Business Appreciation Week: Last Day- Frederick Area

It's the last day of Business Appreciation Week and we are sad to say that our week is almost over. This week has been insightful, enlightening and most of all, positive! Don't forget we have a Scavenger Hunt going on with chances to win a gift bag just by guessing the correct business! To play along and view photographs of where we have been so far, follow us on Facebook.

Today, our teams are visiting the Frederick areas including the unincorporated areas of Ijamsville, Libertytown, Point of Rocks as well as the Census-designated area of Urbana. Our travels today also take us to one of Frederick's major employers, our business incubator - Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc (FITCI), and to the thriving area of Riverside Research Park.

Here are some 'Did You Knows' about Business Incubators from the National Business Incubation Association (NBIA):

• Every 50 jobs created by an incubator client generate approximately 25 more jobs in the same community.
• 87 percent of all firms that have graduated from their incubators are still in business.
• Incubators create jobs at a cost of about $1,100 each, whereas other publicly supported job creation mechanisms cost more than $10,000 per job created.

Urbana Facts:

• Population - 10,625 people
• Population growth rate 2010-2014 - 5.3%
• Home to major headquarters such as Fannie Mae, Banner Life Insurance and the Social Security Administration's Data Center

We have heard so many great things about doing business in Frederick County and we are looking forward to compiling our findings into a report to be available soon. To receive a copy of the report when it becomes available, please click here.

Business Appreciation Week: Day 4 - Areas of Brunswick, Middletown and Walkersville

Today's teams will be joining elected officials and main street managers from the City of Brunswick and the Town of Middletown as well as team of ambassadors who will be covering the Walkersville area.

Did you know?

• In 2014, Sperling's Best Places to Live named Brunswick as a Best Place to Live.
• The City of Brunswick markets its historic downtown, the railroad museum, and its access to the C&O Canal and Potomac River. There is also commuter rail access directly to Washington, D.C.
• A young Lieutenant George Washington surveyed the South Mountain area and commented that the Middletown Valley was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen.
• Middletown is the birthplace of Charlie "King Kong" Keller, former major league baseball player for the NY Yankees and Detriot Tigers and 4x World Series champion.
• The Walkersville Southern Railroad offers regularly scheduled scenic train rides from the month of May through October. The train was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad that was built in 1872.

To view a map and listing of downtown Middletown businesses, please click here.
To view a listing of businesses in Walkersville, please click here.
To view a listing of downtown Brunswick businesses, please click here.

Business Appreciation Week: Day 3 - Downtown Frederick

Downtown Frederick contains a thriving commercial mix—from eclectic stores and restaurants to professional firms and organizations. Over 3,000 employees work in the Main Street area at nearly 700 businesses or organizations. In 2014, Livability.com ranked Downtown Frederick as the 6th best downtown in America and last year, CNN named Frederick as one of America's Best Small Town Comebacks.

Today, along with City of Frederick and Downtown Frederick Partnership ambassadors, we are appreciating our businesses that make up our unique and thriving Downtown Frederick!

To view a listing and a map of all Downtown Frederick businesses, please click here.

Business Appreciation Week: Day 2 - Areas of Thurmont and New Market/Linganore

Today's Business Appreciation Week teams will be visiting the areas of Thurmont and New Market/Linganore. The Town of Thurmont and Thurmont's Main Street Manager is joining us on today's visits to celebrate business in our towns!

Did You Know?

• Thurmont is home to the largest cascading waterfall in the state of Maryland (78 feet) Cunningham Falls and an old homestead can still be seen at the top of the Falls.
• Each year, over 125,000 people visit Thurmont for Catoctin Colorfest, which began in 1963, making it one of the largest festivals of its kind on the east coast. 
• New Market is considered the Antiques Capital of Maryland.
• John Vincent Atanasoff, Bulgarian-American inventor who lived and passed away in New Market, created the first binary computer, Atanasoff–Berry Computer while writing the concept in 1937 on a cocktail napkin after having a few glasses of scotch whiskey

Thurmont (21788 zip code) Facts:

• Population is 11,328
• Population growth rate from 2010-2014 is -0.32%
• 278 businesses

New Market (21774) Facts:

• Population is 12,8727
• Population growth rate from 2010-2014 is 1.9%
• 210 businesses

Business Appreciation Week: Day 1 - Frederick and Home Based Businesses

Today kicks off the first day of the 14th Annual Business Appreciation Week in Frederick County where we will be visiting over 100 businesses all week long with teams of economic development ambassadors!

