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Transcript of Delaware Business November-December 2012
DELAWAREBUSINESS
PLUS:• Real Estate
• Technology
• Banking
November/December 2012 $3.00
MEET THE
SUPERSTARS IN BUSINESS
A Publication of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce
DSCC_NovDec12.indd 1 10/25/12 12:05 PM
Especially about what people want from a bank.
WHEN YOU’VE BEEN AROUND AS LONG AS WE HAVE,
YOU TEND TO LEARN A FEW THINGS.
How does a bank stay in business for 180 years?
By knowing what’s important to its Customers. That’s why we
provide Delaware’s largest free ATM network1. Free checking.
Free debit card transactions2. And a standard of service you
won’t find anywhere else. Where can you find a bank like this?
At your nearest WSFS. Call us at 1-888-WSFSBANK or visit us
online at wsfsbank.com.
Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/wsfs.
1 Free ATM transactions for WSFS Customers at WSFS ATMs. 2 Multi-currency international transaction fee applies to ATM and debit card transactions.
©2012 Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB | Member FDIC
DSCC_NovDec12.indd 2 10/25/12 12:05 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 1
Volume 17, Number 6 / Delaware Business (USPS 012098)
(ISSN 153253542) is published bi-monthly by the DSCC Center
for Business Management. Subscription price is $18 a year
(included in membership dues). Known office of publication
is 1201 N. Orange St., Suite 200, Wilmington, DE 19801.
Periodicals postage paid Wilmington, DE 19850. Postmaster:
Send address changes to Delaware Business, c/o DSCC
Center for Business Management, P.O. Box 671, Wilmington, DE
19899-0671. Telephone (302) 655-7221.
Departments
President’s Message ..............................2
Banking, tech industries and the
real estate market are intertwined.
Legislative Priority ..................................3
With the elections over, it's time
to problem-solve.
Member News and Notes ......................5
Delaware Moving and Storage and
Sunday Breakfast Mission forge a helpful
bond, DelTech launches an energy-
efficient manufacturing program, and
much more.
Q&A: Christiana Mall GM Steve
Chambliss
Nonprofit Spotlight: National Kidney
Foundation Delaware Valley
Business Spotlight: Diamond
Technologies
Welcome New Members ......................12
Chamber Scene .....................................14
Newsbites ...............................................46
Calendar .................................................48
Manufacturing........................................56
Chamber Committees ..........................58
Chamber Member Benefits .................59
For Assistance, Contact the Chamber ..........................................60
Features
SUPERSTARS IN BUSINESS ..................................................................................... 22
The 2012 winners of the Marvin S. Gilman Superstars in Business Awards take a
well-deserved bow, and share their success stories with the world.
BY ELLE BORNEMANN
TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................................................... 31
Mike Bowman’s Delaware Technology Park has become a magnet for
innovation and start-up businesses, adding $100 million a year to the
regional economy, and the creation of 16,000 new jobs. We speak to
the park-master himself. BY LARRY NAGENGAST
CONSTRUCTION AND REAL ESTATE ........................................................................ 35
Battered and bruised, the Delaware housing market is eyeing a comeback.
But will it be enough? Delaware Business investigates.
BY EILEEN SMITH DALLABRIDA
GUIDE TO BANKING ................................................................................................. 41
A full rundown of the many fine financial institutions counted among the
DSCC membership. COMPILED BY EVAN GAMBLE
On Th e Cover2012 Superstars in Business
PHOTOS BY TOM NUTTER
Correction: In the September-October issue of Delaware Business, we wrote
that Delaware Hospice serves 3,000 families in Delaware. The organization in
fact serves 41,000 families in Delaware and in Southern Chester and Delaware
Counties in Pennsylvania. Delaware Business regrets the error.
DSCC Chariman Bill Allan hung in the
hallways of McKean High School during
the Delaware Principal for a Day kickoff
press event. PHOTO BY TOM NUTTER
In this Issue
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A1 10/25/12 12:05 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 2
1201 NORTH ORANGE STREET, P.O. BOX 671 • WILMINGTON, DE 19899-0671
(302) 655-7221 • (800) 292-9507 • WWW.DSCC.COM
The mission of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce is to promote an economic climate that strengthens
the competitiveness of Delaware businesses and benefits citizens of the state. The Chamber will provide services
members want; it will serve and be recognized as the primary resource on matters affecting companies of all
sizes; and it will be the leading advocate for business with government in Delaware.
DELAWARE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
EDITORIAL STAFF
William R. AllanChairman
A. Richard HeffronInterim President
Matt AmisManaging Editor
CHAIRMANWilliam R. AllanWilliam Allan & Assoc., LLC
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMANThomas J. CooperCooper Realty Associates
CHAIR ELECTHinton LucasDuPont
VICE CHAIRMark StelliniAssurance Media
TREASURERBarry CrozierBelfint, Lyons & Shuman
Tony Allen Bank of America
Sylvia Banks DuPont
Ernie Dianastasis CAI
Donald T. FultonGeorge J. Weiner Associates
Pierre du Pont HaywardUniversity of Delaware
Alan LevinDelaware Economic Development Office
William E. ManningSaul Ewing LLP
Chip RossiBank of America
Richard D. RowlandRowland, Johnson & Co., PA
Dennis M. SalterSummit Realty Advisors, Inc.
Fred C. Sears, IIDelaware Community Foundation
Mark TurnerWSFS Bank
Michael S. UffnerAutoTeam Delaware
Richelle VibleCatholic Charities of Delaware
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Marianne K. AntoniniSenior Vice PresidentA. Richard HeffronSenior Vice President, Interim PresidentJanine G. SorbelloSenior Vice President & Executive Director, The PartnershipJohn H. Taylor, Jr.Senior Vice President & Executive Director, DPPI
Matt AmisCommunications ManagerCheryl CornExecutive Assistant to the PresidentSenior Vice President CommunicationsKatie DunnCommunications SpecialistLinda D. EriksenAccounting AssociateGreg GrossDirector of Government Relations
Chuck JamesAccount ExecutiveArlene SimonAccount ExecutiveBill StephanoDirector of MembershipPatrina WallaceInformation AdministratorKelly WetzelEvents Manager
STAFF
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Linda AmmonsWidener University School of Law
Julian H. BookerDelmarva Broadcasting Company
David B. BrownPotter Anderson & Corroon, LLP
I.G. Burtoni.g. Burton & Co., Inc.
Timothy J. ConstantineHighmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
Charlie CopelandAssociates International, Inc.
E. Andrew DiSabatinoEDiS Company
Orlando J. George, Jr.Delaware Technical & Community College
Martha S. GilmanGilman Development Company
Robert V.A. Harra, Jr.Wilmington Trust Company
John E. Healy IIIHealy Long & Jevin, Inc.
Michael HoughtonMorris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell, LLP
Tyrone JonesAstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
Chris KennyShopRites of Delaware
Bernhard KochAAA Mid-Atlantic
Richard H. LaPentaInsurance & Financial Services, Ltd.
Robert J. Laskowski M.D.Christiana Care Health Systems
Renee LewandowskiAgilent Technologies
Michael MacFarlandTD Bank
Cathy MacFarlaneING DIRECT
Scott MalfitanoCSC - Corporation Service Company
Nicholas MarsiniPNC Bank, Delaware
John McCarthyAstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
Paul M. McConnellMcConnell Development, Inc.
Chad MooreThe Bellmoor
Bret MorrisA.R. Morris Jewelers
Theodore J. PrushinskiCitizens Bank
Michael RatchfordW.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
John S. RileyAshland, Inc.
W. Laird Stabler, IIILaird Stabler & Associates, LLC
Gary R. StockbridgeDelmarva Power
Clinton WalkerBarclaycard US
William S. WallaceJPMorgan Chase
Robert W. WhetzelRichards, Layton & Finger
Katie WilkinsonFulton Bank
Harry L. WilliamsDelaware State University
Fred MillerPresident
ADVERTISING SALES / Miller Publishing, Inc.
Message fromthe Vice President
The three business areas coveredin this issue are construction/realestate, technology and innovation,and banking. Most interesting isthe relationship between these threebusiness sectors in the economyand the role they can play in quick-ening the pace of the slow recoveryfrom the recession instigated by a2008 financial collapse.
Delaware’s construction employment figures are about one-third of what they were in 2007, while the real estate marketappearing to be picking up at an anemic rate. Commonwisdom tells us that technology and innovation will need tobecome leaders in the battle to overcome economic malaise.Financial institutions, particularly local banks, suffered thebrunt of the damage done by the global financial collapse.But if the economic recovery is to move at a more at a rapidrate, banks will need to play a significant role by providing thecapital needed by businesses of all sizes to expand.
The relationship between these three sectors can bedescribed simply: Financial institutions provide the capitalthat allows educational institutions and tech businesses todevelop and manufacture the products, which, in turn,can be offered for sale on the domestic and global market-place. This relationship also helps create efficiencies thatallow businesses to become more profitable and provideconsumers with products that can improve their standardof living. The success of this sector will create increasingdemands on the real estate market, which will then trans-late into amplified construction opportunities. With thesuccess of these markets, the banks will show improvedearnings, which allow them to provide additional capital.
Some experts say the housing market is beginning toshow signs of life. Be sure to check out Eileen SmithDallabrida’s update on page 39. And for a full rundown ofthose all-so critical DSCC bank members, flip to page 45.
Obviously this is an elementary example of how theeconomic system functions. But, many economists will arguethat the way out of the recession can be found with theimprovement of consumer and business confidence. The arti-cles in this edition of Delaware Business provides examplesof how local businesses involved in three sectors are movingforward with the means for providing the elements necessaryfor boosting confidence and strengthening economic growth.
DELAWAREBUSINESS
Rich Heff ron
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A2 11/6/12 3:28 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 3
PH
OTO
BY
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LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY
The Political Off-Season: Time to Solve Problems
BY RICH HEFFRON
BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS column, the results ofElection Day 2012 will be final. At least we hope there is a deci-sion—a repeat of the 2000 presidential election deadlock and thesubsequent circus like atmosphere is the last thing the nation needs,especially with an uncertain future for the economy and the threatof international turmoil looming.
Our nation, state, counties, cities and towns are navigatingthrough some very rough seas, and all of us are in the same boat.To successfully reach calmer waters and a safe harbor we all need tobe rowing in the same direction. The purpose of the elections is toallow citizens everywhere the opportunity to select people who willrepresent them in government. Although not everyone’s favoredcandidate wins, and voter philosophies remain as diverse as thepopulation, it is imperative that we abandon political rancor afterthe election results are complete.
The facts are, no matter who wins at the federal level: theMedicare, Medicaid, and social security programs are not sustain-able in the long run; the current rate of economic growth cannotproduce the robust economy necessary to generate enough jobs toincrease revenue; and various simmering situations overseas willremain unstable and dangerous. The state budget will still need tobe balanced, despite an anticipated decline in revenue, and small
businesses continue to face increasing costs. Public education,though showing signs of improvement, is not where we need it tobe, and job creation is still lagging.
Local governments face daunting fiscal hurdles and public safetyremains a serious problem in many jurisdictions. Political bickeringwill not resolve these issues, let alone the many other pressing issuesthat will surely surface in the coming months and years.
Only cooperation, hard work, frank discussion, ingenuity, patience,and wisdom—combined with an honest consideration of reality—canlead to a forward path designed to resolve these thorny issues. Thisprocess will not be easy. It will not be quick. And frankly, we simplydo not have the time for political or personal grandstanding. The citi-zens of our country and our state expect more from their public offi-cials, and they deserve to have these expectations addressed.
These are difficult times, but these are also a time of opportunity.Winston Churchill once said, “Americans will always do the right thingafter they have tried everything else.” I’m not sure whether we’ve triedeverything else yet, but it is time to do the right thing. We have faceddown even more daunting tasks in the past, and we’ve been successfulin resolving our problems not through political affiliation or status, butbecause we are Americans, because we are Delawareans, and because inthe end, we work together to do the right thing.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A3 11/2/12 2:47 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 4
Goldey Beacom College
Upstate Sponsors
Custom sponsorships available at a variety of price points: 302.504.1326 or [email protected]
Upstate
December 5 Bear Trap DunesKeynote speaker Liane Hansen, NPR Personality and American Journalist
Downstate
December 6 Chase CenterKeynote speaker Susan Lloyd, president and CEO, Delaware Hospice
LUNCHEONS
Network Share Connect
Presented By
Tickets & Info: DelawareToday.com 302.504.1364 [email protected]
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A4 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 5
Membernews&Notes
›› Ed Kulesza sees a lot of people
in transition. Maybe it’s a new
job, a new house, relocating or downsiz-
ing. Some of the clients who come in to
his Delaware Moving and Storage, Inc.
are looking forward to change, some are
dreading it.
Clients don’t always want to take all
of their stuff on to the newest chapter
in their lives, and moving companies
charge by the pound and the mile.
Moving a cheap bedroom set across
the country is not always the most eco-
nomical ting to do.
After years of witnessing clients leave
furniture and other household goods
behind, Kulesza thought there must be
a better, less wasteful way to put dis-
carded house wares to good use.
As a member of the Delaware State
Chamber of Commerce, Kulesza
regularly attends networking events
and started brainstorming with J.
Morgner, mission advancement man-
ager at Wilmington’s Sunday Breakfast
Mission.
