Business View Magazine | December 2018

350 351 On April 5 and 6, 1813, during the War of 1812, British naval vessels led by HMS Poictiers, under the command of Captain Sir John Beresford, briefly and ineffectually bombarded the town.A cannonball from the bombardment is lodged in the founda- tion of Cannonball House,which now serves as the town’s maritime museum. Lewes was incorporated by an act of the state assembly on Feb. 2, 1818. In the years leading up to the American Civil War, Lew- es became an important stop on the Underground Railroad,where fugitive slaves from the south could find sanctuary. In 1941, the United States built Fort Miles on Cape Henlopen, immediately south of Lewes, to defend Delaware Bay and the Delaware River, and the oil refineries and factories on its shores, as well as the city of Philadelphia. It was one of the largest and most heavily armed coastal fortifications ever built. Fort Miles never saw anymajor action; except for range practice, it fired its guns only once be- tween its establishment and the end of WorldWar II. Fort Miles ceased operation altogether in 1991 and was deeded to the State of Delaware. Today, the small city of Lewes, located at the mouth of the Delaware Bay,where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, is home to approximately 3,000 year round residents,made up mostly of retirees and second home owners from the larger metropolitan areas of Baltimore,Washington,Wilmington, and Philadelphia.The population swells during the sum- mer months as tourists flock to enjoy the protected waters of the town’s beach, the 4,000-plus acres of preserved lands in Cape Henlopen State Park, and the many beautiful old buildings in the town’s historic district. “The town is divided by Lewes and Rehoboth Canal,which connects the Delaware Bay with the Rehoboth Bay,”explains CityManager,Ann Marie Townshend.“The character of the town changes from one side to the other.There’s the beach side, LEWES, DELAWARE Celebrating 50 years in Lewes! An ABF Ingredients Company Solving formulation challenges using superior functional materials For more information about SPI Pharma and job opportunities, visit our website www.spipharma.com or follow us on social media: LinkedIn, Twitter (@spipharma_real), and YouTube. SPI Pharma proudly celebrates the 50 th anni- versary of our Lewes, Delaware site in March 2019. Lewes manufactures antacid actives for the immediate relief market. It is the only facility in the world that extracts mag- nesium out of seawater for use in antacid active manufacturing. It is this type of inno- vation that drives the business. SPI Pharma purchased the antacids business, formerly known as Barcroft™, from Rohne-Poulenc Rorer in 1998. Pharma and nutraceutical companies use ingredients from SPI Pharma to provide convenience, compliance, safety and effica- cy to patients globally. Our product offering includes antacid actives, excipients, drug de- livery systems, taste masked actives, vaccine adjuvants, and drug development services. We can make finished drugs work better and solve customer formulation challenges.