Wilmington, DE – Joined by a dozen Delaware business leaders, Governor Markell spoke with Ambassador Dr. S. Jaishankar on the future of India-Delaware relations today at a breakfast reception organized by the Delaware Economic Development Office and the World Trade Center Delaware. Attendees at the reception included Bill Kurtz, chief financial and commercial officer for Bloom Energy; Hara-Prasad Nanda, global strategic planning director for DuPont; and Tom Keefer, deputy executive director of the Diamond State Port Corporation.

“In the new economy, giving Delaware businesses the opportunity to serve customers around the world and attracting foreign investment are major factors in creating jobs and economic opportunity for Delawareans,” said Markell. “We are proud to already have many connections with India and we appreciate the opportunity to engage with American companies founded by people from India as well as Delaware companies looking to create customers in India.”

Ambassador Jaishankar told the group that the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May, leading to India’s first majority-led government in 30 years, has already led to improved relations between India and the United States. He expects the new government will work quickly to make the regulatory changes and infrastructure improvements needed to increase the country’s growth rate, which has slid behind neighboring countries in recent years.

“Modi thinks there’s a need to modernize the society to support that kind of growth, so there’s a big social sector push for literacy and gender issue, cleanliness, infrastructure, skill development,” Jaishankar said. “There’s a much broader social economic agenda today.”

Ambassador Jaishankar said the government has made it a priority to improve the ability for foreign companies to do business in India, simplifying tax systems and raising the limits for foreign investment in certain sectors. Sanitation, electric power, health care, environment, food and infrastructure are just a few of the industries that will all see new opportunities in India, he said.

“You’re going to see a new China-level demand in the market,” Jaishankar said.

Rebecca Faber, president/CEO of World Trade Center Delaware, hopes to see Delaware businesses capitalize on that growing demand.

“India is growing as a potential market for exports and partnerships for Delaware companies, and signs from the Modi administration indicate the speed of growth is likely to accelerate,” Faber said. “Already this morning, Ambassador Jaishankar was able to offer assistance to a few of the companies in the room specific to their business needs.”

World Trade Center Delaware is planning to lead a delegation of companies to the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. for further discussions in early 2015.

Bill Kurtz of Bloom Energy, a provider of solid oxide fuel cell technology with a manufacturing plant in Newark, was one of those companies able to bring opportunities and concerns to the ambassador during the meeting.

“We see India has a very attractive market opportunity for Bloom Energy to bring reliable, clean energy to improve their infrastructure and support growth and development in their economy,” Kurtz said.

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Participation more than doubles for state program, which offers rent-free commercial space

Dover, DE – Last year, five entrepreneurs jumped at an opportunity offered by the State of Delaware and used it to achieve their dreams of moving into a brick-and-mortar location.

Using last year’s success as a springboard for 2014, Project Pop-Up has more than doubled that number, as 13 businesses will participate in the program this holiday season.

Project Pop-Up, a joint effort between the Delaware Economic Development Office and Downtown Delaware, offers three months of rent-free commercial space and the assistance of a business advisor from October through December. The program also helps to spur economic development in towns across the state by placing businesses in renovated properties that were once vacant.

“The success of Delaware’s talented and hard-working entrepreneurs is vital to our state’s present and future economy,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “Project Pop-Up has proven to position them for long-term success, helping to turn their great ideas into thriving businesses, while reinvigorating vacant properties in our downtowns. Combined with initiatives like expanding the research and development tax credit for small businesses and reforming state regulations, this initiative is an essential part of our efforts to unleash the potential of Delaware’s small business community.

The following businesses will take part in Project Pop-Up 2014 and will open on Oct. 1:

• Fresh Faced Skin Care, LLC, owned by Erica Suppa, 104 West Main Street, Middletown
• Max Tax, LLC, owned by Gary and Nicole Kennedy, 202 North Union St., Wilmington
• Patty Cakes, LLC, owned by Latricia Vicks, 22 South Walnut St., Milford
• Skin by Hillary, LLC, owned by Hillary Reid, 105 Federal St., Milton
• WineKnot21, LLC, owned by Amy Conroy, 113 Union Street Unit F, Milton

This year will also see the addition of a Project Pop-Up Incubator at 9^th and Shipley streets in Wilmington, which will include the following businesses:

• Barrel of Makers, owned by Jesse Taylor
• Cherné Altovise Jewelry, owned by Cherné Bishop
• Dolley’s Sweet Cakes, owned by Andrienne Dolley
• Fit Body Personal Training, owned by Ositadinma Ofuani
• FLYOGI, owned by Jason Aviles
• London Rocks Kids, owned by Damaris Colon
• MIZ INK, owned by Michael Hill
• Tasty Couture, owned by Theresa Holland

“The expansion of this year’s Pop-Up program to include a three-month incubator in the City of Wilmington will create an opportunity for early stage entrepreneurs to market test their products and services, during the holiday season, in an active downtown location,” said Ken Anderson, director for entrepreneurial and small business support for DEDO. “We are confident that a number of these businesses will be in a better position to pursue longer-term lease arrangements going forward.”

