time positions and $238,500 for capital expenditures related to investing in and outfitting the new facility.

CDF is scheduled to vote on the proposals at its August meeting._­

 QUOTES

“We’re glad Sallie Mae has chosen to significantly expand its operations here in Delaware,” said Gov. John Carney. “Delaware has an experienced, skilled financial sector workforce that is perfectly suited for this expansion. And we’re proud to support Sallie Mae, and the Delawareans who work there, as the company continues to put down roots here in our great state.”

“We remain focused on helping grow business in Delaware. And at the same time, we continue to work to encourage our existing business partners to be exceptional corporate citizens,” said Cerron Cade, Director of the Division of Small Business, Development & Tourism. “Keeping workers and the economic benefit they create right here in Delaware is a big win for Sallie Mae and the state.”

“Since our establishment of Sallie Mae as a standalone consumer banking business more than three years ago, we’ve focused on building out our customer service operation. That’s meant hundreds of new jobs here at our headquarters in Delaware,” said Raymond J. Quinlan, chairman and CEO, Sallie Mae. “We are eager to draw again from this talented local workforce as we continue to grow the business.”

Media Contact:
Michael Chesney
Director of Communications
Division of Small Business, Development & Tourism
Michael.Chesney@delaware.gov
(302) 672-6827 (office)
(302) 943-9508 (cell)

Dover, Del. (July 17, 2017) – Working with the Delaware Division of Small Business, Development & Tourism, Sallie Mae is preparing to grow its customer service operation in New Castle County.

Sallie Mae plans to create 285 new jobs with this expansion. That would bring the company’s total employment in the county to more than 1,000.

“We’re glad Sallie Mae has chosen to significantly expand its operations here in Delaware,” said Gov. John Carney. “Delaware has an experienced, skilled financial sector workforce that is perfectly suited for this expansion. And we’re proud to support Sallie Mae, and the Delawareans who work there, as the company continues to put down roots here in our great state.”

The proposal will come before the Council on Developmental Finance Monday, July 24.

Under the deal being considered, Sallie Mae will actively look to hire impacted workers from a specific group of local companies that have recently announced layoffs.

“We remain focused on helping grow business in Delaware. And at the same time, we continue to work to encourage our existing business partners to be exceptional corporate citizens,” said Cerron Cade, Director of the Division of Small Business, Development & Tourism. “Keeping workers and the economic benefit they create right here in Delaware is a big win for Sallie Mae and the state.”

“Since our establishment of Sallie Mae as a standalone consumer banking business more than three years ago, we’ve focused on building out our customer service operation. That’s meant hundreds of new jobs here at our headquarters in Delaware,” said Raymond J. Quinlan, chairman and CEO, Sallie Mae. “We are eager to draw again from this talented local workforce as we continue to grow the business.”

As a part of the planned growth, Sallie Mae is applying for a Delaware Strategic Fund Grant of up to $2,160,000. If approved, no disbursements would be made until after the company reports new employment numbers.

CDF meets July 24 at 9:00 AM at Delaware Technical Community College’s Terry Campus in Dover. At the meeting councilmembers will look at the proposed agreement with Sallie Mae and make a recommendation to the division director on whether to approve it.

###

NEWARK, Del. — This morning, Governor John Carney, U.S. Senator Thomas Carper, U.S. Senator Christopher Coons, U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, Transportation Chief Engineer Robert McCleary, and a host of other dignitaries participated in a Department of Transportation (DelDOT) groundbreaking for the Newark Regional Transportation Center, Parking Lot and Access Road.

“This project represents an important part of our efforts to support the rebirth of the former Chrysler plant property. Having a modern rail facility in Newark is another great incentive for growing companies to choose the STAR Campus,” said Governor John Carney.

“The Newark Regional Transportation Center is a result of numerous parties – DelDOT, Governor Carney, our congressional delegation, the University of Delaware, Amtrak, and SEPTA – listening to the needs of our residents and business communities about how we can improve mass transit along the Northeast Corridor,” said Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan.

The improved station will provide an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant high-level platform, expand parking, and provide significantly improved passenger amenities including a station building with bathrooms. This project will be built by multiple construction contracts. This first construction project will build the expanded surface parking lot, access road, and related improvements.

“Breaking ground on this project has been a long time coming,” said U.S. Senator Thomas Carper, who helped secure a $10 million TIGER IV grant for the transportation center in 2012. “When it’s finished, this federal investment will make our local transportation system more efficient, while also making it safer for drivers and passengers alike. The NRTC will breathe new life into this once bustling corridor, and this tremendous step forward would’ve been impossible without the commitment from all levels of government and our private partners to work together and deliver results to the people of the First State.”