When clients express an interest in
leaving furniture or other house wares
behind, Kulesza gives them contact
information for Sunday Breakfast
Mission. The charity then collects from
the moving family and is able to use all
of the goods to further its, well, mission.
Mattresses are sterilized and reused.
Sixty percent of the furniture and house
wares are distributed to people in the
community who are in need. The rest
goes into the charity’s thrift store and
the proceeds for sales are cycled back
into the Sunday Breakfast Mission,
mostly for gas to pick up other dona-
tions, Morgner said.
It’s a simple, elegant solution to
something all too common today,
the disposability of nearly everything.
Kulesza said he is just connecting peo-
ple who can help each other.
“Everybody’s busy, busy, busy today,”
Kulesza says. “It’s a very humbling
experience. What Sunday Breakfast
Mission does is absolutely wonderful.
It’s a Christian organization and they get
people off the street, clean them up and
get them educated on skills to get them
back on their feet.”
Morgner said the Mission receives
one to three calls a week thanks to the
Delaware Moving tips and those tips
lead to pick-ups nine out of 10 times.
In addition the moving company also
collects non-perishable food clients plan
to discard for the Delaware Food Bank.
Sixty percent of the
furniture and house wares
are distributed to people
in the community who
are in need.
Transition MissionDELAWARE MOVING AND STORAGE, SUNDAY BREAKFAST
MISSION TEAM UP FOR THE GREATER GOOD BY APRIL HALL
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A5 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 6
Membernews&Notes
›› Beginning in August, Delaware
Technical Community College’s
Innovation and Technology Center
(ITC) ran a six-week Energy Efficient
Manufacturing training program at its
recently renovated center in New Castle.
The program is a response to “the
expressed needs of Delaware business,”
and was designed using input from local
manufacturers, says Tom McCarthy, ITC
department chairman.
The program was funded by a U.S
Department of Labor grant to connect
Delawareans with jobs, particularly
within Delaware’s manufacturing sec-
tor. The program targeted unemployed
and underemployed workers, who were
placed into the program with the help of
the Department of Labor. At the end of
the six-week beginner level course, work-
ers were officially prepared for entry-level
positions. For graduates looking to fur-
ther advance their skills, an intermediate
course is offered. In addition, businesses
looking to upgrade their employees’ skill
levels were allowed to enroll them in cus-
tomized advanced training sessions, with
the ultimate goal to advance each gradu-
ate’s education.
The ITC collaborated with local manu-
facturing companies to make sure the
program was tailored specifically to meet
Delaware’s needs, and to train approxi-
mately 120 students by September 30,
2013. With an increased focus on energy
efficiency, businesses statewide are
looking for production technicians and
machine equipment operators to help
them reduce their energy use, save money,
and get the highest performance from vital
equipment. Topics such as maintenance,
prep math, precision measurement, hand
and power tools, torque specs, blueprint
reading, mechanical systems, electricity,
and more are covered in the course. The
program’s student-enrichment coordinator
will work with students from start to finish,
helping them to find funding for tuition,
and be placed into jobs.
Program leaders hope to help move
Delaware’s manufacturing industry for-
ward using state-of-the-art simulators.
Graduates of the program will be ready to
contribute high-performance work, with
the latest and most relevant training avail-
able under their belts.
DelTech’s Energy-Effi cient
Manufacturing Program will
help save companies money
while reducing energy use.
Energy-Efficient Manufacturing
Rolls Out at DelTech BY ROSE SUMMERS
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A6 11/2/12 2:53 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 7
›› Businesses have always been
victimized by employee fraud, but
recently, fraud schemes are being reported
with greater frequency. The Association of
Certified Fraud Examiners “2012 Report
to the Nations” (ACFE Report) estimates
that frauds usually go undetected for 18
months and result in a median loss of
$140,000. More alarming is the report’s
statistics indicate small businesses—those
with fewer than 100 employees—appear
to be more susceptible to fraud and incur
“the largest median losses.”
There are many types of fraud schemes
including billing, payroll, expense reim-
bursements, cash register disbursements
and corruption to name a few. It is impos-
sible to describe and discuss all the vari-
ous fraud types in one article; however, I
will briefly highlight some billing schemes
and provide a few ideas
on protecting your busi-
ness from fraud losses.
Causes
While there are many reasons employ-
ees commit fraud, today’s difficult
economic environment is contributing
to the increase. Businesses are under
significant economic pressure to do more
with fewer resources and are reducing
costs by eliminating personnel. While
there are certainly short-term benefits
gained through a reduction in payroll
costs, longer-term problems might arise
if workforce reductions are implemented
without regard to the organization’s inter-
nal controls designed to safeguard its
assets. Additionally, individual employees
might be facing an economic crisis such
as a medical emergency or a spouse los-
ing a job. Confronted with the prospect of
being unable to pay the monthly rent or
mortgage, or even buy food, an opportu-
nistic employee aware of control deficien-
cies might well look to embezzle cash
from his or her employer as a temporary
financial solution. Unfortunately, once
fraud begins, the employee rarely stops
until the fraud is detected.
Cash Larceny
As defined in the ACFE Report, cash
larceny involves “any scheme in which
cash is stolen from an organization after
it has been recorded in the organization’s
books and records.” (Not discussed in this
article is skimming, which is the oppo-
site of cash larceny and involves stealing
cash before it is recorded in the financial
records.) One of the most popular cash
larceny schemes is billing. In his book
“Fraud Examination,” W. Steve Albrecht
notes in such a scheme: “The perpetrator
submits or alters an invoice that causes
his or her employer to willingly issue a
check or make other types of payments.”
One of the more popular billing
schemes involves the creation of a ficti-
tious or dummy company by an employ-
ee. This would include the establishment
of a mailing address and bank account
in the name of the dummy company. In
these instances, the employee commit-
ting the fraud most likely is authorized
to approve a fictitious invoice as to the
receipt of goods or services and for pay-
ment. The approved invoice is eventu-
ally paid and the perpetrating employee
receives the check and deposits it into the
newly created bank account.
A variation of the billing scheme dis-
cussed above involves the double pay-
ment of a legitimate vendor invoice. The
GUEST COLUMN: SEITZ CONSULTING, LLC
Is Your Company at Risk? Fraud Schemes Pose
Significant Business Threats BY PAUL C. SEITZ, CPA, ABV, CVA, CFFA
continued on 9
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A7 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 8
Membernews&Notes
››Steve Chambliss has seen a
lot of change and growth in his
five years as the general manager of the
Christiana Mall, by far the state’s largest
shopping complex. And it continues to
grow. Chambliss was originally brought
on to the Christiana team to help with
the beginning stages of redevelopment,
but he remains a fixture as the mall con-
tinues its aggressive expansion. Ready
for some holiday shopping?
How have you seen the mall expand?
There has been a dramatic change to
the center in the past five years due to
our aggressive expansion and renovation
plan. The center construction began in
November 2007 and completed with the
Nordstrom opening in April 2011. We’ve
changed the center from a local shop-
ping center to the best fashion shopping
destination between Philadelphia and
Baltimore. And we’re working on expand-
ing again to add a large outdoor destina-
tion with Cabela’s and a large theatre
Cinemark with 2014 openings planned.
This transformation has been very suc-
cessful in helping to establish our goals
as the place to shop for all our local cus-
tomers and the surrounding states due to
our ability to offer tax free shopping.
What is happening with the mall now?
We’re currently preparing for the busy
holiday season that’s just around the
Talking ShopQ&A WITH CHRISTIANA MALL GM STEVE CHAMBLISS BY KATIE DUNN
Christiana Mall GM Steve Chambliss wishes
for more great tenants and lots of customers this
holiday season. PHOTO BY MALCOLM VAN ATTA
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A8 11/2/12 2:52 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 9
corner. Putting the finishing touches in
place with the new stores opening this
fall, getting our holiday promotional plans
and events in place and working with our
tenants on their marketing plans.
What stores can we expect to move
into Christiana?
For the balance of 2012, we have
four more stores to open that include
Microsoft, Capital Luggage, Marbles—
that’s the brain store—Fanzz, and a newly
expanded Apple Store. We’re constantly
reviewing our store assortment and work-
ing toward keeping up with customers’
shopping demands so you’ll continue to
see new and exciting stores coming to the
center in the future.
How important is bringing new stores to
the mall?
This is the lifeblood of retailing. Customer
needs are constantly changing and there
is always a demand for the latest trends
in fashion and retail shopping. In order
to continue to be the shopping center
of choice, you need to always be ahead
of the customer demand curve with the
proper assortment of merchandise uses to
meet customer expectations.
What kind of an impact do you think the
expansion will have on jobs in Delaware?
The stores here at Christiana currently
employ about 3,000 employees both full
and part time and provide a great oppor-
tunity for the local population to find jobs
with varying levels of responsibilities that
suit their qualifications and desires.
How many jobs do you think the develop-
ment of the mall has created so far?
It’s hard to know exactly, but at least
1,000 jobs have been added with the
renovation.
Do you think the construction on I-95
has had a negative impact on attracting
shoppers?
I don’t think so. There has been con-
struction in and around the mall for so
many years, that most customers have
adapted their shopping habits and have
figured out how to navigate around it. We
are constantly reviewing our traffic flow
and adjust our plans to meet the chang-
ing traffic flow at the center.
What can we expect when construction is
finished?
The DelDOT team has really partnered
with the mall to minimize the disruption
to our center and their work is forecasted
to have all the new roadways leading to
the mall complete before 2013 holidays.
What can we expect out of the upcoming
shopping season?
As with every year, we want this year to
be stronger than the previous year. We
will have quite a few new tenants that
offer even a better assortment than last
year and we’re very confident we will
have what customers expect. Our plan is
to provide a family friendly positive shop-
ping experience for all our customers.
Do you have any insider shopping tips?
How can we embrace the madness of the
holiday season?
The best times to shop at the center are
in the mornings before noon both week-
days and weekends. It allows for a much
more relaxed shopping atmosphere.
What is your favorite retail store and
favorite counter in the food cart? Why?
I’m a huge Apple Store fan, and most-
ly you’ll find me bouncing between
Saladworks and Panera Bread as they have
the healthy lunch assortment that I enjoy.
person initiating the double payment to
the vendor will then call the vendor and
request a refund or return of the second
check to his or her attention and converts
the refund or check for personal gain.
Prevention
There is no guarantee that a company
will not be victimized by fraud. There
are countless fraud schemes with the
common denominator generally being
a lack of controls. However, even with
a smaller workforce, there are ways to
limit exposure. In each of the schemes
noted above, proper internal controls
were not present. For instance, pay-
ments should only be made to vendors
included on approved listings and no
individual should be authorized to both
acknowledge receipt of goods and
services and approve an invoice for
payment. In short, companies must be
mindful of financial transaction systems
which vest too much authority in one
individual. Further, systems used for
processing financial transactions should
be reviewed periodically to ensure
appropriate segregation of duties exist
among employees and that established
controls are operating effectively.
Paul Seitz is the founder and managing
director of Seitz Consulting, LLC which
provides profitability and performance
strategy consulting and emerging busi-
ness and valuation advisory services.
In addition to providing assistance with
working capital management and debt
restructuring matters, the firm provides
fraud and forensic accounting, litigation
support, expert witness, and individual
tax services. He can be contacted by
email at [email protected].
Guest Column continued from 8
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A9 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 10
Membernews&Notes
›› In less than 20 years, the Internet
has changed the way we gather
and share information. In about half that
time, cloud technology has become as
commonplace as the Internet itself. Think
about being able to check work email
from a local coffee shop or working on a
complex business project from home.
Greg Ballance, owner of Diamond
Technologies, Inc., says his company
started 16 years ago by helping Fortune
500 companies find solutions to their
computing complications, but in the last
five years or so, Diamond has concen-
trated more on small and medium-sized
businesses.
“When you go in your home and turn
on the light switch, electricity comes
on,” Ballance says. “People just expect
the light to come on when it comes to
computer data. Both employees and
customers are used to using it.”
And the key to that is the cloud—a
central location from where users can
pull information, wirelessly.
Ballance says there are different
pieces to cloud technology. Diamond
Technologies guides businesses through
the decision-making process when it
comes to the hardware they’re using
and what should be moved to the
cloud—email, proprietary software,
applications, and more. Then there’s
whether to use a public or private cloud.
If information and applications are par-
ticularly sensitive to security, a private
cloud may be necessary, though no
other users can see business data even
on the public cloud, he says.
“People jump in or just stick their
toe in,” Ballance says. “We can start
by moving the company’s email to the
cloud without moving the businesses
data and applications.”
Companies that take advantage of
cloud technology can benefit greatly, as
can their clients, Ballance says. Those
that don’t could be left behind in the lurch.
“Where I think it’s going to impact
businesses is when they aren’t open to
change,” he says. “Employees aren’t
going to be able to do the job they want.
Most employees are used to this now,
being able to work remotely, for instance.
“And the most talented employees are
going to go where they have the tools
they need to do their job most effectively.”
He says competitors embracing cloud
technology will not only steal market
share from those businesses afraid to
change, but also the best employees.
“There are more and more adopting
this technology every day, but those
that don’t—they’re going to be behind
the 8-ball.”
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Diamond Technologies, Inc. BY APRIL HALL
Diamond Technologies
helps connect small and
medium-sized businesses
with emerging technology.
