By Jamie Williams, CEcD, Kent County, Maryland
Kent County is a scenic peninsula on Maryland’s Upper Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, ideally situated less than a two-hour drive from Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Annapolis, Dover and Northern Virginia. It is home to two designated Main Streets, an Arts & Entertainment District, several worldwide manufacturers, historic Washington College, and one of the largest marina communities in Maryland.
Kent County is Open for Business
Kent County is actively providing incentives and workforce development tools to help businesses grow. The County is developing broadband infrastructure of a fiber optic broadband network for high-speed gigabit connectivity. Portions of the County are located within Commerce Zones, an Opportunity Zone, a HUBZone, and multiple Enterprise Zones. The Department of Economic and Tourism Development works with businesses to identify the tax credits they are entitled to for locating to, and growing within, those designated zones. In addition, the County offers access to programs including the Maryland Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (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 manufacturing, aquaculture, agriculture, health services, education, 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 continues to be below the national average. County businesses benefit from county corporate income tax exemption, 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 projects 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 headquarters, a new manufacturing 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 construction and energy saving strategies, electric vehicle chargers, and community gardens, the Business Campus establishes itself as a “green” community.
A Gigabit County
Kent County has completed the backbone implementation of a 110-mile fiber optic backbone 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 access. KentFOS’ open access network allows Internet Services Providers the ability to offer 1G service to businesses and residences. The primary goal is to enhance the infrastructure needed to support new and existing businesses and organizations in Kent County, particularly affordable, robust, and high-capacity internet access. Kent County is expanding the competitive capability of local businesses and organizations and providing more jobs and opportunities for residents. This critical infrastructure investment improves the ability to attract new residents and businesses to the County.
If you could work from anywhere… you would live here.
Jamie Williams, CEcD is Director of Economic & Tourism Development for Kent County, MD.
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