NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

15
www.ncccc.com A publication of New Castle County Chamber of Commerce E arlier this year the Cham- ber, the University of Delaware and the City of Newark came together to form the Greater Newark Economic Development Partnership. The Partnership has a three part mission: to 1) promote the Greater Newark area as an outstanding location for innovative businesses; 2) in- crease the number of businesses starting, moving to and staying in the Greater Newark area; and 3) create a thriving business community that benefits the entire region. The economy is showing signs of growth and many communities throughout the United States have sought out inno- vative ways to attract new economic op- portunities. By forming this cutting edge public-private partnership, we will be able to effectively tell the story of business success to those companies seeking to expand existing operations into the Greater Newark area. To market and promote Greater Newark, the Partnership will highlight the area as a welcoming community that is highly accessible to the Mid-Atlantic region, has a highly energetic and educated workforce with a government that is very responsive to the needs of business. With this as a foundation, the “Greater Newark, DE: It all adds up” brand was created. Every state, city and town in the United States is actively working to attract new business to their community by selling their unique story and person- ality. To compete for this additional eco- nomic activity the Partnership needed a brand that clearly articulated the leading attributes of the area. The main elements of the Greater Newark, DE brand are lo- cation, workforce, U of D, quality of life and access. Let’s take a closer look at each of the five attributes that make Newark add up to be a world class location for business. LOCATION Why is Greater Newark a top location for business? When we talk about location, it comes down to two factors: it’s easy to get to the Greater Newark area and it is easy to get anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic region from the Greater Newark area. With convenient access to road, rail, air and sea trans- portation, a business is well positioned in the heart of the 35 million people of the New York-Philadelphia-DC megalopolis. Adjacent to I-95, Greater Newark is a short drive from major cities, including Wilmington Philadel- phia, Baltimore, New York City and Washington, D.C. But Greater Newark isn’t just an exit off a highway; it’s also connected to the region by commercial and passenger rail and has convenient access to international airports in Philadelphia, Baltimore and DC. This provides flexibility that other competing regions cannot offer. WORKFORCE What makes Greater Newark’s educated and skilled workforce unique? Building or growing a business is more than bricks and mortar; it’s the people who work for a business that ultimately determine its success. The Greater Newark area has been supporting leading compa- nies like DuPont, WL Gore, Dow, AstraZeneca, Siemens, and Christiana Care for decades. Local colleges and universities provide thousands of new graduates each year for a workforce that is well educated, experienced and ready to work. The Greater Newark area’s highly skilled workforce features a concentration in technology and engineering that exceeds the national average. Plus, over 50% of the city’s residents have at least a four- year college degree, which is more than twice the national average. Greater Newark is Open for Business Photo by Alicia Cohen Photography Nov - Dec 2012 This Edition 2 I Chamber Events Matter 3 I As a Matter of Fact It is Simple, Don’t Penalize Business 4 I Legislative Connection Election 2012 Wrap Up 5 I Economic Development Economic Development is a Labor of Love 6 I Member Profiles Claymont Steak Shop: 40 Years of Great Food Excel Business Systems: So Much More for Over 30 Years 7 - 10 I Business Women’s Expo Networking, Exhibitors, Prizes, Keynote Luncheon, Workshops 11 I New Members 12 - 13 II Calendar of Events November & December, 2012 14 I New Members 15 I Ribbon Cuttings It all adds up. Continued on page 5 Thursday, November 15 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Clayton Hall at the University of Delaware Keynote by Neen James “Secrets of Super Productivity”

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New Castle County Chamber of Commerce bimonthly newsletter - Business Matters

Transcript of NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

Page 1: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

w w w . n c c c c . c o mA publication of New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

Earlier this year the Cham-ber, the University of

Delaware and the City ofNewark came together to formthe Greater Newark EconomicDevelopment Partnership. The Partnership has a threepart mission: to 1) promote theGreater Newark area as an outstandinglocation for innovative businesses; 2) in-crease the number of businesses starting,moving to and staying in the GreaterNewark area; and 3) create a thrivingbusiness community that benefits theentire region.

The economy is showing signs ofgrowth and many communities throughoutthe United States have sought out inno-vative ways to attract new economic op-portunities. By forming this cutting edgepublic-private partnership, we will be ableto effectively tell the story of businesssuccess to those companies seeking toexpand existing operations into the GreaterNewark area.

To market and promote GreaterNewark, the Partnership will highlightthe area as a welcoming community thatis highly accessible to the Mid-Atlanticregion, has a highly energetic and educatedworkforce with a government that is veryresponsive to the needs of business. Withthis as a foundation, the “Greater Newark,DE: It all adds up” brand was created.

Every state, city and townin the United States is actively workingto attract new business to their communityby selling their unique story and person-ality. To compete for this additional eco-nomic activity the Partnership needed abrand that clearly articulated the leadingattributes of the area. The main elementsof the Greater Newark, DE brand are lo-cation, workforce, U of D, quality of lifeand access. Let’s take a closer look ateach of the five attributes that makeNewark add up to be a world class locationfor business.

LOCATION

Why is Greater Newark a top locationfor business?

When we talk about location, it comesdown to two factors: it’s easy to get to theGreater Newark area and it is easy to getanywhere in the Mid-Atlantic region fromthe Greater Newark area. With convenientaccess to road, rail, air and sea trans-portation, a business is well positioned inthe heart of the 35 million people of theNew York-Philadelphia-DC megalopolis.

Adjacent to I-95, Greater Newark is ashort drive from major cities,including Wilmington Philadel-phia, Baltimore, New YorkCity and Washington, D.C. ButGreater Newark isn’t just anexit off a highway; it’s alsoconnected to the region bycommercial and passenger rail

and has convenient access to internationalairports in Philadelphia, Baltimore andDC. This provides flexibility that othercompeting regions cannot offer.

WORKFORCE

What makes Greater Newark’s educatedand skilled workforce unique?

Building or growing a business is morethan bricks and mortar; it’s the peoplewho work for a business that ultimatelydetermine its success. The Greater Newarkarea has been supporting leading compa-nies like DuPont, WL Gore, Dow, AstraZeneca, Siemens, and Christiana Carefor decades. Local colleges and universitiesprovide thousands of new graduates eachyear for a workforce that is well educated,experienced and ready to work.

The Greater Newark area’s highlyskilled workforce features a concentrationin technology and engineering that exceedsthe national average. Plus, over 50% ofthe city’s residents have at least a four-year college degree, which is more thantwice the national average.

Greater Newark is Open for Business

Photo by Alicia Cohen Photography Nov - Dec 2012

This Edition

2 I Chamber Events Matter

3 I As a Matter of FactIt is Simple,

Don’t Penalize Business

4 I Legislative ConnectionElection 2012 Wrap Up

5 I Economic DevelopmentEconomic Development

is a Labor of Love

6 I Member ProfilesClaymont Steak Shop: 40 Years

of Great Food

Excel Business Systems: So Much

More for Over 30 Years

7 - 10 I Business Women’s ExpoNetworking, Exhibitors, Prizes,

Keynote Luncheon, Workshops

11 I New Members

12 - 13 I I Calendar of EventsNovember & December, 2012

14 I New Members

15 I Ribbon Cuttings

It all adds up.

