Wilmington was ranked as having the nation’s second-best business Climate for cities of under 200,000.
Delaware earned a #10 ranking for its Tech Talent Pipeline, according to the 2021 Business Facilities Rankings Report.
Other local top-10 placements in the 17th annual publication include Wilmington ranking as part of the #7 Large Healthcare Hub in the United States and Delaware’s rankings of #6 state for Electricity from Solar and #9 state for Offshore Wind Power.
Business Facilities highlights area economic development and site selection news worldwide and serves as a source for corporate site selectors and economic development professionals.
The publication’s 17th annual Rankings Report analyzes and compiles listings of the locations that are leading in key benchmarks for sustainable growth in the 21st century.
The 2021 Report highlights state, metro, and global leaders in 60 categories and can be viewed here.
Wilmington was recognized for the environment, hospitality, and support it offers businesses in key areas such as physical infrastructure, taxes, regulatory issues, and education. The city has a population of approximately 70,600 and also was recognized for its status as an integral part of the regional healthcare hub that also includes Philadelphia, Pa., and Camden, N.J.
“At DPP, we are often asked what attracts businesses to consider Delaware. Rankings such as the Business Facilities Rankings and the Tax Foundation, and KPMG Location Matters Report that ranks Delaware as the third most favorable tax climate in the U.S. play a role in businesses in our core sectors considering Delaware. We hear from companies who do choose Delaware that our business-friendly culture plays an important role in their decision-making process,” said Kurt Foreman, Delaware Prosperity Partnership CEO.
Delaware’s placement among the nation’s top 10 states for its tech talent pipeline – a new category in the report – is no surprise given that there are 70% more tech jobs across all sectors available than any other job opportunities in the state, Delaware Prosperity Partnership noted.
Swim with the Sharks finalists named
The Emerging Enterprise Center (EEC) announced four finalists selected to compete in this year’s Swim with the Sharks Pitch Competition on Nov. 3.
- Zach DeLong & Leigh Ann Tona, Co-Founder of Sleeping Bird Coffee
- Jayvon Fairman-Davis, Founder of Chess Express Kids
- Ethan Berg, Founder of Agora World
- Amanda Wiles, OTD, OTR/L, Owner & Doctor of Occupational Therapy of Pediatric Therapy Partners, LLC
The grand prize of $10,000 is provided by the New Castle County Office of Economic Development initiative NCC Innovates) and prizes to help them launch and grow their business. The competition will air statewide on DETV and simultaneously broadcast on EEC’s Facebook page.
Selection for a separate $1,500 “People’s Choice Award” will be made by the public from Sept. 1 until Oct. 15
How to vote
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Watch the preliminary round pitches on the Emerging Enterprise Center’s website.
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Cast your vote for your favorite Delaware start-up from September 1 through October 15. Each person can vote once online and once via text message during that time frame.
Timeline
- People’s Choice Award voting opens: September 1, 2021
- People’s Choice Award voting closes: October 15, 2021
- Grand Prize and People’s Choice Award announced: November 3, 2021
As one of Delaware’s oldest pitch competitions, this competition has showcased more than 100 Delaware entrepreneurs and invested over $110,000 in local start-ups.
Last year’s winner was Adam Stager, the founder of TRIC Robotics/
