All three major credit rating agencies award Delaware with ‘AAA’ bond rating

WILMINGTON, Del. – All three major credit rating agencies have once again awarded Delaware with a ‘AAA’ rating, citing the state’s ongoing commitment to strong fiscal management. With this endorsement, Moody’s Investors Service, Fitch Ratings, and Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings have favorably acknowledged the current administration’s efforts to balance the state’s budget, make difficult cost cutting decisions, and develop new ways to raise revenue.

“Delawareans expect us to responsibly manage taxpayer dollars, and these ratings reaffirm that we are committed to doing just that,” said Governor John Carney. “We remain focused on building a sustainable financial plan, operating efficiently, and making important investments in education, our economy, and other services that make Delaware an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.”

The ratings agencies noted that Delaware has a strong government framework and provides frequent updates to revenue forecasts. This sets the stage for the state’s ability to proactively manage its budget, and respond to fluctuations in the economy – resulting in what they referred to as the state’s exceptional financial resilience.

Delaware officials worked quickly with financial advisors and bankers over the last two weeks to respond to proposed tax policy changes under consideration by Congress. The State disclosed, structured, marketed and closed $115 million of advance refunding bonds in record time, ensuring that state taxpayers did not miss out on a $4.7 million savings opportunity created by this refinancing.

“Positive credit ratings ultimately translate into long-term savings for Delawareans,” said Rick Geisenberger, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Finance. “In this case, our ability to move quickly to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions will also create near-term savings that will free up funds to invest in growing our economy and improving the lives of Delaware citizens.”

###

140,000-square-foot facility, developed by the Buccini/Pollin Group, will be named “76ers Fieldhouse”

WILMINGTON, Del. – During a news conference today in Wilmington, Delaware Governor John Carney and Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki will join the Philadelphia 76ers and the Buccini/Pollin Group to announce construction of a 140,000-square-foot, multi-purpose sports complex and youth training center in Wilmington. The new facility will be built on an 8.9 acre parcel of land off U.S. Route 13 and Garasches Lane. The sports complex is designed to be the premier center for youth sports in Delaware while providing thousands of underserved youth with new sports programming and opportunities.

The facility will be named “76ers Fieldhouse” and will be the new home for the 76ers NBA G League affiliate team, the Delaware 87ers. The team will play its home games at 76ers Fieldhouse, configured to host approximately 2,500 fans per game. Additionally, the 76ers will leverage its sales and sponsorship expertise to secure unique partnerships for 76ers Fieldhouse, including naming rights partners.

“The Philadelphia 76ers are truly the Delaware Valley’s team, and we’re fortunate to have an incredible fanbase across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. We are thrilled to partner with BPG on 76ers Fieldhouse in Delaware to serve as home to both our NBA G League team and hundreds of youth teams and athletes each year,” 76ers President Chris Heck said. “We’ve set out to create a facility in a city on the rise like Wilmington for our NBA G League team that furthers the 76ers’ commitment to being leaders in sports performance and athlete care. We’re fortunate to partner with a group as respected and accomplished as BPG to reach this goal, while also bringing these amenities to youth teams and athletes in this area. With the support of Delaware Governor John Carney, Wilmington Mayor Michael Purzycki and our fans across the state, we’re excited to further demonstrate our commitment to Delaware by launching 76ers Fieldhouse.”

“This announcement by the 76ers organization confirms again that Wilmington is a great place for companies to invest, expand, and grow,” said Governor John Carney. “We couldn’t be more excited to help announce the new 76ers Fieldhouse, which will bring an NBA G League team to our city, and help connect development along the banks of the Christina River. Importantly, this facility will create jobs, expand opportunities for kids in Wilmington to participate in sports activities, and attract even more visitors to our great state. Thank you to the 76ers organization and the Buccini/Pollin Group for their commitment to Delaware, and their continued partnership.”

“We are proud to welcome the 76ers and their G league team to the City of Wilmington. The new sports facility will be among the finest in the country for a city our size. This fieldhouse, larger than the Chase Center, will be an outstanding venue for the Delaware sports hungry public,” states Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “This also answers our residents call for healthy options for our kids. Wilmington’s children will be primary beneficiaries of the many levels of programming provided by this magnificent facility. Our gratitude to Buccini/Pollin and the 76ers organization for placing their faith in our great city.”