Continued on page 5

Thursday, November 15 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.Clayton Hall at the University of Delaware

Keynote by Neen James“Secrets of Super Productivity”

Page 2: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

C H A M B E R E V E N T S M A T T E R

2 I January/February I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

Greater Newark Economic Development Partership Brand Launch Event

at WL Gore Barksdale. Please visit www.greaternewarkde.com

Another fun and educational Chamber trip toChina. We will do it again in 2013, stay tuned...

Thank you to Ambassadors, Sponsors andGreater Philadelphia Chamber for helping make

it another "MEGA" Successful event!

Network at Noon at Sullivan’s Steakhouse.Thanks to General Manager Bill White and

the fabulous staff at Sullivans!

The 90th Anniversary Roarin' 20s Gala capped a year of anniversary celebrations for the

County Chamber - a toast to the next 90 years!

Policy Makers Movers & Shakers Breakfastwith Congressman Carney. Congratulations onyour reelection. Stay tuned for the Chamber

for upcoming Policy Alerts.

q Domaine Hudson Wine Bar & Eatery

www.domainehudson.com

Septemberfest was another successful event.Look for a new slate of "fests" coming next year!

Election 2012 Comedy Night and Straw Poll.Thanks to all of the candidates for their support

of the chamber.

Chamber “U” was in session for "Public Speaking."

"How to sell" workshop coming soon.

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A S A M A T T E R O F F A C T

www.ncccc.com I November/December I 3

By Mark A. KleinschmidtPresidentNew Castle County Chamber of Commerce

There has never been a more chal-lenging time to run a business.

Consumers and business owners arestill feeling the impact of the GreatRecession and struggling to get themost out of their income while mini-mizing costs. In Delaware, we are facedwith a trio of hidden costs that hurtbusiness and act as an impediment toeconomic growth. The Gross ReceiptsTax, workers compensation insuranceand employee health insurance areadding to the cost of running a businessand holding back business investmentand job growth. Now that the electionis behind us, it is time for the GeneralAssembly to take a look at these threehidden costs that are having a significantimpact on Delaware small business.So what can we do about these threehidden costs?

Gross Receipts Tax

While there is no sales tax for con-sumers in Delaware, there is a hiddensales tax on Delaware business, theGross Receipt Tax (GRT). A sales taxis always passed along to the customer,but in Delaware the GRT is not passedalong to the customer; it’s just a tax ona business for doing business. Whilethere are a number of exemptions tothis hidden sales tax, the GRT is stillassessed on the gross revenue of a busi-ness. While the tax may be less thanone percent of a sale, it places an undueburden on high volume businesses withlow margins such as retailers and grocerystores. (Are we the only state in the na-tion that taxes food?) The Gross Re-ceipts Tax also makes our manufacturingcompanies less profitable and takesDelaware out of the running for ex-

panding or relocating manufacturingopportunities.

Several years ago, the General Assembly enacted an increase in theGRT with a sunset provision that theincrease would be eliminated in 2013.We are starting to hear “rumblings”that this may not happen and that theGeneral Assembly may vote to keepthe higher GRT rates in place. Simplyput, do not reauthorize the Gross Re-ceipts Tax increase.

Workers Compensation

The Office of the Insurance Com-missioner is currently considering a pro-posed increase of over 40% for workerscompensation insurance premiums. This proposed increase will drive upthe cost of doing business. Severalyears ago the business community andthe General Assembly enacted legisla-tion that reformed the workers com-

pensa t ionp r o g r a mand held theline on fu-ture rate in-c r e a s e s .Since then,i n su rancecompanies,their ratingagency andcertain partsof the med-ical commu-nity havew o r k e d to under-mine thesereforms.

Theprocess and the rating agency currently used by the Insurance Com-missioner to determine rate increasesare outdated and out of step with therest of the country. The proposed rateincrease must be rejected, a new ratingagency should be hired and a newprocess must be enacted that moreclosely matches the activities of busi-nesses located in Delaware. Simplyput, the General Assembly and the In-surance Commissioner must hold theline on workers comp costs.

Health Insurance

Health care reform has created a great deal of uncertainty about thefuture process and the costs for a business to provide health insurancefor its employees. Since the end ofWorld War II, employer sponsoredhealth insurance programs have beenthe largest and most effective mechanism

to provide health insurance to employ-ees. In many cases, the employer provides and pays a portion, and insome cases, all of the cost of health insurance for their employees.

A major part of Obamacare is theestablishment of Health Insurance Exchanges in all fifty states which will radically alter the way a business provides health insurance for its employees. Businesses with more thanfifty employees can opt to not providehealth insurance and pay an annual tax of $2,000 per employee. If they de-cide to continue to provide health in-surance for their employees it is almostcertain that the employer will be payingmore for less attractive coverage. Obamacare does allow each state tocustomize the health insurance exchanges to best serve the needs oftheir individual states. The State of Delaware should use this aspect ofObamacare to create a program thatprovides affordable insurance toDelaware small business. Simply put,Delaware needs to take the extra stepto set up an affordable health insuranceprogram for small business.

Most consumers and employees areunaware of the financial pressure thesetrio of hidden costs places on a businessowner. During the 2012 campaign, weheard a lot about helping small businessbecause they are the real job creators,but it seems that our elected leaders inDover and Washington do not appreciatethe negative impact these three hiddencosts place on a business in Delaware.So the answer is simple, help the jobcreators by reducing the burden createdby these three hidden costs.

u In Delaware, we are faced with a trio of hidden costs that hurt business and act as an impediment to economic growth.

u Delaware needs to take the extra step to set up an affordable health insurance program for small business.

It Is Simple: Don’t Penalize BusinessThree Hidden Costs Hurt Delaware Business

Page 4: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

This past Tuesday, November 6th, Amer-icans re-elected Barack Obama Presi-

dent of the United States and Joseph R.Biden, Jr. Vice President. President Obamasecured victory with 303 electoral votes toGovernor Romney's 206. The Presidentwon 50.3 percent of the popular vote toGovernor Romney's 48.1 percent.

Romney won Georgia, Kentucky,North Carolina, West Virginia, Alabama,Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Arizona,Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Idaho,

Alaska, Indiana, South Carolina,Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana,North Dakota, Texas, Wyoming,Montana and Utah. However,in the end, the path to victoryled through Ohio and Penn-sylvania, which President

Obama won with 50.1 percentand 51.9 percent respectively. The

popular vote results in battle groundstates tracked the polling data fairly closely.

This election was a tough one for thenational Republican Party. At the beginningof 2012, it seemed a mathematical certainty

L E G I S L A T I V E C O N N E C T I O N

4 I November/December I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

Congratulations Mr. President, There is Much Work To Do

that the GOPwould pick up amajority in theUnited StatesSenate. Therewere 33 seats onthe ballot aroundthe country, ten ofwhich were Re-publican and 23of which wereDemocratic. Giv-en the results in2010, the laggingeconomy and popular dissatisfaction withthe Affordable Care Act and the fiscal con-dition of the federal government, conditionsseemed perfect for a Republican takeover.Ultimately, the Democrats added two seatsto their majority, which will consist of 54,including two independents who will caucuswith them. Observers blame missteps on the part of Republican candidates inotherwise red states such as Missouri and Indiana for the party's failure to gain a majority.

