Chair's Message

BY NICK LAMBROW

When I first came to Delaware, it was important to me to tell the “M&T story” to our policymakers. I wanted to share who we are, what we do, and most importantly, what we care about as a company.

This outreach, along with the Delaware Bankers Association and leaders from our local banking community, provides our decisionmakers a more dynamic understanding on how much we care about the community around us, and this serves as the base of the relationships we’ve built since then.

One of the most important pieces to our story is our commitment to small businesses in the First State. According to the Delaware Division of Small Business, Delaware is home to 27,111 small businesses, which accounts for 98% of all businesses in the state and employs 56% of our population.

I want to personally thank those entrepreneurs for their courage and ingenuity to start and run a small business. The risks they take move our economy forward. For us, providing funding to help small businesses plan, start, and grow is for the greater good.

The State Chamber connects the voices of small businesses into one resounding voice for the legislative body.

At the Delaware State Chamber, we connect the many voices of small businesses in the state into one resounding voice for the legislative body. One such program is our Small Business Day in Dover, where we bring small business owners to the state’s capital to learn about the bills before the General Assembly and meet with legislators to hold educated conversations on how those policies could impact their employees and customers.

The experience can be eye-opening if it’s your first time at Legislative Hall. One of our members described the day:

It was great to see the Chamber members come together as a group and be able to communicate our concerns and expectations directly with our local representatives. I truly thought our voices were being heard. This event really opened the door and started to create real synergy and dialog between the business community and our local elected officials.

But don’t let that communication stop now that the General Assembly has adjourned until January. The “offseason” is the perfect time for members of the business community to reach out and build relationships with elected officials. Invite them to your place of business to see first-hand how you serve your community. Have an open dialogue where you listen to each other’s priorities. Allow them to meet and get to know your employees—their constituents.

This is how we effectively communicate. This is how we build a better Delaware.

Nick Lambrow is Delaware regional president for M&T Bank.