PHOTO BY NICK WALLACE
Ballance says there are diff erent pieces to cloud technology.
Diamond Technologies guides businesses through the
decision-making process when it comes to the hardware
they’re using and what should be moved to the cloud
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A10 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 11
››One in three adults in America
have chronic kidney disease,
and through its educational programs,
community outreach and fundraisers,
the National Kidney Foundation works to
spread the word about early detection,
treatments and organ donation.
The Philadelphia office of the NKF
serves the entire Delaware Valley, includ-
ing New Castle County and some of
Kent County.
Signature events for the group includ-
ing the Kidney Ball, scheduled for March
2013 in Philadelphia, the Kidney Early
Evaluation Program screening November
8 at Bethel AME Church in Wilmington
and the annual Wilmington Kidney Walk,
held yearly in October.
The Kidney Walk raised $107,000 in
2011 and this year’s goal was $115,000.
Mary Elizabeth Sullivan, community
outreach assistant for NKF, says she
expected to have about 1,000 people
participate in the walk.
Sullivan says the level of support for
the NKF is impressive, with University of
Delaware’s Gamma Sigma Sigma chap-
ter raising more than $10,000 alone. She
says a number of other teams of walkers
and walk sponsors are also generous
with their support.
In addition to the KEEP screenings, the
money also goes toward programs includ-
ing Continuing Medical Education pro-
grams for health professionals and educa-
tional materials for the general public.
“Basically what we want to do is focus
on prevention and education,” Sullivan
says. “There are a number of risk factors
people need to know about.”
She says those factors include high
blood pressure, a history or family history
of Diabetes. Early detection is the best
weapon against the disease, she added.
Last year the NKF screened nearly 70
people at KEEP and more than about 15
people learned for the first time that they
had Chronic Kidney Disease. Others
found out their risks for hyper tension
and high cholesterol.
“As long as you’re not in the end stag-
es, there are ways to make sure you are
treated properly,” Sullivan says. “If you
do have kidney disease there is dialysis
and perhaps a transplant. Not to men-
tion, in some forms, the disease can be
preventable.”
NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT National KidneyFoundation Delaware Valley BY APRIL HALL
Community support at fundraising
events helps drive NKF Delaware Valley’s
mission, says Mary Elizabeth Sullivan
(front row, right). PHOTO BY NICK WALLACE
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A11 11/2/12 2:55 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 12
AMERICAN RED CROSS OF THE
DELMARVA PENINSULA
Mr. Patrick Delaney100 West 10th Street, Suite 501Wilmington, DE 19801Phone: (302) 656-6620Fax: (302) 656-8797www.redcrossdelmarca.orgThe American Red Cross prevents and
alleviates human suffering in the face of
emergencies by mobilizing the power of vol-
unteers and the generosity of donors.
ASDEN OIL, LLC
Ms. Uzoma O. Azubike12 Willow Creek CourtParkville, MD 21234Phone: (434) 249-5680Provider of energy and oil services.
BILCOM, INC.
Ms. Patricia RiveraP.O. Box 391Georgetown, DE 19947Phone: (302) 228-6689www.bilcomg.usTranslation services for employers and non-
profits.
BLOOMING BOUTIQUE LLC
Ms. Michiko Seto107 Second StreetLewes, DE 19958Phone: (302) 644-4052Fax: (302) 644-2463www.bloomingboutique.comSeven women’s boutique stores that carry
women’s clothing, shoes, handbags, acces-
sories and jewelry including TrollBeads,
Chamilia, and Kameleon.
DEL-ONE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
DOWNTOWN DOVER BRANCH
Ms. Amy Resh150 East Water StreetDover, DE 19901Phone: (302) 739-4496Fax: (302) 739-2868www.Del-One.orgFor over 50 years, Del-One Federal Credit
Union has been committed to offering,
financial products and services that provide
financial strength and stability. Del-One FCU
offers statewide branch locations, deposit
insurance up to $500,000, a variety of sav-
ings, checking and loan options, shared
branching, student scholarships, free finan-
cial education, and more.
DILLON ROAD
Ms. Susan Forbes1401 N. Clayton Street, Suite B-5Wilmington, DE 19806Phone: (302) 584-7610Dillonroad.com/consultant/sforbesCustom clothing, specializing in shirts and
suits. Affordable luxury, personal service
brought to you.
GEMINI JANITORIAL SERVICES
Ms. Janet Killian30 Lukens Drive, Suite BNew Castle, DE 19720Phone: (302) 654-5310
Fax: (302) 654-5312www.geminillc.netJanitorial Services and supplies for com-
mercial cleaning and construction clean-up.
LAW OFFICES OF MICHELE D. ALLEN, LLC
Ms. Michele Allen1201 N. Orange StreetWilmington, DE 19801Phone: (302) 884-6750www.micheleallenlaw.comA privately owned law office based out of
downtown Wilmington.
MICROSOFT STORE
Ms. Caryn Rosica137 Christiana MallNewark, DE 19702Phone: (302) 669- 0200www.microsoftstore.comMicrosoft Store offers hardware and soft-
ware solutions through their vast catalogue.
The store also offers a community theater
room for training, workshops and events.
MID-ATLANTIC HISPANIC CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
Dr. Jorge RibasP.O. Box 910Germantown, MD 20875Phone: (301) 404-1946Fax: (202) 587-5601www.MAHCC.orgMultistate Chamber of Commerce serv-
ing the Mid-Atlantic states and advocating
for economic, workforce, and community
development.
WELCOMENew Members
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A12 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS 2012
MILTON & HATTIE KUTZ HOME
Mr. David Albert704 River RoadWilmington, DE 19809Phone: (302) 764-7000Fax: (302) 764-1734www.kutzhome.orgA skilled-nursing facility and
rehabilitation center.
NWN CORPORATION
Mr. John M. Gaughan130 Gaither Drive, Suite 100Mount Laurel, NJ 08054Phone: (856) 914-5630www.NWNIT.comNWN helps customers solve business
problems through technology.
PATTERSON-SCHWARTZ REAL ESTATE
524 Kennett PikeChadds Ford, PA 19317Phone: (610) 388-6100www.pattersonschwartz.com
PBK PHOTOGRAPHY LLC
Mr. Jim Jones1305 Foulk RoadWilmington, DE 19803Phone: (302) 764-9469www.pbkphotography.comPBK specializes in photo and document
restorations, business events photography
with on-site printing for business events,
weddings and portraits.
PSG FINANCIAL
Ms. Laura Crean2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 114Wilmington, DE 19806Phone: (302) 655-3961Fax: (302) 384-6878Financial services - protection,
savings, and growth.
R.D. GREEN PLUMBING
& HEATING LLC
Mr. Randy Green1025 Coleman StreetWilmington, DE 19805Phone: (302) 429-5970Providing plumbing and
heating services.
2 FISH GROUP
Mr. Mike Gracie8 West 3rd StreetWilmington, DE 19801Phone: (302) 425-3939www.2fish.comWeb design, logo creation, brand
development, marketing strategy,
SEO assistance.
s
E
ent
aphy
nts,
R.D. GREEN PLUMBING
& HEATING LLC
Mr. Randy Green1025 Coleman StreetWilmington, DE 19805Phone: (302) 429-5970Providing plumbing and
heating services.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A13 10/25/12 12:06 PM
| November /December 13
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 14
1.
2.
State ChamberSCENE
1. Nikki Lavoie of the Delaware
Economic Development Office
and Stephanie Fitzpatrick of
the National Multiple Sclerosis
Society of Delaware share a
laugh during a Young Executives
Committee Mixer on August 2 at
Union City Grille in Wilmington.
Photo by Malcolm Van Atta.
2. Dawn Reimschussel of
Bayard and friend take a break
in conversation during a Young
Executives Committee Mixer on
August 2 at Union City Grille in
Wilmington. Photo by Malcolm
Van Atta.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A14 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 15
3.
4.
3. Melinda McGuigan of EDiS
Company and Arlene Simon of
the DSCC pose for the camera
during an evening networking
mixer at Deerfield on August 15.
Photo by Abby Sayeg.
4. Deerfield’s Jeff Robinson
holds court during an evening
networking mixer at Deerfield
on August 15. Photo by Abby
Sayeg.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A15 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 16
State Chamber SCENE
6.
5.
5. State Representative Pete
Schwartzkopf cuts the ceremo-
nial ribbon at the grand open-
ing of Emory Hill Real Estate in
Lewes on August 21. Photo by
Abby Sayeg.
6. Delaware State Senator Gary
Simpson and State Rep. Harvey
Kenton mingle during the mid-
day mixer at Emory Hill Real
Estate in Lewes on August 21.
Photo by Abby Sayeg.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A16 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 17
8.
7. 7. Emory Hill’s Michele Chynoweth
greets visitors during the midday
mixer at Emory Hill Real Estate in
Lewes on August 21. Photo by
Abby Sayeg.
8. Secretary of Economic
Development Alan Levin and Emory
Hill president Carmen Facciolo
address the crowd assembled dur-
ing the midday mixer at Emory Hill
Real Estate in Lewes on August 21.
Photo by Abby Sayeg.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A17 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 18
State Chamber SCENE
10.
9. 9. A “cop” from Sonitrol
Security Systems accosts
Grant Firestone and Fritz
Land during the 2012
Delaware Networking Station
at the Chase Center on
September 27.
10. Cookies and hospitality
from the Clarion Belle Hotel
were on display during the
2012 Delaware Networking
Station at the Chase Center
on September 27.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A18 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 19
11.
13.
11. Presenting sponsors
Horizon Services, Inc. hold
court at the 2012 Delaware
Networking Station at the
Chase Center on September
27.
12. Coventry Health Care
displays its wares during the
2012 Delaware Networking
Station at the Chase Center
on September 27.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A19 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 20
State Chamber SCENE
13. 13. Jennifer Allen and
Dina Orpello of Diamond
Technologies stop and say
hi during the 2012 Delaware
Networking Station at the Chase
Center on September 27.
14. Many a prize wheel was
spun during the 2012 Delaware
Networking Station at the Chase
Center on September 27.
14.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A20 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 21
15. Father-son team William
Swezey and William Swezey,
Jr. of Data Management
Internationale pose during the
2012 Delaware Networking
Station at the Chase Center on
September 27.
16. PNC Bank displays during
the 2012 Delaware Networking
Station at the Chase Center on
September 27.
16.
15.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A21 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 22
The Marvin S. Gilman Superstars in Business Award is named for one of Delaware’s finest small business leaders. The awards are presented to com-panies that have been in business for at least three years, are small businesses based on number of employees and are members of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. Another award recognizes non-profit organizations. Awards of Excellence are presented to the runners-up in each category.
The following businesses are decorated with the 2012 Marvin S. Gilman Superstars in Business Award.
2012 SUPERSTARS IN BUSINESS AWARD WINNERSBlooming Boutique (Category of up to 24 employees)
Over the last six years, Blooming Boutique has grown from one small boutique into seven stores located throughout the Delaware beach region. Blooming Boutique sells jewelry, handbags, wallets and more, to women of all ages. The stores offer great prices along with even better customer service. Owner Michiko Seto throws customer appreciation parties and keeps patrons informed through monthly newsletters. The company’s fun atmosphere and unique products keep business strong even through the cold season.
Cover & Rossiter, P.A. (Category of 25 to 59 employees)
Cover & Rossiter has been serving the Delaware community for more than 70 years. It loyally provides individualized accounting, audit, tax and financial planning services to its range of clients. With its team based approach to business, Cover & Rossiter thrives by maintaining a fam-ily oriented and challenging work climate that attracts clients. Cover & Rossiter cultivates a great environment for its employees, and was honored with the News Journal’s Top Workplaces Award in August 2012. The com-pany was a 2011 Award of Excellence winner.
Emory Hill Companies (Category of 60 to 150 employees)
Now in its 31st year, Emory Hill provides commercial brokerage, con-struction, property management and maintenance, as well as residential real estate sales to Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region. The company prospers thanks to its beliefs in quality and integrity, an innovative team approach, and community involvement. Emory Hill began as a real estate development company in Newark, but soon grew into the company it is today, with outstanding performance, customer service, and a loyal cus-tomer base. Emory Hill was a 2011 Award of Excellence recipient.
Blood Bank of Delmarva (Non-profit organization category)
The Blood Bank of Delmarva is a non-profit community service organi-zation dedicated to providing blood and blood products to the Delmarva Peninsula region. Over the past 58 years, the Blood Bank of Delmarva has earned the trust of its community, and has grown into a strong and capable network that serves more than 20,000 patients a year. Blood Bank employ-ees value their important cause as much as each individual patient.
2012 AWARD OF EXCELLENCE WINNERSUnique Impressions (Category of up to 24 employees)
This one-stop-shop for imprinted products caters to schools, non-profits, sports teams, fraternities and sororities and more. The owner and employees believe that personal attention is the key to a thriving business.
Community Bank Delaware (Category of 25 to 59 employees)
A full-service community bank located in Lewes and Rehoboth Beach, Com-munity Bank Del. offers a full range of commercial and retail banking services. The combined experience of the president and the directors give the bank a spe-cific, accurate and sophisticaled perspective of the community’s banking needs.