The U.S. Houseof Representativeswill remain in GOPhands where theywill enjoy a major-ity of 233 to 191over the Democ-rats.

A symbolicallyimportant losscame with the de-feat of Massachu-setts Republican

Scott Brown. Brown was elected in aspecial election to replace the late TedKennedy. His win was seen as a reflectionof the electorate's dissatisfaction withthe Obama Administration's policies. Itis fairly ironic that Senator Brown wasdefeated by Elizabeth Warren. A HarvardProfessor, Ms. Warren was the publicface of the Consumer Financial ProtectionBureau and a harsh critic of Wall Streetand the financial services industry in general.

Now that the election has ended, thereis critically important work to be done.The federal deficit exceeds $1 trillion forthe fourth consecutive year. The gross fed-eral debt, at $16.2 trillion, exceeds ourGross Domestic Product of $15.4 trillion.Urgent infrastructure improvements, con-tinuing economic problems and a potentialdebt crisis all demand attention. At thesame time, winding down the War inAfghanistan, managing continuing turmoilin the Middle East and protecting ournation and our interests from terror alsorequire the attention of our President andthe 113th Congress. It is time to end thebrinksmanship and the partisan hagglingand do the people’s business. This will re-quire both President Obama and the Re-publicans in Congress to move toward thecenter. The greatest achievements of theClinton Administration occurred as a resultof his work with a Republican Congress tobalance the budget and reform welfare.For all of our sakes, let us hope that theyemulate that example.

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u Americans re-elected Barack Obama President of the United States and Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Vice President.

The 2012 general election brought fewsurprises to Delaware. Governor

Jack Markell (D) was reelected to a secondterm with 69.3 percent of the vote. Lieu-tenant Governor Matt Denn defeated Re-publican opponent Cheryl Valenzuela with61 percent. Insurance CommissionerKaren Weldin Stewart (D) will also remainin her post having defeated her Republicanchallenger Benjamin Mobley by morethan 21 points.

Our senior United States Senator, TomCarper (D), was reelected by a comfortablemargin of 66 percent after facing doggedopposition from Independent candidateAlex Pires. Mr. Pires spent a considerablesum of his own money in seeking to unseatSenator Carper, who has won every racehe has run since first being elected StateTreasurer in 1976. Ultimately, Mr. Pires

Election Day in the First State

only garnered 3.8 percent of the vote. Inthat race were also Republican challengerKevin Wade, and Green Party candidateAndrew Groff. Kevin Wade and AndrewGroff received 29 percent and 0.8 percentrespectively.

Delaware’s lone member of the UnitedStates House of Representatives, JohnCarney (D), defeated former New CastleCounty Council President,Tom Kovachwith a convincing margin of 64 percent.Congressman Carney will begin his secondterm as a member of the 113th Congressin January. He had the distinction duringhis first term of being the only freshman Democrat to get a bill passedby the House.

The Delaware General Assembly willhave a number of new faces this January,as well as new leadership. The defeat of

Senate President Pro TemAnthony DeLuca by Dem-ocratic Primary challengerBryan Townsend in Septem-ber means that a new presi-dent pro tem will be chosenby the Senate prior to theconvening of the 147th Gen-eral Assembly. The presidentpro tem is a similar functionto that of speaker of thehouse. In the House, theretirement of House Speaker Bob Gilliganthis year will necessitate the election of anew speaker. In both Houses, these raceswill have implications for other leadershippositions (i.e. leader and whip).

The State Senate will consist of 13 Democrats and 8 Republicans. The Republican Party picked up a seat with

the victory off o r m e rH o u s e M i n o r i t yLeader GregLavelle overMichael Katzin the 4thSenate Dis-trict in whatwas the moste xpen s i v e

and hotly contested State Senate race inyears. The State House of Representativeswill consist of 27 Democrats and 14 Republicans.

We at the Chamber congratulate thevictors and respectfully thank those whodid not succeed for taking part in theprocess and running for office.

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E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T C O U N C I L

www.ncccc.com I November/December I 5

Economic Development is a Labor of Love

Ihe New Castle County Economic Devel-opment Council hosted its First Annual

Economic Development Luncheon, withspeaker Steven Rosenbaum, CEO of Magnify.net and New York City’s Entre-preneur-At-Large, and Senator Chris Coons.

Rosenbaum was introduced by one ofDelaware’s own entrepreneurial superstars,Dave Freschman of Innovation Ventures/First State Innovation, who knows a gooddeal about what startups need, havingpresided over Magnify.net since its incep-tion.

Surprisingly, Rosenbaum’s key prescriptionfor success in economic development – at-tracting jobs, nurturing entrepreneurship,and fostering innovation – wasn’t related tocash incentives or slick marketing (thoughthose can’t hurt). Instead, he said, you haveto let startups "feel the love."

Don’t misunderstand – funding, talent,and available space also enter the equation.For example, Rosenbaum joked that whenrecent college grads start a business, “they’relooking to be within eight blocks of theirdorm,” in the place they know best: theirown university campus. Where that’s not

possible, Rosenbaum said, the growth ofstartup and business incubators has beenkey, at least in New York City’s develop-ment as a home for entrepreneurs, becausethey offer the same types of resourcesand community found at colleges. Hepointed out that in New York City fiveyears ago, there were no incubation orco-work spaces in the city. “Today thereare twelve, and there’ll be more.”

And talent is always vital. As Rosen-baum pointed out, “the Internet is alreadyinvented,” and its main function in thestartup community is as a springboardfor other platforms and innovations.Rosenbaum listed some forty-odd NewYork City startups created this decade.

Finally, funding has been an area ofhuge growth for New York City’s entrepre-neurial scene. Rosenbaum explains that inthe last five years, the number of angel in-vestors and venture capitalists has skyrocketedin the city, making it possible for manystartups to take root in the area. ThoughDelaware perhaps has yet to see similargrowth, Rosenbaum pointed out that ourproximity to Philadelphia and New York

City can be a real advantage when it comesto finding capital to start a company.

Delaware has to “show the love” tostartups. If entrepreneurs feel welcomedand at home in New Castle County, if wetalk about them, promote them, make spacefor them, Rosenbaum explained, they willput down roots here – which, after all, iswhat economic development is all about.

UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

How does University of Delaware addvalue to a business?

Some might refer to Newark as “just” acollege town, as it’s home to the Universityof Delaware, but it’s much more than that.The University is a force in the community,a creator of culture and energy and a greatasset for companies and employees alike.

UD also has great relationships with thebusiness community through its researchagreement with the U.S. Army, the Centerfor Composite Materials Consortium, theAlfred Learner School of Business and theHealth Science Alliance. The Universitybrings great minds and great opportunityto Greater Newark. The University alsohas one of the leading new sites in the area,the STAR Campus. Located on 272 acres,it will be a hub for science and technologyin the region.

