Sussex council approves $125,000 grant to Delmar

In what Sussex County Administrator Todd Lawson called a template for future infrastructure grants, county council has approved a one-time $125,000 grant to the Town of Delmar for improvements for the planned relocation of Perdue AgriBusiness headquarters.

It's the first funding of its kind awarded by county officials. At its July 31 meeting, council voted 5-0 in favor of the grant from the county's 2019 contingency account.

The county matches the town's $125,000 funding that is supplemented by a $205,000 grant in the state's Bond Bill for a total of $455,000 to construct water and sewer upgrades to a 17-acre annexed parcel along Route 13 north.

In addition to the Perdue AgriBusiness site, the upgrades will serve five other adjacent parcels poised for commercial development.

Lawson said the company will create 200 new jobs. The company is moving its headquarters from Salisbury in order to have additional space for future expansion.

Councilman Rob Arlett, R-Frankford, said the funding is about more than 200 jobs. “There will be additional businesses with more jobs. It's an economic boom in Delmar,” he said.

Arlett represents District 5 where Delmar is located.

A subsidiary of Perdue Farms Inc., PerdueAgribusiness focuses on commodities and logistics support for the agricultural industry.