It also happens to be Economic Development Week in the state of Maryland so this week, we are extending our gratitude for the businesses that make Frederick County a unique and prosperous place to live, work and play. Business Appreciation Week gives our office a chance to hear first hand from our businesses what it is like to do business in our County and gives us a new perspective on the many talents our companies possess.

Today we are visiting home-based businesses and companies in Frederick with the 21702 and 21703 zipcodes.

Home Based Businesses: Did you know?

• A New Home Based Business is started every 12 seconds
• There are 38 million Home Based Businesses in the USA
• 70% of the Home Based Business succeed within 3 years versus 30% of regular business
• 44% of Home Based Business are started for under $5,000
• 70% of Americans would prefer to be self-employed
• $427 billion per year is made by Home Based Business

About Frederick (zip code 21702)

• Population is 40,428 
• 1,058 business
• Population growth rate 2010-2014 is 0.8%

About Frederick (zip code 21703)

 

• Population is 34,017
• 725 businesses
• Population growth rate 2010-2014 is 0.47%

September's Monthly Business Economic Indicators Reflect Positive Trends

The Frederick County Business Development and Retention Department has just published the September edition of the Frederick County Monthly Business Economic Indicators. 

Highlights:

• Frederick County's Unemployment rate continues to stay below the State and National averages. 
• For August 2014, the unemployment rate was 5.6% in Frederick County compared to 6.6% in Maryland and 6.1% nationwide.
• The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation recently published 1st quarter 2014 employment and wage information and employment has grown 5% over the past five years.
• Industries that saw the most employment growth over the past 5 years were: Leisure and Hospitality (25%); Construction (23.4%) and Natural Resources and Mining (9.3%).
• Industries that added the highest number of new establishments were: Natural Resources and Mining (14.8%); Financial Activities (13.2%) and Leisure and Hospitality (11.3%).
• The average weekly wage per worker has grown 13% over the last 5 years to $964 per week.
• The residential housing market has seen a 23% increase in the number of housing units sold in September 2014 compared to this time last year. 
• There are also 29% more homes on the market.
• Commercial and Industrial permits remain steady compared to this time last year (718 year to date compared to 719 year to date in 2013). 
• September saw a large capital investment in commercial and industrial costs with almost $13 million, higher than the 5 year average of $11 million.

To download a PDF of this publication, please click here.

Thurmont's Festival of Trees and New Main Street Building Launch

The Thurmont Main Street Building has been renovated for use and ready to be launched to the public and the businesses in the main street district. What better time to do it than the lighting of the town for the holidays. The Thurmont Main Street organization would like to invite businesses, organizations and citizens to participate in the launching of the Main Street building with the Festival of Trees.

Each tree is available to be sponsored as follows:

Inside 6’ tree - $75
Inside Table top Tree - $50
Window 6’ Tree (only 4 available)- $100
Window Table Top Tree - $75

How to sponsor a tree?
Contact Vickie Grinder, Thurmont Main Street Manager, at VGrinder@thurmontstaff.com or
240-626-9980.
Come in and decorate your tree with a theme, to advertise your business/organization. The main street building will be open Monday and Thursday evenings at 5:30 pm in November to allow the sponsors in to decorate the trees. The trees will remain lighted through the month of December. The trees are not pre-lit so keep this in mind when planning your decorating scheme.

What's next? Join us on Saturday, November 29 at 6:00pm for the Festival of Trees lighting ceremony. Light refreshments will be provided by Thurmont Main Street. The building will be open on Saturday, December 6th during Christmas in Thurmont for the public to view all of the beautiful trees! 

Note: inappropriate or offensive themes will be removed at the discretion of Thurmont Main Street organization.

Business Appreciation Week Scavenger Hunt!

Next week marks the beginning of the 14th Annual Business Appreciation Week in Frederick County.  Our office, along with ambassadors that represent our economic development partners, will be visiting over 100 businesses all week long to thank them for the contributions they make to our economy. To help celebrate the variety of businesses that make our community successful, we will be posting two pictures each day from a business that we are visiting to our Facebook Page. The person who guesses the correct name of business by 4pm daily will win a gift bag!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook to play along!

News from Potomac Edison: Cut Operation Costs with LED and HPS Street Lighting!

Did you know you can save money on parking lot and street lights? LEDs and HPS lights use much less energy, work faster and last longer than incandescent and fluorescent lighting. Potomac Edison’s Energy Efficient Program for Business Customers can help reduce outdoor lighting costs while taking advantage of additional savings with the Streetlighting Program.  Pre-approval of projects is required so apply BEFORE you buy at our website: www.energysaveMD-business.com.