QUALITY OF LIFE

What makes Greater Newark a highlylivable community for everyone?

Greater Newark’s abundant assets combineto create a fantastic quality of life for citizensand businesses. With zero sales tax and lowproperty taxes, the area is an affordable placeto start – or grow – a business. With itsstrategic location, Greater Newark provideseasy access to great beaches, the ChesapeakeBay and the “big city” amenities of Philadelphiaand Baltimore.

Whether you love arts and culture, sportsand recreation, or dining and shopping,Greater Newark puts everything at yourfingertips in a family-friendly, affordablesetting. The youthful, energetic lifestyle ofdowntown Newark features an award-win-ning Main Street with shopping, dining, andentertainment. Greater Newark also featurestop quality healthcare options such as

Christiana Hospital and Nemours/Alfred I.DuPont Hospital for Children.

ACCESS

How can businesses get things done?

Delaware is one of the most business-friendly states in the nation and is known asthe “corporate capital of the world.” In ad-dition, the State and the Greater Newarkarea are very innovative when it comes tosupporting the needs of business. Since it isa small state, it is easy to bring governmentand business leaders together to addressimportant public policy issues.

This collaborative atmosphere cannot befound in competing regions. Business, aca-demic and political leaders are united intheir desire to help accelerate the success ofcompanies and connect them to a nurturingcommunity. In Greater Newark, everyoneworks together to ensure business success.

US Senator Chris Coons (left) and StevenRosenbaum, CEO of Magnify.net and NewYork City’s Entrepreneur-At-Large (right).

Economic Development Council Member List

Public Sector Co-Chair: The Hon. Paul G. Clark

Private Sector Co-Chair: Mr. Dennis Rochford

Aloysius Butler & ClarkAstra Zeneca

Bancroft ConstructionBernardon Haber Holloway

Christiana CareCity of Newark

City of WilmingtonCommercial Industrial Realty Council

Committee of 100Delaware BioScience AssociationDelaware Contractors Association

Delaware Economic Development OfficeDelaware Park

Delaware River & Bay AuthorityDelDot

Delmarva PowerDiSabatino Construction

Emory Hill Real Estate ServicesFirst State Innovation

Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau

Harvey, Hanna & AssociatesM&T Bank

Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay

New Castle County GovernmentNew Castle County Board of Realtors

PNC BankSaul Ewing LLP

Setting Properties, Inc.TD Bank

The Byrd GroupThe Commonwealth Group

The Garland CompanyW.L. Gore

WILMAPCOWilmington University

World Trade Center Delaware

For membership info, contact Bob Chadwick,

NCCCC Executive Vice Presidentat (302) 737-4343.

Greater Newark is Open for BusinessContinued from page 1.

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M E M B E R P R O F I L E S

6 I November/December I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

In Delaware, the place for cheeses-teaks is Claymont Steak Shop.

Each and every year it has been aconsistent winner of Delaware Todaymagazine’s Best of Delaware andThe New Journal’s Reader Choiceawards. The original location at 3526Philadelphia Pike in Claymont isknown throughout the First State, itis a culinary landmark. The Philadel-phia Pike location was opened in1966 by Bob Hionis. Bob retiredeight years ago and the business wasturned over to his niece, Demi Kollias.“I was born and raised in Greece, Icame to America to attend school,”says Demi. She graduated with adegree in English from WidenerUniversity and a Masters Degree inbusiness from Drexel University,and for nearly ten years oversaw achain of 7-11 convenience stores asa franchisee. When her Uncle Bobstepped down, Demi stepped in.

The Newark location was openedby Demi in 2009. “We needed asecond location; people would visitthe Claymont shop and say that theywere from Middletown, or Bear, orNewark so I felt it best to have ashop in Newark,” says Demi. TheNewark Claymont Steak Shopsparkles with vibrant colors and arelaxed atmosphere. “It doesn’t feellike a sub shop,” says general managerHolly Jones. “It’s upscale,” saysDemi. The Newark location alsooffers beer and wine in addition tothe traditional food favorites, Greekspecialties and a few pleasant sur-prises like a vegetarian breakfastpizza, a Nigerian sub (with roastbeef and turkey), and crab cakes.“We are known for our steaks butwe have a very diverse menu ofhomemade meals,” says Holly. “Ididn’t know what a Nigerian subwas but someone asked for one sowe made it and now it’s on themenu, we listen to our customers,

we give themwhat theywant,” saysDemi.

They take“homemade”very seriouslyat ClaymontSteak Shop.The pizzadough andsauce is madefresh daily.“We call thedough NewLondon Style(a nod to the nearby New LondonRoad). It is a pan pizza that is nothand tossed -- it is stretched, formedin the pan then allowed to rest. Onlywhen the dough is ready is the pizzasauced and topped,” explains Demi.The same attention goes into thesteaks. “We have our own meatcompany – Claymont Food Co., it isattached to the Claymont location.We supply ourselves with meats,” ac-cording to Demi. The meat is availableto the public at any time. “We sellfive pound boxes of steak, it can bepurchased at either location,” saysDemi. They also have25 pound boxesof steak and 10 pound boxes of chickensteak, plus hamburgers, hot dogs andhot sausage, cheeses and rolls.

If you can’t make it in to sit downor order, no problem, Claymont Steakshop delivers—and on a large scale.“We can make our subs and steaksto travel, we have actually shippedsome to Hawaii,” says Holly. Theyalso have gift cards. “They are mucheasier to mail,” she laughs.

Both locations offer catering andDemi can provide on-site chefs andcooking or the shops can delivermeals of any size. “We have donebox lunches for small lunch meetingsto large parties, reunions, whatever,”

Newark's Claymont Steak Shop -- 46 Years of GreatFood on Philadelphia Pike and now Elkton Road

says Holly. “Whatever” is right—Claymont Steak Shop has its in-storemenu available for catering and alsooffers a separate menu known as“Demi’s Flavors” with old worldMediterranean cuisine. “Both menuscan be combined if that works forpeople, we are very flexible,” says Holly.

Coming soon Claymont SteakShop will be part of a special culinarytrail in Delaware sponsored by AAAand the Delaware Department ofTourism. The tour highlights someof Delaware’s best places to eat. “Itwas nice to be selected, it is a funidea,” says Demi.

Claymont Steak Shop has foundanother home in Newark. “We areofficial sponsors of Blue Hen Sportsteams and many tailgates,” says Demi.They have also become good neighborsoffering fundraising nights for localclubs, nonprofits, and organizations of-fering 10% back to good causes.

The Newark Claymont SteakShop is open seven days a week. Visitthem online at www.claymontsteak-shop.com or stop in next time youare near Elkton Road and AmstelAvenue. You will see cheesesteaksof course, but you will also see muchmore. “We are more than just cheeses-teaks,” says Holly. Continued on page 14.