The Buccini/Pollin Group (BPG) will manage the development and construction of the facility on the site, which is currently owned by the Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC), and sits at the foot of the new Christina River Bridge that will ultimately connect both banks of the Christina Riverfront.

“This new facility will be the impetus for the development we have envisioned on the East bank of the Christina River,” says Megan McGlinchey, Executive Director of the RDC. “The location delivers an excellent gateway into Wilmington and the Riverfront. Plus, we are thrilled that the Delaware 87ers will now join the growing list of successful family-friendly attractions already located here.”

In addition to the exciting arrival of the 76ers Fieldhouse, the complex will support youth athletic training sessions as well as youth basketball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, football and other sport competitions through its dynamic mixed-use program including three full-sized, professional basketball courts, two indoor turf soccer fields, a world-class sports performance and athletic training area, as well as retail and office space.

Tenants who are planning to offer services at the 76ers Fieldhouse include TITUS, which will bring its performance training center to the complex and Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children part of the Nemours Children’s Health System, which will bring its advanced Sports Medicine capabilities, including pediatric orthopedics and sports physical therapy, to the facility.

Titus Sports Academy, founded in 2001, focuses on long-term athletic development and optimization through training, nutrition and recovery plans based on specific needs of each sport, level or mission. TITUS utilizes technological assessment, evaluation and management tools that allow all athletes the opportunity to improve. The TITUS staff are highly experienced and have trained athletes from hundreds of schools, colleges and professional teams that regularly set the standard for excellence in human performance (www.TheTitusReport.com). “We are excited to share in this unique opportunity and vision which combines elite-level programs, a world-class facility and positive community impact,” says Shawn Hoffman, Managing Partner at Titus Sports.

Nemours is an internationally recognized children’s health system that owns and operates the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, along with outpatient facilities in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, delivering pediatric primary, specialty and urgent care. Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, Nemours provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to families in the communities it serves. “The building of the 76ers Fieldhouse is a very welcome addition to the ever-expanding and evolving Wilmington Riverfront. Nemours Children’s Health System is proud to be a part of this new venture in Wilmington. We look forward to expanding our superior and compassionate pediatric care with this new location in Wilmington,” says Roy Proujansky, MD, Chief Executive of Delaware Valley Operations, Nemours Children’s Health System.

The 76ers Fieldhouse will be available for events and field use by local and regional sports clubs and competitions as well. Local youth organizations will be able to practice, train and play soccer, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, football and other sports here, for both competitive and community outreach purposes. Future Soccer Stars Foundation (FSS), a nonprofit providing free soccer programs for economically disadvantaged children in the City of Wilmington (www.fssfoundation.org), and the Delaware Football Club (DEFC) which includes Delaware Rush, Delaware Union, and Kirkwood Soccer players (www.delawarefc.org), are two such organizations that work both independently and collaboratively to enhance youth soccer in the region, and have both committed to this facility as their home. Steve Cavalier is the Founder and Executive Director of FSS, and Coach at DEFC. “By working together, FSS and DEFC create the access and launch points (respectively) of a streamlined and coherent soccer pathway for all children regardless of ethnicity, background, or socioeconomic status. Where FSS introduces play, DEFC, in conjunction with high school play, provides the highest levels of competition before college and beyond.”

DEFC is the product of a long-term vision by its member clubs to create a recognizable soccer pathway for children in Delaware and surrounding states. It is designed to allow young players to move from recreation soccer through competitive club and high school soccer with the greatest opportunity to play in college and even professional soccer. “This is all done from the state of Delaware,” states Ian Hennessey who serves as both the head men’s coach at the University of Delaware and the Technical Director at DEFC. “DEFC is providing opportunities for families, who sometimes feel the need to leave the state to find a similar pathway. This new facility will help DEFC make these opportunities a reality.”

“The Fieldhouse and its partners, and specifically the full-sized soccer fields, will provide FSS the environment and room to house its fast-growing programs and annual events,” says Oliver Yeh, who serves as Board Chair at FSS. “In addition, FSS will have the capacity to run a centralized youth soccer league for the City of Wilmington. It will be a safe place for children to play, a home that will stoke a communal hometown pride, and a place where aspirations can grow to great heights.”