Superstarsin Business
Small businesses really are the backbone of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. Each year,
the Small Business Alliance honors those businesses and non-profit organizations for their exceptional
accomplishments and model approaches to business and management.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A22 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 23
Back to Basics Learning Dynamics, Inc.(Category of 60 to 150 employees)
Founded in 1985, Back to Basics is a premier education provider forstudents of all ages and needs. The award-winning tutors and instructors at Back to Basics have provided over 12,500 children and adults with excep-tional one-on-one tutoring and enrollment.
Sunday Breakfast Mission (Non-profit organization category)
Sunday Breakfast Mission comprehensively serves the homeless and impov-erished in and around Wilmington. The organization has met the demands of the community and opened a new facility to provide an opportunity to women and children to escape potentially dangerous living situations. Thanks to its new facility, the organization houses 200 men, women and children each night.
PLATINUM
Bank of America
M&T Bank
DIAMOND
The Gilman Family
GOLD
Associates International, Inc.
Belfint, Lyons & Shuman,
CPAs
Citizens Bank
Colonial Parking, Inc.
Delaware Economic
Development Office
DuPont
EBC Carpet Services Corp.
EDiS Company
Highmark Blue Cross Blue
Shield Delaware
PNC Bank
TD Bank
WSFS Bank
SILVER
Artesian Water Co.
Artisans’ Bank
Assurance Media, LLC
AutoTeam Delaware
Delaware City Refining
Company LLC
Dukart Management/
McDonald’s
Glenmede
Gunnip & Company, CPAs
MySherpa
New Castle Insurance
ParenteBeard LLC
VanDemark & Lynch, Inc.
Wheeler, Wolfenden &
Dwares, CPAs
BRONZE
ab+c Creative Intelligence
Back to Basics Learning
Dynamics, Inc.
Delaware Community
Foundation
Diamond Technologies, Inc.
DiSabatino Construction
Company
Environmental Alliance, Inc.
George J. Weiner &
Associates
FRIENDS
Community Service Building
Corexcel
Professional Staffing
Associates, Inc.
Ronald McDonald House of
Delaware
MARKETING &
ADVERTISING DESIGN
Mease Communications
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Teleduction
PROMOTIONAL MEDIA &
APPLICATION HOSTING
Delmarva Broadcasting
Company
AWARDS
A.R. Morris Jewelers
GIFT SPONSORS
Healy, Long & Jevin, Inc.
Delmarva Broadcasting
Company
PRINT/ONLINE MEDIA
Delaware Today
NEWSPAPER COVERAGE
The News Journal Media
Group
SIGNAGE
Parcels, Inc
2012 MARVIN S. GILMAN SUPERSTARS IN BUSINESS SPONSORS
Mr. Kenneth Anderson
Delaware Economic
Development Office
Mr. Terrence Barclift
Bank of America
Ms. Pam Cornforth
Ronald McDonald House
of Delaware
Mr. Lawrence DiSabatino
DiSabatino Construction
Ms. Katie Dunn
Delaware State Chamber
of Commerce
Mr. Donald Fulton
George J. Weiner & Associates
Ms. Janice Giannini
Paradigm Associates, LLC
Ms. Martha Gilman
Fundraising Chair, Gilman
Development Company
Mr. John Healy, III
Healy, Long & Jevin, Inc.
Mr. Steve Lehm
Program Chair, VanDemark &
Lynch, Inc.
Mr. Chad Moore
The Bellmoor Inn
Mr. Bill Parks
Colonial Parking, Inc.
Mr. Chip Rankin
Selection Committee Chair, EBC
Carpet Services
Mr. Christopher L. Scarpitti
M&T Bank
Ms. Kristen Shaw
ParenteBeard, LLC
Ms. Priscilla Turgon
Professional Staffing
Ms. Cathy Stauffer Wozniak
The TEAM Approach
Mr. Terrence Barclift
Bank of America
Ms. Pam Cornforth
Ronald McDonald House
of Delaware
Ms. Katie Dunn
Delaware State Chamber
of Commerce
Ms. Cynthia Dwyer
Wellness Community Delaware
Mr. Donald Fulton
George J. Weiner & Associates
Ms. Janice Giannini
Paradigm Associates, LLC
Mr. Stephen Lehm
VanDemark & Lynch, Inc.
Mr. James Randall
Mr. Chip Rankin
EBC Carpet Services
Mr. Christopher L. Scarpitti
M&T Bank
Ms. Kristen Shaw
ParenteBeard, LLC
Ms. Cathy Stauffer Wozniak
The TEAM Approach
2012 MARVIN S. GILMAN SUPERSTARS IN
BUSINESS PLANNING COMMITTEE
2012 SUPERSTARS IN BUSINESS AWARD SELECTION COMMITTEE
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A23 11/2/12 3:35 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 24
WITH THE MOUNTAINS OF EXQUISITE BEADS, neck-laces, clothes, hats and shoes displayed in her Blooming Boutique, owner Michiko “Micha” Seto has found her way into the hearts of shopaholics everywhere. Thanks to the success of her seven gift stores located through-out lower Delaware, Seto is a 2012 Superstar in Business.
For Seto, the idea for opening a boutique sparked while vacationing in St. Martin. She came across a line of exquisite handbags, and “they were as pricey as they were beautiful,” she says. Seto recreated the bags, injecting her own unique personality into the design. Requests for her hand-crafted bags poured in quickly. And though she quickly found herself over-whelmed with orders, Seto sensed an opportunity.
The Ocean City, NJ native made her way back to the shore in 2006 when she opened her first Blooming Boutique on West Market Street in Lewes. With sales nearly doubling each month, Seto decided to expand, and since then has blossomed into six more locations throughout Sussex County.
“It is still hard to believe that we started in a tiny store on Market Street and grew to this size in only six years,” Seto says. “But I love being able to offer unique, useful, fun and affordable products to a broad range of customers.”
By 2010, Seto had brought Blooming Boutique to Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach and Milford. Her company’s growth granted Seto the opportunity to provide an even larger variety of products to her custom-
ers, including lines such as Lindsay Phillips shoes, Popcorn Shirts clothing, TrollBeads, Chamilia, Delaware Beach Beads, Donna Sharp handbags, Mud Pie Accessories, and more.
“Blooming Boutique stands apart from peers because we find unique products that are affordable and we provide excellent service,” Seto says.
The essence of Blooming Boutiques can be boiled down to its customer service. Seto’s workforce is made up of 23 part-time employees, many of whom are recent retirees. “Her enthusiasm is contagious,” says Rosann Desmond, a long time employee who has been working for Blooming Boutique since 2006. “Work isn’t like going to the dentist, you actually enjoy coming here.”
To reward employees for their dedication, a 401k profit sharing program was installed. Seto describes her employees as a “product of the product,” and their enthusiasm rubs off on customers.
Blooming Boutique shows no signs of stopping. On Memorial Day week-end, the Lewes community officially welcomed Seto’s newest store, Treasures, which sells products for the homes. Accent furniture and artwork—often portraying local icons like Dolle’s Candyland, the Rehoboth Boardwalk, and the beach area’s World War II towers—can be found at Treasures.
Seto says the next step for Blooming Boutique involves designing private-label clothing lines and finding new ways to exercise Blooming Boutique’s philosophy of catering to every woman’s fashion needs.
S u p e r s t a r s i n B u s i n e s s Wi n n e r ( - e m p l o y e e s c a t e g o r y )
BLOOMING BOUTIQUEBY ELLE BORNEMANN | PHOTOS BY TOM NUTTER
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A24 11/2/12 3:38 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 25
AS ONE OF DELAWARE’S OLDEST and most respected cer-tified public accounting firms, Cover & Rossiter, P.A. boasts an ability to serve a unique cross-section of Delaware businesses, organizations, families, and individuals, as it has for more than 70 years. The firm’s dedication makes it a true Superstar in Business.
Employees at Cover & Rossiter provide clients with a full range of financial services, including accounting, auditing, taxes and financial planning, among many others. The company’s commitment to minimiz-ing tax burdens and providing valuable business advice has kept its many clients—which include the Blood Bank of Delmarva, Longwood Gardens, University of Delaware Research Foundation and Read-Aloud Delaware, to name a few—happy and coming back each year.
In 1939, Clarence Cover opened a branch of his Philadelphia-based firm in Wilmington. Cover & Co. eventually became Cover & Rossiter, P.A. in 1965 with the addition of Paul Rossiter as a partner. Though the times have changed, Cover & Rossiter’s mission to provide clients with individu-
alized and innovative services to its clients has not strayed. When the recession of 2008 hit, Delaware business leaders needed a
firm that would provide accounting guidance to endure and recover during a financial crisis. Managing Director Geoff Langdon says that in times of economic strife, clients need psychological encouragement more than any-thing else. “By taking the time to get a client on the phone, telling them that we are there for them and we are going to help them make it through goes a very long way,” says Langdon. “They just need to know that you’re in this with them and that you will stick it out together until the very end. We want our clients to know that we want them to succeed, because their success means our success,” says Langdon.
Cover & Rossiter guided its clients through the recession, and prevented even a single client from declaring bankruptcy. The firm itself thrived post-recession and opened a second branch in Middletown in August of 2010. Since 2008, Cover & Rossiter’s net revenue increased 2.9 percent over
S u p e r s t a r s i n B u s i n e s s Wi n n e r - E m p l o y e e s C a t e g o r y
COVER & ROSSITER, P.A.BY ELLE BORNEMANN
continued on 28
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A25 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 26
THE FORMULA AT EMORY HILL Companies allows it tocontinue to provide quality services while it grows as an enterprise. A 2011 Award of Excellence winner, Emory Hill’s continued evolution as a supe-rior company is no fluke. With the addition of new technological advance-ments and continued focus on customer service, Emory Hill is a 2012 Superstar in Business.
The company began life as a real estate development company based in Newark, but by 1989 Emory Hill Real Estate Services Inc. had grown into a company that also provided comprehensive construction management, design-build services, commercial brokerage, residential real estate broker-age, property management and maintenance. To date, Emory Hill has built and developed more than 15 million square feet of property with a com-bined value of well over $600 million.
Emory Hill was founded in 1981 by Robert H. Hill and R. Clayton Emory, with Carmen Facciolo Jr. becoming a partner in 1983. The expan-sion of the company’s services came as a result of their client’s demands, and
the resulting growth allowed Emory Hill to become a one-stop real estate resource. In 1997 Emory Hill’s brokerage services division aligned with NAI Global, the world’s largest managed network of real estate providers.
Three distinct reasons allow Emory Hill to stand out from its peers: outstanding client service, leadership by example, and a focus on a team approach and team building efforts. The services Emory Hill provides are client-driven and are developed to meet the particular needs of any finan-cial or real estate area. Client services include strategic planning, portfolio analysis and management, lease audits/lease administration, financial reviews, demographic/regional analysis and IT functions, and more. The company’s leadership strives to make property maintenance hassle-free and less burden-some on clients. “If you give clients the opportunity to be successful, then they will be,” says Facciolo.
Walking through an Emory Hill office building reveals a professional, cor-porate environment. But these are no corporate robots. Comprised of 79 total
S u p e r s t a r s i n B u s i n e s s Wi n n e r ( - e m p l o y e e s c a t e g o r y )
EMORY HILL COMPANIESBY ELLE BORNEMANN
continued on 28
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A26 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 27
MOST NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS ASK for dona-tions in the form of money, clothing, food or time. The Blood Bank of Delmarva simply asks for your blood. For 58 years, the Blood Bank of Delmarva has provided blood products to more than 1.3 million patients, and continues to save lives in the community.
More than 70,000 blood donations are needed each year for about 20,000 patients across the Delmarva Peninsula. Last year, 91,839 people registered to give blood, platelets, and plasma. The Blood Bank of Delmarva, which is headquartered in Newark, continues to provide the blood products to patients in 16 hospitals in the Delmarva Peninsula.
However, there will always be a need for blood. “Blood is not something that we can manufacture—it has to come from a person and their will to give,” says Michael Waite, director of marketing and community relations.
For the Blood Bank of Delmarva, community involvement plays a huge role in the organization’s success. “We are the community. We live and sup-port the community in need and therefore we need the rest of community to help,” says Roy Roper, manager and CEO. To reward the community
for their involvement, the Blood Bank of Delmarva instituted a unique membership plan that provides blood products to approximately 163,000 member families. The plan promises immediate blood product coverage to a member as well as their dependants in any emergency situation—and reinforces the notion that members and donors are crucial instruments in saving lives. “Our community is our business. If it weren’t for donors, the lights wouldn’t even be on,” Waite says.
Mary Konwinski, manager of community relations, says donors become more active when they see who their donation benefits. “Faces are the key to getting someone to donate. By putting a face to the recipient, it now becomes more personal for the donor and it makes their donation feel more rewarding,” she says.
In 2007, 14-year-old Andrew McDonough became a face for platelet donations at the Blood Bank. Awareness of Andrew’s condition—he suf-fered from leukemia—soon led to the establishment of the B+ Foundation, which dedicates support to families of children with cancer. Joseph
S u p e r s t a r s i n B u s i n e s s Wi n n e r N o n - P r o f i t C a t e g o r y
THE BLOOD BANK OF DELMARVA
BY ELLE BORNEMANN
continued on 28
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A27 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 28
Superstars in Business
2009, 10.6 percent over 2010 and 9.3 percent over YTD July 2011. When many organizations were forced to cut back or lay off employees, Cover & Rossiter increased by 6 percent in 2011 and will increase another 6 percent by the end of 2012.