Fank Montisano and Joe DiMarco started Excel BusinessSystems in 1984. The two men worked together for an-

other company and one day they decided they could do abetter job of serving customers if they had their ownbusiness. “I am a graduate of Archmere Academy and Isold them a copier, later they had some service questions

and it took about a week for this old company to get backto them. I had a priest drive to my office to complain.When a priest isn’t happy, it’s time to do something else.”Nearly 29 years later Frank and Joe have two offices (inNewark on Ruthar Drive and near Willow Grove, Pa.)with nearly 50 employees. “We take service very seriously,”says Frank. “That old company soon went out of business.”

Delawareans have all heard the jingle; “Your copiercompany and a whole lot more.” Frank is dedicated toserving clients. “It starts with something as simple as alwayshaving a person answering the phone.” The “whole lotmore” is right. Excel sells copiers, printers and all of thenecessary machines and accessories for business. “But wealso have a sophisticated IT service department and a HelpDesk. Everything we sell is remotely connected to ourservice people and if an issue arises it can be fixed inseconds, literally in the time it takes someone to go get acup of coffee we can have the issue solved.”

Frank has seen changes like not many business ownersover his 29 years. “In 1984 the copiers were all black ink,we actually sold typewriters and the newest thing was thefax machine,” he laughs. Excel has evolved as the office en-vironment has changed. “We are a document managementcompany today,” he says. “We don’t help business gopaperless we help then use less paper.” Excel supportsclients with document scanning, storage in a digital form,and eventually to destruction. It helps that Excel has a staffof Certified Document Imaging Architects on call to helpclients along in the process. “We have gotten very sophisticated

"A Whole Lot More" for Nearly 30 Years

Page 7: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

22nd Annual22nd Annual

Business Women’s ExpoBusiness Women’s ExpoYour GPS to Success!Your GPS to Success!

Entrepreneurial & Entrepreneurial &

November 15, 20129:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Clayton Hall at the University of Delaware

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Keynote Luncheon Sponsor:

Contributing Sponsors:

Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available!Contact Pamela Mayse at [email protected] or (302) 294-2062.

Gold Sponsors:

Success Hour Sponsors:

Country Clean/Rainbow International � Creative Image AssociatesDeerfield � Delaware Today Media Group � Hilton-Christiana

Hopkins & Sons Inc. � John Cattermole Jewelry DesignsNewark Courtyard at University of Delaware � Premier Wine & Spirits

PTM Video � Ramone’s Flowers� The NCC Women’s Journal � Talk Fusion

University of Delaware Conference Services � WDEL, 1150 AMWJBR, 99.5 FM � WJKS, Kiss 101.7 FM & WFAI Faith 1510 AM

WSTW, 93.7 FM � Your Passport to Travel

Silver Sponsors:

Workshop Sponsor:

Keepsake and Goodie Bag Sponsors:

Showcase Sponsors: Allen Insurance GroupFitzgerald Consulting, Inc. � Goodwill of Delaware & Delaware County

Bronze Sponsors:

N een James, MBA CSP, is the President/CEO of Neen James Communications, LLC. From the board room to the meeting table,

leaders, employees and entrepreneurs alike relate immediatelyto Neen's candid, engaging delivery on a variety of topics like: superproductivity, networking, productivity and profitability, productivepresentation skills and effectively managing messages inside and outside of the office.

An international productivity expert and native-born Aussie, Neen is best known forher engaging keynotes that have educated, entertained and yes, charmed audiences withreal-world strategies that apply in all roles, whether at work or in life.

With a solid background in learning and development and in managing large teams atvarious corporations, Neen is a natural fit for organizations looking for presenters thatfocus on productivity strategies, tools and resources. Clients like Comcast, Cisco, Virgin,Pfizer, FBI and BMW describe Neen as “authentic” and “passionate” with subject matterthat is spot on. Neen also provides one-on-one consulting and mentoring to women on avariety of business issues and topics.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Neen James, ”Secrets of Super Productivity”

D iane Ferry started Star-Med, LLC over 10 years ago to provide customized solutions in health information management services to

hospitals and physicians’ offices. Her company is dedicated to client success and patient satisfaction. Diane is a former Director of Health Information Management at several academic medical centers and wasChief Operating Officer of a national Health Information Managementcompany serving over 400 facilities before starting Star-Med. The

company is now located in Hockessin and has over fifty employees.

Diane has a Bachelors degree in Health Information Management and a Masters degreein Health Care Administration. She is active in the community as Campaign Co-chair for theNemours/A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children and with the Delaware Lacrosse Foundation.

Diane is a leader in her profession having been President of the Delaware Health Information Management Association twice and is a frequent presenter at educational seminars. She is also active among her peers and steadfastly supports women in businesshaving been twice elected as President of the Delaware Chapter of the National Associationof Women Business Owners.

Morning Registration Sponsor:

ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR - Diane E. Ferry, MS, RHIA, Star-Med LLC

C arol has a long standing and deep commitment to supportingwomen and lends her talent and enthusiasm to many initia-

tives both within her company and throughout the community.Her focus on helping women in financial transition, especiallythose who find themselves suddenly single as a result of di-vorce or death of a spouse, has been widely recognized bylocal, regional, and national publications.

AWARD PRESENTATION – BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR Carol Arnott Robbins, Regional Sales Manager & VP of M&T Securities, Inc.

Page 8: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

22nd Annual22nd Annual

Business Women’s ExpoBusiness Women’s ExpoYour GPS to Success!Your GPS to Success!

Entrepreneurial & Entrepreneurial &

1 Highmark BCBS of DE #12 Applied Bank3 Anolee Marketing4 Belfint, Lyons & Shuman, CPAs5 The TEAM Approach6 Strategic Solutions International (Workshop Speaker)7 Comcast Corporation (Workshop Speaker)8 Incredible One Enterprises9 Excel Business Systems10 Metro Merchant Services11 WDSD 94.7 FM, WILM 1450 AM, TOM FM 92.914 Thirty One15 New Candlelight Theatre16 Talk Fusion17 Fulton Bank18 APS Cleaning, Inc.38 Pride Klean19 WSFS Bank20 TD Bank21 he News Journal Media Group22 PNC Bank23 Verizon Small Business24 Christiana Care Imaging Services25 Elevate Success25 lia sophia- Moore26 Diamond Technologies27 Diamond Technologies28 AMI Commercial Cleaning29 entreDonovan Women's Custom Clothing30 Get Life Coaching31 Amway IBO- Diana Decker32 East Coast Shredding, LLC33 Smart Talk Media34-A Courtyard Newark at the University of Delaware34-B University of Delaware Conference Services35 Professional and Continuing Studies at the University of Delaware

36 M&T Bank37 MedExpress39 Neen James40 Your PASSPORT to Travel LLC presenting Apple Vacations and Barceló Resorts

41 Delaware Council On Gambling Problems42 Armed Forces Directory43 Douglas J. Lavenburg, M.D., P.A.44 CORE Fitness Studio45 1-800-GOT-JUNK?46 Design Design, Inc.47 Stage Right! Home Staging48 Pampered Chef49 Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition, Inc.50 Allen Insurance Group51 Worldpay52 Willow House Home Products53 Hagley Museum and Library54 AAA Midatlantic55 Coventry Health Care56 Creative Image Photography57 Scentsy Wickless Candles