The Buccini/Pollin Group has engaged arena specialists Rossetti Architects of Detroit, MI to design the 76ers Fieldhouse, which will be a highly visible facility and a landmark for the connection of the east and west banks of the Christina River. “I am gratified by the Sixers decision to be part of this transformative project for Wilmington,” says Rob Buccini, Co-President and Co-Founder of The Buccini/Pollin Group. “Their confidence and commitment are affirmations that Wilmington continues to move in the right direction. In addition to providing sports, training and health services for youth in our City and throughout the region, the facility will be a significant economic generator. With the addition of tournaments and associated visitors, the 76ers Fieldhouse will positively impact the local economy.”

A formal groundbreaking ceremony is being planned for the first quarter of 2018, with a season ticket deposit campaign for the NBA G League team also set to begin at the start of the new year. For information on field use reservations, events, and other ways to support the 76ers Fieldhouse please visit www.76ersfieldhouse.com.

###

Newport, Del.– Discovering Delaware went digital to celebrate National American Beer Day as the Delaware Tourism Office (Visit Delaware) unveiled Delaware on Tap, the new smartphone application version of the state’s popular Beer, Wine & Spirits Trail.

The office showcased the app, which is available for free download in the App Store and from Google Play, at Bellefonte Brewing Company Friday morning along with Gov. John Carney and Secretary of State Jeff Bullock, State Sen. Anthony Delcollo and Neil Shea, CEO of Bellefonte.

“Delaware’s more than $3-billion tourism industry is a key driver of the state’s economy, and our thriving craft beverage industry is an important element of that,” said Governor Carney. “Finding new and innovative ways to draw Delawareans and visitors into these small businesses helps to ensure the industry’s growth continues.”

“Craft beverage makers are some of our Delaware’s hardest working entrepreneurs,” said Delaware Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “An application like this is one of the many inventive ways state government can create a climate and community that helps them succeed.”

Delaware on Tap guides visitors and residents through completing the trail. After a user creates an account, the app uses geo-location to allow them to “check in” at a site.

Once they have checked in at any ten craft beverage makers on the trail, the user will receive a prize from the Delaware Tourism Office – a commemorative glass beer mug. Plus, the first 100 people to complete the trail via the app will get a growler cooler bag.

“As the craft beverage industry evolves, so does the Beer, Wine & Spirits Trail,” said Liz Keller, Delaware Tourism Director. “Visitors wanted a smartphone-friendly way to take the trail. We made it happen. Delaware on Tap follows the tourism office’s philosophy of listening to consumers and providing them what they need to enhance their visit to the state.”

The app provides travelers with the opportunity to find what’s nearby, upcoming events, suggestions for places to dine or stay, deals and transportation offerings, including tours and Uber. An in-app photo booth lets users put fun frames and filters on photos they take along the trail and then helps them post the fun shots on social media using #DEonTap.

“We work hard to attract potential customers and get information to them,” said Neil Shea, CEO of Bellefonte Brewing Company. “We’re appreciative of the Delaware Tourism Office’s efforts to assist us and Delaware’s entire craft beverage community with that mission. We frequently see visitors who stop in as a part of taking the Beer, Wine & Spirits Trail, and the new app will help even more beer lovers find us.”

“I am extremely encouraged to see Delaware proactively promoting one of the First State’s fastest growing and most popular industries,” said Sen. Anthony Delcollo, R-Marshallton. “We must continue highlighting the successes of our local businesses that create jobs and opportunity in our state, and that’s what Delaware on Tap accomplishes for this industry.”

The trail started in 2010 with 12 locations, all breweries and wineries. At the time it was called the Delaware Wine & Ale Trail. Since then the trail has grown to include more than two dozen businesses – breweries, wineries, distilleries, cideries and meaderies. The trail passport has racked up 7,200 downloads in seven years – a rate of three downloads every day.

The Beer, Wine and Spirits Trail is one of the Visit Delaware’s five Trails of Discovery. Each gives tourists a unique and thematic way to see the state. The other four trails are: history, outdoor, geocaching and culinary.

The Delaware Tourism Office, 99 Kings Highway in Dover, Del., part of the Delaware Division of Small Business, Development & Tourism, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free (866) 284-7483.

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)

Newport, DE – Governor John Carney, Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock and other officials and dignitaries joined US NewGenzyme President and CEO Gaofeng Liu to and members of the Global Delaware team Thursday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the company’s Newport facility.

“We are very excited to start operations in Newport,” said Gaofeng Liu, president and CEO of US NewGenzyme. “The state of Delaware and New Castle County have been very supportive of our efforts from the very start, and we are confident this will be a successful opportunity for both our company and the state.”

