Frederick County Part of BioHealth Capital Region Initiative to Be a Top 3 Biotech Hub by 2023

BioHealth Capital Region: Advancing Science. Accelerating Innovation.

That was the brand unveiled at this year's by invitation only BioHealth Capital Region Forum hosted by BioHealth Innovation, Tech Council of Maryland, GlycoMimetics, Virginia Bio and MedImmune. The regional partnership aims to create a new identity and brand for the Capital Region's biotech ecosystem and capitalize on the synergies and unique opportunities available.

Last year's inaugural event brought 500 participants and this year's event had 900 people registered for the forum held at MedImmune's corporate headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

"I want to thank MedImmune for bringing together incubators, education, venture capital, government and the BioHealth industry to discuss how this region can become a top 3 by 2023 in life sciences," said, Helen Propheter, Director of the Frederick County County Office of Economic Development (OED). OED was selected to be a part of this collaboration and was able to examine efforts to boost the life sciences industry and discuss effective models for driving innovation locally during the two-day event.

The Governors of both Maryland Virginia gave keynote speeches and panels included presidents of universities from DC, Maryland and Virginia as well as over 100 other experts on various topics. "There is no other place in the world with more expertise in vaccine development than Maryland," said Dr. Steven J. Projan, Sr VP iMED, Head/Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, MedIummune during the Advacements in Vaccine Development discussion. 

With over 800 life sciences companies and over 70 federal labs and academic and research institutions, the Capitol Region Biotech cluster currently ranks #7 nationally but ranks #1 in talent. The goal is to be in the top 3 by 2023 and to spotlight a world class technology community that has accounted for 1/3 of job growth in Maryland.

The biotech community has been a significant economic driver in Frederick County for the past decade.  Home to Fort Detrick, the National Interagency Biodefense Campus and the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research and private industry such as AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Lonza, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick County is home to over 80 life sciences companies and one of the top 3 largest bioscience clusters in Maryland. Frederick's location within the research triangle of National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and the National Cancer Institute in Frederick (NCI) gives companies direct access to world class research, federal government agencies and national and international associations. 

REALShare Gets Real in Frederick

REALShare Frederick is a quarterly event for commercial real estate professionals who have commercial properties in Frederick. The Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) created this program in 2014 as a way to ignite local commercial real estate conversations.

OED Director Helen Propheter said, "REALShare has put our office in an advantageous position within the state to be one of the first economic development groups to offer this to our commercial real estate professionals. The events have helped us form deeper relationships with this sector who is often the front door of prospect opportunities." Jodie Bollinger, Business Development Specialist, Commercial Real Estate for the Frederick County Office of Economic Development agreed, adding, "Real estate brokers get the latest from leading deal makers and network with the industry's best."

OED Director Helen Propheter welcomes the group to the first REALShare of 2016.

Justin Ausherman of Rockpoint Commercial and Gary Large of
Waynesboro Construction discuss their projects available.

Building on the success of the inaugural year, REALShare also covers informational topics hosted at a local property for sale or lease. The events are so popular that OED has been able to secure hosts for the next 18 months of meetings.

The first REALShare of 2016 was held at Rockpoint Commercial's Aspen Ridge Professional Center located 163 Thomas Johnson Drive. The keynote speaker was Gary Large of Waynesboro Construction who talked about the construction trends and pricing of the commercial industry in Frederick.  Approximately 45 real estate agents attended the March meeting with many first-time attendees.

Dawn Furman Gordon, Senior Vice President of American National Properties said, "The REALShare events are very important for me to attend as a commercial brokerage agent in Frederick County. This is our opportunity to learn, network and share information with the commercial brokerage community as well as learn pertinent news and data with Frederick County Economic Development Office. I look forward to our next event and appreciate the time and effort that is put into these meetings."

Approximately 45 attendees networked with one another.

Several projects were announced at this month's event including Fitzgerald Realty who announced that Miscellaneous Metals moved to a newly renovated facility in Walkersville at the former Rotorex building to lease 112,000sf with another 90,000sf available  JKJ Properties announced the available industrial lots at Frederick Preserve located in Ijamsville.  Clagett Enterprises announced that the 3rd office building will break ground this Summer at the Conley Farm. Warner Commercial announced available space at the Shiraz Plaza on Thomas Johnson Drive.  Matan Companies announced plans and opportunities for the Wedgewood West site.