58 Simon Eye Associates59 Income & Estate Planning Partners, P.A.60 Corporate Interiors61 Delaware Open MRI62 Dynamic Physical Therapy63 Easter Seals Resource Center64 The New Castle County Women's Journal65 Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitor Bureau66 Five Star Home Foods67 Tile Market of Delaware68 Cleaning Frenzy69 Bryn Mawr Trust71 Delaware Ovarian Cancer Foundation72 Diamond State Financial Group73 Liberty Mutual74 NiA75 Ferguson Enterprises76 Sanctuary Spa & Salon78 American Furniture Clearance Center79 Sleep Disorders Management80 Gaudenzia, Inc.81 Fresh Faced Skin Care82 Hopkins & Sons, Inc.83 Deerfield84 FuturTech Consulting85 Delaware Today/Today Media86 Sherm's Catering87 John Cattermole Jewelry Design88 Hilton Wilmington Christiana89 WJKS, Kiss 101.7 FM & WFAI Faith 1510 AM90 Miche Bag91 The Independence School93 Best Western Plus94 WSTW, 93.7 FM, WDEL, 1150AM95 Unique Impressions, Inc.96 St. Francis Hospital97 University of Delaware Graduate Business Programs99 Home Instead Senior Care100 Bathfitter101 WJBR, 99.5 FM102 Country Clean- Rainbow International103 Juice Plus+104 Women's Expo- Grand Prize Entry105 Delaware Theatre Company106 Super Media107 Slumber Parties108 The CBI Group109 Fit For Life with Regina GrubbsBusiness Resource Room #121BR-1 Delaware Office of Supplier DiversityBR-2 NAWBO-National Association of

Women Business OwnersBR-3 SCOREBR-4 Small Business Development & Technology CenterBR-5 United States Small Business AdministrationBR-6 YWCA Delaware Center for

Women's EntrepreneurshipBR-7 Emerging Enterprise Center- EECBR-8 New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

Clayton Hall at the University of Delaware

Thursday, November 15, 20129:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

www.ncccc.com

Page 9: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

November 15, 20129:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.Clayton Hall at the

University of Delaware

To register: www.ncccc.com

Karen Burton - Committee ChairOffice of Economic DevelopmentAmy EschenbrennerBlue Hen Bed & BreakfastDiane FerryStarMed, LLCHeather FisherNew Castle County ChamberEllyn HerbertUS Small Business AdministrationAngie Herscher-Excel Business SystemsVicki Lam- Promo VictoryPamela MayseNew Castle County ChamberLaShawanda Moore- Elevate SuccessBeth OliphantChristiana Care ImagingCathy Parsons- Best VacationsPat Ponzo- Wilmington Trust M&TColeen Smith-Marriott CourtyardNewark at U of DMaria Sylvanus- WJKS KISS 101.7 FM& WFAI Faith 1510 AM RadioJacinta TerryPNC BankCathy TurnerWSFS Bank

Thank You to the Women’s Expo Committee

Entire Day Including Luncheon9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. $55 members $75 non-members Luncheon & Afternoon FestivitiesNoon to 6:00 p.m. $45 members $65 non-membersLuncheon Only: Noon to 2:00 p.m. $35 members/$325 for table of 10$55 non-members/$525 table of 10Showcase & Success Hour2:00 to 6:00 p.m. $15 members $25 non-members

Price:

22nd Annual22nd Annual

Business Women’s ExpoBusiness Women’s ExpoYour GPS to Success!Your GPS to Success!

Entrepreneurial & Entrepreneurial &8:30 a.m. REGISTRATION

Time ENTREPRENEURIAL GPS BUSINESS WOMEN GPS

MONEYtalks How to Start, Grow and SucceedU.S. Small Business AdministrationMost entrepreneurs underestimate the costs about what exactly it takes to successfully fund/grow a business. Join the SBA to find out what it takes and the resources available to succeed.

Grand Prize: Win a 4 night Apple Vacation to Cancun, Mexico at the Barceló TUCANCUN including round-trip airfare via Frontier Airlines, hotel accommodations all meals drinks and tips.

* Prize courtesy of Apple Vacations and Barcelo Hotels and Resorts. Grand Prize valued over $2000!

Must be present to win!

2nd Prize: Dream Clean: Custom deep cleaning for your entire home and carpets using green products that are safe for you and your family. Valued over $1000!

Sponsored by Rainbow International of New Castle and Country Clean

Main exhibit hall, rooms 119 and 120

9:00 - 9:45 a.m.

imapMyLife Connie Charles, Strategic Solutions, Int’lIn this workshop, you will learn the two critical thingsyou need to understand about yourself in order to stay ontrack for a meaningful and happy life.

Your Marketing Map Darnyelle Jervey – Incredible One EnterprisesLearn the three marketing streams that you must have ineffect to take your business to the next level. Walkaway with a GPS marketing plan of action for yourbusiness.

10:00 - 10:45 a.m.

Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling of Career Development Andrea Agnew, Comcast CorporationWomen around the world represent more than 40% of theglobal workforce, yet their share of management positions re-mains unacceptably low. Learn how you can redefine power,lead yourself with intention and reach parity in your career.

How to Sell to WomenMonica Eboda, PNC BankLearn from PNC how you and your sales team can growyour business by developing relationships with the women's segment.

11:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Securing a Successful Career in a Male Dominated IndustryHonorable Mary M. Johnston, Superior Court of DelawareIn this engaging workshop, learn the “GPS” to Career Success! Learn how the Judge used the Law of the Land toguide her success plan in a field that is dominated by men!

Noon - 1:50 p.m. LUNCH, KEYNOTE AND PRESENTATIONS OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR & THE BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEARSponsored by Pride Klean

2:00 - 5:00 p.m. EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE Sponsored by Allen Insurance, Fitzgerald Consulting and Goodwill

5:00 - 6:00 p.m. SUCCESS HOUR FINAL DESTINATION Sponsored by Verizon Wireless and Diamond Technologies, Inc.GREAT NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY with hors d’ oeuvres, wine tastings by Premier Wine & Spirits, cashbar and grand prize drawings! MUST be present to WIN!

3rd Prize: One of a kind designer diamond and amethyst necklace and bracelet set by John Cattermole Jewelry Design. $600 value!

4th Prize: $300 Christiana Mall shopping spree!

Your PASSPORT to Travel LLC

GRAND DOOR PRIZES - OVER $4,000 IN PRIZES WILL BE GIVEN OUT!

