Somerset County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is bounded by the Chesapeake Bay to the west and Virginia to the south, and is the state’s southernmost county. It is located approximately 100 miles from the Baltimore/Washington, Wilmington/ Philadelphia, and Norfolk/Hampton Roads metro areas. Crisfield and Princess Anne are the major business and industrial centers. Somerset’s 420 businesses employ 3,740 workers; major employers include Sysco Eastern Maryland, Handy International, Mountaire Farms, PNC, Rubberset, Eastern Correctional Institute and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Somerset is a major seafood processor and poultry producer, and provides a rich agricultural harvest. Princess Anne is the county seat and home of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, which offers a doctoral program in marine, estuarine and environmental sciences. The county has a 792 acre Enterprise Zone in Crisfield and a 1,155 acre Enterprise Zone in Princess Anne. Somerset participates in the One Maryland Program, which offers significant tax credits for capital investments that create jobs. Plans for a hotel conference center are moving forward along with the future development of an industrial park in the City of Crisfield. The Economic Development Commission is working to assist in the commercial development of the Crisfield waterfront and to attract aerospace industry, natural gas, wind, solar and energy projects.

Employer Product/Service Employment

· University of Maryland Higher education 895

Eastern Shore (UMES)

· Sysco Eastern Maryland Food products distribution 450

· Somerset Community Services for the disabled 425

Services

· McCready Health Medical services 300

· Aurora Sr. Living of Manokin Nursing care 175

· Sherwin Williams / Rubberset Paint brushes 150

· So. Connection Seafood* Seafood processing, 130

distribution

· Three Lower Counties Medical services 105

Community Services

· Metompkin Bay Oyster* Seafood processing, distrib. 70

· Eastern Shore Drywall Drywall, insulation contract . 60

· Mountaire Farms Chicken hatchery 50

· Tidewater Express Trucking services 40

· Northrop Grumman Engineering services 35

· Halal Poultry Food processing 30

· Handy International* Seafood processing 30

· PNC Financial Services Grp. Banking services 30

· Peaky’s Restaurant Restaurant 25

· Smith Island Baking Cake manuf. and distribution 25

· U.S. Coast Guard** Mariner assistance 25

· Washington Inn & Tavern Restaurant 25