Cover & Rossiter commits fully to its employees, too. In 2012 the firm won The News Journal’s Top Workplaces Award, and a Psychologically Healthy Workplace title from the Delaware Psychological Association in 2010. Understanding that happy staff members usually means happy clients, Cover & Rossiter employ-ees are encouraged to choose a desired work week that fits around their family obligations.
Staffers at Cover & Rossiter also trace deep community roots, and give back to it every chance they get. In 2012, the staff pledged $50,000 over the next five years to the University of Delaware in memory of their friend and co-worker, Julie Gricol, a former intern with the firm. The Julie G. Gricol ‘08 Memorial Scholarship grants an undergraduate student with the financial ability to study in the University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business and Economics as an accounting major.
With confidence, honesty, and family values folded into every aspect of the workplace, Cover & Rossiter shows no signs of slowing, and continues to serve Delaware just as it has for more than 70 years.
Cover & Rossiter continued from 25
employees (including five who have logged at least 20 years of company service), the staffers of Emory Hill are the core of the business. Winning the Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal’s 2011 Best Place to Work award proves that the work environment at Emory Hill is anything but dull.
Like many companies, Emory Hill was greatly affected by the economic downturn of 2008. Since then, the company has managed to main-tain growth and strives to keep the company relatively small to avoid loss. “This protects us and our employees in case we see another eco-nomic crisis,” says Hill. Amidst the economic crisis, Emory Hill was still able to meet client demands for real estate services in the lower Delaware region. In June 2012, Emory Hill opened an office in Lewes to support growing
Emory Hill continued from 26
McDonough, Andrew’s father, was recently inducted into the Fenwal Blood Donation Hall of Fame and continues to give blood today.
Young blood proves to be more useful and
Blood Bank continued from 27
versatile for donations and saving lives, so the Blood Bank’s marketing department revamped its approach and began targeting younger donors. Utilizing social media and creating friendly, com-petitive blood drives for local high schools, colleges and businesses, proved successful. In 2011, the Blood Bank was witness to and a participant in the Colonial Athletic Association Blood Challenge at the University of Delaware—the largest one-day blood drive in the history of the state. A total of 1,350 individuals registered to give blood at four simultaneous locations. During the 2011 Summer Blood Challenge, blood donations increased by 20 percent, with 8,611 blood donations and 1,691 new Blood Bank members.
Today, employees and volunteers work togeth-er to actively contribute working towards one main goal: providing blood and blood products to patients in need. Employees, volunteers and donators are constantly reminded of the help they are providing and the value their donations hold. Roper conducts ongoing “town hall” meet-ings for staff members that give them a chance to voice their opinions and ideas on develop-ment. It allows staffers to feel a connection with upper management, and fosters the idea that they play an important role in the organization. “We are a team, working towards one common goal- to save lives,” Roper says. The GEM pro-gram, which stands for Going the Extra Mile, encourages employees to reward one another when they see another one doing extra work for a patient or product.
In the last 12 months, the Blood Bank has pursued partnerships with other area non-profits, including the American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Heart Association, CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, and others. Staff charitable activities supported United Way, Toys for Tots, and Ronald McDonald House.
“With 4 to 5 percent of our population giving the rest of the population blood, the people who are constantly giving are the ones keeping everybody else alive.” Waite says. The Blood Bank includes four permanent blood donation centers in Newark, Wilmington, Dover, and Salisbury, Md., and more than 30 locations are visited by bloodmobiles and accommodate all areas of the community.
“It’s the most personal type of philanthropy that a person can give,” Waite says, “their own blood, a personal part of them.” ■
expansion in Kent and Sussex counties. The new office had already listed 25 properties as of press time, including a few that resulted in lease and sale transactions.
In the past year, Emory Hill has implemented two new programs to reward employees that attract new clients. The “Lead Referral Program” rewards employees for bringing in new business while the “Pinnacle” award is given to the employees who voice new ideas and opinions. Launched following a Pinnacle suggestion, Team Theme Lunches were born to maintain stronger unity and camaraderie between the employees in all departments.
Emory Hill constantly finds new ways to increase customer service. New software and technology advancements have been put into practice within the last year. With the addition of two new state-of-the-art customer service programs called “Workspeed” and “Fleet GPS,” employees are able to regularly communicate with clients and inform them on progress. “Workspeed,” a web-based system by which ten-ants and property owners can simultaneously monitor when repairs may be needed in their buildings. If a light bulb goes off in a building, the web system points it out, and then informs the tenants, landlords and Emory Hill’s mainte-nance team simultaneously. In the “Fleet GPS” response system, technicians in the field are able to respond to service calls and maintenance problems. “It is highly important to stay in contact with our clients,” Hill says. “Customer service is key to running a good business.”
Emory Hill encourages employees to form long-lasting relationships with clients and the communi-ty at large. Some clients have been with Emory Hill for more than 10 years and include businesses such as the Goodwill of Delaware, WSFS Bank, Chimes of Delaware and Royal Farms.
Emory Hill boasts a long proud history of community contributions, and is led by partners Hill and Facciolo. “Since Bob and Carmen are so involved,” says marketing director Michele Chynoweth, “it encourages everyone else to help their community as well.”
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A28 11/2/12 3:40 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 29
Small Business, Great Big Event > Wednesday, November 14, 2012
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31
Guide to Technology
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012
Tech On DeckAS CORPORATE CAREERS GO, Mike Bowman had a pretty good one.
Starting fresh out of college with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engi-neering, Bowman got to know the DuPont Co. inside out. After spending 30 years in a variety of research, marketing and manufacturing assign-ments, he wrapped it up in 1996 as vice president and general manager for advanced materials and systems, a billion-dollar global business with 2,500 employees whose headquarters Bowman had decided four years earlier to place in the brand new Delaware Technology Park in Newark.
For many executives, that would be enough. For Bowman, it was time
to launch a second career, one that would make him a magnet at the center of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of advances in science and technology in Delaware.
From 1996 to 1998, Bowman dabbled in a new venture, one that would have taken him to Arizona. But the technology park’s board of directors, which he had been chairing, persuaded him to take on a new role as the park’s president.
When he stepped in, the park had one building, the one that had origi-nally housed DuPont’s advanced materials and systems business, which had become a casualty of the company’s reprioritizing in the mid-1990s.
Mike Bowman has transformed
the Delaware Technology Park into
an incubator for promising science
and tech companies. PHOTOS BY DICK
DUBROFF/FINAL FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY
Mike Bowman and the Delaware Technology Park drive
the next wave of innovation BY LARRY NAGENGAST
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32 May/June 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS
Guide to Technology
Bowman promptly turned that building into an incubator for prom-ising science and technology companies. They grew and grew, and so did the technology park.
Today the park is home to 54 businesses with nearly 1,000 employ-ees in its five buildings, not to mention another 30 or so that have grown up, moved out and are enjoying continued success throughout the region. The park’s impact on the regional economy amounts to about $100 million a year, and since 1998 it has directly or indirectly accounted for the creation of about 16,000 new jobs, Bowman says.
As Bowman tells it, the park is successful because its pieces are so well put together—the “perfect triangle” of collaboration among the University of Delaware, the state and the private sector, and the easy access the fledgling businesses have to everything from wet labs and conference rooms to UD interns, business development consultants, accountants and marketing professionals.
As others tell it, the park is successful because of Bowman.“Mike is a magnet for anyone who is growing in the biosciences
industry,” says Bob Dayton, a former Delaware Economic Development Office manager who is now executive director of the Delaware Bioscience Association, a not-for-profit trade group based in the park.
“People in technology companies [in Delaware], in any number of areas, come to Mike for counsel,” Dayton says. “If they don’t go to him directly, they go to somebody else, and then Mike gets roped into it.”
“He has a nose for opportunities,” adds David S.Weir, director of the university’s Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships and founding director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute (DBI), which occupies one of the park’s five buildings.
“His connectivity with people and events throughout the state and the region is mind-boggling,” Weir says. “He is the consummate networker, pollinator and team player.”
Bowman’s network “ranges from engineers looking for a job to the CEOs and chairmen of the largest companies,” Dayton says. “He’s con-nected to executives at the highest level and is working with guys who have ideas, who want to start something and don’t know where to go.”
Weir calls Bowman “a model mentor.”That, Bowman insists, is because new businesses need a lot of advice,
and scientists, especially those who grew up in another country or have spent most of their lives on a university campus, don’t necessarily know how to turn a good idea into a profitable one.
“It’s a lot of free consulting— how to get going, where things are around Delaware, and how it works,” he says.
And, Bowman adds, the support is ongoing, even after a business has left the park. “There’s not just one meeting. If you’re here, it’s sort of for life.”
Bowman, Dayton says, “works the spectrum from all angles.”In working the spectrum, Bowman has built a technology park whose
tenants focus on four key areas: life sciences, advanced materials, informa-tion technology and renewable energy.
Two of the park’s most notable success stories, Bowman says, are QPS-USA, originally Quest Pharmaceutical Services, a DuPont Co. spinoff founded in 1996, and the Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology, which incubated at DBI and how has its own building in the park. Both are contract research organizations (CROs) for the pharmaceutical indus-try, performing lab and clinical testing and providing a variety of other
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DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 33
Guide to Technology
services to help pharmaceutical manufacturers bring new products through research, development and regulatory approval.
QPS-USA started with three employees and has grown to 930, as of the end of August, said Ben Hsu, the company’s chief financial officer. The com-pany now has two labs in the park, another in Delaware, one in Missouri, and others in the Netherlands, Taiwan and India, Hsu said. In addition, QPS recently acquired another life sciences business in Austria, he said.
QPS started in the park, moved out, moved back in and has changed office areas several times to accommodate its growth. “Mike has been very helpful in accommodating our needs in space, facilities and infrastructure. His team always tries to solve the hurdles small businesses face,” Hsu said.
Fraunhofer, among other things, develops vaccines used in the prevention and treatment of avian flu, malaria and anthrax. The company has also received government grants to develop reagents to combat biological warfare threats. .
In addition to nurturing successful ventures at the park, Dayton said Bowman was instrumental in the state’s successful courting of two signifi-cant businesses, Air Liquide and Incyte, although neither was a candidate for location at the technology park.
Air Liquide, a multibillion-dollar French company that supplies specialty gases for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, opened its Delaware Research and Technology Center in 2007 in Glasgow. Incyte, which is developing small molecule drugs for treatment of cancer and other seri-ous medical needs, started in California, came to Delaware and eventually made its headquarters at the DuPont Experimental Station. “If not for
Mike and DuPont, Incyte would have been a Pennsylvania company,” Dayton said.
Bowman, 71, isn’t expecting to retire anytime soon. “My bandwidth is another five years or so,” he says.
One of his remaining goals is to develop a “tighter organization” for the state’s entrepreneurial technology ecosystem, a web of alliances that includes, among others, UD and its multiple research and business devel-opment units, Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College, the chambers of commerce, the Delaware Bioscience Association, and First State Innovation, a nonprofit that aims to locate sources of seed money for early-stage businesses.
Bowman’s “personal mission” also includes filling out the technology park with construction of one more building and establishing a solid con-nection with the university’s STAR (Science, Technology and Advanced Research) campus on the site of the former Chrysler automotive plant.
“That’s a very exciting process for us. We look at ourselves as a feeder,” he explains, nurturing new ventures until they become large enough to move to the new campus and identifying established businesses that might find a new home there. “If they’re the major leagues and we’re the farm team, we’ll help to scout and develop the talent,” he says.
Looking ahead, and looking out for others, is typical Bowman, Dayton says.“He has the knowledge and the passion like no one else I’ve ever
known,” he says. “He consumes himself with helping other people, and moving technology forward.” ■
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DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 35
AS BOB WEIR SURVEYS the housing market, he sees dark cloudslingering on the horizon—with a bit of sunshine peeking through the gloom.
“The mood of the working real estate agent in New Castle County is a bit more hopeful because prices are starting to stabilize,” he says. “But there is still frustration because there are so many variables no one has any control over.”
Weir is CEO of the New Castle County Board of Realtors. At the height of the housing boom in 2005, there were 2,700 licensed members. Today, there are 1,700.
The brokers and agents who are still in the game are the pros, a mix of seasoned veterans and dedicated newcomers, many of whom are establishing new careers in real estate after being downsized from corporate positions.
“At the top of the market, a lot of people were simply order takers instead of serving their clients,” Weir says. “The people who are succeeding in real estate today are working hard to promote their clients’ interests.”
One potential speed bump to recovery is a proposal to eliminate Americans’ cherished tax deduction for mortgage interest. So far, the move-ment has not gained momentum and Weir hopes it never does.
“As a country, we have supported homeownership for a long time,” he says. “We don’t even want to talk about the elimination of the mortgage interest deduction.”
Weir sees movement in sales on both ends of the spectrum, the high end as well as the low end.
Over all, single-family home sales in August were up 14.9 percent in
Guide to Real Estate
Brighter Horizons
Battered and Bruised, the
Delaware Housing Market Eyes
a Comeback BY EILEEN SMITH DALLABRIDA
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November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 36
New Castle County, 15.1 percent in Kent and 32.9 percent in Sussex, compared to the same month last year.
Still, getting a good price remains a challenge for sellers. In New Castle County, the average home price is $222,144, a tick up from $220,088 in 2011.
