Maryland Buzzing with Innovation as Local Organizations Share Latest Achievements and Developments

The Maryland Marketing Partnership, which helps drive Maryland’s branding and marketing efforts to attract businesses, create jobs, and grow the state’s economy, today shared a summary of the latest news from companies and organizations that are part of the partnership.

“The diverse successes of Maryland businesses, from industry recognition to community outreach, exemplify the collaborative spirit and entrepreneurial drive that define Maryland,” said Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson. “Their accomplishments not only contribute to the dynamism of Maryland’s business landscape but also affirm our state’s position as a center for innovation, progress, and community engagement.”

Bozzuto, based in Greenbelt, announced Toby Bozzuto was named to the Washington Business Journal’s 2023 Power 100 List, recognizing him as an industry thought leader who is revitalizing and reshaping the region. Also, Bozzuto and The Chevy Chase Land Company celebrated the grand opening of the highly-anticipated Chevy Chase Lake, a vibrant new community decades in the making.

Cloudforce, based in National Harbor, has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification signifying the firm’s shared ethos of continuous improvement and exceptional service delivery. Cloudforce hosted a cloud career workshop for 30 Southern Management Leadership Program students, dedicated to developing impactful, creative and inspiring local leaders. The company also partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington stuffing 150 student backpacks with school supplies. Continuing their mission of giving back, Cloudforce raised $5,500 to support Operation Second Chance, benefiting veterans in need. CEO and Founder Husein Sharaf was named Career Educator of the Year by the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, and the Prince George’s Economic Development Corporation awarded Cloudforce as Small Business of the Year.

The Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), based in Rockville, celebrated Economic Development Week in Maryland (Oct. 23-27) by placing a spotlight on why Montgomery County is the premier place to start and grow a business. MCEDC team members visited businesses in several targeted industries, and each business received a signed certificate from County Executive Marc Elrich. MCEDC President and CEO Bill Tompkins and Senior Vice President Brad Stewart were featured along with John Mumm, President and CEO of Deka Biosciences in Germantown, on WUSA9 Great Day Washington. The segment focused on Economic Development Week in Maryland and how MCEDC supports MoCo businesses, like Deka and can be viewed here.

Peterson Companies, a longtime Maryland business, acquired Huntington at King Farm, a 402-unit multifamily community in Rockville, Maryland, just 10 minutes from rio, Gaithersburg’s most celebrated shopping and dining destination. Throughout this garden-style community of one-, two- and three-bedroom townhomes and apartments for rent, you’ll find manicured lawns, aromatic flowers, and pathways that lead to nearby restaurants, convenience stores and the Shady Grove Metro station, well positioned to provide a ticket to all that Montgomery County has to offer. Additionally, National Harbor has signed leases to bring Auntie Anne’s, Jamba, Cinnabon, Carvel and Crumbl Cookies to the waterfront destination.

Route One Apparel, based in Towson, is gearing up for the busy holiday shopping season. The online retailer’s Black Friday sale runs November 23-26, offering 20% off any order, 25% off orders totaling $100 or more, and 30% off orders totaling $300 or more. Additional promotions are planned for Small Business Saturday (11/23) and Cyber Monday (11/25). The area’s original online source for trendy and affordable Maryland pride apparel and accessories, Route One Apparel offers more than 3,000 unique gift ideas, including officially licensed designs from Natty Boh, Utz, Domino Sugar, OLD BAY, Hershey, Morton Salt and more. For more details on Route One Apparel’s holiday deals, visit routeoneapparel.com or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.

St. John Properties, Inc., based in Baltimore and one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately held commercial real estate firms, has acquired an 82-acre parcel in Waldorf to develop Berry Pointe, a mixed-use business community. The property boasts nearly 635,000 square feet of single-story commercial office, flex/R&D and retail space, along with five pad sites. In addition, Crimson Coward franchisees have signed leases with St. John Properties at Lakeshore Plaza in Anne Arundel County and Liberty Exchange in Carroll County for their next two restaurant sites. The franchisees plan to open both locations of Crimson Coward Nashville Hot Chicken in the first quarter of 2024.

SECU, Maryland’s largest state-chartered credit union, is allowing new and existing members without checking accounts to earn up to $250 – just for opening a new account. The SECU Total™ Checking & Rewards Program includes the immediate benefits of SECU’s all-in-one checking account. To qualify for the bonus reward, new checking accounts must set up e-statements and have at least two qualifying payroll direct deposits totaling $500 a month or more, within 90 days of opening. For more information about banking with SECU or enrolling in the Total™ Checking & Rewards Program, visit https://www.secumd.org/personal/banking/total-checking-rewards/.

TEDCO, based in Columbia and Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, continues to invest in Maryland technology startups including Pirl Technology, Sisu Global Health, Escalate, and more. Additionally, the organization announced the FY24 MVFA members along with the opening applications for two programs – the Institute for Women Entrepreneur Excellence, Inc., a program focused on supporting women entrepreneurs, and the SBIR/STTR Proposal Lab, a program focused on supporting entrepreneurs through the federal grant proposal process. More information about TEDCO, including its funding opportunities and events, like the Black Female Founders Venture Capital Forum, can be found at www.tedcomd.com.

United Therapeutics Corporation, co-headquartered in Silver Spring and the first publicly traded biopharma to become a public benefit corporation (PBC), announced record quarterly revenue on Nov. 1 along with its 12th consecutive quarter of double-digit year-over-year revenue growth. Learn more by reviewing their 3Q 2023 earnings release, available here: https://bit.ly/3SidAAE.

Warehouse Cinemas, based in Frederick, was featured in the Wall Street Journal and CNBC for its uniquely curated “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” movie-going experience at locations in Hagerstown, Frederick and Downtown Baltimore. President and CEO Rich Daughtridge spoke about cinema marketing at ShowEast, an international cinema trade event in Miami, Florida, and moderated a panel with Sony Pictures, Angel Studios, Studio Movie Grill, Springs Cinema and Tap House. Daughtridge was also awarded the Larry D. Hanson Showmanship Award at the Geneva Convention 2023 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. In addition to his role at Warehouse Cinemas, Daughtridge is also the President of the Independent Cinema Alliance (ICA), representing more than 5,000 screens.

About Maryland Marketing Partnership

The Maryland Marketing Partnership, founded in statute as the Maryland Public-Private Partnership Marketing Corporation, develops branding strategy for the state, markets the state’s assets, and encourages the location and growth of new businesses in Maryland.