Last year’s Project Pop-Up participants included 302 Fitness, a personal training studio and small group workout center in Milton owned by John Lehne; Milton Wellness Center of Delaware, owned by Dr. Bill Shearer and Mary Van House; Milford Massage, Wellness and Yoga, owned by Paige Deiner; Royal Treatments, a home décor and window treatments business in downtown Smyrna owned by Karen Gill; and Computers Fixed Today, owned by Theo Morgan and located in Dover.

“The response to last year’s program was just phenomenal, and we couldn’t be happier with the fact that we were able to more than double the number of participating businesses,” said Diane Laird, State Coordinator for Downtown Delaware. “What was most encouraging was our ability to help last year’s businesses sign long-term leases beyond the holiday season. We hope to replicate that success this year.”

Last year, all five businesses signed long-term leases and continue to do business in the communities in which they were established.

Deiner’s business did so well that it outgrew its space and moved to a larger location less than a mile away. Since she first opened her business with the help of Project Pop-Up, Milford Massage has quadrupled its business, compiling in one day what it used to bring in over a week.

“I don’t think any of this would have been possible without Project Pop-Up,” Deiner said. “It was hard to take that risk and invest in something that I was unsure about. Project Pop-Up not only gave us a start, but it gave us constant support. It gave me the opportunity to work toward that dream with confidence.”

Project Pop-Up represents a “graduation phase” of DEDO’s support of small business, which begins with programs like Start It Up Delaware and continues with the Kauffman FastTrac Program, said Alan Levin, Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office.

“Every big business started out as a small business. We provide financial assistance and support for small businesses because they are the future of our economy,” Levin said. “Project Pop-Up has been successful at identifying those individuals who are willing to take the leap and move ahead with their vision. These men and women will lead Delaware’s economy for years to come, and we will gladly support their efforts long after the ink dries on their first long-term lease.”

About the Delaware Economic Development Office

The Delaware Economic Development Office is an executive state agency responsible for attracting new investors and businesses to the state, promoting the expansion of existing industry, assisting small and minority-owned businesses, promoting and developing tourism and creating new and improved employment opportunities for all citizens of the State. Visit dedo.delaware.gov.

About Downtown Delaware

Downtown Delaware, a program of the Delaware Economic Development Office, provides Delaware’s historic downtowns, communities, and small businesses with tools to revitalize their commercial districts, increase entrepreneurial opportunity, and enhance quality of place. To learn more about the Main Street program, visit www.delawaremainstreet.com.

Contact:

Peter Bothum Delaware Economic Development Office peter.bothum@delaware.gov Office: 302-672-6857 Cell: 302-632-6665

Facility in Wilmington is first in state to receive Alternative Site Framework Designation

DOVER, Del. (March 10, 2014) – Noramco Inc. has become the first company in the state to include their facility in Delaware’s Foreign-Trade Zone under the Alternative Site Framework (ASF) and to be granted “Production Authority” by the Foreign Trade Zone Board of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) is the grantee for Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) No. 99. Noramco, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has operated in Delaware since 1979 at an 81,000-square-foot facility in Wilmington. The company manufactures, tests, warehouses and packages a variety of pharmaceutical products and currently employs approximately 170. This facility has now been designated as FTZ Subzone 99F. The Foreign Trade Zone Board granted Noramco’s application to be included in the FTZ in late November 2013 and Production Authority was approved on March 4, 2014.

With this designation and grant of authority, Noramco can begin to manufacture products using imported component with tariffs and duties reduced or eliminated, thereby reducing their costs until those products actually enter the U.S. markets.

“The ability to offer a tool that increases access to global markets, lowers costs and boosts efficiency will have a tremendous impact on our efforts to bring new companies to Delaware,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “Companies already established in Delaware also stand to benefit. We applaud Noramco for leading the way by applying for and receiving the designation necessary to operate in the state’s Foreign Trade Zone.”

John Daly, General Manager of Noramco Inc. in Delaware, noted that “this designation and grant of production authority will allow Noramco to expand its operations here in Delaware and improves the efficiency of our supply chain. This is an important step in our efforts to better serve our customers in the U.S. and also globally. We are very pleased with how the new ASF process reduced both the time and the complexity of becoming a FTZ Subzone.”

