w w w . N C C C C . c o mA Publication of New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

June 2013

This Edition

2 I Chamber Events Matter

3 I What’s the Matter?How to Cope with the "New Normal"Three Effective Strategies

4 I Legislative ConnectionMay DEFAC Projections IndicateAdditional Revenue

Workers Compensation Task ForceReport Issued, Legislation Expected in the Coming Week

5 I Economic DevelopmentBusiness Leaders, Community Members Connect at Greater Newark Mixer

Delaware BioScience AssociationJoins NCCEDC’s May Luncheon

6 I Calendar of Events - JuneNetworking, Business Education,Legislative Events & More

7 I Membership MattersNew Member Listing

Save the Dates - July

8 I Member ProfileGot Water? Marling’s to the Rescue

9 I Restaurant ProfileNew Castle’s Porto-Fino Pizza: A Neighborhood Landmark

10 I Communities MatterNew Castle Retains its Colonial Charm

11 I Ribbon Cuttings

Sallie Mae celebrated 40 yearsof serving students and familiesin their pursuit of higher educationin May. When Sallie Mae openedon May 13, 1973 at 1750 K Streetin Washington, D.C., the companywas a government-sponsored start-up with just seven employees. Today,Sallie Mae is the nation’s No. 1 fi-nancial services company special-izing in education, employing morethan 7,000 people nationwide.

Delaware employees celebratedthe company’s 40th anniversary in Newarkat a ceremony held at the corporate head-quarters. They were joined by Delaware

Governor Jack Markell, County ChamberPresident Mark Kleinschmidt and otherleaders in government, business and education.

Sallie Mae has undergone signifi-cant transformations since its creation.The company went public in 1983. Itbegan privatization in 1997 and com-pleted the process in 2004. The com-pany acquired multiple loan origi-nation franchises and receivablesmanagement companies to enhanceand diversify its lines of business.

In 2009, Sallie Mae began toservice federal loans on behalf ofthe U.S. Department of Education.After the federal government ended

the Federal Family Education Loan Pro-gram in 2010, Sallie Mae refocused its

Sallie Mae Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Continued on page 8.

Marc Kramer is a serial entrepreneur.“I have run over 20 startup busi-

nesses in a variety of fields,” he says. “Afew years ago, I was flying to a speakingengagement and I read a story in Forbesmagazine that if your business bank ac-count is ever hacked and your money isstolen the bank isn’t responsible for yourloss. I investigated and found it was true.”

Kramer also discovered that therewas no insurance product to cover this li-ability. “As an entrepreneur you look for

products that solve a problem and cy-bercrime is a huge growing problem.”Kramer wrote a business plan and foundan insurance company, Argo Group.“They liked the idea.”

Soon, Kramer was the President ofCommercial Deposit Insurance Agency.It is an insurance agency that sells oneproduct to insure business, non-profitand trust accounts against cyber theft ofbank accounts. “Business owners go toour web site, www.cdiaus.com and click

on ApplyNow. In lessthan four min-utes, if theyhave less than10 employeesand haven’thad their account hacked and moneystolen in the last three years, they will beable to buy a policy,” he explains.

“For business owners it gives thempeace of mind that if their account is

Avoid Cyber Theft, Protect YOUR Money!

Continued on page 9.

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

2 I June 2013 I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

Visit

www.NCCCC.com

& click Events C

alendar

Chamber Awards Luncheon

PNC Bank KeynoteSpeaker Judy Belland Pamela Mayseleading the “Group Hug.”

W.I.N Women Into Networking

Three winners! From left: Sherm Porter, the Chamber's Entrepreneur of the Year; Brooke Grubb, the Ambassadorof the Year; and Clinton Tymes,the Entrepreneurial Advocate of the Year.

Thanks to White Clay CreekCountry Club for hosting theChamber Awards Luncheon.

Network at NoonCourtyard Newark

The weather was perfect for a great day of networkingoutside on the patio at theCourtyard Marriott inNewark.

Coming up in July is theBusiness and Nonprofits Together Luau, don't miss it!

”Networking with the King” Over 120 attendees enjoyed a fabulous luncheon buffet, winetasting, and the Elvis styling’s ofBob Lougheed on the beautifulCourtyard Newark patio.

Business and professionalwomen continue to fill theseats at numerous WINevents held throughout thecounty. Thanks to SheratonSuites Wilmington for host-ing this wonderful event.Please Mark your calendarfor the next WIN eventscheduled for August 15thand the EntrepreneurialBusiness Women’s Expo onNovember 14th.

