Meyer: Business, government collaborations key to rebound

Addressing Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce members Feb. 16, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer said now is the time for government and private business to be innovative in their response to rebounding from COVID.

Typically, private businesses are asked to be innovative and entrepreneurial, but they can’t do it by themselves, said Meyer. As an example of government innovation helping citizens, he pointing to his administration’s opening of the NCC Hope Center – a 192-room hotel turned full-service homeless shelter. Innovation and entrepreneurialism are not for the private sector alone, he said.

Delaware has a tremendous opportunity to rebound because it's small and can approach problems more strategically, said Meyer.

A former small business owner, Meyer said many businesses had to throw out their projections for 2020 after COVID hit. Instead of worrying about day-to-day issues, he said, business owners had to switch to survival mode, which meant keeping their business open and trying to take care of their employees.

Supporting small businesses, their sales and their employees, is what has kept him up at night, said Meyer.

Not everything Meyer said was serious. He joked that when COVID forced the closing of bars and restaurants in Sussex County, it may have had more of an effect on the folks in New Castle County than in Sussex. Being outdoors has proven to be good for emotional and mental health, and when the beaches were closed for a period of time, people didn’t know what to do, he said.

Future chamber events

Heading into March, the chamber has a few events coming up. The first is the annual awards luncheon and board installation, set for noon, Thursday, March 10, at Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats. The second is the business after hours on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17, starting at 5 p.m. at the Starboard in Dewey Beach. The third is the chamber’s annual Merchants Attic, which begins at 10 a.m., Saturday, March 26, at Cape Henlopen High School. To close out the month, the chamber will host a job fair starting at noon, Wednesday, March 30, at the Fairfield Inn & Suites.