Business Climate

County of Choice
Location, labor and leisure opportunities lure companies from far and near

Shekar Shetty says location was a big reason why Air Liquide selected New Castle County for its R&D center.

When Air Liquide SA decided to open a new research-and-development facility, company executives identified possible locations scattered around the globe. Once decision-makers pinpointed North America, the choices narrowed to the West Coast, Chicago and New Castle County. They chose Glasgow, DE, near an existing Air Liquide production facility in Newport.

Today, Air Liquide’s $35 million, 90,000-square-foot Delaware Research and Technology Center, which opened in June 2007, houses a staff of 90 that should swell to 150 within the next few years.

The company, with headquarters in Paris, is a leading maker of industrial and medical gases.

Location was a primary reason for its decision to locate in New Castle County, says Shekar Shetty, vice president of research and development for Air Liquide North America. Not only is the county just a short trip away from major cities, but it is also just 90 minutes from the Atlantic shore. “There’s a quality-of-life consideration for employees,” he says.

Another factor in New Castle County’s favor was that it is the home of the University of Delaware and within driving distance of many other academic powerhouses. “Last but not least,” Shetty says, “government officials welcomed us with open arms. They are a real pleasure to work with.”

A Broad Range of Amenities

Other major corporations are coming to the same conclusion about New Castle County.

Consider Comcast Corp., based in nearby Philadelphia.

By the beginning of 2008, the cable company is scheduled to have 800 people working at its new 115,000-square-foot customer care center in Newark, bringing the number of Comcast employees statewide to 2,300. The center provides 24/7 support for customers in northern Delaware and Greater Philadelphia.

Like Air Liquide, Comcast homed in on the range of amenities available in New Castle County, says Jeff Alexander, vice president of public relations for the company’s Eastern Division. “Furthermore, it’s well situated in our (corporate) footprint, making it a convenient location with direct access to I-95,” he says. Once the center is fully operational, it will handle customer service, sales and support for all Comcast services.

An Innovative Workforce’s Appeal

For technology-minded companies, there is another perk to locating in the home territory of such corporate stalwarts as DuPont and W.L. Gore Associates: the availability of an innovative workforce.

“The site has access to a robust and talented labor market,” says Victoria Ann Streitfeld, a spokesperson for Honeywell International Inc.

In 2007, Honeywell opened a $26 million, 60,800-square-foot Eastern data center in New Castle. “New Castle County was chosen because of its business-friendly environment, highly educated workforce, and because it is a great place to live and work,” Streitfeld says.

Story by Pam George
Photo by Stephen Cherry

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