A Day on Capitol Hill

A Day on Capitol Hill was a busy day packed with briefings, meetings and tours. The photowas taken on the top of the King & Spalding Law Firm on Pennsylvania Avenue after a brief-ing at the Chilean Embassy and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

W H A T ’ S T H E M A T T E R ?

www.ncccc.com I June 2013 I 3

By Mark A. KleinschmidtPresidentNew Castle County Chamber of Commerce

The Great Recession had a profoundimpact on the long term conditions

of the world, national and localeconomies that caused many businesses,both large and small, to rethink theirbusiness model and make significantoperational changes. We are startingto see signs that economic activityis starting to pick up but Iam sure you have been won-dering when things would begetting back to normal foryour busi-ness? Butwhat doesn o r m a llook like in thepost Great Reces-sion era? We haveheard a lot about the"new normal" created by on-going economic uncertainty andthe slow recovery, but what can a busi-ness do to address the challenges pre-sented by the new normal?

Over the last few months, I haveheard a number of business owners saythat they are slowly getting back topre-recession revenue numbers. In al-most the same breath they explain thatthey are doing more with less by nothiring new employees or adding newequipment. Many have also shared thatthey are working longer hours to makesure everything gets done. Here arethree solid suggestions that are beingused by many of your fellow Chambermembers to not only cope with the newnormal but actually seek out ways togrow their business.

Act like an Entrepreneur

Recent economic conditions havegreatly altered business and consumer

demand for products and services. Everybusiness should take a hard look attheir current business model from amanagement, marketing and financialpoint of view. They should also reviewtheir current products and services tomake sure they are in alignmentwith the needs of their customers.Traditional industries such as bank-ing, legal services and health care

are changing long standingbusiness practices

to bettermatch theneeds oftheir cus-tomers. Asuccess fu le n t r e p r e -neur studies

the market and comes upwith a unique idea that will

address a new or underserved need inthe marketplace. An existing businessmust act more like an entrepreneur andtake a good long look at their businessand seek out new ways to operate andmeet the needs of existing and potentialconsumers.

Focus on your existing customers

It is always a challenge to obtainnew business but the new normal hastaught us that it can be equally chal-lenging to keep the customers that youhave. Many member businesses arereaching out to existing customers tobuild better relationships and providehigher levels of customer service withan eye towards retaining and potentiallyexpanding sales with that customer.Maintaining communications with ex-isting customers is the key to a successfulretention strategy. First and foremost

a business must understand what thecustomer needs and align their salesand service activities to meet this need.The best way to find out what yourcustomer wants is to simply askthem. It may sound simple, but alltoo often a business does not takethe time to seek customer feedbackto obtain valuable information thatwill help them make better businessdecisions. The availability of somany new social media and webbased tools make getting customer feed-back very easy.

Integrated marketing program

Many businesses do not take advan-tage of the wide range of marketingtools that are available in the post GreatRecession era. In many cases they dolittle marketing at all or they just use

one marketing tool instead of an inte-grated approach. To have a truly effec-tive marketing program, a business musthave a consistent approach to marketingthat uses both digital and traditionaltools like print, radio and TV and donot forget the power of in-person mar-keting. Social media provides a lowcost touch point that has direct impacton sales and it is one of the most costeffective ways to communicate withyour customers, send out special offers,build brand recognition and collect cus-tomer feedback. But it does not stopthere, print ads, radio spots and afford-able cable TV ads should not be over-looked and remember, there is nothinglike word of mouth advertising, whichcan be generated by participating inthe Chamber's networking program.

If you have not already done so, Iencourage you to try one or all three ofthese "New Normal" strategies to helpyour business connect, save and grow.

u But what does normal look like in the post Great Recession era?

How to Cope with the "New Normal"Three Effective Strategies

The most recently released projectionsof the Delaware Economic and Fi-

nancial Advisory Council (DEFAC) indi-cate that there will be an additional $20.2million in tax revenue over the remainderof FY 2013 (ending July 1) and FY 2014.$15.4 million is projected for the currentfiscal year and $4.8 million for the next.Corporate tax receipts account for thebetter part of the additional revenue.

The “Governor’s Recommended Budg-et” (House Bill 30), which comes in at$3.7 billion, holds budget growth to about

3.5 percent, most, if not all of which,is nondiscretionary. State spend-ing obligations such as Medicaid,employee benefits and pensioncosts and similar items comprisemost if not all of the spendinggrowth. House Bill 30 also didnot include a pay raise for stateemployees. A one percent pay

increase, such as the one approvedagainst the governor’s wishes last year,

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

4 I June 2013 I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

May DEFAC Projections Indicate Additional Revenue

would cost a little more than $20 millionand increase base budgetary costs for thecoming year. A preferred outcome fromthe administration’s standpoint would beto use the additional revenue for one-time items. The decision rests with theJoint Finance Committee as to how toproceed.

