The Vantage Blog

The Vantage Blog2017-10-11T18:32:13-04:00

Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism’s Thank You! Tour Honors Community Businesses

November 21st, 2023|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

The Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism (CCEDT) team celebrated our local businesses with a Thank You! Tour October 23-27 as part of Economic Development Week in Maryland, an event that gives economic development professionals the opportunity to showcase businesses that contribute to their local economy through job retention, innovation, public service, and improving the quality of life in our communities.

CCEDT was honored to visit 16 businesses throughout the week in a variety of sectors. The value these businesses bring to our community is far reaching, from specialized care for the adult population and innovative family run facilities to women owned businesses and those that nurture the agriculture industry in our county. There are plenty of reasons to celebrate the businesses that call Caroline County home!

There are businesses that we go to for our daily needs, such as the Ridgely Pharmacy, a community staple that houses an ice cream parlor and cafe where locals meet and greet each other daily. The owner is a great contributor in the community, hosting and participating in numerous community events. Choptank Supply takes pride being more than just a typical hardware store, offering many services and rental items.  Their incredible service and extensive offerings bring customers from near and far. The Sewing Outlet is another example of a community staple, supplying fabric, upholstery, and decorating services right in the heart of Federalsburg, as is the Tri-Me Warehouse, a full-service grocery store in Ridgely.

Caroline County has businesses we turn to for fun and entertainment, such as Smokey Cat Lavender Farm, where you can pick your own lavender or shop in their artisan gift shop and Outstanding Dreams Alpaca Farm, specializing in alpaca sales and breeding services. You can also shop at their farm store for artisan items crafted from alpaca fiber.

There are businesses who provide care and compassion, such as Arcadia Living, a premier assisted living facility that sets a new standard for elder care and those with unique needs. The Benedictine School in Ridgely is another example, supporting children and adults with developmental disabilities.

There are businesses we turn to for life’s big moments, such as On Your Mark Lighting, offering specialized lighting for events of all sizes – from fundraisers and weddings to awards programs, and more. Awards Engraving in Denton is there for you when you need a beautiful, custom award, trophy, memento or gift.

And there are businesses that help other businesses, such as Lorry Industries, a forward-thinking fulfillment provider servicing innovative e-commerce brands and international partners in the design and furniture industries, and Sisk Fulfillment, who has been in business for more than 30 years and offers personalized customer service, and the attention to detail and flexibility of a small company combined with the efficiency, high volume capability and competitiveness of a very large company.

Caroline is also home to the companies you count on for large projects, such as Bob Breeding General Contractors, a leader in construction and installation of metal buildings and foundations. There is Masten Pools, who have been performing high quality pool installations since 1982. And there is Lywood Electric, specializing in industrial and commercial instrumentation, automation and controls.

Lastly, there are businesses that work tirelessly to keep us informed about the great things taking place in our community, such as the Caroline Review, Caroline County’s information magazine since 1980.

These companies are just a snapshot of Caroline’s incredible businesses, and Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is honored to be able to recognize all they do for our community and quality of life.

For more information, follow Caroline Economic Development on Facebook at facebook.com/carolinebusiness, email info@carolinebusiness.com , or call 410-479-4188.

 

November Director’s Note: Celebrating Our Businesses

November 6th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|Tags: , , |

Thanksgiving month! The time we give thanks to friends and family, and the bounty we have in Caroline County with community. We were honored to celebrate Thanksgiving early during Economic Development Week, October 23 through 27, 2023 and the Thank You! Tour. The team from our office, county commissioners, and other business leaders all visited Caroline County businesses to show their appreciation and support.

This was our chance to honor some of the businesses that are the economic drivers in Caroline County, that bring jobs and vitality to our community. We chose to celebrate Economic Development Week by showing appreciation to a variety of establishments that make an impact in Caroline County.

Starting October 23rd, the office visited four businesses each day in a variety of sectors, including those in manufacturing, hospitality, retail, real estate, and food service. Throughout the week, the businesses that were visited were highlighted on the Caroline Economic Development Facebook page.

In complete transparency – Loretta and Rich Warfield, publishers of the Caroline Review, were honored also because this publication has such an impact in providing information to the community.

Look for more details and photos of the business visits in the December edition of the Caroline Review and online at Carolinebusiness.com.

