|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| LOCATION | NEWS | LIFESTYLE | DEMOGRAPHICS | PROPERTIES | BUSINESS | AGRICULTURE | ABOUT SWED | LINKS | CONTACT | ||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Since 1968, SWED has worked diligently toward strengthening our local economy through the preservation and creation of productive employment opportunities. While our vision is forward, our past is not forgotten. The following events have helped shape the economic landscape of Wicomico County today.
Park. The former Chris Craft plant is sold for the fourth time in 33 years. The former Chris Craft plant
2001-'02 Helvoet Pharma purchases Wheaton PharmaTech, retaining two hundred manufacturing jobs in the Northwood Industrial Park. Bar None, Inc. purchases the local assets of The Order People, retaining one hundred fifty jobs. Silverton Marine announces plans to purchase the former Webcraft plant creating one hundred seventy-five new jobs. VPI Mirrex expands its Northwood facility, adding thirty-five new jobs. In conjunction with the Airport Commission and with the help of several SWED members, SWED creates a "schematic vision" for future development of the Air Business Center.
2002-'03 Cambrex chooses Northwood for a bio-tech manufacturing facility. SWED establishes a new $406,000 revolving loan fund for business development.
2003-'04 Germane Tool, a precision machine shop, relocates from West Chester, PA. SWED assists Filter Networks in its site search and other related "start-up" issues. SWED initiates and promotes a "Technology Partnering Showcase" in conjunction with TEDCO at Salisbury University. Through the Maryland Economic Adjustment Fund, SWED capitalizes an additional $100,000 to the SWED Business Expansion Fund. SWED assists Century Seals in the firm's acquisition of Finishing Technologies, Inc.
2004-'05 SWED was instrumental in assisting Sklar Instruments in its merger with Trinity Labs, creating Trinity Sterile and retaining 55 jobs. SWED assists MaTech, Inc. in its site search, permitting, and expansion into a 150,000 sq ft facility in Northwood. SWED also assists Perdue Farms, Inc. in locating a site for a new corporate hangar, developing lease terms, and assisting throughout the permitting process. SWED accepts a lead role in working with developers of the Salisbury Mall property toward a Tax Increment Finance agreement. Perdue Farms renovates a manufacturing plant in Northwood into an "Innovation Center," a state-of-the-art research and development facility. Top
2005-'06 SWED supports House Bill 399, allowing more
flexibility to local jurisdictions in creating and expanding enterprise
zones. With financing and permitting assistance from SWED, Harvard Custom Manufacturing
(HCM) announced plans to expand the company's current facility and add
approximately two hundred new jobs. In partnership with the Wicomico
County Airport Commission, SWED establishes a business incubator
in the former terminal building and helped secure funding for the
renovation from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Maryland
Ribbon cutting at the airport incubator
2006-'07 The Siesta Group, a sleep software development company, begins operations at the airport, while The Knowland Group, an internet-based "reader board" service targeting the hospitality industry, relocates to Salisbury. SWED brokers a loan through the Southern Eastern Shore Revolving Loan Fund (SES-RLF) to Navtrak, Inc., a GPS product and service provider for fleet vehicles. With the help of Wicomic County Public Works, SWED assists Ferguson Enterprises, a plumbing/heating distributor, with their location to WestWood Commerce Park.
1990-'91
U.S. Marine builds its 1,000th yacht, MaTech doubles its workforce,
and 66,000 sq. ft. of office/ industrial/ warehouse space is built by
Northgate Development along
1991-'92 Nanticoke Homes, a manufacturer of modular housing purchases the former ConDiesel plant, while Wicomico County begins construction of its second inventory building. The national economy enters a recession largely due to defense cutbacks associated with changes in the Soviet Union and other foreign economies.
The former Eaton facility
1992-'93 Campbell's Soup closes operations in Salisbury eliminating nearly 800 jobs. At the same time, Grumman Aerospace announces plans to close its Salisbury plant eliminating over 500 jobs. Filtronic Comtek locates in the former terminal building at the Salisbury-Wicomico Regional Airport.
building while Royal Quality Foods begins a beef processing business in the former Campbell Soup plant. RelComm Technologies begins a new relay switch business in Northwood. Data Services constructs a new facility in Winterplace Park and CallCenter on its 42,000 sq. ft. telemarketing center. SWED, in conjunction with Wicomico County, UMES, and the EDA establishes a $1 million revolving loan fund for industrial development.