The Joint Finance Committee is chargedwith assembling the final operating budget.

It is comprised of sixrepresentatives and sixsenators. Eight are fromthe majority party intheir respective houseand four from the mi-nority party. Currently,the Democrats controlboth houses of theDelaware General As-sembly. The panel iscurrently co-chaired byRepresentative Melanie

George Smith (D-Bear) and Senator HarrisB. McDowell (D-Wilmington).

Each year, the budget cycle begins withexecutive branch budget hearings in thefall, run primarily by the Office of Man-agement and Budget (OMB). Followingthis process, proposed operating and capitalbudgets are assembled for introduction inJanuary. These recommended budgets area starting point for the Joint Finance Com-mittee (operating) and the Joint Committee

on Capital Improvement (capital) to beginwork on the final operating and capitalbudgets for consideration by the full Gen-eral Assembly in late June.

The committees hold hearings, largelyin February and March, and begin theprocess of voting on specific portions ofthe budget during the month of May. TheJoint Finance Committee also has the responsibility for assembling the grant-in-aid budget, the vehicle through whichfunding is provided to not-for-profits.

Once work is complete on the budgetlegislation, the budgets are printed andintroduced for consideration and passage,usually during the last week of June andoften on the last day of session. While thegovernor has the option of vetoing thecapital and/or operating budgets, it is anexceptionally rare occurrence as the gov-ernor must sign or reject the legislation infull, given the fact that Delaware does nothave a line item veto provision.

Join us June 18th for Breakfast w

ithGov. Jack M

arkell

After months of weekly meetings, factfinding and discussion, the Worker’s

Compensation Task Force formed by HouseJoint Resolution 3, and chaired by LieutenantGovernor Matt Denn, has issued its reportand recommendations. During the course ofthe past four years, increases in worker’s com-pensation costs totaling 40 percent have hitDelaware employers who are already con-tending with a fragile economy and increasingcosts across the board.

As the recent astronomical increases inoverall workers compensation rates of 14.9percent in the voluntary market and 19 percentin the residual market were attributed to in-creased medical costs, the task force focusedits efforts in the area of medical cost contain-ment. Legislation based on the task forcerecommendations is being crafted now and isexpected to be introduced during the firstweek of June.

Workers Compensation Task Force Report Issued, Legislation Expected in the Coming Week

Some highlights from the group’s recom-mendations follow:

• Freeze all inflation increases for medicalproviders for a period of two years.

• Change the inflation index for hospital re-imbursements from CPI-medical to CPI-urban.

• Minimize the number of procedures thatare reimbursed outside the state’s fee schedule,and place all CPT and HCPCS codes, radiologyand pathology/laboratory reimbursements onthe fee schedule.

• Place ambulatory surgical center reim-bursements on a fee schedule.

• Place new price controls on the cost ofpharmaceuticals used by workers compensationrecipients.

• Place a new cap on the frequency and costof drug testing.

• Revise downward the permitted numberof therapy treatment visits for a workplaceinjury, and timely reconsider other treatmentprotocols for workers compensation recipients.

• Place a new cap on the reimbursementfor anesthesia.

• Amend the Delaware Code to impose atime limitation on appeals of utilization reviewdecisions.

• Require appointment by the Departmentof Insurance (DOI) of an attorney to representratepayers through the rate-setting process,with authority for the appointed attorney toretain an actuarial expert and demand addi-tional data and other factual information fromthe applicant. Require that both DCRB andDOI provide an estimate for the rate impactof each of the task force’s recommendations(or, if no estimate can be provided, explainwhy no estimate can be provided), as part of

the 2013 rate filing and analysis.

• Require that both DCRB and theInsurance Department provide an estimatedrate impact based on analysis of initial medicalcost data resulting from implementation ofSenate Bill 238, as part of the 2013 rate filingand analysis.

• Require by statute that any rating bureau,as part of its annual lost cost filing with DOI,provide the Data Collection Committee withdata indicating the total medical cost increasesfor each individual carrier with a 1% orgreater share of the Delaware market whoselosses are included in the data underlying therate filing. The Data Collection Committeeshall, in turn, direct DOI to conduct an exam-ination of any carriers whose medical expensesare deemed by the Data Collection Committeeto be so high as to warrant further examination.