The next quarterly meeting will be held in May with Kline Scott Visco hosting. These events are open only to commercial real estate professionals. For more information, please contact Jodie Bollinger, Frederick County Office of Economic Development at 301-600-1058 or jbollinger@frederickcountymd.gov.

Economic Development Annual Report Showcases “Where Big Ideas Grow”

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) is proud to present the 2015 Economic Development Annual Report.  The report covers the work of the Frederick County Office of Economic Development and includes economic data to make the strong case for why businesses decide to locate and expand in Frederick County.

The 2015 Economic Development Report highlights eight major economic drivers for the year, identifies area of major commercial development, selected announced locations and expansions, reports on wineries, breweries and distillery growth as well as small business development and minority business outreach successes. OED worked with 46 companies that decided to locate and or expand in Frederick County in 2015. Those businesses represented over 900,000 square feet of office space and 726 jobs.

“It was a year of innovation across the County,” said Director Helen Propheter. “We are grateful this year to have the support of our elected leaders to help grow our economy. In 2015, the County Council passed a Commercial & Industrial Business Tax Credit for manufacturers, and Executive Gardner restored support for agriculture business development and small business funding opportunities.” Ms. Propheter reflected, “Our small business development efforts had a record-setting year in business starts and job creation. We worked with municipalities and minority business like never before.  We look upon the past with pride, and the future with great optimism.”

Frederick County received several notable national quality of life accolades in 2015 including recognition by Money Magazine, Livability.com, Movoto Real Estate and The Military Times.

Frederick County's Trailblazing Path for Winemakers, Brewers and Distillers

Photo Credit: Linganore Winecellars

Frederick County is where you can find the area’s best agricultural bounties, from award-winning wines and handcrafted brews fresh from the farm to distilled spirits made from locally harvested grains and fruits. Whether you’re looking for a charming farmhouse-turned taproom where downing a frosty mug of cold beer has never gone out of style, a romantic interlude at a beautiful winery, a brew tour with out of town visitors, or a night out with friends at a downtown distillery, there’s fun brewing in Frederick County.

Photo Credit: Mad Science Brewing
at Thanksgiving Farms

In a County known for its deeply rooted appreciation of fine fermented beverages, there’s a quick history lesson to be told in Frederick’s wineries, breweries and distilleries. In 1920, Maryland stood alone as the only state who refused to enforce the new law prohibiting “the manufacturer, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors.” Then Governor Albert C. Richie laid out his opposition to national prohibition as an infringement on Marylander’s liberties and bootlegging became big business in the state. As opposition to prohibition spread, and the Twenty-First Amendment was passed, resistance by states led by Maryland, the state became one of the principal factors in the restored legality. Ever since, the state of Maryland has been a desired location for eager winemakers, brewers and distillers of spirits.

Photo Credit: Orchid Cellar
 Meadery & Winery

In 1976 in the countryside of Linganore, grapes were grown that would later become the catalyst for the formation of the Maryland Grape Growers Association. In 2006, Flying Dog Brewery came to town and would quickly become the largest craft beer producer in the State. In 2010, Distillery Lane Ciderworks, the first cidery in Maryland opened. As the farm-to-glass beer movement grew nationwide, the first farm brewery in Maryland opened in 2012 at Milkhouse Brewery at Stillpoint Farm. Mead, an alcoholic beverage made from honey is believed to have predated all other alcohols and in 2010, the Orchid Cellar Meadery and Winery, the first meadery in opened in Maryland. In 2014, the City of Frederick amended city code to allow small craft distilleries in the downtown area which quickly led to the opening of some of the first distilleries to open in the state since Prohibition.

Whether it's an old ice cream factory, an old opera house, Civil War-era barns, or a 100-year old mechanics garage, visitors to Frederick County can catch a glimpse of the rich history preserved before and after Prohibition times with adaptive new uses to preserve time-honored winery, brewery and distillery traditions.

Photo Credit: McClintock Distillery

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development has partnered with the Tourism Council of Frederick to create a Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries brochure to compliment our www.homegrownfrederick.com website currently under construction. Look for the launch announcement coming soon!