The former Campbell Soup plant
1994-'95 Lorch Microwave relocates from Florida to Salisbury. Salisbury Technologies (now Harvard Custom Manufacturing) purchases the former Grumman plant, retaining eighty-two jobs while projecting one hundred more in the next few years. MaTech turns a former sweet potato warehouse into a state of the art machine shop in Hebron.
1995-'96
Filtronic Comtek moves into its new 80,000 sq. ft. U.S. manufacturing wins Maryland's Small Businessman of the Year award.
Filtronic Comtek
1996-'97 ClearComm Technologies and Custom Cable Solutions begin new manufacturing operations in Wicomico County. Cape May Foods purchases Nanticoke Foods, retaining 75 jobs in Nanticoke, Maryland. Tishcon Corporation relocates a New York division to Salisbury and purchases the former Sears Warehouse building on Brown Street.
1997-'98 ThermoLyte Corporation of Waltham, Mass. begins manufacturing operations in the former terminal building at the Salisbury/Ocean City: Wicomico Regional Airport. SWED, along with eight Eastern Shore counties, produces a CD-ROM, highlighting business attributes of the Eastern Shore and each county. The Kiplinger Washington Letter mentions that Salisbury is "drawing smaller, high-tech businesses" in its February 20, 1998 edition.
1998-'99 Interactive Marketing Services, Inc. enters into a lease with Mountaire Farms for a portion of the former Campbell Soup plant. Millenium Microwave, LLC begins manufacturing operations in Fruitland, serving military and commercial customers in the wireless communications industry.
1999-2000 Arcon Welding, LLC begins manufacturing portable arc welding machines in Northwood. Rail service is retained along Mill Street thanks to a creative financing package and a unique partnership between SWED, the City of Salisbury, Norfolk-Southern, MDOT, and rail users. Top
1980-'81 Chesapeake Shipbuilding purchases Roberts Shipyard on Fitzwater Street and begins constructing the "America," a 180' cruise ship. Plymouth Tube with headquarters in Michigan, begins construction on a 70,000 sq. ft. specialty tubing plant in Northwood. The Consumer Price Index percentage change from 1979-'80 is 13.5%.
1981-'82 Perdue Farms, Wicomico County's largest manufacturing employer, doubles its corporate headquarters and expands its processing plant adding hundreds of new jobs. Henson Airlines adds ninety new jobs and is recognized as the "Regional Airline of the Year" by Air-Transport World. Viskon-Aire relocates from New Jersey to Salisbury in a 70,000 sq. ft. plant in Northwood.
1982-'83
Wicomico County, the City of Salisbury, and SWED team up to obtain
Maryland's largest enterprise zone, consisting of some 2,100 acres.
Heinemann triples its manufacturing space by building a new 48,000 sq. ft.
plant in Northwood. Governor Hughes announces
1983-'84 SWED links its office computer to a worldwide master industrial plant location file operated by the IDRC (Industrial Development Research Council). Work begins on the establishment of the Air Business Center at the Salisbury-Wicomico County Airport
Aerial view of the Air Business Center
jobs as the company selects Salisbury for its new electronics and cabling operations at the former Manhattan Shirt Factory. IPC Corporation (now Helvoet Pharma) announces the construction of two new plants in Northwood. Enterprise Zone benefits are extended from five to ten years.
The former Helvoet Pharma facility
1985-'86 Standard Register purchases Burroughs Corporation's business forms division, while Mardelva News begins plant construction in Northwood. SWED and local approval for funds to construct a 79,696 sq. ft. inventory building.
1986-'87 Over 200,000 sq. ft. of industrial space is added by K&L Microwave, U.S. Marine, and Coaxitube generating over 250 new jobs. Federal Express constructs a plant in the new Air Business Center while a new terminal building has been approved for funding at the Salisbury-Wicomico Regional Airport.
1987-'88 Imperial Cup Corporation purchases Wicomico County's 79,696 sq. ft. "inventory" building, creating fifty new jobs, while Ford Laboratories (Trinity Labs today) completes its 80,000 sq. ft. facility along West Zion Road. The CPI percentage change from 1986-1987 was 1.9%.