Continued on page 9.

www.ncccc.com I June 2013 I 5

The EEC Is now accepting applications for the Small Business Incubator Program!Contact Frank DeSantis, Program Manager to find out how the EEC nurtures the entrepreneurial spirit and helps new businesses grow and succeed.desantisf@ncccc.com www.ncccc.com

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 LBusiness Leaders, Community MembersConnect at Greater Newark Mixer

The GreaterNewark In-

formation Mixerwas held onThursday, May30th at the Em-bassy Suites in Newark. The eventwas dedicated to networking and in-formation for important organizationsand projects happening in and aroundthe Greater Newark area. The over130 guests from the Greater Newarkcommunity heard updates on theDelaware Technology Park, STARCampus, the University of Delaware’sCollege of Health Science plans, thenew Newark Train Station project, theDowntown Newark Partnership ac-tivities, programs in Christina SchoolDistrict and the Newark Symphony.The format was fun and interactive;

each presenterwas given justfour minutes toupdate the com-munity on theirorganization or

project so that attendees could spendthe remaining time connecting withneighbors and new friends!

Mixers like this one are importantfor the community and organizationsin the Greater Newark area. It giveseveryone a chance to hear what ishappening in the area, future plansand how Greater Newark, DE addsup for businesses and families. Theseevents are held quarterly. For moreinformation on these events, theGreater Newark Partnership, and theGreater Newark area, visitwww.greaternewarkde.com.

Greater Newark community members and business leaders networking at the EmbassySuites on Thursday, May 30th.

Economic Development Council Member ListAloysius Butler & Clark � Astra Zeneca � Bancroft ConstructionBernardon Haber Holloway � Christiana Care � City of Newark

City of Wilmington Commercial Industrial Realty CouncilCommittee of 100 � Delaware BioScience Association

Delaware Contractors Association � Delaware Economic Development OfficeDelaware Park � Delaware River & Bay Authority � DelDotDelmarva Power � DiSabatino Construction � DuPontEmory Hill Real Estate Services � Facility Services Group

Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors BureauHarvey, Hanna & Associates � Info Solutions LLC

Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay � M&T BankNew Castle County Government � New Castle County Board of RealtorsPNC Bank � Saul Ewing LLP � Setting Properties, Inc. � TD Bank

The Byrd Group � The Commonwealth GroupThe Garland Company � W.L. Gore WILMAPCO

Wilmington University � World Trade Center Delaware

Delaware BioScience AssociationJoins NCCEDC’s May Luncheon

On Thursday, May 30th,Bob Dayton of the

Delaware BioScience Asso-ciation (DBA) joined theEconomic DevelopmentCouncil and shared an up-date on the state of thebiotechnology industry inDelaware.

As Dayton explained, thebiotech industry is focusedaround “healing, fueling,and feeing” the world. Itprovides high-paying jobsand generates companies that tend togive back to the community. He sharedthat the sector is seeing robust growththis year, primarily in smaller companies.However, in Delaware, finding unoc-cupied lab space is a major challenge.The DBA is currently lobbying theGeneral Assembly to include moniesin the Strategic Fund to increase labspace in the state.

Dayton was joined by Sean Wang,CEO & Founder of B&W Tek, Inc.,one of several companies Wang hasfounded. B&W Tek is a photonics com-pany that develops and employs tech-nology that uses light to scan materialsfor inspection and verification, amongother applications. A spin-off companyof B&W Tek, Light Cure, uses “coldlaser” technology to help with the re-

habilitation of injuries; that technologyis employed by over 60 professionalsports teams.

According to Wang, Delaware is forthe most part a great place to start acompany – there is a favorable businessclimate, and the state’s economic de-velopment office is a good resource.On the other hand, finding employeeswith the correct skill set in photonicstechnology has proven difficult. Thegood news? B&W Tek’s recruits, whohave often come from Boston andSilicon Valley, love Delaware as muchas he does, once they arrive.

For more information on the Economic Development Council (or tojoin) contact Bob Chadwick at (302)294-2058.

Bob Dayton of the Delaware BioScience Association andSean Wang of B&W Tek fielding questions at NCCEDC’sMay 30 Luncheon.

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

J U N E E V E N T S C A L E N D A R

6 I June 2013 I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

SAVE

THE DATE!

SummerFest Ju

ne 20

To register for events, visit www.NCCCC.com and click ‘Calendar’

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

8:30 – 11:30 AMPitch Perfect! The

Sales Process – Part II

2:00 - 4:00 PMMid-day Mixer withBella Vista Trattoria &Farmer’s Famous

Fish at Woodside Farm

Creamery

8:00 – 10:30 AMMastering the

Rockefeller Habits FourDecisions Workshop.NOTE: This event isbeing held by The CBI Group at the Chamber.