Economic Development in Maryland Week is designed to increase an understanding of economic development’s contribution to the State’s business climate, job retention and growth, the tax base, and the overall quality of life in the state. Our way of celebrating was to give attention to the real contribution of the business climate in Caroline County, and we are so fortunate to have lots of businesses to recognize.

For more information, follow Caroline Economic Development on Facebook at facebook.com/carolinebusiness, email info@carolinebusiness.com , or call 410-479-4188.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

October 2023 Director’s Note: Incentivizing Growth in Caroline County

October 7th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|

One of the responsibilities of economic development is to manage programs that help incentivize growth. One program in our toolkit is the Enterprise Zone program. The is a tax credit program that provides growing businesses with an opportunity to save on property taxes when significant property improvements are made and income tax credit when new positions are created. The Enterprise Zone program is a geographic based incentive program; commercial and industrial parcels in two zones have been designated as eligible for consideration of incentives.

The Federalsburg Enterprise Zone was established in 2015 and includes parcels in the industrial parks and commercially zoned parcels in town. The North County Enterprise Zone was established in 2018 and covers eligible parcels in Ridgely, Greensboro, and Goldsboro.

The Enterprise Zone program is a Maryland Department of Commerce tool to grow existing businesses, create jobs, and revitalize communities. The Enterprise Zone benefits can spur business growth through property improvements and expansion and job creation. The beautiful thing about this program is current and new businesses can take advantage of it.

Companies that invest in their buildings or land could realize significant savings on the property tax on the new value of those improvements. The property tax credit portion of the program is a tiered reduction in property taxes on newly assessed value after an improvement. Companies that create at least five new jobs could get up to $1,000 per job state income tax credit.

The program is a partnership between the State of Maryland, which provides reimbursement of the benefits, and the County and Towns. The program is administered by the Caroline County Economic Development. A business must become certified by the County and meet certain eligibility requirements to take advantage of the benefits. More information on the program and certification is available at carolinebusiness.com.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, sign up for our newsletter and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

September 2023 Director’s Note: Navigating Change Through Resiliency

September 5th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|Tags: , , , , |

The old axiom – “the only thing that is certain in life is change” – seems to have never been truer than in 2023. The shifting economy, new workforce expectations, personnel changes, prices changes, shipping changes – it all makes operating a business challenging to say the least.

The real issue seems to be the RATE of change. Our world ebbs and flows at a much faster pace than it used to, and planning in business must take that into account. Think about trying to fill a position – you advertise it, receive resumes, do interviews, and find the candidate. There is a greater risk that months or even weeks later, that perfect candidate is going to make a change and look for another position. As a business owner, it is all-consuming to manage that type of change.

Change can happen in an instant, or it can come slow and methodical. Being prepared for aa many contingencies as possible is the best defense against change upending your business.  The term we hear used to describe this planning for the inevitable that may never happen is “resilience.” One part of being resilient means understanding that change could happen and having plans in place to survive the change or mitigate the outcome of that change. Resiliency in business calls for imagining worse case scenarios (key member no longer on the team or a storm causes structural damage) and putting into place plans to allow the business to continue to operate with the change (having a succession plan for key members or having a solid building insurance policy in place).

Today, when we say, “things aren’t the way they used to be,” we could be talking about changes that happened in the course of a month or even a day. Change is inevitable – what makes us successful as business leaders – as human beings – is how we deal with that change through resiliency.

FYI – Please take the Comprehensive Plan survey.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, please sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

August Director’s Note: Caroline County’s Comprehensive Plan

August 6th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|Tags: , , , , |

Caroline County is currently working with the community to shape the Comprehensive Plan through an online survey.

What is the Comprehensive Plan? It is a policy document that sets the vision for Caroline County through 2040. The Comprehensive Plan will outline the existing conditions of Caroline County, describe future goals and objectives for development and include an action plan on how to achieve these goals and objectives.

The Caroline County Planning & Codes department has a community survey out that gives residents a fast and easy way to give input. Please check out the ad for a QR code that will take you directly to the survey.

The Caroline County Comprehensive Plan will address the following topics: Future Growth and Land Use; Housing; Economic Development; Transportation and Mobility; Infrastructure and Utilities; Parks, Natural Resources, and the Environment. All of the things that are important to business leaders, workers, and residents. 

The plan will be informed with data from the Census Bureau (these are the answers you gave back in 2020 when you took the Census). More importantly, the plan will be informed through community input.

