The New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Newark and the University of Delaware have launched a new brand campaign aimed at marketing the Greater Newark region as a place for economic development. It carries the tagline “Greater Newark, it all adds up.”
“This was the idea of former Newark City Councilman Paul Pomeroy to bring greater economic opportunities to Newark,” said Chamber President Mark Kleinschmidt. “We hosted a series of focus groups and roundtables over a period of 18 months trying to get at the heart of what and how we could market Newark as a place for economic opportunity.”
“With this new campaign we are letting people know that Newark is rolling out the red carpet for business,” said Newark City Manager Carol Houck. “We are looking forward to the future,” she said.
During a video presentation Kleinschmidt detailed Newark’s attributes from proximity to roads and rail to a close-by deepwater port to the city’s easy links to four major metropolitan areas. “Greater Newark has five key attributes to economic success and growth: location, workforce, the University of Delaware, quality of life and access.” Kleinschmidt expanded on each noting that 50 percent of Greater Newark residents have a four-year degree or higher—twice the national average. The university is listed in the top 100 of national universities, plus it is ranked in the top 3 percent of all research institutions. Newark also boasts an award-winning Main Street.
Michael Smith, manager for the Chamber’s Greater Newark Economic Development Program (GNEDP) unveiled new website, www.greaternewarkde.com and provided a virtual tour of the site.
Some of the highlights include area statistics including tax rates, cost of living, demographics, even automobile traffic counts. Other links provide information on local commercial real estate with square footage, zoning, ceiling height and more. “The site is a clearinghouse of business and economic information at your fingertips,” said Smith. “But, the site and this initiative will also support existing businesses and also help with retention and expansion, plus it is an open source for all to use,” Smith concluded.
The “It all adds up” campaign for Greater Newark will be promoted through community events, billboards, print publications, social media and other areas.