8:00 – 10:30 AMProtecting Your Businessfrom Cyber Threats

7:45 - 9:00 AMPolicy Makers Movers & Shakers Breakfast

with Governor Jack Markell at Sheraton Wilm South

5:00 - 8:00 PMSummerFest Tabletop& Networking Expo

at Newark CountryClub

12:30 - 6:30 PMThe Invitational II Golf Outing

at The DuPont Country Club

8:30 - 10:00 AMChamber Orientation

A FREE event

9:00 – 11:00 AMOpen for Business event

atEmbassy Suites, Newark

Policy Makers Movers & Shakers Breakfast

with Governor Jack Markell

Sheraton Wilmington SouthJune 18, 2013 7:45 – 9:00 AM

SummerFestTabletop & Networking Expo

Newark Country ClubJune 20, 2013 5:00 – 8:00 PM

Finding Your Next CustomerPitch Perfect! The Sales

Process – Part II

NCC ChamberJune 25, 2013 8:30 – 11:30 AM

Chamber OrientationGet to Know Your Chamber

NCC ChamberJune 27 & July 23, 2013

8:30 – 10:00 AM

Noon - 1:00 PMInternational Trip

Information Session

a FREE event with lunch

www.ncccc.com I June 2013 I 7

Advance Inc.Construction/Contractors(302) 324-8890www.advancemyhome.com

Anytime Fitness - Bear

Health/Wellness(302) 834-2348www.anytimefitness.com/gyms/2793/bear-de-19701

BBSI (Barrett Business Services,

Inc.)

Business & Professional Services(302) 734-5921www.barrettbusiness.com

Continuity Dynamics, Inc.

Environmental Services(888) 977-7475www.continuitydynamics.com

Cyber Computer Solutions, LLC

Computers/IT/Internet(302) 294-0264http://www.cybercomputersol.com

Farmer’s Famous Fish

Food Distributors(888) 711-0094

Fusco Management, Inc.

Real Estate(302) 328-6251

Griswold Home Care

Health Care(302) 456-9904www.griswoldhomelcare.com

Hungry Hens

Food Distributors(610) 742-0047www.hungryhens.com

Kutz Home

Non-Profit/Health Care(302) 764-7000www.kutzhome.org

Legend Foundation

Non-Profit/Medical(302) 528-5452www.thelegendfoundation.org

Lodge Lane Assisted Living

Non-Profit/Senior Services(302) 764-7000www.lodgelane.org

McConnell Johnson Real Estate, LLC

Real Estate(302) 421-2000www.mcconnellco.com

Miller-Verbano Reporting

Business & Professional Services(302) 464-0880www.miller-verbano.com

Mobile Fitness, LLC

Health/Wellness(302) 233-6133www.delawaremobilefitness.com

Notion Group

Computers/IT/Internet(302) 584-8377www.notiongroup.com

Omelette King

Catering(302) 655-8802www.theomeletteking.com

OPIMA Enterprises

Computers/IT/Internet(877) 476-1555www.opima.pro

Philadelphia SOUL

Sports & Recreation(215) 253-4900www.philadelphiasoul.com

The Finders, Inc.

Business & Professional Services(302) 753-6480www.thefindersinc.com

The Summit - Vantage Point Retire-

ment Living

Senior Services(888) 933-2300www.vpretirement.com

WholesalePersonalCare.com,

a Select Amenities Company

Retail/Wholesale(302) 234-9294www.wholesalepersonalcare.com

N E W M E M B E R S M E M B E R S H I P M A T T E R S

July 9, 5:00 - 8:00 PMPutt-n-Pinot Clinic & Networking

with W.I.N. & EWGA at Newark Country Club

July 17, 5:30 - 8:00 PM4th Annual NCCCC & DANA LuauNonprofits & Business Together

at Sheraton Wilmington South, Airport Rd.

July 23, 8:30 - 10:00 AMChamber Orientation –a free event

July 24, 11:30 - 2:00 PMSpeed Networking

July 25, 9:00 - 11:00 AMOpen for Business event at Embassy Suites Newark

July 31 3:00 - 5:00 PMMid–day UnWINEd Mixer at Texas Roadhouse

Save the Date - July Events

8 I June 2013 I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

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

Seventy-two hours. That is how longit takes for mold to form and do seri-ous damage to your home and property.“Anytime there is a water emergencythe chance for mold to form is real,”says Mark Shupe, Sales Representativefor New Castle-based Marling’s, Inc., awater removal, carpet cleaning, mold re-mediation, duct cleaning and fire andsmoke damage clean-up company. “Ourgoal with each job--and our success--isbased on the fact that we respond im-mediately,” says John Marling, the com-pany’s founder and president.