1988-'89 Salisbury welcomes Machining Technologies (precision machining), Toroid Corporation (transformers) and CallCenter Services (telemarketing). Foot Management opens a facility in Pittsville.
1989-'90 Tishcon Corporation, a manufacturer of vitamins and dietary supplements, completes its 70,000 sq. ft. plant in Northwood. Under construction is the Regional State Office Building. SWED proposes a second inventory building of 100,000 sq. ft. Top
1968-'69 SWED opens corporate offices and prepares a thirty page brochure for the Northwood Industrial Park. SWED places its first advertisement in "Industrial Property Guide," July,1969.
1969-'70 Firestone announces plans to build a $2.5 million plastics factory in Northwood. Chris Craft announces its impending plant closing at Moss Hill Lane.
as K&L Microwave begins operations in Salisbury. A "three-phase" Industrial Apartment concept is announced to provide start-up space for new industry.
The former Crown, Cork & Seal plant
1971-'72 Open Roads Industries of Redondo Beach, California, a manufacturer of recreational vehicles, purchases the former Chris Craft plant. SWED obtains a 001 designation from the SBA giving our community priority on direct SBA loans under $25,000 and 10% instead of 20% down on 502 local development corporation loans.
1972-'73 "Business Week" publishes a feature article entitled "Business Discovers a Tri-State Peninsula." Burroughs Corp. and Georgia Pacific announce plans to construct a $6 million and $2.5 million plant, respectively.
1973-'74 Central Supply, Shaw Warehousing, and Hoffman LaRoche construct new facilities in Northwood. The Industrial Apartment Complex is completed and home to six companies employing one hundred people.
1974-'75 "Energy-Economics-Environment-Inflation-Recession are terms that were not well understood by many Americans just a few years ago" is the opening line in SWED's seventh annual report. SWED assists the Manhattan Shirt Company (350 employees) in the sale of the business to a newly formed group called the Salisbury Manufacturing Co. Inc. Open Roads Industries announces its plant closing.
1975-'76
D&F shirt factory opens on East Main Street as Wooten Welding
completes construction of its facility in Northwood. Marketing
efforts begin in earnest to fill the vacant Open Roads plant.
Seven new firms open operations in the Industrial Apartment Complex,
including Good Electronic Company, Salisbury Special Tools, and Maryland
Clarklift, Inc.
1976-'77 K&L Microwave triples its manufacturing space to 16,000 sq. ft. Roadway and AAA Trucking locate terminals in Salisbury. SWED institutes a monthly newsletter, conducts a labor survey and produces a community profile brochure.
K&L Microwave's location at Coles Circle
1977-'78 Condec Corporation acquires the former Open Roads/Chris Craft plant for its ConDiesel division. Duo Sofa, Inc., a division of Maryland Bedding Corporation (better known as Sealy, and later as Ellis Home Furnishings) announces plans to construct a 150,000 sq. ft. factory in Northwood. Middle Atlantic Printing and Chilton Publishing begin plant construction in Northwood
1978-'79 Gregg Shirt Makers expands one of two plants in Fruitland while Delmar Sportswear locates in Delmar. Richard Bernstein, founder of K&L Microwave, wins Maryland's Small Businessman of the Year award.
1979-'80 SWED assists with the formation of Salisbury Pewter, helps Heinemann Electric locate a manufacturing facility, and works with Chesapeake Corporation in the establishment of a hardwood processing facility in Wicomico County. Top
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
One Plaza East, Suite 501 P.O. Box 4700 Salisbury, Maryland 21801 410-749-1251 fax: 410-749-1252 info@swed.org |
This site sponsored by
|
||||||||||||||||||
Aviation
Administration, Md.'s Department of Business and Economic Development and
the Airport Commission. SWED assists Ameriscan, a "start-up" GPS
company founded by a recent graduate of Salisbury University, in locating to
the incubator at the
airport. SWED
assists the City of Salisbury and Wicomico County in efforts to expand the existing enterprise zone to
include WestWood Commerce Park and arranged a
presentation from the Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority
(MIDFA) to area bankers and loan officers. SWED assists in the
establishment of an Arts and Entertainment District in Salisbury's Central
Business District. 
