Join us for the Delaware County Breakfast

Come hear prominent executives from Delaware County discuss the advantages of doing business in the region and the challenges for continued growth at the Delaware County Breakfast on Wednesday, February 27 from 8:00-10:00 a.m. at the Event Center at Harrah's Chester Casino & Racetrack in Chester, PA.

The meeting will feature Nick Hackett, President & CEO, New Way Air Bearings and Rosalind Lehman, Chief Financial Officer, SAP Americas & Asia Pacific Japan. The Delaware County Breakfast is presented by the Chamber and Select Greater Philadelphia, sponsored by Wachovia, and co-sponsored by Crozer Keystone Health System and Widener University.

In addition, Linda A. Cartisano, Vice-Chair, Delaware County Council, will discuss recent public policy issues within Delaware County and how they relate to the overall progress of our region.

The breakfast will include informal interviews with the featured executives, moderated by WHYY Host Tracey Matisak, followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

To register for the Delaware County Breakfast click here.

This event is part of the Fourth Annual County Breakfast Series which is visiting eight counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware to highlight the region's significant economic progress.

The recent Bucks County Breakfast meeting, co-sponsored by US Steel Real Estate, and Pen Ryn Catering, highlighted the need for a cohesive regional approach to business. Thinking beyond county borders and marketing Greater Philadelphia as a region will be critical to continued competitiveness and success in the global economy, according to featured panelists Joseph Cahill, CFO, Gamesa Technology Corp., Inc., and Donald C. Rhule, Global Corporate Account Leader, GE Water & Process Technologies.

Gamesa, the second largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world, recently decided to headquarter its U.S. corporate operations in Philadelphia and manufacturing operations in Fairless Falls at the Keystone Industrial Port Complex (KIPC). It chose Greater Philadelphia over the Midwest because of proximity to work sites, favorable taxes, and the high-growth opportunities associated with both port and rail access in the KIPC.

Mr. Rhule agreed that the region has much to offer businesses. "There are so many assets here," he said. "I think we have the most underutilized assets of any major city in the United States."

Attracting companies like Gamesa is the job of Select Greater Philadelphia, the regional economic development marketing organization created by the Chamber to promote Greater Philadelphia as a premier business location. Over the past two and a half years, Select has brought 29 companies and more than 2,300 jobs to the region.

Continuing to draw other major employers to our region will require the business community to develop a unique brand to differentiate Greater Philadelphia and effectively market the region both nationally and internationally.

"We can no longer afford to sit back and wait for the world to come to us," said James Cawley, Esq., Chairman, Bucks County Commissioners, who addressed recent economic and public policy issues within Bucks County. "We must go to them."

Tom Morr, President and CEO of Select Greater Philadelphia, stressed the responsibility of business executives to promote Greater Philadelphia and educate potential employers and employees about the diverse opportunities available here. "Who better to be stewards of this region than the business community?" he said. "It is the cumulative effect of what we all do over time to promote the region that will have a lasting impact in making Greater Philadelphia great."

For more information on upcoming breakfasts, click here or call 215-790-3607. The breakfasts are free for Chamber members.

Technology Logistics for all breakfasts are provided by FutureSys Meeting Support Services.