How to Start a Business in Frederick County Brochure Now Available

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) has created a Road Map to starting a business in Frederick County, MD. The brochure, produced in partnership with the Small Business Development Center and in consultation with the Frederick County Department of Permitting, outlines the steps to consider when starting a business along with contact information and websites for appropriate resources.

The brochure is part of the OED's toolkit for small business assistance and is part of a larger initiative to increase support for small businesses and municipalities in 2016. Brochures will be distributed to municipal main street organizations and are also available to download here.

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development's mission is to increase the overall economic health of Frederick County through attracting new businesses in our targeted industries and helping existing businesses be more successful.

On the 1st Day of Shop Small: Sing for Your Neighborhood

Business Appreciation Week Wrap-Up

Business Appreciation Week: Day 5 - FITBIT GIVEAWAY DRAWING DAY!

It's the last day of the 2015 Frederick County Business Appreciation Week. Today's visits take us to the North in Thurmont and back into the City of Frederick. Be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter pages for photos of the businesses we are visiting today and guess where we are. You can also follow #BAW2015. All correct guesses are entered in a drawing for a FitBit to be given away in a drawing at 3pm today.

Friday's Scheduled Visits:

• Wild Birds Unlimited
• Avemco Insurance Company
• Soldierfit
• Frederick National Laboratory/Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc
• Crisafulli's Cheese Shop
• Centro Hispano de Frederick
• American Spine
• Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre
• Expert Consultants, Inc
• Spartan Tactical and Police Supply
• CWP Tech Solutions
• Asian American Center
• Sweet Farm Sauerkraut
• St. John Regional Catholic School
• Pam's Rusty Treasures
• Thurmont Child Care Center, Inc
• Criswell Chevrolet of Thurmont
• Anytime Fitness of Thurmont
• EMA Construction

15th Annual Frederick County Business Appreciation Week Begins Next Week

County Executive Jan Gardner held a Public Information Briefing this morning, proclaiming next week as Business Appreciation Week in Frederick County. The event, now in it's the 15th year, is coordinated by the Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) and includes over 60 ambassadors consisting of State, County and Local officials as well as the Chamber of Commerce who will visit 112 companies in Frederick County during the week of October 19-23, 2015.  Business Appreciation Week (BAW) gives ambassador teams the opportunity to thank businesses for what they do and also identify any concerns or potential issues they may have.

Left to Right: Frederick County Workforce Services Director Michelle Day, County Executive Jan Gardner, OED Director Helen Propheter, OED Research Specialist Sandy Wagerman, OED Business Development Specialist Jodie Bollinger, OED Administrative Specialist Sharon Hipkins, OED Business Development Specialist Katie Albaugh, OED Business Development Specialist Sherman Coleman

“We need to keep the lines of communication open with business owners.  They know what works and what doesn’t.  These one-on-one meetings will help us to support our business community.  I want them to know that I mean business in terms of creating jobs, drawing new enterprises to Frederick County and supporting our vibrant local economy,” stated Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner.

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development worked with Frederick County’s municipalities and five main street managers to feature a day in their area celebrating businesses with their local elected officials.

County Executive Jan Gardner with Sandy Wagerman
and Helen Propheter displaying the map of companies being
visited during #BAW2015

Frederick County Office of Economic Director Helen Propheter said, “Business Appreciation Week gives us a chance to visit all different types of businesses. In just one day, we might visit a farm, a bioscience company, a retailer, a home-based business and a major employer. It may be a business that we’ve never met or one that just expanded or added a new product line. The variety of businesses we are able to touch in just a week is what makes this event so successful.”

The 2015 Business Appreciation Week will include an online social media Scavenger Hunt where pictures will be posted on OED’s Twitter and Facebook pages inviting people to guess which businesses they are visiting that day. All of those who guess correctly will be entered into a drawing to win a Fitbit on Friday, October 23rd. Follow @FredCoOED on Twitter and www.facebook.com/discoverfrederickmd.com on Facebook  or #BAW 2015 for more details.

Recruiting Businesses for Business Appreciation Week

It's the most wonderful time of the year in Frederick County! Business Appreciation Week is almost here and we want to help you get the word out about your company's products and services.