But the median price continues to decline, notes Harry Wooding of Re/MAX of Wilmington. In 2011, the median in New Castle County was $205,000; in 2012 to date, it’s $189,000.
The hottest bracket is for homes priced from $175,000-$225,000, he says.Wooding attributes the decline to foreclosures that continue to keep the
inventory of properties high. Middletown and some areas of Wilmington are especially hard hit. Statewide, foreclosures tripled in two years, vaulting from a steady average of about 2,000 properties a year to 6,000 homes a year in 2010 and 2011.
“Buyers have a lot of choices,” he says. “The home that sells needs to be a shiny penny, the best-looking property in the price range.”
Currently, there are 2,443 homes listed for sale in New Castle County, a six-month supply. The average length of time on the market is 107 days.
Not all properties sell. At least 400 homes went off the market in the county during the past 12 months for a variety of reasons. In some cases, the sellers decided to stay put rather than take a hit on the sales price. Others opted to rent their homes.
Still, becoming a landlord is often more hassle than it’s worth.“Unless you are prepared to be a landlord, it’s probably not a great idea,”
Wooding says. “You could get a tenant who is great—or a tenant who is not good at all.”
In Sussex County, buyers are looking for second homes as well as primary residences, including homes for well-heeled retirees from New Jersey and Maryland, says Justin Healy, broker at Ocean Atlantic Sotheby’s International Realty in Rehoboth Beach.
“Sales are going very well in terms of the volume of transactions,” he
says. “The problem is prices are down.”That is because the majority of buyers are focused on the lower end of
the market. Of sales to date in coastal Delaware, 49 percent of sales were under $300,000. That’s a sharp contrast to the crest of the housing boom in 2006, when only 28 percent of sales were under $300,000.
Conversely, the high end is stagnant. In Rehoboth, for example, the inventory of homes priced at more than $1 million is large enough to last three years, while there is a six-month supply of properties in the under-$300,000 pool. Sales of homes priced at more than $900,000 are a thin 5-percent slice of the pie; in 2006, sales in that bracket represented 13 percent of the market.
Healy attributes the trend to a profound psychological shift in the mind-set of buyers.
“They want luxury—granite counter tops and hardwood floors—but they aren’t competing with the Joneses in terms of square footage any more,” he says. “People are very interested in energy efficiency. They don’t want a lot of maintenance.”
This year, sales of condominiums and townhomes are up 40 percent in resort communities. Because that part of the market is more competitive, prices have not been dinged as hard. The average condo or townhouse in the coastal market is selling at $313,107 in 2012, a 2 percent dip from 2011.
For single-family residences, the average price is $430,328, 13 percent less than in 2011. The volume of sales is up 19 percent.
Even in the sweet spot, homes are taking longer to sell. The average time on the market for homes priced at less than $300,000 is 194 days. For homes priced at $900,000 or more, it’s 304 days.
Still, Healy detects growing power among power sellers, who have been on the ropes for more than five years. “Sellers are getting the word that the market is improving and are less willing to negotiate,” he says.
Across Delaware, there’s a bright note for agents intent on showing homes to their best advantage. It is easier these days to get sellers on board in making their properties attractive to buyers.
That means putting away family photos. After all, you want the buyers to imagine themselves in the home. Ditto for extensive collections that might make the property appear cluttered.
“They are all watching HGTV,” says Carole Kisner of Patterson-Schwartz in Dover. “We actually had sellers who had already packed up a huge collection of china and crystal and were storing it because they knew the house would show better without it.”
That also goes for painting walls in neutral colors, washing windows, oiling squeaky hinges and manicuring the landscaping.
Why are these strategies important? Because they work, she says. Kisner points to a lovely four-bedroom, two and a half bath home just north of Magnolia. The house was clean as a whistle, impeccably staged and priced to sell at $250,000.
The result: a quick sale. The seller received two qualified offers in eight days.
Guide to Real Estate
“Buyers have a lot of choices. Th e home that sells needs to be a shiny penny,
the best-looking property in the price range.”
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A36 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 37
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November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 38
Emory HillCompanies
Commercial Brokerage, Construction, Property ManagementMaintenance and Residential Real Estate
Real Estate. Construction. Excellence.
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Connecting prospective buyerswith programs that can make home ownership affordable is important, too. Kisner is always on the alert for incentives offered by both lenders and government.
The Delaware State Housing Authority offers a variety of programs, including low-interest loans for first-time buyers. Income restrictions apply, depending on location and family size. There are added incentivesfor buyers who purchase properties in
areas that are targeted because of social and economic challenges. Interest rates are tantalizingly low, dipping under 4 percent for a
30-year, fixed-rate mortgage. But credit remains tight.Borrowers are expected to produce lots of documentation, ticking the
boxes on an extensive checklist presented by the lender.“Banks are still strict in making certain buyers can prove they can
afford a home,” Kisner says. “I tell buyers to bring every scrap of paper they can lay hands on, including tax returns, when they meet with a lending officer.” ■
Guide to Real Estate
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DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 39
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November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 40
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DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 41
Guide to Banking
Artisans’ Bank Contact: Mr. Stephen Nelson
Phone: (302) 658-6881
Fax: (302) 654-0559
www.artisansbank.com
Red Clay Center at Little Falls 2961
Centerville Road, Wilmington
Founded in 1861, Artisans’ Bank
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Delaware to help meet the financial
needs of working men and women,
retirees, students, small businesses,
developers and craftspeople.
Bank of AmericaContact: Mr. Chip Rossi
Phone: (800) 441-7048
Fax: (302) 432-0264
www.bankofamerica.com
11th & King streets, Wilmington
Bank of America Corporation is
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The Bank of DelmarvaContact: Mr. Paul Mylander
Phone: (302) 226-8900
Fax: (302) 645-0846
Email: [email protected]
www.bankofdelmarva.com
910 Norman Eskridge Highway, Seaford
Bank of Delmarva offers personal
and commercial banking services.
The bank was founded in 1896
and is based in Seaford, Delaware.
Bank of Delmarva operates as a
subsidiary of Delmar Bancorp.
Barclays Bank DelawareContact: Mr. Clinton Walker
Phone: (302) 255-8001
Fax: (302) 255-8277
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Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware Contact: Ms. Karen A. Fahrner
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20 Montchanin Road, Suite 100,
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Since 1889, the professionals at Bryn
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Fax: (302) 421-2223
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1308 Centerville Road, Wilmington
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is a
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branches, approximately 3,900 ATMs
and more than 20,900 employees.
It operates its branch network in
12 states and has non-branch retail
and commercial offices in about 40
states. Citizens Bank has 25 loca-
tions operating in Delaware.
Commonwealth Trust CompanyContact: Mr. Peter Horty
Phone: (302) 658-7214
Fax: (302) 658-7219
Email: [email protected]
www.comtrst.com
29 Bancroft Mills Road, Wilmington
CTC provides unparalleled
Delaware directed trustee services
to clients as part of a highly special-
ized and responsive team of trust
advisers. Its commitment to deliver-
ing client-focused administrative
services allows the other fiduciaries
serving the client to do what they
do best, resulting in a superior
experience for mutual clients.
Community Bank DelawareContact: Ms. Lynda Messick
Phone: (302) 348-8600
Fax: (302)348-8610
Email: Lynda.Messick@
CommunityBankDelaware.com
www.communitybankdelaware.com
16982 Kings Highway, Lewes
Community Bank Delaware offers
personal and commercial banking
services. The bank was founded in
2006 and is based in Lewes.
County BankContact: Mr. Harold Slatcher
Phone: (302) 226-9800
Fax: (302) 226-9114
www.countybankdel.com
19927 Shuttle Road, Rehoboth Beach
Since its inception in 1990, County
Bank’s primary mission has been to
serve the banking needs of southern
Delaware, and this continues to be
the driving force behind the bank
2012Guide toBankingThe Delaware State Chamber of Commerce counts many fine banking institutions among its
member companies. For more information, visit www.dscc.com COMPILED BY EVAN GAMBLE
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A41 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 42
Guide to Bankingtoday. High quality customer ser-
vice is the true mission of the bank.
County Bank has nine branches cur-
rently operating in Delaware.
Delaware Community Investment CorporationContact: Mr. James Peffley
Phone: (302) 655-1420
Fax: (302) 655-1419
Email: [email protected]
www.dcicnet.org
Two Mill Road, Suite 102, Wilmington
The Delaware Community Investment
Corporation (DCIC) serves as a
vehicle for community revitalization
through the financing of, and invest-
ment in housing and related activities
designed to address the needs of
low and moderate income people
and areas in Delaware.
Federal Reserve Bank of PhiladelphiaContact: Ms. Milissa Tadeo
Phone: (215) 574-6533
Fax: (215) 574-3412
Email: [email protected]
www.philadelphiafed.org
Ten Independence Mall, Philadelphia, PA
The Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia helps formulate and
implement monetary policy, super-
vises banks and bank and sav-
ings and loan holding companies,
and provides financial services to
depository institutions and the fed-
eral government. It is one of the 12
regional Reserve Banks that, togeth-
er with the Board of Governors
in Washington, D.C., make up
the Federal Reserve System. The
Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank
serves eastern Pennsylvania, south-
ern New Jersey, and Delaware.
First Bank of Delaware Contact: Mr. Elliott Canning
Phone: (302) 529-5984
Fax: (302) 529-5987
www.fbdel.com
1000 Rocky Run Parkway, Wilmington,
First Bank of Delaware is a full-ser-
vice, state-chartered bank dedicated
to serving the needs of individuals,
businesses, and families throughout
the state of Delaware. It offers com-
petitively priced products and ser-
vices you need to reach your goals.
Fulton Bank, Delaware National Division
Phone: (302) 378-4575
Fax: (302) 378-6938
Email: [email protected]
www.fultonbank.com
468 W. Main Street, Middletown
Fulton Bank has been providing
strength and support to its communi-
ties since 1882. As one of the leading
financial institutions in the region,
it provides consumer retail and
business customers with the best
in banking services and products,
investment management and trust
services. The full-service commercial
bank operates 116 offices and 133
ATMs. Fulton Bank currently has 14
branches open in Delaware.
The Glenmede Trust Company, NA Contact: Mr. Geoffrey Rogers
Phone: (302) 661-2900
Fax: (302) 661-4550
Email: [email protected]
www.glenmede.com
1201 N. Market St., Suite 1501,
Wilmington
Glenmede is an independent invest-
ment and wealth management firm
with offices in Philadelphia, New York,
Wilmington, Morristown, Princeton
and Cleveland. Glenmede is small
enough to provide highly personalized
service and yet, with over $20 billion
in assets under management, large
enough to provide access to a wide
range of asset classes and world-
class financial advice.
ING DirectContact: Ms. Cathy MacFarlane
Phone: (302) 658-2200
Fax: (302) 255-3980
www.ingdirect.com
1 South Orange Street, Wilmington
ING Direct a branchless direct bank
with operations in Australia, Austria,
Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Spain, the United Kingdom and
the United States. It offers services
over the web, phone, ATM or by
mail. The service currently focuses
on simple interest-bearing savings
accounts for retail customers.
JPMorgan ChaseContact: Ms. Helen Stewart
Phone: (302) 634-1000
Email: [email protected]
www.jpmorganchase.com
500 Stanton Christiana Rd 2/CS Newark
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is a lead-
ing global financial services firm with
Same Exceptional ServiceRenewed Identity
Same Exceptional People
DE 302.225.0600 PA 610.537.5200 [email protected]
Visit our new website:www.belfint.com
Wilmington 302.658.5508 Rehoboth 302.227.7100
lyonsinsurance.com
Risk Control Captives Workers Compensation
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A42 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 43
assets of $2 trillion and operations in
more than 60 countries. The firm is a
leader in investment banking, finan-
cial services for consumers, small
business and commercial banking,
financial transaction processing, asset
management, and private equity.
M & T Bank Contact: Mr. Mark Hutton
Phone: (302) 255-4972
Fax: (302) 661-2266
Email: [email protected]
www.mandtbank.com
1220 N. Market Street., Ste. 202,
Wilmington
Established in 1856 as
Manufacturers and Traders Bank,
M&T Bank Corporation is one of
the 20 largest U.S.-headquartered
commercial bank holding compa-
nies, with current assets of $79
billion (as of June 1, 2011) and over
700 branches, free account access
at more than 2,000 M&T Bank
ATMs and nearly 13,000 employ-
ees. M & T Bank currently has 48
branches operating in Delaware.
Midcoast Community BankContact: Mr. Brian Bailey
Phone: (302) 353-1164
Email: bbailey@midcoastbank
online.com
www.midcoastbankonline.com
5161 West Woodmill Drive, Suite 15,
Wilmington
In March of 2007, a group of
community-oriented business lead-
ers and commercial bankers joined
together to build a community bank
dedicated to serving their own local
communities. Since its inception,
this combination of personal service,
competitive products, and local
decisions has been well received.
PNC BankContact: Mr. Nicholas M. Marsini Jr.
Phone: (877) 762-2000
www.pnc.com
222 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington
PNC offers a wide range of ser-
vices for customers, from indi-
viduals and small businesses,
to corporations and government
entities. No matter how simple
or complicated the need, PNC
has the products, knowledge and
resources necessary for financial
success. PNC Bank currently has
43 branches open in Delaware.
