Governor Ehrlich Celebrates Opening of

New Distribution Center in Cecil County

BALTIMORE, MD (June 21, 2005) - Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., today joined state and local officials in a grand opening ceremony for the new Burris Logistics distribution center in the in the Broadlands Industrial Park in Cecil County.  Burris Logistics is one of the largest temperature-controlled food distribution centers on the East Coast and the new facility in Elkton  has already created 250 jobs in Cecil County.

“This is a tremendous win for Cecil County and the State of Maryland,” said Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., who delivered remarks at the grand opening ceremony.  “Burris Logistics is a well-respected and growing company, and we are extremely pleased they have chosen Maryland as the site for their new facility.  Their decision to expand here is a real testament to the quality of life and business climate in the State and Cecil County.”

The Elkton Distribution Center is the newest addition to the Burris Refrigerated Logistics warehouse system.  The 222,000 square foot refrigerated facility is located on a 33-acre site and handles distribution of ice cream, frozen food, fresh meat, poultry and produce.  It was projected that 175 new full-time jobs would be created within the first year, growing to 250 within three years.  However, 250 new jobs have already been created since the center opened for business in December, 2004.

“Both Cecil County and the State of Maryland have been wonderful to work with.  They made it clear from the beginning that they wanted Burris Logistics to be a part of the community.  They put together a very attractive incentive package and they worked efficiently to meet our rapid construction schedule,” said President, Donnie Burris.

Burris Logistics invested $26 million in the project.  The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) provided a conditional loan of $400,000 from the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Fund (MEDAF) to assist with the land acquisition and construction of the new facility.  In addition, DBED assisted Burris by providing Job Creation Tax Credits, One Maryland Tax Credits, and the Enterprise Zone’s Property Tax along with State Tax Credits. Cecil County provided real property tax credits of $4,000 per year over a 10-year period and Enterprise Zone tax credits totaling $40,000 over the next 10 years. 

“Burris’ decision to locate in Cecil County confirms that the region is ideal for warehousing and has a lot to offer – especially a top-notch workforce,” said DBED Secretary Aris Melissaratos.  "We are pleased to welcome Burris Logistics to Maryland’s corporate community.”

Headquartered in Milford, Delaware, Burris Logistics is a family-owned business operating a network of refrigerated and frozen food warehousing and distribution systems offering over 60 million cubic feet of refrigerated and frozen warehousing space in 15 strategic locations on the East Coast. The company serves retail, wholesale, and manufacturing customers.

About the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED)
The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development’s mission is to attract new businesses, stimulate private investment and create jobs, encourage the expansion and retention of existing companies and provide businesses in Maryland with workforce training and financial assistance. The department promotes the State's many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development, international trade and tourism. Because they are a major economic generator, the department also supports the arts, film production, sports and other special events.  For more information, visit www.choosemaryland.org.