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development is hosting the 15th Annual Business Appreciation Week (BAW) from October 19-23, 2015. A small group of local ambassadors will make short visits lasting 20-30 minutes to companies like yours all week long. We want to hear about your business, thank you for being here, identify any concerns or potential issues you might have and help spread the word about how fantastic your company is.

Other benefits to participating in BAW 2015 are:

• Free press release service (a $250 value)
• Invitation to the County's Annual Business Reception in December, the biggest Frederick County business networking event of the year
• Potential to win company awards at the Annual Business Reception
• Inclusion in a free BAW advertisement in the Frederick News Post
• Promotion on social media during and after BAW
• Potential to win a Fitbit at the end of the week

This popular event fills fast so sign-up by September 4th and we'll contact you in September with the exact date and time of your visit. We are looking for companies we have not visited within the past three years.

Register here

See you in October!

Why PR Frederick is an Award-Winning Resource for Frederick County Businesses

Last month, Frederick County took home the Maryland Economic Development Association Award (MEDA) for Economic Development Marketing for PR Frederick, a free press release marketing service that helps Frederick County companies broaden their online exposure.

PR Frederick, is the result of listening to what businesses need. 

Each year, the Frederick County office of Economic Development (OED) hosts a Business Appreciation Week (BAW) where over 100 businesses are visited over the span of one week. BAW gives our office a chance to hear what businesses are saying and what they need most from their local government. From 2010-2012, businesses during Business Appreciation Week said what they needed most from local government was assistance with marketing their businesses. Businesses reported that as the economy was getting a little tougher, their marketing budgets were shrinking and they were looking for creative ways to get the word out about their products and services and gain new customers. Most of these businesses were already writing press releases and using social media but many didn’t have the resources to hire an additional staff person to boost their marketing campaigns.

In response to BAW findings, OED researched online newswire tools as a way to distribute press releases for Frederick County businesses. The objective was to provide a free and effective way for businesses to reach journalists, newspapers, publications and increase their Search Engine Optimization (SEO). 

Helen Propheter, OED's Director, accepts the 2015 Economic
Development Marketing Award from MEDA

The subscription selected is the highest-rated online newswire service on the web and the service distributes press releases straight to the search engines that everyone uses, like Google, Yahoo and Bing and onto major news sites like Google News, Yahoo News, WSJ, and more. They also distribute news releases to more than 250,000 subscribers and as many as 30,000 bloggers and journalists. 

In January of 2013, OED began telling Frederick County businesses about the new online press release distribution service and what it could do for them. The usage of PR Frederick by Frederick businesses increased 244% from January 2013-October 2013 to January 2014-October 2014.  OED works with the City of Frederick Department of Economic Development to co-host this service and jointly promote the service.

Press release resources on the PR Frederick webpage include:

• Anatomy of a Press Release

• Press Release FAQs

• Press Release Template

• What is Newsworthy?

• How to Write a Boilerplate

• Press Release Tips and Tricks

• Photos and Videos for Press Releases

• PR Frederick Vocabulary

As a way to measure the tool’s effectiveness for businesses, a complimentary analytic report is offered at the 30 day mark to each business who submits a release. The report tracks who clicked on the release, how many clicks it received and where it was distributed.  

Good news on Frederick County businesses “sells” Frederick County as a whole and is a valuable economic tool. The Frederick County Office of Economic Development is pleased to make this service available as just one of many ways we attract and retain companies. 

We're looking for a dynamic person to join our team!

Our office is looking to fill the position of a full-time Business Development Specialist - Agriculture. This position will be available July 1, 2015 and will fill an important role in working with our agriculture community. For the complete job posting, please click here.

2014 Annual Report Now Available

The 2014 Frederick County Business Development and Retention Annual Report is now available to download from our website here.

If you don't have time to read the whole Annual Report, here are the Top 5 Things to Remember About Economic Development in Frederick County for 2014:

1.       Frederick County made the historic transition to Charter Government and elected the first County Executive and County Council
2.       Frederick County was named one of the Top 10 Counties in America by Movoto Real Estate
3.       The Manufacturing Workforce Partnership of Frederick County was a recipient of the EARN Maryland grant, aimed towards supporting manufacturing training programs and job creation.
4.       45% of companies surveyed have plans to hire more staff and 30% have future plans to expand their location.
5.       Farm breweries and distilleries received a record number of business inquiries thanks in part to the new Farm Brewery legislation passed in Maryland.