Swift CapitalContact: Mr. Greg Buckley
Phone: (302) 374-7000
Fax: (302) 792-7903
Email: [email protected]
www.swiftfinancial.com
501 Carr Road, Suite 301, Wilmington
Founded in 2006 by banking veterans
from the nation’s largest banks, Swift
Capital provides fair and transparent
working capital solutions for those
who don’t want the hassle of and red
tape of applying for a bank loan.
TD BankContact: Mr. Michael MacFarland
Phone: (302) 683-6818
Fax: (302) 455-0358
Email: [email protected]
www.tdbank.com
2035 Limestone Road, Wilmington
TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient
Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks
in the U.S., and provides customers
with a full range of financial products
and services at thousands of conve-
nient locations and ATMs from Maine
to Florida. TD Bank currently has 13
branches open in Delaware.
Westside Community BankContact: Donald Dalton
Phone: (253) 565-9737
Fax: (253) 565-9705
www.westsidecommunitybank.com
4922 Bridgeport Way, West University
Place, WA 98467
Westside Community Bank pro-
vides superior online banking secu-
rity, and does everything it can to
provide good old-fashioned bank-
ing with people in mind.
WSFS BankPhone: (302) 571-7080
Fax: (302) 571-7081
www.wsfsbank.com
500 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington
WSFS Bank is the seventh old-
est, continuously-operating bank
in the United States. A permanent
fixture in this community, the
bank is a service-oriented, locally-
managed, community banking
institution. WSFS has underwritten
many homes in the Delaware Valley,
advanced local businesses with a
wide range of banking services and
continues to implement innovative
tactics to streamline personal and
business banking. There are cur-
rently 33 branches in Delaware. ■
Wilmington Office: 62 Rockford Road Suite 200 Wilmington, DE 19806
www.COVERROSSITER.com (302) 656-6632
Middletown Office: Bunker Hill Professional Centre II102 Sleepy Hollow Drive Suite 201 Middletown, DE 19709
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS & ADVISORS
Scan with your mobile phone to learn more!
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A43 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 44
What can a pharmaceutical company do to help people afford their medicines?What are the AstraZeneca AZ&Me Prescription Savings Programs?Programs that provide AstraZeneca medicines at
no cost to qualifying people with no prescription
drug coverage or Medicare Part D enrollees who
experience difficulty affording them.
Who is AstraZeneca?AstraZeneca is a pharmaceutical company that
makes brand-name prescription medicines and
has offered prescription savings programs for
over 30 years.
1-800-AZandMe (1-800-292-6363) or AZandMe.com
Call. Ask. Enroll.
AZ&Me is a trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies.
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The AZ&Me Prescription Savings Programs have over 20 AstraZeneca medicines available in the program. To learn more about the program or see a complete list of available medicines please scan the tag below or visit www.azandme.com
Full Prescribing Information is available at www.astrazeneca-us.com, or by calling AstraZeneca at 1-800-236-9933.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A44 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 45
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A45 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 46
Philadelphia Phillies, Comcast
Business Services Team Up
Comcast Corporation, one of the
nation’s leading providers of information
and communications products and ser-
vices, announced that The Philadelphia
Phillies have selected Comcast
Business Class Ethernet services to
upgrade their network connectivity at
43,647-seat Citizens Bank Park. As the
oldest continuous, one-name, one-city
franchise in all of professional sports,
The Phillies will now be fully outfitted
with the latest in reliable, scalable high-
speed Internet connectivity to enhance
the operational efficiency and overall
ballpark experience for staff, guests and
members of the media alike.
Citizens Bank Park is outfitted with
two separate Ethernet Dedicated
Internet lines from Comcast, one to con-
nect all office personnel to the team’s
internal computer network and the other
for the stadium’s guest media network,
which is used by reporters, broadcast-
ers, photographers, TV trucks, and pro-
duction companies. During the off-sea-
son, the network is used by trade show
planners, concert organizers, and sport-
ing event coordinators. For example,
the ballpark was the host of this year’s
NHL Winter Classic and was able to
utilize much of the existing infrastructure
to improve its internal communications
prior to and during the game.
In addition, The Phillies are using
Comcast Ethernet services for all
Internet-based content that enters the
ballpark, including its right field out-
of-town scoreboard and its left field
Hi-Definition video board. Concession
stand retailers take advantage of the
faster speeds and greater bandwidth
that is provided by the stadium through
Comcast, which helps expedite credit
card order processing to enhance the
experience of all guests.
Padua Academy Named One
of America’s Top 50 Catholic
High SchoolsPadua Academy has been named
one of America’s Top 50 Catholic high
schools. The award was announced by
The Cardinal Newman Society, which
recognized Padua as a top school in
the United States for excellence in
Catholic identity, academics, and civic
education. Padua is the only Delaware
school to receive this honor and will
be included on the 2012-2013 National
Catholic High School Honor Roll.
Padua’s Head of School Cindy
Hayes Mann said that being named
among the nation’s Top 50 Catholic
high schools is a great honor. “I
applaud our teachers, staff, students,
and parents for their hard work and
commitment to the transformational
NewsbitesSalvation Army Majors Philip and Connie DeMichael
Announce Retirement
In June 2012, Majors Philip and
Connie DeMichael entered retire-
ment after serving as Salvation
Army officers and ordained minis-
ters since 1966. Their last appoint-
ment was as Delaware Regional
Coordinators. The DeMichaels
led us through the successful
renovation of our Booth Emergency
Housing Residence for women and
children, and began The Salvation
Army Angel Tree in Delaware which
grew into a fabulous program sup-
ported by our community to provide
toys, clothing and other gifts to
thousands of children whose fami-
lies came to The Salvation Army for help.
Majors Tim and Jan Duperree were introduced as the new Delaware State
Coordinators. Both are graduates of The Salvation Army School for Officer Training
in Suffern, NY, and Certified Grief Counselors through Booth University College in
Winnipeg, Manitoba. They also hold other certifications that better equip them for
service in God’s Army.
Highlights of their officership have included the opening of a new corps in
Riverhead, Long Island, NY, ministry during the TWA Flight 800 Disaster and dur-
ing the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York, and the construction of the
new Pittsburgh Temple Worship & Service Center in Pittsburgh. They are delight-
ed with their new appointment as the Delaware State Coordinators, especially
since they’ve vacationed at Rehoboth Beach on numerous occasions during the
past 25 years.
Majors Philip and Connie DeMichael
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A46 10/25/12 12:06 PM
DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 47
education that Padua provides for
young women.”
Although nearly 1,300 Catholic high
schools were invited to apply, only the
top 50 receive recognition on the Honor
Roll for excellence in Catholic educa-
tion. With the many education choices
available to families, “the Honor Roll has
been a helpful tool for administrators,
families, and benefactors in recognizing
the quality of a Catholic high school,”
said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The
Cardinal Newman Society.
Board member Jeffrey Nelson,
Executive Vice President for the
Intercollegiate Studies Institute, said
Padua’s growing enrollment is evidence
of how worthy the school is of such rec-
ognition. “Padua Academy is an educa-
tional treasure. Padua’s commitment to
the highest quality academic experience
has been rewarded by a more than 10%
increase in enrollment over a three-year
period--and this during a period when
many Catholic schools are sadly closing
or restructuring.”
Padua Academy has 615
students from Delaware,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
and Maryland. The cur-
riculum includes honors
classes in every subject, as
well as fourteen Advanced
Placement courses. In recent
years, course offerings have
expanded to include new elec-
tives in Engineering, Business
Leadership, Multimedia Journalism,
Broadcasting, and cutting edge technol-
ogy courses including Cyber Security.
Padua consistently achieves a 100
percent college acceptance rate, and
the 143 students in the graduating class
of 2012 were awarded more than $13.7
million in academic and athletic scholar-
ships to colleges and universities across
the country.
Morris Nichols’
Haskins Appointed
Vice-chair to ABA
Secured Lending
Subcommittee
Tarik Haskins, Partner in
Morris Nichols’ Delaware
Commercial Law Counseling
Group, has been appointed to a
three-year term as vice chair of the
Secured Lending Subcommittee of the
Commercial Finance Committee of the
American Bar Association’s Business
Law Section, effective August 1, 2012.
The mission of the Secured Lending
Subcommittee is to provide a forum
for discussion of legal issues related
to security interests in personal prop-
erty in a variety of financing arrange-
ments, from traditional asset-based
loans and factoring arrangements to
securitizations and more exotic forms
of receivables sales and financings,
whether under UCC Article 9, com-
mon law, international conventions,
or otherwise. The subcommittee wel-
comes discussion relating to collateral
of all types.
Tarik’s practice covers a wide range
of commercial transactions includ-
ing mergers and acquisitions, joint
ventures, loan agreements and busi-
ness counseling. He also focuses on
organizational and operational issues
related to limited liability companies,
limited partnerships and statutory
trusts, and is involved in the prepara-
tion of third party legal opinions in
connection with a wide range of trans-
actional matters.
Tarik Haskins
Bank of America Opens New Fox Run Banking Center,
Grants $50K to Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware
Bank of America in September
announced the official opening of a new
banking center at 230 Fox Hunt Drive
in Bear. During the ceremony, the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Delaware received a
$50,000 grant to support their efforts.
The full-service banking center fea-
tures four teller stations and a 24-hour
ATM inside the building. The banking
center is designed to be efficient, func-
tional and accessible, with plenty of
room for parking.
U.S Sen. Tom Carper addressed
attendees during the official grand
opening, and Bank of America
Delaware market president Chip Rossi
presented a $50,000 grant to the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Delaware. Accepting
on behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs
of Delaware were board chair Martha
Carper and president/CEO George
Krupanski.
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A47 10/25/12 12:06 PM
November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 48
NOVEMBER 1414th Annual Superstars in
Business Luncheon
11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Hotel DuPont Gold Ballroom
For more information, contact Katie Dunn
at (302) 576-6578) or [email protected]
NOVEMBER 20, 2012Networking Breakfast at DelTech’s
Innovation & Technology Center
7:30-9:00 a.m.
Location: 97 Parkway Circle, (Churchman’s
Center) New Castle, DE 19720
Pre-registration required
For more information, contact
Kelly Wetzel at (302) 576-6586 or
DECEMBER 4Holiday Networking Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Location: Microsoft Store
137 Christiana Mall, Newark
For more information, contact Kelly
Wetzel at (302) 576-6586 or kwetzel@
dscc.com
DECEMBER 5Small Business Alliance Workshop
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
DSCC Boardroom
Priscilla Turgon, Professional Staffing
Associates, Inc.: “Work Personalities”
DECEMBER 6Taste of Delaware
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Kennedy Caucus Room, Russell
Senate Office Building, Washington D.C.
For more information, contact Greg Gross
(302) 576-6568 or [email protected]
DECEMBER 11Women in Business Forum
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Location: DSCC Board Room
For more information, contact Katie Dunn
at (302) 576-6578 or [email protected]
DECEMBER 13Chamber Leadership Series with JJ
Davis
7:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Location: University & Whist Club
805 N. Broom Street, Wilmington
For more information, contact Kelly
Wetzel at (302) 576-6586 or kwetzel@
dscc.com
DECEMBER 19Benefits and Services Committee
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Location: Chairman’s Room, DSCC 1201
N. Orange St
For more information, contact Katie Dunn
at (302) 576-6578 or [email protected].
Calendar of Events
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November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 52
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DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 55
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November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 56
DELMACO MANUFACTURING INC. makes industrial-strength reels, essentially coiled spring steel lengths housed inside a round cup with a cable wrapped around it, much like a fishing line and reel.
Commercial applications include static discharge grounding reels used to bond aircraft with support fueling equipment. Specialized reels also ground defense missiles during the manufacturing process and keep elevator doors closed between floors, among other uses.
Located in Georgetown, Delmaco is a privately held corporation, found-ed in 1983. Delmaco is an affiliate of John Evans’ Sons of Lansdale, Pa., established in 1850, the oldest spring maker in the United States.
In Delaware, Delmaco had been housed in the same building for 25 years without rethinking the space.
“Every time we added a new piece of equipment or a new line, we just sort of fit it in,” says Mike Bender, facilities manager.
That changed in 2010 when a howling blizzard took the building down to the ground. For 10 months, the company operated out of temporary quarters before moving into a reconstructed plant with a warehouse annex.
Starting fresh gave Delmaco an opportunity to reposition equipment in a new, more efficient layout.
“We wanted to take our organization to the next level,” Bender says. “So when we moved in we made a deliberate and planned effort to set up a configuration that was logical and effective.”
Both management and workers were impressed with the positive impact. To keep the momentum going, Bender attended a workshop on the prin-ciples of lean manufacturing presented by the Delaware Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
DEMEP, as part of Delaware Technical Community College, is devoted to helping Delaware’s manufacturers and small businesses. While DEMEP is housed at the Stanton Campus, services are available on a state-wide basis. DEMEP is accredited by the National Institute for Standards and Technology.
“I was inspired and excited by the opportunity to be even more effi-cient,” he recalls. “We had made improvements but there was still a lot more to learn.”
Like many businesses, Delmaco has been challenged by a protracted soft economy. Frank Davey, co-owner of Delmaco, says working with DEMEP is an investment in the future.
“When the economy does improve, we have the capability to ramp up 50-75 percent in a week or two because of all the new efficiencies we have put in place,” he says.
One significant improvement is in the production of static discharge reels. Instead of producing reels in batches, work now flows in a continu-ous line, a process that has reduced production time by 25 percent.