Foreign-trade zones are sites that are considered outside of U.S. Customs territory. The ASF allows individual businesses throughout the State to import, export, assemble, warehouse and distribute products using imported materials and reduce or eliminate customs duties and federal excise taxes. An application under ASF for a non-manufacturing site usually is processed in 30 days. A manufacturing facility requiring “Production Authority,” such as Noramco, takes up to four months, a significant time reduction from the traditional process.

“Under Gov. Markell, Delaware has become a major player on the global economic stage, and the ASF provides one more tool for our state and its companies to use to compete and win,” said Alan Levin, Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office. “Noramco is the first of what we hope will be many Delaware firms, large and small, who will take advantage of this streamlined process to stay and grow in Delaware thanks to the business-friendly environment created by the FTZ.”

There are more than 250 Foreign-trade zones located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Many well-known U.S. and multinational firms utilize the zone program as an import/export financial management tool. In Delaware, the Port of Wilmington is the official Port of Entry. Companies such as Citrosuco, AstraZeneca, and PBF Energy all operate under Foreign Trade Zone designation in Delaware.

Pharmaceutical company to move into Wilmington landmark, retaining hundreds of jobs

DOVER, Del. (Nov. 15, 2013) – Over the course of a decade, the State of Delaware has watched Incyte Corporation grow from a start-up bio-technology research firm into a research-based commercial biopharmaceutical company.

Incyte has reinforced its commitment to Delaware by signing a 15-year lease to occupy the former John Wanamaker building, a Wilmington landmark off the Augustine Cut-Off. Incyte’s lease of the roughly 191,000-square-foot facility will keep its current employment base in Delaware and provide space for the company’s planned ongoing employment growth.

“Incyte is moving into a landmark building and stepping further forward as a top innovation-driven business in our state,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “The company’s growth from start-up to pharmaceutical industry leader in Delaware demonstrates how our state is a great place to start and grow a business, and a place to develop an idea into a game-changing company.”

Incyte currently employs 372 people at the DuPont Experimental Station campus off Del. 141 and has established itself as a shining example of the First State’s many innovative firms through its discovery and development of groundbreaking, important new drugs.

Since basing its headquarters in Delaware, Incyte has discovered, developed and commercialized Jakafi^® (ruxolitinib), a medicine that was the first drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a rare blood cancer and the first one in its class approved for any indication. Incyte is also developing Jakafi as a potential treatment for additional cancers and has a broad product pipeline that includes multiple compounds that address a number of unmet patient needs.

“Since choosing to open our labs in Delaware more than 10 years ago, Incyte has achieved many milestones, and we appreciate the ongoing encouragement of state officials, the technology-friendly environment and tremendous local talent,” stated Paul A. Friedman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Incyte Corporation. “When we move into our new space, we will proudly remain a part of this vibrant community, and we look forward to continued growth and the discovery and development of additional new medicines that we hope will make a difference in the lives of patients.”

In December 2012, Incyte was approved for a Delaware Strategic Fund performance grant in the amount of $10,070,505 for the retention of its then current 294 jobs in Delaware and the creation of 269 new jobs over the next five years. The company also was approved for a $1,050,000 capital expenditure grant.

According to Alan Levin, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office, the competition for Incyte was fierce among Delaware and other states vying to offer the company a new home.

“Keeping them here was crucial for us. Incyte is a Delaware company and we wanted that partnership and legacy to continue,” Levin said. “The company provides jobs that pay well and can entice those who graduate from Delaware universities to stay in Delaware.”

Incyte’s success will have a huge impact for America, and therefore Delaware, on a global scale, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons said.

“Ingenuity has always been central to America’s economic success,” Sen. Coons said. “If we are going to create and sustain the middle-class jobs our state needs to thrive, it will be because innovative companies like Incyte choose to invest in Delaware. Incyte’s renewed commitment to our state is proof that by nurturing and supporting our local innovators, Delaware is and can continue to be a great home for the next generation of high-paying biotech, life science, and advanced manufacturing jobs.”

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper encouraged the company to locate in Delaware in 2001, and subsequently expand its operation here to begin drug research.

“I am thrilled that Incyte has decided to stay in Delaware and expand its operations here,” Sen. Carper said. “I have watched this company go from an idea, to receiving FDA approval for its drug Jakafi, to today’s announcement of its expansion. This is a great day for the Incyte team, and is a great example of growing your own.”

About the Delaware Economic Development Office
The Delaware Economic Development Office is an executive state agency responsible for attracting new investors and businesses to the state, promoting the expansion of existing industry, assisting small and minority-owned businesses, promoting and developing tourism and creating new and improved employment opportunities for all citizens of the State. Visit dedo.delaware.gov.

About Incyte Corporation
Incyte Corporation is a Wilmington, Delaware-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of proprietary small molecule drugs for oncology and inflammation. For additional information on Incyte, please visit the company’s website at www.incyte.com.