Congratulations to the Delaware Business Times for becoming a Premier Member of World Trade Center Delaware!

Delaware Business Times is the state’s leading – and only non-affiliated – business publication, keeping Delaware’s business and civic leaders “in the loop” with essential news, information, trends, insights and business leads. Now over six years old, DBT is available bi-weekly in print and digitally through daily e-mail newsletters and online (delawarebusinesstimes.com).

“We are proud to become a premier member of World Trade Center Delaware since we’ve been partnering with them for years to cover vital news that involves the state as it relates to global business news,” said Charlie Tomlinson, VP of Business Development for Today Media, publisher of Delaware Business Times, and also the new Chairman of the Board of Directors for WTC Delaware.

As a Premier Member, the publication will receive premium placement of its own news in the WTC DE monthly newsletter as well as 12 hours of complimentary research. Click here to review other benefits.

“Delaware Business Times is such a valued member and partner of World Trade Center Delaware, so we are thrilled to be able to provide these added benefits as part of the premier membership package,” said Carla Stone, President of World Trade Center Delaware.

Learn more about Delaware Business Times: https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/

Pictured l to r: Dr. Wenjing Chen, Scott and Michael Walker of Walker Brothers, Inc.

Congratulations and welcome to Walker Brothers, Inc. for becoming a new World Trade Center Delaware member! Walker Bros, Inc. is the world’s largest producer of high-quality green asparagus hybrid seed, is one of the largest asparagus crown producers in the U.S. and has forty-seven years of asparagus production experience. Walker Bros. Inc. is a family-owned agricultural business in operation since 1845. Brothers Scott and Michael Walker and their cousin Jim Walker are fifth-generation owners that have experience and knowledge of all aspects of the asparagus industry, striving to produce high quality hybrid asparagus seed and provide customers from around the world with outstanding knowledge and customer service.

The Walker Brothers portfolio includes both green and purple hybrid asparagus varieties, i.e. Apollo F1, Atlas F1™, Grande F1™, UC 157 F1 and Purple Passion F1. They are well known for their heat and drought resistance and are being successfully grown on every continent except for Antarctica for thirty years. The company also developed its newest male hybrid asparagus variety, the Walker Deluxe F1, for cool to warm climates. Climate change demands have been forcing growers of all crops to adapt to increasingly difficult growing conditions. With nearly a half-century of experience in asparagus, Walker Bros. Inc. understands the importance of developing more efficient varieties that give consistent and high-quality yields that offer both sustainable and profitable returns. The Walker Breeding Program is currently focusing its efforts on developing new hybrids that offer high marketable yields, consistent spear size and quality, disease resistance and good flavor, while also looking to the future trends of asparagus production. So far, new trials in 17 countries have been established to test new hybrids from the Walker Breeding Program. Preliminary results obtained from these trials in countries with tropical and sub-tropical climates look promising.

Walker Bros. Inc. started their international expansion since 2017 when Dr. Wenjing Chen joined the team. As the Assistant General Manager and International Representative for Walker Bros, Inc., Dr. Chen, who is fluent in four languages, travels to different countries to educate growers about Walker Bros varieties and works with growers to set up asparagus trials. In 2020, the company also invited Dr. Pedro Cisneros Zevallos from Peru to become their team member. With twenty-three years of practical experience in the green and white asparagus industry, Dr. Zevallos represents Walker Bros, Inc. in the South American region and supports asparagus growers there. Katie Ralston, another team member of Walker Bros, Inc., lives in the US and is currently in charge of the company’s digital marketing activities.

“Joining World Trade Center Delaware just made sense since we are doing more and more international business all the time,” said Sales and Marketing Manager Scott Walker. “We know the resources and contacts available through the World Trade Center network will be invaluable. We also believe that the WTC Delaware will help us gain new markets, including Asia, South America and Africa, and continue spreading our premium quality asparagus hybrids and decades of asparagus knowledge and experience to the world, particularly to those countries that do not grow our varieties currently.”

Walker Bros. Inc, has been working with farmers for over 100 years. The company has developed valuable relationships with their customers that have flourished for generations. With their international team of asparagus experts, the company has also adapted to meet the needs of their customers in the modern age while still providing the level of customer care and attention that stems from their founding family values.

For more information visit their website: www.walkerseed.com

Back by popular demand, the Third Annual (Virtual) Tastes of Chocolate and Beer from Around the World, on March 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Presented virtually by WTC Delaware member United Cocoa Processor (UCP) Newark and Midnight Oil Brewing, the event will feature hand-crafted chocolates from cocoa beans sourced from around the world paired with specially selected beers made on-site in Midnight Oil’s brewery.

United Cocoa Processor, located in Pencader Industrial Park, Newark, DE, is the country’s leading provider of cocoa products and services including nibs, liquor, butter, cake and powder and a range of toll processing services to companies all over the world. Committed to quality control, quality assurance, and sustainable sourcing and production, some of its certifications include: Organic Certified; Rainforest Alliance Certified; Fair Trade Certified; UTZ Certified; Kosher Pareve; GFSI Certified (SQF); Halal Certified.

Midnight Oil Brewing Company, located across the street from UCP, has been producing small batch beer since 2018. These beers feature the taste and quality of international beers, without the need to purchase an airline ticket. The beer for this event has been chosen to compliment the taste of the chocolate.

This year’s event will be virtual. In advance of the event, we will mail participants a box of tasting chocolate and a coupon for a flight of Midnight Oil beers that they can present at the brewery at any time.  On the evening of the event, they can follow the presentations while tasting both the chocolate and beer.

“This is one of our most popular events. We didn’t want to disappoint our chocolate and beer fans” said, Carla Stone, President of World Trade Center Delaware. All of the attendees will be able to ask the experts questions and chat with other participants.

Places for this international cultural event are limited. Tickets are $35 for World Trade Center Delaware members and their guests and $45 for nonmembers.

Register Here!

We are proud to announce that Dinette Rivera, CEO, Rivera Business Development Group, and Senior Business Consultant to World Trade Center Delaware, will now present a Financial Coaching certificate program underwritten by the Polytech University of Cuautitlan Izcali in Mexico.

World Trade Center® Delaware is the State’s premier international business resource. We help companies, especially small, medium-sized and emerging enterprises, to grow their international business. We provide trade leads, training programs, job leads, networking, matchmaking, trade mission and reverse trade mission opportunities for Delaware companies. We serve all types of companies in various sectors including agriculture, environmental remediation, IT, medical equipment manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, financial, legal and real estate services.  For more information visit us at www.wtcde.com.