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. AFTERNOON GPS COACHING SESSION Q &A with three leading Business EntrepreneursDiane Ferry, Star Med, LLC: Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year Award winner; Caren McCabe, Talk Fusion;LaShawanda Moore, Elevate Success

Page 10: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

M E M B E R S H I P M A T T E R SA. Parker ContractingConstruction/Contractors(302) 377-1193www.aparkercontracting.com

Access Mechanical ContractorsCo., Inc.Plumbing/HVAC(302) 834-8822www.accesshvac.com

Advanced Solar Heating & Air ConditioningSolar Energy(302) 731-1000www.sunnydelaware.com

Advancing Strategic Innovations, LLCConsultants/Consulting(302) 225-9983www.strategicinnovations.net

Ainsley’s PharmacyMedical(302) 734-5348

Ascension Group, LLCConsultants/Consulting(302) 545-7100www.ascensiongroup.net

Agents and Corporations, Inc.Business & Professional Services(800) 759-2248www.incnow.com

Bryn Mawr Trust CompanyBanks(610) 430-0791www.bmtc.com

Chicken HouseRestaurants(302) 737-2426www.thechickenhouserestaurant.com

Cleaning Frenzy Inc.Cleaning Services & Supplies(302) 453-8800www.cleaningfrenzylady.com

Communities In Schools of WilmingtonNon-Profit Organizations(302) 777-5834www.cisdelaware.org

Corrin Tree & Landscape Co., LLCLandscaping/Lawn Care & Equip(302) 753-8733www.corrintree.com

D & F Construction Inc.Construction/Contractors(302) 357-8898

Delaware Express Shuttle & ToursAirport Shuttle/Charter Bus Service(302) 454-7800www.delexpress.com

Delaware Furniture ExchangeRetail/Wholesale(302) 355-1753www.delawarefurnitureexchange.com

Dust Away Cleaning Service, Inc.Cleaning Services & Supplies(302) 658-8803www.dacleaning.com

Hiller & Arban, LLCLegal Services(302) 442-7676www.hillerarban.com

Hillside Heating & CoolingPlumbing/HVAC(302) 738-4144www.hillsideoil.com

Hockessin Day SpaHealth & Wellness(302) 234-7573www.hockessinday-spa.com

How Do You Brew, Inc.Retail/Wholesale(302) 738-7009www.howdoyoubrew.com

Lamberti’s CucinaRestaurants(302) 995-6955www.lambertide.com

Letter Direct Services, LLCBusiness & Professional Serv-ices/Printing Services(302) 525-6697www.letterdirectservices.net

McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney& Carpenter, LLPLegal Services(302) 300-4515http://www.mdmc-law.com

MedExpressMedical(302) 266-0930www.medexpress.com

MedExpress-Concord PkMedicalwww.medexpress.com

MedExpress-Kirkwood Hwy.Medicalwww.medexpress.com

MedExpress-N. DuPont HwyMedicalwww.medexpress.com

Meridian CrossingReal Estate(302) 834-1740www.meridiancrossing.com

Northwestern Mutual/TheDelaware GroupFinancial Services(302) 477-6600www.nm-delaware.com

Out of the Ordinary CateringCatering(301) 524-9207www.outoftheordinarycatering.com

Pro Computer Services, LLCComputers/IT/Internet(302) 456-9500www.procomputerservice.com

Pro Pest Management of DE Inc.Environmental Services(302) 994-2847www.propestmanagement.com

Repair SquadConstruction/Contractors(302) 529-1110www.therepairsquad.com

Rockwell Associates - Randall GlickFinancial Services(302) 655-7151www.rockwellassoc.com

Rufo Associates, PALegal Services(302) 234-5900

Sanctuary Spa & Salon, LLCHealth & Wellness(302) 475-1469www.mysantuaryspasalon.com

Sand SolutionsComputers/IT/Internet(302) 415-5626www.samanthasand.com

Sears Appliance and HardwareRetail/Wholesale(302) 454-0456

Sleep Disorders ManagementMedical(302) 319-4736www.SleepDisordersManagement.com

Spectrum, A Herman Miller DealerRetail/Wholesale(610) 233-4678www.spectrumworkplace.com

Texas Road HouseRestaurants(302) 322-3443www.texasroadhouse.com

Uschy’s CafeRestaurants(302) 654-9131

William D. Fiske ConsultingConsultants/Consulting(302) 545-4451

Wize Guyz Sports Lounge & GrillRestaurants(302) 738-9493

WorldPayBusiness & ProfessionalServices(302) 932-4725www.worlpay.us

www.ncccc.com I November/December I 11

N E W M E M B E R S

What can one pharmaceutical company do to enhance your health, your family’s health and the health of your community?

A LOT. We’re AstraZeneca. Makers of NEXIUM®, CRESTOR®,SYMBICORT® and other innovative medicines for people. Ourcommitment to you goes beyond the discovery and developmentof important new medicines. We help patients in need afford theirmedicines, offer free support, education and information services—like our AstraZeneca Cancer Support Network available in morethan 100 languages—and give back to our communities. In 2008alone, through charitable contributions and employee volunteerism,we helped to support over 1,400 non-profit organizations acrossthe country.

At AstraZeneca we don’t have all of the answers—but we do knowhow we treat people is as important as the medicines we make.

NEXIUM, CRESTOR and SYMBICORT are registered trademarksof the AstraZeneca group of companies.©2009 AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP. All rights reserved.

For more information, call 1-800-AZandMe

or visit AZandMe.com

8/24/09 10:42 AM Page 1

List complete as of October 14, 2012

Page 11: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

N O V E M B E R E V E N T S C A L E N D A R

12 I November/December I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

28 29 30 31 1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

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Sun M o n T u e W e d Thu Fr i S a t

3:00 - 5:00 PMMid-day Mixer

at Hartefeld NationalGolf Club

6:30 – 9:00 PMYPN Fall Fun Event;Hayride & Bonfire@Bellevue State Park

8:30 - 11:30 AMMake the Most of YourOrganization’s OnlinePresence; Nonprofit

Forum in partnershipwith DANA

SA

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TH

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AT

E!

Ho

liday H

oo

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ecemb

er 12thTo register for events, please visit www.ncccc.com and click ‘Events Calendar’

5:30 – 7:30 PMNetwork at Night atStewart’s Brewing

Company, Bear

8:30 - 10:00 AM Chamber Orientation-

Get to Know Your Chamber;

a Free event

Networking Series Sponored by:

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM22nd Annual

Entrepreneurial & Business Women’sExpo at Clayton Hall/

Univ. of DE

Chamber CLOSEDHappy Thanksgiving Chamber CLOSED

8:00 - 10:30 AMBusiness Issues

RoundtableOptimize Your SmallBusiness Structure to

Minimize Your Tax Burden

5:30 – 7:30 PMUnWINEd Wednesdayat the Crowne Plaza

UnWINEd Wednesday at Crowne Plaza Wilmington North

Wednesday, November 285:30 - 7:30 PM

Entrepreneurial & Business Women’s ExpoClayton Hall at University of Delaware

Thursday, November 159:00 - 6:00 PM

Participate in Morning Workshops, Luncheon, Exhibitor Showcase, Mixer or All Day!

Tuesday, November 203:00 - 5:00 PM

Mid Day Mixerat Hartefeld National

Golf Club

Business Issues RoundtableOptimize Your Small Business

Structure to Minimize Your Tax Burden

Tuesday, November 278:00 - 10:30 AM

Page 12: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

D E C E M B E R E V E N T S C A L E N D A R

www.ncccc.com I November/December I 13

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2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

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30 31 1 2 3 4 5

Sun M o n T u e W e d Thu Fr i S a t

To register for events, please visit www.ncccc.com and click ‘Calendar & Registration’

To register for events, visitwww.ncccc.com

and click ‘Events Calendar’

UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTEDAll events are held at the New Castle County Chamber,12 Penns Way. Call (302) 737-4343 for details.