New Castle County residentshave no doubt seen the whitetrucks with the big blue marlinlogo. Those trucks and the 10person technical staff are avail-able 24 hours a day, sevendays a week and 365 days ayear. “It has been that way

since I founded the company in1989,” says John. “We respond to emer-gencies and emergencies require imme-diate attention. People call us in desperatetimes, they need us, so we go.”

The Marling’s team consists of tentechnicians and five trucks serving thegreater New Castle County region. “We

serve all of Delaware, Chester County,Delaware County, Cecil County, SouthJersey, anywhere in this region,” saysMark. “We were very busy at the JerseyShore following Superstorm Sandy” saysJohn. The Marling’s technical staff holdscertifications from the Institute of In-spection Cleaning and Restoration andthe Society of Cleaning and RestorationTechnicians.

The company works with homeowners,property owners or one of hundreds ofinsurance companies in order to get livingand public spaces back to being cleanand comfortable. They clean carpets, re-

move water, repair smoke damage andremediate mold problems. Marling’s alsocleans air ducts, draperies, upholsteryand more.

John Marling has been in the industryfor over two decades. “I worked for aguy who had a carpet cleaning and jani-torial business in my youth. I workedday and night for him for a while inNorth Carolina but eventually returnedto my Delaware home.” John thenworked for a large nationwide carpetcleaning company and decided with $350and some cleaning supplies from Wilm-ington-based Diamond Chemical to go

into business. “My first contract was alarge apartment complex—I would cleanthe apartments when tenants moved out.”That was good experience. John laughs,“the way some people live!”

“Starting out I was doing everythingto make the business grow: basementclean-outs, window cleaning, cleaninggutters, stripping and waxing floors. Iwas always picky about my work and Isoon landed another apartment complexand people started to appreciate mywork and attention to detail so the com-pany developed a reputation for doinggreat work.” Soon John had a contractlist of 32 apartment complexes and fiveyears ago John expanded services andcreated Marling’s Emergency Water Re-moval and Capet Cleaning.

“The sources of water damage vary:from leaky pipes to overflowing dish-washers all the way down to disastroussewer back-ups, but we can get therequick that is why it reads ‘any time-anyday’ on each of our trucks.”

Visit Marling’s online at www.mar-lingsde.com or call 302-325-1759.

Got Water? Marling’s to the Rescue

Enjoy delicio

us

Jamaican

food

at Paradise Palm

s!

business to emphasize its consumerlending and business services segments.In the transition, its private loan origi-nations have increased, and its emphasison credit quality and responsible lendingremain at the core of its lending phi-losophy.

Introduced in March 2009, SallieMae’s Smart Option Student Loan wasthe first national private education loanproduct to require interest-only pay-ments during school to reduce con-sumers’ total borrowing costs. Later itintroduced additional payment andfixed-interest-rate options, adding evenmore choice and flexibility to its privateeducation loan products.

Through the years, Sallie Mae hasalso become a leader in helping familiessave for college. In 2006, Sallie Mae ac-quired Upromise and Upromise Invest-ments. To date, Americans have earnednearly $750 million in Upromise rewardsto boost their college savings accounts.And, in 2011, Sallie Mae expanded itscollege savings initiatives with retail bank-ing products: high‐yield savings accountsand CDs through Sallie Mae Bank.

“At the time of our creation, themedia heralded Sallie Mae as an invest-ment in America’s future that wouldopen the way for thousands of qualifiedstudents to achieve what would otherwisehave been an impossible dream,” said

Albert L. Lord, vice chairman & CEO.“A lot has changed since 1973, but onething has remained very much the same– a higher education generates undeniablevalue for those who complete it. My col-leagues and I are quite proud of the dif-ference we have made by helping morethan 31 million students invest in them-selves. As we look ahead, we remaincommitted to our mission of helping stu-dents and families save, plan and pay re-sponsibly for college.”

Since 2001, The Sallie Mae Fund, thecharitable organization sponsored by Sal-lie Mae, has contributed more than $125million to increase access to higher edu-cation and support local communities.

To mark 40 years and to commit tohelping the next generation of studentsdream, invest and succeed, company ex-ecutives presented a $40,000 check tothe Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware.The program will support college aware-ness education statewide.