Install new LED or HPS Lighting and start saving:

• They last longer and work more efficiently, so you will reduce maintenance and electrical costs
• Add motion controls or occupancy sensors for more energy savings 

Improve lighting quality with more efficient lighting:

• Brightness is equal to or greater than existing lights
• Available in a wide variety of styles and colors

To qualify for this program, fixtures must operate with dusk-to-dawn photo sensors.

Click here to learn more about the Streetlighting Program

Need help?  Call or email an energy specialist today. Potomac Edison’s Energy Efficiency Incentive Programs are being offered in accordance with EmPOWER Maryland legislation to help meet the state's goals to reduce both electricity usage and peak demand and encourage customers to save energy and money. For more information visit www.energysavemd-business.com, call 1-866-563-5966, or email energysaveMD@leidos.com with any questions. Incentives are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

STULZ Announces $5 Million Expansion to US Manufacturing Facility

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Aaron Sabino, Marketing/Product Manager
Telephone: 240-529-1206 | Email: asabino@stulz-ats.com

Frederick, Md. (October 3, 2014) STULZ Air Technology Systems today announced the completion of the first phase of its planned expansion to its existing US production facilities in Frederick, MD. STULZ manufactures high-tech cooling solutions for mission critical applications and data centers including a full line of energy efficient precision air conditioners, outdoor air handlers, ultrasonic humidifiers, and desiccant dehumidifiers.

“We are very excited to announce this significant investment to expand our advanced manufacturing capabilities in the United States on National Manufacturing Day,” said STULZ Air Technology Systems President, Joerg Desler.

Although STULZ is a global company that is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany it has maintained a design and manufacturing infrastructure in Frederick, MD since 2001. “STULZ is proud to design, and manufacture all of our products for North America here in Frederick, MD,” Mr. Desler continued. “This investment demonstrates our continued commitment to producing quality, high-tech mission critical cooling solutions here in the USA.”

The expansion includes the purchase of a 41,000 square foot building adjacent to the existing facility. This new building will house a greatly expanded sheet metal fabrication area and weld shop. In addition, two new powder coat lines are in the process of being installed by a local vendor.

“Many people do not realize the scope of our commitment to local design and manufacturing,” said Mr. Desler. “It is an unfortunate yet common reality that many companies will produce the majority of their components overseas and then claim to be ‘made in America’ simply because the final assembly occurs domestically. At STULZ, we do our own engineering, metal stamping, electrical wiring, powder coating, controls programming, piping, and testing. To us, that is what ‘made in America’ means.”

The existing STULZ Air Technology Systems manufacturing facility will also see a portion of the overall investment with expanded space for a growing line of outdoor air handling units and large capacity perimeter cooling systems (the largest capacity units commercially available). Overall, the expansion is expecting to create more than 25 permanent US jobs in the Frederick, MD community.

According to Mr. Desler, the motivation for the expansion is due to increased demand and changing market conditions. “The mission critical cooling industry is becoming more sophisticated and customers are demanding a greater spectrum of custom and semi-custom solutions. By having direct control over our manufacturing process and proximity to high-quality local suppliers, I feel that STULZ is better suited to meet the needs of a changing market.”

About STULZ Air Technology Systems, Inc.

STULZ Air Technology Systems, Inc. (STULZ) is an ISO 9001 registered manufacturer of environmental control equipment including a full line of energy efficient precision air conditioners, air handling units, ultrasonic humidifiers, and desiccant dehumidifiers. The company is responsible for product development, manufacturing, and distribution for the North American arm of the international STULZ Group. For more information about STULZ ATS and its products, call 301-620-2033. E-mail your request to info@stulz-ats.com or visit www.stulz-ats.com.

Maryland Catalyst Fund Available to Businesses

The Catalyst Fund, powered by the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA), is part of Maryland’s Video Lottery Terminal Small, Minority and Woman-Owned Business Account initiative. The fund is a locally managed source of capital used to finance start-ups and expanding businesses statewide whose projects will create permanent jobs and leverage private sector investment. Catalyst is a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) – as borrowers repay Catalyst Fund loans, the principal and interest payments are returned to the fund for lending to other businesses 
to create more jobs and investment opportunities.

Loan funds can be used for normal business uses such as working capital, equipment, real estate, franchise fees and inventory purchases. Loan amounts are always subject to availability of funds. 

Email the Fund Manager to receive the Interest Form. All potential candidates must fill out
this prequalification project summary to make sure that Catalyst Fund criteria are met. Once that step has been completed, our Fund Manager will contact you. Eligible businesses can fill out a full Application Form, which requires a nonrefundable application fee and more in-depth information.

For more information, contact the Catalyst Fund Manager via email or by phone at 410.313.6500.