MARYLAND - BUSINESS KILLING FIELD?

The next time any politician - (Democrat, Republican, or Independent) - says that he or she is going to help change Maryland's anti-business climate. I just hope they know what kind of political machinery and restructuring they are going to need to help unravel the current business climate.

And people wonder why local crime is so rampant?

My advise to all of the local Educational Institutions - take heed - you need to re-examine your curriculum. First thing you might want to consider is to require a lesson on the 'Evils of Socialism'. Just take-a-look at the local business carnage.

READ ON!

Area Plant Closings – (Free Enterprise)
Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset, & Dorchester Counties

Number of Unemployed

1. Sealy Upholster Company - unknown – best estimate 150+
employees
2. Field Container Corporation - unknown- best estimate 150+
3. Dresser Industries/Haliburton 500 – 600 displaced workers
Facility moved to Austin, Texas
At production peak the planted
employed over 1000 employees
4. Shawnee Homes - unknown – best estimate 150+
5. Salisbury Engineering - moved entire operation State of
Delaware
6. Heinemann Electric - located in Northwood
Industrial Park – unknown amount of displaced workers.
7. Moore Business Forms - 148 displaced workers. Factory announced
shutdown on 07-27-94 in Snowhill, MD
8. Campbell Soup – Salisbury, MD 604 displaced workers
9. Campbell Soup – Swanson Divison 245 displaced workers – Pocomoke, MD
10. Campbell Soup – Mrs. Paul’s Kitchen 200 displaced workers – Crisfield, MD
11. Montgomery Ward – Salisbury, MD 110 displaced workers – Centre Salisbury Mall
12. Gant Shirt Factory – Salisbury, MD 250 displaced workers
(At one point in 60’s 2nd largest Shirt factory in the world)
13. Jodi Shirt Company - 100 displaced workers
14. Delmar Sportswear - 90 displaced workers – Pusey (family owned)
15. Ford Laboratory – Salisbury, MD 70 displaced workers
16. Grumman Corp. - Salisbury, MD 401 displaced workers. Employed 523 at peak
17. Peninsula Press – Salisbury, MD 45 displaced workers
18. Preston Trucking Co. – Preston, MD unknown, filed for Bankruptcy Protection
(Referred to as 131 Line) - just before filing for bankruptcy MD Governor presents award.
19. Chesapeake Bay Plywood - Pocomoke 500 employees – plywood plant shutdown
20. Ruddy Duck – Cambridge, MD 100 displaced employees
21. Airpax Industries – Cambridge, MD 500 – (best estimate) At peak it employed 1500
(moved lighting division to Matamoras, Mexico)
22. Service Merchandise – Mt Hermon Rd, 75 displaced workers – now Dove Point Facility
(Land purchased by Government entity)
23. Purity Bacon – Salisbury, MD unknown – South Division Street- now College
(land now owned by Salisbury University - government)
24. E.S. Adkins & Co. – Salisbury, MD unknown – Rt. 13, North Salisbury Blvd.
(major portion of land and building leased by Wicomico County Government)
25. Masten Home Center – Fruitland, MD - unknown – closed in Salisbury & Pocomoke
26. IMS – (MVP.com) – Salisbury, MD 40-50 employees – WBOC reporting
(Old Cambell Soup Bldg. at Lake St.)
27. Powellville Garment Factory closure announced 02/01 – 100 estimated empl.
(located in Powellville, MD)
28. Food Depot – Old Salisbury Mall unknown – last bastion to exodus Old Mall
29. Ames – Rt. 50 & Tilghman, Salisbury unknown – announced closure 11-14-01
30. Crown, Cork & Seal – Fruitland, MD unknown – announced plant closure 01-14-02
31. Central Tractor – Fruitland, MD unknown – announced closure 01-14-02
32. Naticoke Homes - Greenwood, DE unknown - announced closure 07-15-02
33. Stoney Point Decoy Factory – Crisfield 35-40 employees at peak, DT Reporter Cording
34. Tyson Foods - Berlin, MD 600 employees – announced closure 04-19-03
35. Black & Decker – Easton, MD 1400 employees – announced closure 04-29-03
announced moving plant to Brazil & Mexico (Daily Times reporter John Vandiver)
36. Pine Country Corp. – Pocomoke, MD 35 employees (Daily Times reported 10-26-03)
Operations ceased 09/03
37. Chesapeake Hardwood Mill - 40 employees – Peggy Neck Road - closed 2002
Princess Anne, MD
38. Salisbury Steel Products Inc. - 35 employees – per rep. C.J. Townsend - closed
909 Boundary St. Salisbury, MD. 08-03
39. US Airways – Salisbury Airport - constantly-in-and out of financial troubles, filed
Bankruptcy – reorganization in process – abandoned flights to BWI
40. True Value Hardware - unknown – announced closure 03-04 Isabella
Street, Salisbury, MD
41. Office Max – Salisbury, MD unknown – announced closure 02-04
42. Helovet Pharma – Salisbury, MD unknown – announced closure 03-05
Northwood Industrial Park
43. Giant Food - N. Salisbury Blvd, 75 displaced workers – announced closure 03-05
This one I tried to warn, prior to, moving to old Superfresh location - (adjacent to Walmart)
44. Super Deep Discount Drugs - unknown – announced closure 10-22-06
Salisbury, MD – across from Giant
45. JV Wells, Inc., -Sharptown, MD Employed over 100 – largest MD Timber Co.
46. Naticoke Seafood – Nanticoke, MD unknown – was owned by Booth Fisheries, Rich
Sea Pak, and most recently by Cape May Canners before moving NJ
47. Islandic Seafood - Cambridge, MD - 300 displaced workers – 03-07, an additional 122
that were laid off by end of 2007
48. Brunswick – Bayliner/Maxum - 180 displaced workers – announced closure
One of Wicomico’s largest employers - moved to North Carolina spurred by
Tax incentives to move from area.
49. Americhem Inc.- 30 layoffs – announced closure 10-23-07
Northwood Industrial Park, Salisbury, MD.
50. Powerwave Technology Inc. 100 layoffs – at peak employed 300 – closed
Rt. 50 & Walston Switch Road, Salisbury, MD. Closed 08-08 - (Government now owns)
51. Oddi Atlantic – Salisbury, MD 70 layoffs – 09-26-08 – (Reported by DT reporter
Gwenn Garland) Owned by Iceland Co. that purchased Atlantic Hastings Printing Co.
52. Invista Plant – Seaford, DE 400 layoffs – a subsidiary of Kansas based Koch
Industries – (former DuPont Nylon plant) Announcement made 10-16-08 per
AP reporter, Randal Chase
53. Boscov’s Department Stores - unknown – announced Bankruptcy filing 08-04-08
Salisbury, MD - may be spared from being axed.
54. Circuit City – Salisbury, MD 30 layoffs – announced closure 01-12-09
Rt. 13 N. Salisbury, MD
55. Bob Smith Automotive - Easton MD unknown – closure 03-09 – GM Dealer
GM Giant Dealership in Easton -GMC Giant Dealership in Federalsburg
56. Schaefer & Strohminger - Cambridge unknown – closure slated for 04-30-09
GM, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep Dealer
57. Boater’s World – Salisbury, MD. 15 employees – closure announced 04-09
Rt. 13, North Salisbury Blvd. 75 employees in Denton, MD
58. Saturn of Salisbury - 15 employees per Saturn spokesperson
Rt. 13 North – Delmar, MD announced closure on 05-01-09
59. Waterman’s Restaurant - unknown – closed doors on 04-29-09