Sallie Mae Celebrates 40th AnniversaryContinued from page 1.

www.ncccc.com I June 2013 I 9

In 1984, George Velitskakis’ parentsopened Porto-Fino Pizza and Restau-rant in Old New Castle. For nearly 25years the couple operated the establish-ment that has become a New Castle des-tination. George took over the day-to-day management about five years ago.“My Dad was from Greece and was amerchant seaman. They moved to theStates in the 1970s and really liked thetown so they settled here and the restau-rant soon followed,” says George.George’s parents still come in from timeto time to help out.

“My Dad was trying to play off thehistory of New Castle being a port townso that is where Porto-Fino comes from,”says George. The “Fino” is all about thefine food. “The pizza may be the best inthe region,” says George. “We make thedough daily, the sauce is also made fresh,the ingredients and spices are all topshelf. People know fresh food, they ap-preciate the flavors,” says George. “Thelasagna recipe is my Mom’s so it is real,traditional and of course delicious.” An-other popular serving is the Greek Salad.“In the summertime we make them as

New Castle’s Porto-Fino Pizza: A Neighborhood Landmark

fast as we can, they are extremely popu-lar.” The produce is cold and crisp andthe homemade dressing (a highly guardedsecret recipe) tops it off perfectly. “Peoplewant to buy bottles of the dressing, maybesomeday we will bottle it,” says George.

George recently remodeled the baradjacent to the dining room. The colorsthroughout the restaurant are warm andinviting. “It is cozy and casual.” The barholds about 80 people with happy hourMonday through Friday from 4 to 6 pm.All of the televisions are large HD screenswith surround sound throughout. “Thebar is a nice place to watch a game orjust relax,” says George. “Fridays arebusy, people love the bar, it’s the placeto be to start the weekend.”

Porto-Fino is a family-friendly, neigh-borhood place and has been for genera-tions. “We see parents, kids, and grand-parents who have been coming in foryears. That’s great,” says George. Thesame can be said for the staff. “We havesome long-tenured staff, this is a niceplace to work, and that helps with cus-tomer service. People have been cominghere for years and they are fed and

served by people who havebeen working here for years.It’s a nice relationship,” saysGeorge.

Porto-Fino is open sevendays a week. Daily lunchspecials are available. “Wehave eat-in, take-out, onlineordering and delivery toeverywhere within our radius:

business parks, corporate centers, andresidences.” Porto-Fino is more thanpizza offering subs, steaks, wraps, sand-wiches, burgers, pasta, and dinner entreeslike shrimp scampi, lobster ravioli, BBQ

chicken, Mediterranean pastaand more.

Next year will mark 30 yearsin business for Porto-Fino. IsGeorge preparing to celebrate?“I will have to think about that.We’ll probably do something.”Stay tuned.

Visit Porto-Fino in the RiverPlaza Shopping Center, 730 Old FerryCut-Off in Old New Castle. Online or-dering at www.porto-finopizza.com. Call322-3330.

R E S T A U R A N T P R O F I L E

hacked and their money isstolen that whatever amountthey insure with CDIA willbe put back into their ac-count in a week,” saysKramer. If money is stolenall a client needs to do isfile a claim online, CDIA verifies withthe bank that the money has been stolenand “we settle up.”

This is an important product for businessowners. “You can’t run a business withoutmoney. We give business owners peaceof mind against a problem that is costingbusiness owners over $1 billion a yearand is tripling each year, according toFBI statistics.”

Avoid Cyber Theft, Protect YOUR Money!

The CDIA product is offered in increments of$10,000 and it is very inexpensive:

• $10,000 for $100 a year

• $20,000 for $105 a year

• $30,000 for $133 a year

• $40,000 for $158 a year

• $50,000 for $178 a year

If you would like to hear more in personfrom Marc Kramer, visit the CDIA website for a his speaking engagements.CDIA is located in Radnor, Pa and theweb site is www.cdiaus.com.

• Require that standing committees es-tablished to monitor and respond to changesin medical costs receive more frequent re-ports from insurance carriers and have theability to properly analyze those reports.

• Place primary responsibility for ensuringthat employers are informing doctors ofavailable light duty work on the employer’sworkers compensation insurance carrier.

• Require that any inspection to determinean employer’s eligibility for the workplacesafety discount on its insurance premiumsinclude verification that it has completedModified Duty Availability Reports for allworkplace injuries in the prior three years.

• Require that employers inform anyentity conducting a workplace safety ex-amination of the details and outcomes of

any workers compensation claims filedagainst the employer in the prior threeyears in Delaware.