“We were picking up the parts 10 times as we put them together,” Davey says. “The number of times we handle a part has now been cut in half.”
Delmaco obtained a grant from the Delaware Economic Development Office to train all 12 employees in the plant in 5-S techniques.
Originally developed in Japan, 5-S focuses on effective organization and standardized procedures to simplify the work environment, reduce waste and activities that don’t add value to the bottom line, while increasing quality efficiency and safety. The 5-S principles translate to: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain.
DEMEP
Delmaco repositions equipment on the way to improved effi ciency BY EILEEN SMITH DALLABRIDA
Profi le
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DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 57
DEMEP field agents meticulously mapped steps taken by workers dur-ing the manufacturing process to identify opportunities to squeeze wasted movement out of the value stream. They also looked for ways to make the workflow more intuitive by translating the information stored in individual workers’ brains into standardized work, visual controls, and signage every-one could understand.
“Workers were operating on tribal knowledge,” says Jim Jones, field agent. “There were no visuals to tell people how to do something or where to place something.”
Visual guides are helpful, but they need not be expensive or com-plicated. Now, there are stripes on the floor delineating safe walkways. Directional arrows take the guesswork out of which way to turn. Shipping lanes are marked to show workers where finished products should go.
Arbors—the parts at the center of spring reels—are separated by size and stored in clearly labeled bins.
“That has virtually eliminated those rare times in which someone would use the wrong arbor,” Bender says.
Hand tools are stowed on pegboards at each individual work station, with the shape of each tool clearly outlined. No more wasted time trying to figure out where to find the pliers.
“At the end of the day, you can clearly see if the pliers aren’t put back on the board,” Jones says.
To more efficiently manage inventory, stock is arranged to make the big-gest sellers the most accessible, saving steps when merchandise is pulled for shipping. Under the new system, infrequently ordered products are stored in the annex and the most-requested products are in the main building, cutting the time needed to retrieve them by 50 percent.
“Slow-moving items were taking up quality space,” Jones recalls. “You want your fastest-moving items to have that prime real estate.”
Additional space for racking was created by selling off a bulky punch press machine that was only used four or five times a year.
“We put what we had learned about innovation into practice. We could use another machine to do those jobs, so the equipment was unnecessary,” Bender says.
In the past, cutting stainless steel cable and attaching a crimp-end fitting was a two-person job. Now, one person seamlessly performs both tasks, eliminating the time involved in moving the piece and handing it off to another worker. The result is a 30-percent savings in labor.
Bender points to other marked improvements in productivity. For exam-ple, Delmaco fulfilled a 960-piece elevator reel job in May that required 39.34 hours in labor.
“After DEMEP training, we ran the exact same job in July and the labor hours were 29.76,” Bender says. “This shows a significant improvement in our efficiency.”
The bottom line: a 24-percent reduction in labor.The second job was for 1,152 pieces for an elevator reel order in April,
with a total of 57.12 hours in labor. Delmaco ran the order again in August and the total hours were 44.63. The savings in labor: 22 percent.
DEMEP also brought a fresh set of eyes in evaluating items that were
gobbling up space without adding to the bottom line. More than 100 heavy-gauge cardboard drums were at the ready to provide storage in the warehouse. But in practice, only about 20 were ever in use at any given time. Getting rid of 80-odd drums translated to an increase in floor space of about 80 percent in that area of the plant.
Although Delmaco has reduced the time needed to complete jobs, that has not yet translated to increased sales due to difficult market conditions.
But the company has found innovative ways to put that captured time to good use. Employees are continuing to organize, taking on such tasks as managing cables, maintaining airlines and making the plant a bright and pleasant place to work. Morale is flourishing.
“It’s a great atmosphere, clean, organized and highly functional,” Bender says. “Employees have taken on a sense of ownership for their work spaces.”
Delmaco also inaugurated a fast-paced close-of-day procedure in which every worker enters the number of completed pieces into the computer and straightens up his or her workspace.
Initially, a five-minute window was designated for the task. But that wasn’t enough time to get the job done. Ten minutes would be too much.
“So we settled on eight minutes,” Bender says. “That turns out to be just right.”
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November /December 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 58
Ambassador Committee: The Ambassador Committee is a
specially chosen group of volunteers that assists in increasing
membership and retention, and acts as a liaison between the
State Chamber staff and the membership at large. Contact:
Chuck James at (302) 576-6562 or [email protected].
Benefits & Services Committee: This committee identifies
group-oriented benefits, such as health care coverage, den-
tal and vision care, discounted office supplies, phone service,
direct mail, radio advertising and much more to help Chamber
members be healthy and competitive. Contact: Bill Stephano at
(302) 576-6574 or [email protected].
Education & Development Committee: This committee pro-
vides practical, valuable and affordable education and develop-
ment programs to help existing members and potential mem-
bers be more successful. Contact: Katie Dunn at (302) 576-6578
The Employee Relations Committee: This committee meets
each month and brings in knowledgeable experts to discuss
ever-changing labor and employment laws and regulations that
impact all Delaware businesses. The interaction between speak-
ers and committee members provides a cost-effective and effi-
cient way to obtain up-to-date information that helps employ-
ers create or modify personnel policies and procedures before
legal problems arise. Contact: Greg Gross at (302) 576-6568 or
Environmental Committee: Working closely with the
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
(DNREC), members are involved in the review and shaping of
environmental legislation and regulation. Contact: Greg Gross at
(302) 576-6568 or [email protected].
Health Care Committee: Members discuss key health care
issues facing Delaware businesses and provide feedback to
the Chamber legislative team to assist in formulating policy.
Contact: Matt Amis at (302) 576-6566 or [email protected].
Holding Company Committee: Provides a forum to discuss
issues affecting Delaware holding companies on the state
and national levels. Contact: Matt Amis at (302) 576-6566 or
Legislative Forum: Members, lobbyists and legislative repre-
sentatives work together to address legislative issues of inter-
est to Chamber members. Monthly lunchtime meetings feature
guest speakers who cover current topics of interest to the
business community. Contact: Greg Gross at (302) 576-6568 or
Tax Committee: This committee reviews tax legislation and
lobbies for the reduction of personal and business taxes in
Delaware. Contact: Greg Gross at (302) 576-6568 or ggross@
dscc.com.
Transportation Committee: The transportation committee
creates a unified voice when making recommendations to the
Delaware Department of Transportation. Contact: Greg Gross at
(302) 576-6568 or [email protected].
Women in Business Forum: The Women in Business Forum
was formed to forge relationships, break boundaries and build
a better business environment for women in our community.
Former guest speakers include First Lady Carla Markell, Gov.
Ruth Ann Minner, Family Court Chief Judge Chandlee Kuhn,
State Reps. and Sens., and business leaders. Contact: Katie
Dunn at (302) 576-6578 or [email protected].
Young Executives Committee: The Delaware State Chamber
of Commerce’s newest committee was formed to encourage
young executives in Delaware to be involved in the Chamber,
network with other young professionals and further their busi-
ness growth. The Young Executives Committee, for profession-
als between the ages of 21 and 40, aims to develop Delaware’s
young workforce through professional business networking
and personal growth. Contact: Katie Dunn at (302) 576-6578 or
State Chamber members play a visible, active role in the business community by serving on committees. If you would like to
get involved, contact the committee’s Chamber representative or register online at www.dscc.com.
Committees & ForumsCHAMBER
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DELAWARE BUSINESS | November /December 2012 59
Delaware State Chamber of Commerce
The State Chamber Health PlanThe cost of employee health care is a top concern among
Delaware business owners. DSCC has devised an affordable,
quality health care plan for its members. Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Delaware announced new reduced rates and added an addi-
tional lower-cost plan choice. Visit www.dscc.com/healthplan.
htm today or call (302) 576-6580 for more details.
Prescription Drug Discount CardThe Delaware Drug Card will provide savings of up to 75-per-
cent on prescription drugs at more than 50,000 pharmacy
locations across the country. The Delaware Drug Card has no
restrictions to membership, income or age, and you are not
required to fill out an application. This program helps all resi-
dents of Delaware afford their prescription medications. For
more information, go to www.dscc.com/rxdiscount.htm.
Discounted Cell Phone products and ServiceState Chamber members can get a 10-percent discount from
T-Mobile on qualifying monthly recurring charges and other
special offers. Email Melissa Williams at melissa.williams2@t-
mobile.com to learn more about this benefit.
Notary ServiceDid you know that Notary Public services are free for Chamber
members? Call (302) 655-7221 to make an appointment to stop
in for a notary seal on your documents.
W.B. Mason Office SuppliesW.B. Mason offers Chamber members exclusive deep discounts
off their most commonly used items. Discounts are up to 90
percent. Contact Doreen Miller for more information at doreen.
[email protected] or (888) 926-2766,
ext. 8358.
Blood Bank MembershipMember companies with five employees
or less are offered unlimited group cover-
age in the Blood Bank of Delmarva. Call
(302) 655-7221 for more information.
Certificate of Origin DocumentsCertificate of Origin documents are $20 for
Chamber members ($100 for non-mem-
bers). Call (302) 655-7221 for more information.
Delmarva Broadcasting CompanyFifteen-percent in bonus airtime on commercial orders placed
by new advertisers on any Delmarva Broadcasting radio station.
Contact Mike Reath at [email protected] or call (302) 478-
2700 for more information.
DSCC Affinity Credit Card with WorldPoints RewardsThe DSCC affinity card by Bank of America is a business credit
card offered exclusively to State Chamber members that also
offers a rewards program for discounted airline tickets, free
hotel nights and car rentals and more. The Chamber affinity card
with WorldPoints® lets members combine points from personal
and business cards to get rewards even faster. Call (800) 598-
8791 to apply, mention priority code FABLHRAQ.
Dental and Vision PlanDominion Dental Services provides dental and vision benefits on
a group and individual basis with competitive, member-exclusive
rates. Dental care coverage for most diagnostic and preven-
tive services is 100 percent with up to 80 percent coverage for
restorative care including fillings, root canals, crown and bridge
work, periodontal treatment, oral surgery and more. Go to www.
dscc.com/chamber/dental_plan.aspx or call (888) 518-5338 for
more information. No application fee for DSCC members.
Constant Contact Email Marketing ServiceState Chamber members are eligible to receive discounts on
their Constant Contact account subscriptions. Members can
save 20-percent if they prepay for 6 months and 25-percent if
they prepay for 12 months. That is a 10-percent deeper dis-
count than what is available to other
customers. To sign up, visit the Constant
Contact link on the State Chamber’s
members-only page or call (866) 876-8464
to activate your member discount.
Access full details on these benefits of
membership in the members-only section
of the DSCC website. For more informa-
tion about obtaining your company’s
members-only login credentials, please
email [email protected].
Member-to-Member Discount DirectoryState Chamber members offer
substantial savings on products
and services to fellow members.
To see the full list of discounts
online, visit www.dscc.com
and click on Member2Member
Discounts.
SMALL STATE. BIG BENEFITS.
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May/June 2012 | DELAWARE BUSINESS 60
A. Richard Heffron 576-6563Sr. Vice President Government Affairs/ [email protected] President
Marianne K. Antonini 576-6567Sr. Vice President Finance & CFO [email protected]
Janine G. Sorbello 576-6575Sr. Vice President Education & [email protected]. Director, The Partnership Business Mentoring AlliancePrincipal for a DaySuperstars in Education
John H. Taylor, Jr. 576-6590Sr. Vice President & [email protected]. Director, Delaware Public Policy Institute
Matt Amis 576-6566Communications Manager [email protected] Delaware Business ProductionWebsiteHealth Care Committee Holding Company Committee
Katie Dunn 576-6578Communications Specialist [email protected] in BusinessYoung Executives CommitteeBenefits & Services CommitteeEducation & Development Committee
Cheryl Corn 576-6572Sr. Vice President CommunicationsExecutive Assistant to the President [email protected]
Linda D. Eriksen 576-6569Accounting Associate [email protected]
Gregory L. Gross 576-6568Director of Government Affairs [email protected] Relations CommitteeEnvironmental CommitteeLegislative ForumTax Committee Transportation Committee
Chuck James 576-6562Account Executive [email protected] Committee
Arlene M. Simon 576-6576Account Executive [email protected]
Bill Stephano 576-6574Director of Membership [email protected]
Patrina Wallace 655-7221Information Secretary [email protected]
Kelly Wetzel 576-6586Events Manager [email protected]
Miller Publishing, Inc.Fred Miller 576-6579President, Miller Publishing, Inc. [email protected] Sales
For Assistance,
The State Chamber of Commerce staff works for you, serving nearly 2,800 member companies and organizations statewide.
This State Chamber staff directory lists phone numbers and Email addresses, as well as individual areas of responsibility.
If you need business assistance or information, please don’t hesitate to call.
DELAWARE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
1201 N. Orange Street, P.O. Box 671
Wilmington, DE 19899-0671
(302) 655-7221 / Fax (302) 654-0691
(800) 292-9507 Kent & Sussex counties
www.dscc.com
Blog: dscc.wordpress.com
facebook.com/delawarestatechamber
flickr: flickr.com/dscc
twitter: @Destatechamber
CALL THE CHAMBER
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A60 10/25/12 12:07 PM
DSCC_NovDec12.indd A61 10/25/12 12:07 PM
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