Improving Business in the Wilmington Region
Annual Meeting Highlights Private Equity Investing and More
The 2015 Annual Membership Meeting of Wilmington Business Development drew some 200 participants to the Burney Center at UNC Wilmington. Held the evening of October 8th, members and guests listened to a series of speakers share insight on economic development and business topics.
Allen Thorpe, New York City-based managing director at Hellman & Friedman, LLC, delivered this year’s keynote address. Thorpe outlined current outcomes and expectations large private equity firms look for when investing in companies. His firm, one of the most respected names in private equity, counts Wilmington’s PPD, Inc., among its holdings. The drug discovery company maintains a worldwide workforce of 14,000 employees, about 1,600 of whom are in Wilmington.
“WBD’s annual meeting offers an opportunity for business leaders, local government partners and educational allies from around Greater Wilmington to come together under a single roof to celebrate one of the world’s greatest destinations for companies, jobs and people,” says Dickson McLean, chairman of Wilmington Business Development. This year’s gathering was funding in part with support from PNC Bank, Wilmington International Airport and Piedmont Natural Gas. “We appreciate our meeting sponsors for their assistance in organizing this important event,” McLean says.