“Students, researchers, and employees of regional companies will benefit from construction following today’s ground breaking,” said U.S. Senator Christopher Coons. “Rail lines are a critical piece of our state’s transportation infrastructure, so projects like this that increase capacity are very important to Delaware. Improving transportation options is critical to creating more livable communities. This project represents a strong collaborative effort that will bring tremendous benefits to our state and the region. I look forward to continuing to work with our partners as this project moves forward.”

“This project is another exciting step in the journey of the STAR Campus. The Newark Regional Transportation Center will increase the number of transportation options for Delawareans and helps improve the quality of life for residents up and down our state,” said U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester. “Partners from all sectors came together to make this project possible in a way that is truly unique to Delaware. I look forward to seeing the Newark Regional Transportation Center when it is completed as a part of this thriving campus.”

University of Delaware Executive Vice President Alan Brangman said, “University of Delaware’s STAR Campus is designed to link academic research and innovation with industry, today’s groundbreaking is the embodiment of that link. This station will be a magnet for future STAR tenants and economic driver for Newark and the State of Delaware. We look forward to seeing passengers disembark here en route to one of the hundreds of new jobs to be located on STAR Campus. The new station will bring benefits to the whole community, including our students.”

The project is partially funded by a $10 million TIGER IV Grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Other funding sources include the TTF, federal funds, the University of Delaware, City of Newark, WILMAPCO, and New Castle County.

Future construction projects will consist of a station building, platform, track modifications, and pedestrian overpass.

The contractor for the parking lot and access road is Greggo and Ferrara Inc. of New Castle, Delaware. The contractor submitted a bid of $4,816,345.60, the lowest of five bids received.

Online cybersecurity training offers scholarship opportunities for Delaware high school juniors and seniors, and college students

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Friday a new, innovative cybersecurity training partnership between the SANS Institute and the State of Delaware that provides Delaware high school juniors and seniors at least 16 years old, and college students interested in a cybersecurity career, the opportunity to learn basic cybersecurity skills and test their aptitude through a no-cost online game of discovery called CyberStart.

“Delaware’s future is an innovation economy where technology takes center stage, and our state needs a pipeline of talented cybersecurity professionals,” said Governor John Carney. “I am excited that Delaware is able to partner with an organization like the SANS Institute to engage our state’s high school and college students, and encourage them to explore the field of cybersecurity.”

An introductory practice version of CyberStart will be available online from July 14-28, 2017. Participants who complete five of the eight practice modules will be invited to compete in the full-scale program that will run from August 1-28, 2017. The practice round is mandatory for those who would like to compete.

Participants do not need prior cybersecurity knowledge. Students from Delaware who excel in the CyberStart game will have the opportunity to share in $150,000 in scholarships for further cyber-education, and ultimately for $500,000 in scholarships for college and graduate-level training in preparation for highly sought-after industry certifications.

Delaware students will be competing with students from Virginia, Michigan, Rhode Island, Iowa, Nevada, and Hawaii for scholarships sponsored by the SANS Institute.

“I applaud the SANS Institute for working to ensure the cyber workforce of tomorrow is available to protect our information and systems. The CyberStart program is an excellent and fun opportunity for students who think they may be interested in cybersecurity to determine if they have the passion and aptitude to pursue it as a career,” said Delaware Chief Information Officer James Collins. “I hope young people all across Delaware take advantage of this great opportunity.”

Each player in CyberStart begins as a “cyber protection agent” responsible for protecting an important operational base.  The student chooses and solves challenges, earning points along the way. A cyber protection agent field manual provides answers to questions that may arise and hints help when players get stuck. When the player has solved a sufficient number challenges at one level, a new level opens up and new challenges appear – for a total of 31 levels.

When asked why SANS is making this investment, SANS Director of Research, Alan Paller, said “Because the nation desperately needs more highly-skilled cyber professionals, and we have new evidence that CyberStart will radically improve the quality and preparation of people entering the cybersecurity field.  SANS trains more than 30,000 advanced cybersecurity professionals each year for military and intelligence organizations and for large high-tech companies in the U.S. and its allies. We discovered that those who have mastered the topics taught and measured in the CyberStart program do far better than others in the advanced cybersecurity courses that prepare the critically needed people. By opening CyberStart to hundreds of thousands of students we may be able to help the nation identify the next generation of talented people who will excel in this critical field.”

For more information and to get started playing CyberStart, please visit DigiKnow.DTI.Delaware.gov.