Holiday HoorahMixer, Tabletop & Silent Auction

Wednesday, December 125:30 - 8:00 PM

11:30 AM - 1:30 PMBusiness

FundamentalsNavigating an Uncertain Tax

Landscape in 2013

8:30 - 10:00 AM Chamber “U”

Do Your Customers DriveYour Business' Continuous

Improvement?

5:30 – 8:00 PMHoliday Hoorah Mixer,

Tabletop & Silent Auction at DoubleTree Hotel

Wilm., Concord Pike

8:30 – 11:30 AMFinding Your

Next Customer Everyone's ASalesperson

Chamber CLOSED Chamber CLOSED

Chamber CLOSED

Business FundamentalsThurs., December 6, 11:30 AM

Chamber “U”Thurs., December 6, 8:00 AM

Finding Your Next CustomerThurs., December 13, 8:30 AM

Happy New Year!

Page 13: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

Chamber Ambassador Amy Eschebrennerrecently marked ten years as a member

of the Chamber’s Ambassador committee.She is a five-time winner of the Ambassadorof the Year Award and since 2009 has beenthe proprietor, with her husband Don, of theBlue Hen Bed and Breakfast in Newark.

Once part of a 255-acre farm just off Not-tingham Road (route 273) in Newark, theBlue Hen Bed and Breakfast is now just twoacres but with centuries of history in its land,bricks and mortar. “The home was built in

1692 with an addition in 1840 andanother modern addition added in2011 for her mother to live in,”says proprietor Amy Eschenbrenner.

“This idea began a long timeago,” says Amy. “I was a studentat the University of Delaware

and I responded to an ad for a se-mester in London. I borrowed

$10,000 and spent the next few monthsin England. I convinced a local pub ownerto hire me as a bartender. On my free time I

would travelall overBritain withmy tip mon-ey staying atBed andBreakfastsalong theway.”

She madetwo moretrips to Eu-rope staying in B and B’s and fell in lovewith the antiques, the colors, the styles andmore. Born with an entrepreneurial spirit,Amy was selling Girl Scout Cookies as a kidand then making and selling potholders andother handmade items. Becoming a full-time B and B proprietor seemed natural.

“My husband and I would vacation inCape May and we always stayed in a B andB and thought, ‘we can do this,’” Amy recalls.Amy was given a how to run a Bed andBreakfast book by an Aunt. “The stars were

aligning.” She contin-ues, “Don found thishouse a few years ago,we bought it and withsome minor renovationit became the Blue HenBed and Breakfast.”

The Blue Hen B andB has three bedrooms,one of which is an ex-tended stay suite thatis also handicap acces-

sible. The bedrooms all vary in size but eachhas at its centerpiece a queen size bed. Everyroom in the house is filled with antiques andsoft paint schemes with vivid wallpaper orhand painted accents. “We actually uncoveredsome wallpaper dated from 1739,” says Amy.

“Many of the antiques are from my familycollection. I have Quaker and PennsylvaniaDutch roots so much of what we have hereis handmade with old world craftsmanship.They were farming families but we knowquality.” says Amy.

The room rates range from $120 to $180 anight. A full breakfast is served on the week-ends with continental fare provided throughthe week. Don is the cook and Amy is thebaker. “I really like to make pickles and pre-serves,” she says. The parlor has coffee, tea,soft drinks and snacks always available freeof charge. A good portion of the Blue HenB and B visitors are parents of University ofDelaware students.

The Blue Hen B and B is also available forsmall private parties, holiday events, fundraisersand more. Amy routinely hosts WonderWomen Teas, a series of networking eventsfor entrepreneurial women that are her busi-ness acquaintances. The B and B hosts theannual Easter Bone Hunt, a fundraiser forPaws for People. Dogs are welcome to alsostay over at Blue Hen B and B, just an addi-tional $20 per pooch.

Visit www.bluehenbnb.com or call Amy at302-218-8713. Keep an eye on the websitefor January and February discounts.

Chamber Ambassador Celebrates 10 Years, 5 Wins and One Historic Bed and Breakfast!

M E M B E R P R O F I L E S

14 I November/December I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

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with our managed print services, for example,we actually know when toner is low beforethe client and we can make changes and fixeswithout clients even realizing. We avoid shut-downs,” says Frank. Printing and copying isthe largest unaudited expense in companies.“People just don’t realize or keep up with it,we have better programs, we can cut theseexpenses,” says Frank.

Copiers have come a long way too in thelast 29 years. “They have apps just like today’sphones,” says Frank. One example of an appis the “teacher’s assistant.” This app, with thepress of a couple of buttons can create abubble sheet for testing, it can then print theanswer key and finally it can grade the test.“It saves time for teachers and it is a free appwe provide,” says Frank. “Everything we sellis multifunctional.” Excel clients are largeand small, in Delaware and nationwide. Theyare medical, legal, schools, financial institutions,small business and more.

"So Much More" for Over 30 YearsContinued from page 6

The economic downturn in 2008 hit manyoffice supply companies especially hard. “Itwas a struggle,” say Frank. “But we adapted,we also acquired Techincare, a local companythat sold ink and toner and other products.The last two years have been our most profitablein the history of Excel.”

In the last 29 years what Frank most enjoysis his company’s community involvement. “Ican’t take copiers out to community events sowe take our staff.” Excel was recently at theMiddletown Bar-b-que. “We sold 1,500 softpretzels with all proceeds going to the Boysand Girls Club,” says Frank. “There are over2,000 nonprofits in Delaware and we try tohelp. We are somewhere every week.”

“We have been in business for nearly 30years and we are part of the communitybecause we do good work,” Frank concludes.Visit Excel Business Systems at www.exceldigital.com.

Page 14: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec

q Domaine Hudson Wine Bar & Eatery

www.domainehudson.com

Gecko Fashionswww.geckofashions.com

J Christian Studiowww.jchristianstudio.com

Photos Courtesy of Creative Associates: www.ciaphoto.com

Alex & Aniwww.alexandani.com

APS Cleaning, Inc.www.betterkindofclean.com

Bath, Kitchen, and Tile Centerwww.bathkitchenandtile.com

q Domaine Hudson Wine Bar & Eatery

www.domainehudson.com

Fast-Fix Jewelry & Watch Repairs Christiana Mall www.fastfix.com

Med Express in Newarkwww.medexpress.com

Uschy’s Café(302) 654-9131

q Domaine Hudson Wine Bar & Eatery

www.domainehudson.com

Sears Appliance and Hardware(302) 454-0456

WSFS Bank in Hockessinwww.wsfsbank.com

Wize Guyz Sports Lounge & Grill(302) 738-9493

M E M B E R R I B B O N C U T T I N G S

www.ncccc.com I November/December I 15

Page 15: NCCCC Business Matters Nov/Dec