“We are excited and honored to welcome NewGenzyme to Delaware,” said Gov. Carney. “My administration is committed to building a strong innovation economy, and NewGenzyme is a perfect example of this—an entrepreneurial operation that will create high-tech jobs and additional opportunity right here in our state.”

US NewGenzyme, a subsidiary of Chinese food ingredient and flour additive company Southern New Well Food Co., uses a fermentation process to manufacture an all-natural bio-enzyme used to improve flour products. The enzyme will be sold directly to large baking ingredient companies as well as directly to large bakeries and flour mills in the U.S. and abroad. The product will help to replace chemical bleaching agents, which have been banned in China and several European countries. The U.S. market has also seen a significant decrease in the use of chemical bleaching agents, and an increased demand for safer alternatives.

“The bio-enzyme is safer than the chemical alternatives and improves the color, shelf-life and texture of the dough,” Mr. Liu explained. “This enzyme is well-known in the industry, but until now, the challenge has been to produce it affordably on an industrial scale. It took us several years to develop and fine-tune the manufacturing process, but we are now ready to start commercial production in our Delaware facility.”

Delaware provides right location, resources

Although the company’s research operations are in Maryland, the company chose to locate its manufacturing facility in Delaware because of the strong manufacturing legacy in the region, US NewGenzyme Business Manager Mike Tian explained. “Making the move from a lab-scale operation to an industrial-scale operation is a big step, and not an easy one. Here in Delaware, we were able to get the assistance we needed to launch our operation quickly and without a lot of extra steps. Everyone at the state of Delaware has been extremely helpful.”

Mr. Tian noted that the facility is an easy drive to the FDA and close to excellent schools that can provide a talent pool as it ramps up operations. In addition, the plant’s proximity to Interstate 95 provides easy distribution to East Coast customers.
“Delaware has much to offer young bioscience companies, from its strategic location to its outstanding universities and deep talent pool,” said Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock. “NewGenzyme joins a growing number of strong, innovative companies, and we look forward to partnering with them to ensure their long-term success.”

Once the plant is running at full capacity, US NewGenzyme will employ between five and ten people, Mr. Tian said. Many of the positions will be manufacturing jobs, but the plant will also require several science and engineering professionals for quality assurance and plant management.

“We look forward to starting operations very soon, and we are grateful to Global Delaware and to officials around the State and County for all of their support in helping us make this project a reality,” Mr. Tian added.

Division of Small Business, Development & Tourism hosting listening sessions statewide

WILMINGTON, Del. – Delaware received an A+ rating and ranked #2 out of 50 states in the 2017 Small Business Friendliness Survey released on Thursday by Thumbtack, a web and phone application for small businesses.

Thumbtack awarded the state A+ ratings in 9 of 12 categories studied – most importantly in Overall Friendliness.

“Thumbtack’s study confirms what people living and working in Delaware see every day. This state is a great place for entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed,” said Governor John Carney. “We continue to work to make Delaware an even better home for small business. Since taking office, my team has focused on this area of economic development with the creation of the Division of Small Business, Development & Tourism, which will take Delaware’s support for small businesses and entrepreneurs to the next level.”

“The ranking reflects Delaware’s previous and continuing efforts to have a direct and immediate impact on small businesses through close working relationships with owners and entrepreneurs,” said Cerron Cade, Director of the Division of Small Business, Development & Tourism. “This is gratifying feedback from the community, and we are looking for even more as we continue to improve our approach to economic development.”

The Division is hosting three listening sessions Tuesday through Thursday – one in each county – to allow the public to share how the state can further support small business development.

Tuesday’s study release also comes on the heels of the state launching its new #OptionsInDE campaign, which is highlighting the many reasons Delaware is an appealing location for business of any size to grow and thrive.

Between July and September of this year, Thumbtack surveyed more than 13,000 small business owners across 50 states and 80 cities to determine how easy government makes it to start, run and expand a small business. This is the sixth year the company has produced the nationwide survey.

###

Related:
OptionsInDE.com
Governor Carney op-ed in The News Journal: “Innovation is Delaware’s path to jobs and prosperity”
Governor Carney Takes Steps to Restructure Delaware’s Economic Development Efforts, Create Jobs
Governor Carney Announces Strategic Plan to Restructure Delaware’s Economic Development Efforts