The Town of Smyrna received four awards yesterday from the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) as part of the Downtown Delaware Revitalize! Conference at the Queen in downtown Wilmington.
Also honored was the Taste of Newark, an event founded by former Newark Mayor Vance Funk. Taste of Newark has raised $500,000.
DEDO named five Smyrna Community Partners awards in the categories of “Outstanding Downtown Business Owners,” “Outstanding Downtown Community Partner,” “Excellence in Town Management,” and “Core Consulting Team Member.”
Owners of Royal Treatments and Smyrna Cards and Gifts, Karen and Woody Gill, received the award for “Outstanding Downtown Business Owners for the Town of Smyrna.” The award cited the companies for “Consistently providing outstanding products and customer service to the community, and continue to partner with Downtown Delaware as mentors on the new Rural Business Mentoring Program.”
The “Outstanding Downtown Community Partner for the Town of Smyrna” award was granted to long-time Smyrna resident and President of i3a Engineering & Construction Management Ed Ide, for his work restoring the former Smyrna Theater (adapting it for Painted Stave Distillery) and purchasing, restoring and attracting businesses for the buildings at Smyrna’s historic Four Corners. Ide is an active member of the town’s Economic Development Committee and routinely works with the town, USDA, and committed tenants to bring life to Downtown Smyrna.
Town Manager Dave Hugg was recognized with the “Excellence in Town Management” award for his 14 years of service in the position. Diane Laird, State Coordinator for Downtown Delaware, remarked, “Dave’s leadership has resulted in a formidable list of accomplishments; a Corridor and Downtown strategic plan, effective Economic Development and Business Development Committees and a newly created Redevelopment Authority, expanded water and sewer services, decreased vacancies, and progressive incentives to foster economic opportunity, appropriate growth, and increased quality of life.” Hugg is responsible for the day-to-day administration and operations management of the town staff.
Rick Ferrell, Smyrna’s Economic Development consultant, was granted a specially-created award, “Core Consulting Team Member” for his work in Smyrna and for providing Economic Development strategy assistance to more than 20 Delaware communities.
“Rick has assisted committee members with the creation of building and business inventories, retention, recruitment, and expansion strategies,” said Laird. “He has promoted proactive business district planning that is smart growth, so that we’re not a victim of whatever is coming in development, but we are creating what we want our towns to be.”