• Make the workplace safety creditavailable to an employer who has beencertified by its insurance carrier to have asafe workplace following an examinationwhich is at least as rigorous as that conductedby the state’s workplace safety inspectors.

The members of the Worker’s Compen-sation Task Force have also asked to havethe life of the task force extended to allowthem to focus next on indemnity costs. TheChamber supports this recommendation.

We will keep our members posted onthe progress of the legislation arising fromthese recommendations and will makeevery effort to assist in its passage.

Workers Comp Task Force Continued from page 1.

New Castle was the first home ofDelaware’s Legislature and for many

years was the hub of Delaware’s gentry. Itwas the preferred site of John D. RockefellerJr. when he was seeking to recreate an orig-inal Colonial America town. The citizensof New Castle rebuffed Mr. Rockefeller’sadvances and his dream of an early Americancity would take shape in Williamsburg, Vir-ginia. New Castle retains its colonial charmin its architecture, parks, and gardens. It is atrip back in time, and much of the town re-mains unchanged from the time Delawarewas known as the Three Lower Counties

on the Delaware.

The Amstel House in NewCastle was built by Dr. JohnFinney in the 1730s. The homeboasted an exquisite garden land-scape and was once the homeof a Delaware governor. Thehouse is noted for the attendance

of George Washington at a weddingheld in the home’s parlor. The Amstel

House gardens underwent significant ren-ovations by a local women’s club in the1950s. This led to the Annual Garden Day,which would later evolve into A Day inOld New Castle. The Dutch House has thedistinction of being the oldest home in NewCastle with construction completed before 1700.

For a time, New Castle was the home ofDeemer’s Beach. The recreation area southof town along the Delaware River was the

creation ofS e l d o nD e e m e r ,owner ofDeeme r ’ sSteel CastingCompany.On a lark,Mr. Deemeropened anamusementpark ands p e n t

$150,000 of his own money on the venture.He was later quoted as saying that he carednot if the park ever made any money. Hisonly hope was that it “equal or surpassConey Island.” Deemer’s Beach surviveduntil 1935 when a hurricane damaged thefacility. River pollution and competitionfrom other coastal resorts signaled the end.Soon Deemer’s Beach closed.

Deemer’s Beach and the nearby AugustineBeach, during their most vibrant years, at-

tracted high profile Hollywood entertainerslike Red Skelton, Edgar Bergen, and GuyLombardo. These and others stars flew onprivate planes that occasionally requiredservicing at New Castle’s Bellanca Airfieldand the company’s Air Service, Inc. Theairfield, aircraft plant, and service hangarwere built in New Castle by Guiseppe MarioBellanca in 1912. Bellanca, an aviation pio-neer, built the Columbia and the aircraftwas the first choice of Charles Lindbergh’strans-Atlantic flight. When the details couldnot be worked out Lindbergh went with hissecond choice, the Spirit of St. Louis. Twoweeks after Lindbergh’s historic flight toParis, the Columbia flew non-stop to Berlin,a world-record 3,911 miles. Later, the Bel-lanca-built Miss Veedol became the firstairplane to fly the Pacific non-stop in 1931.The Bellanca facility was in operation until1954. Today much of the old property isCenter-Point Plaza but the old Air ServiceHangar has been restored and is the Ballanca Museum.

New Castle Retains its Colonial Charm

COMMUN I T I E S MATT E R - N EW C AST L E

10 I June 2013 I www.ncccc.com New Castle County Chamber of Commerce

Visit

www.NCCCC.com

www.ncccc.com I June 2013 I 11

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

ARG Communications www.argcominc.com

Hartefeld National Golf Club www.clubcorp.com/Clubs/Hartefeld-National

The Summit - Vantage Point Retirement Living www.vpretirement.com

First State Health & Wellness www.firststatehealth.com

Newark Chrysler Jeep Dodge www.newarkcjd.com

Sheraton Wilmington Southwww.sheratonwilmingtonsouth.com

U.S. Congress-man John Carneycuts the EEC's 5thbirthday cake,while EEC tenantbusinesses andFrank DeSantis,EEC ProgramManager, look on

ReNu Chiropractic www.renuchiropractic.com

Emerging Enterprise Center5th Anniversary

Join Delmarva Donors and go the extra mile in saving local lives!

Give blood from now through September 14th and earnpoints for the Chamber team. Just fill out your hero card toget the points you earn by donating. Be sure to put NewCastle County Chamber of Commerce as the organization.

To make an appointment today, please call 1-888-8-BLOOD-8, or go online at www.delmarvablood.org.

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