M id A tlantic Real Estate Journal — Economic Development Spotlight — January 2023 — 9A
www.marej.com
E conomic D evelopment
By Jamie Williams, CEcD, Kent County, Maryland Kent County, Maryland is Open for Business
K
ent County is a scenic peninsula on Mary- land’s Upper Eastern
continues to be below the na- tional average. County busi- nesses benefit from county corporate income tax exemp- tion, low personal income tax, and a variety of tax credits making it a profitable place to do business. Chestertown Business Campus The Chestertown Business Campus is one of the largest economic development proj- ects in the county’s history. Directly north of downtown Chestertown, the 80-acre site is home to Dixon Valve & Coupling’s new 188,000
s/f distribution facility, new 60,000 s/f corporate head- quarters, a new manufac- turing facility, and a new facility for the YMCA. The site has also been approved for six apartment buildings and commercial speculative space for other businesses to locate in Chestertown. The Chestertown Business Campus is environmentally friendly. With green construc- tion and energy saving strate- gies, electric vehicle chargers, and community gardens, the Business Campus establishes itself as a “green” community.
organizations in Kent County, particularly affordable, robust, and high-capacity internet ac- cess. Kent County is expanding the competitive capability of local businesses and organiza- tions and providing more jobs and opportunities for residents. This critical infrastructure in- vestment improves the ability to attract new residents and businesses to the County. If you could work from any- where… you would live here. Jamie Williams, CEcD is Director of Economic & Tourism Development for Kent County, MD. MAREJ
A Gigabit County Kent County has completed the backbone implementation of a 110-mile fiber optic back - bone throughout the county. The county has executed a public-private partnership with Kent Fiber Optic Systems to provide public institutions with high-speed reliable internet ac- cess. KentFOS’ open access net- work allows Internet Services Providers the ability to offer 1G service to businesses and residences. The primary goal is to enhance the infrastruc- ture needed to support new and existing businesses and
Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, ideally situated less than a two- hour drive from Phila- d e l ph i a , Washington D.C., Bal- timore, An-
Jamie Williams
napolis, Dover and Northern Virginia. It is home to two designated Main Streets, an Arts & Entertainment Dis- trict, several worldwide man- ufacturers, historic Washing- ton College, and one of the largest marina communities in Maryland. Kent County is Open for Business Kent County is actively pro- viding incentives and work- force development tools to help businesses grow. The County is developing broad- band infrastructure of a fiber optic broadband network for high-speed gigabit connectiv- ity. Portions of the County are located within Commerce Zones, an Opportunity Zone, a HUBZone, and multiple Enterprise Zones. The Depart- ment of Economic and Tour- ism Development works with businesses to identify the tax credits they are entitled to for locating to, and growing with- in, those designated zones. In addition, the County offers access to programs including the Maryland Commercial Property Assessed Clean En- ergy (MD-PACE) Program, the Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MD MEP), and the ExportMD Program. Business Overview Kent County is home to a wide variety of businesses in industries including manufac- turing, aquaculture, agricul- ture, health services, educa- tion, maritime, culinary and professional services. Several of the major employers are world-wide manufacturers and the county is home to several large business parks including the Kent County Business Park at Worton, the Radcliffe Creek Business & Professional Park, and the Interstate 301 Industrial Area. The region has access to a workforce close to 300,000 within a 30-minute drive and the unemployment rate
WE HAVE WHAT YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO SUCCEED
Tax Incentives Business Resources Fiber Connectivity Interstate Access Designated Growth Areas 19 Million People within 100 Miles
Business Associations Access to Higher Education 5 Sustainable Communities Educated & Trained Workforce Access to 3 International Airports & 3 Major Seaports
LEARN MORE AT KENTCOUNTY.COM/BUSINESS
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