New Small Business Counselor for Frederick

The Western Region Maryland Small Business Development Center, Frederick County Business Retention and Development Department, and Frostburg State University are pleased to welcome their new Small Business Counselor Brandon Mason. Brandon Mason is a successful entrepreneur with deep experience in start-ups, technology, government, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Arts and Math)-related job growth.  Brandon is passionate about the sustainable growth of downtown and rural communities as well as working with entrepreneurs to achieve their goals. He will also serve as the Regional Technology Liaison for Western Maryland as a result of his extensive knowledge of patent-based technologies.

“Our office is excited to partner with Brandon and the Small Business Development Center to help start-ups and small businesses in Frederick County continue to grow and succeed. His wealth of knowledge in technology and life sciences will lend well to the needs of our department and our targeted industries,” said Helen Propheter, Manager of the Frederick County Business Development and Retention Department.

Mr. Mason will continue to support the economic growth of Frederick County through workshops, networking events, one-on-one counseling, and maximizing resources for clients. He will also assist with obtaining SBA loans for clients to finance their business, helping with patents and technology transfer, and attracting new businesses to Frederick County while helping existing businesses to be more successful. His primary focus will be on promoting job creation, business starts, sales growth, and capital infusion for small business to enhance the economic vitality of Frederick County and Western Maryland. Brandon holds a master's degree from The Catholic University of America and a bachelor's degree in Political Science focused on Public Policy from West Virginia University. To contact Brandon Mason at the Small Business Development Center, please email bwmason@frostburg.edu or call 301-600-1967.

Changes and a Job Opening for a Small Business Development Counselor

Our office recently said "See you soon!" to our Small Business Development Center Senior Counselor Beth Woodring as she has accepted a position as a Fund Manager for the Volt Fund for the State of Maryland. We look forward to working with her in other capactities as she helps distribute Maryland's Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business Loan Fund to potential Frederick County companies.

This means that our department, in partnership with the Maryland Western Region Small Business Development Center (SBDC), located at Frostburg State University, is seeking applications for a Small Business Consultant.

This is a full-time, exempt position based in Frederick, MD and includes University System of Maryland benefits package.

Minimum Qualifications: MBA and at least five years of relevant business experience. Proficiency in Microsoft Office (particularly Word and Excel). Interpersonal skills to interact with a variety of clients; excellent oral and written communications skills.

Preferred Qualifications: Five years of business ownership experience. Knowledge of the economic development community in Frederick County and an understanding of licensing and regulatory requirements, especially in technology.

For more info and to apply visit https://frostburg.peopleadmin.com/ to apply.  Application deadline is September 15, 2014.

2013 Annual Report Available

The Frederick County Business Development and Retention (BDRD)  2013 Annual Report is now available to download on our website here.  The report highlight's two of the most popular features on Commercial Real Estate and Business Statistics. In 2013, BDRD worked with 50 companies who decided to open in, relocate to or expand in Frederick County.  Thanks to all of our partners who helped make 2013 a good year!

USDA Funding Assistance Available for Businesses Affected by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee

Senator Benjamin Cardin announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved 2011 disaster designations for several counties in Maryland, including Frederick County. Any business who suffered a loss during Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee may be eligible for USDA disaster funding assistance.

Please visit http://fsa.usda.gov/FSA/stateoffapp?mystate=md&area=home&subject=landing&topic=landing for more information.

2011 Business Appreciation Week Report Now Available

As part of OED's annual Business Appreciation Week, a key annual business retention event, a total of 108 business were visited by 69 ambassadors. The top positive comments heard from businesses related to location, quality of life, growth and education system. For the complete report, please click here.

We've moved!

As part of the new Community Development Division reorganization, the Office of Economic Development has moved to the 2nd floor of Winchester Hall. Our new address is 12 E. Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701. Phone numbers and other contact information remains the same.

We look forward to working out of our new offices in downtown historic Frederick!

2011 Frederick County Progress Report Now Available

The Daily Record has published the 2011 Frederick County Progress Report, titled "Open for Business." To read the online version, visit http://www.pageturnpro.com/The-Daily-Record/26644-Frederick-County-Progress-Report-2011/index.html#1