Maryland State Chamber of Commerce representatives speak at SACC luncheon

Maryland State Chamber of Commerce President Mary Kane and VP of Marketing and Communications Abbi Ludwig spoke at the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce’s luncheon on Thursday, Jan. 16 at the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury.

Ludwig, who grew up in Millsboro, began working in marketing with Wicomico County and the Civic Center. She said the state chamber represents over 7,000 businesses, then shared some data involving Maryland and some of the surrounding states.

“The good news is there really is only up to go,” said Ludwig.

She reported that Maryland ranked 31st on CBC’s list of top states for business. Virginia ranked first, Pennsylvania was 17th, and Delaware ranked 34th. Maryland was 29th in 2023 and 27th in 2022, making it the only state in the region that didn’t improve.

Maryland was 37th in business friendliness with Delaware coming in at 46th. In infrastructure/shovel ready sites, Virginia ranked third, Pennsylvania was 20th, Delaware placed 23rd, and Maryland was 37th. Ludwig said it typically takes three to seven years before all permits are in place in order to build in Maryland.

Maryland ranked 47th in cost of doing business (taxes and fees) with Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and Florida (states with low taxes and population migration) placing in the top five.

Delaware is in the top 10 in inbound migration while Maryland is in the top 10 in outbound migration (going to other states). Maryland dropped from 45th to 46th in business climate and is 37th in corporate tax.

Maryland’s other rankings include: percent job growth (49th), road maintenance spending (26th), commute (third largest), energy costs for individuals (35th), energy cost for retail (35th). Economic performance (45th), and economic outlook (43rd).

Kane said Maryland Governor Wes Moore said he will be unapologetically pro business, but feels that while things are moving in a better direction, it is not reflected in his budget. She added that there are ripple effects of policies, especially when they involve unfunded mandates, and urged those in attendance to hold legislators accountable. Kane added that road construction is funded by the gas tax but then people are asked to drive electric cars.

“We all want clean air, clean energy, all these things, but you can’t put people out of business doing it,” said Kane.