That bears repeating – community input influences the Comprehensive Plan. Just as a business will engage in planning (6 months, 1 year, 5 years, etc.), so does the County want to memorialize how the people of the Caroline see growth and sustainability, economic and community development over the course of the next 10 to 17 years.

Please take the survey, and look for information on future community engagement opportunities.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

July 2023 Director’s Note: CCPS’s Youth Apprenticeship Program

July 6th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|Tags: , , , , |

From Caroline County Public Schools, June 9, 2023, “Emma Robinson, a Colonel Richardson High School rising senior, recently signed Caroline’s third Youth Apprenticeship contract with Bri Farrell-Rutkowski and John Rutkowski, owners of Craft Bakery & Café in Denton.”

Most businesses can participate in the Youth Apprentice Program. Eric Cook is the liaison to the schools and the businesses. He has been talking about the Youth Apprentice Program to businesses for a couple of years now. The first thing he points out is that this is not a traditional apprentice program. The program allows business to bring on qualified students to work together toward real life experience, and in some cases, earn professional certification.

“Youth apprenticeships are a great way for high school students to gain real-world experience and explore career paths while earning a paycheck,” CCTC Principal Courtney Handte said. “It is vital that we expose young people to the workforce, and we appreciate Craft Bakery and Cafe stepping up to provide this opportunity to Emma.”

Craft Bakery and Café, located on Third Street in Denton, is a seasonally focused bakery & cafe with fresh, in-house roasted coffee. The business was opened in early 2022.

The program is also not like traditional apprenticeships in the variety of industries and disciplines that students can enter that either parallel the programs at the school’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center or careers where students can earn a livable wage with an opportunity for career growth.  Some examples of positions that can be filled by a Youth Apprentice include human resources, carpentry, engineering, horticulture, marketing, logistics, and technicians.

It is important to note that a student who is hired as a Youth Apprentice is not an intern and is not free labor. The concept of the program is to provide actual work-based training to supplement instructional training and receive quality work – all for an affordable wage.

If you are interested in the Youth Apprenticeship program, reach out to Eric Cook at cook.eric@ccpsstaff.org or 410-479-0100. He has a real passion for working with businesses to connect them with the perfect student.

FYI – Help us get the word out about the available space in Caroline County. If you have a supplier or customer that is looking for a great place to do business, please have them reach out to me.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

June 2023 Directors Note: Leading the Way into the Future

June 6th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

This time last year, I was part of a cohort of folks from across Maryland that made up the 2022 Leadership Maryland class. It was a great experience. The other economic development staff also participate in leadership skills training – Tara Hill-Coursey in Shore Leadership, and Kendall Teague in Dale Carnegie.

I bring this up because I recently saw a generational expert, Mark Perna, give a speech on what “young people” (those ages 42 and younger) want when it comes to work. Among the outcomes that millennials and Gen Z are looking for is training and education on how to be better leaders. Mr. Perna said that in order to be successful in the workplace, employees need “academic knowledge, technical competencies, and professional skills.” Those professional skills are what are sometimes referred to as “soft skills,” but they are the backbone for leadership.

There are many programs and pathways for leadership in Caroline County and the region. There is one program that lives in Caroline County Recreation and Parks – Counselors In Training. This program takes young people who are interested in working in the summer camp program and allows them to learn what it takes to lead. The cohort is a two-year program of pre-teens and young teenagers. They learn the ins-and-outs of working in a summer camp and the basic skills for leading a group – of campers and peers.

I spoke with the Recreation and Parks staff, Nicole Scott and Katie Cunningham, and some of the young people for an episode of the “Featured Insights with CCED” podcast. It was interesting to hear from the students what they want to do with the skills they learned now for summer camp and in the future for whatever comes their way.

If you have a chance to participate or send your staff to leadership training, it will be a great benefit. And it doesn’t have to be just millennials or Gen Z – I went to Leadership Maryland, and I am way beyond being called young!

FYI – Help us get the word out about the available space in Caroline County. If you have a supplier or customer that is looking for a great place to do business, please have them reach out to me.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, sign up for our newsletter and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

May Director’s Note: Bidding Opportunities in Caroline County

May 5th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Caroline County Government has many opportunities to do business with the various departments. There is a process to follow, the first step being to sign up to receive notices on the County’s “Bidding Opportunities” page www.carolinemd.org/bids.aspx. The website has a way to sign up to get notices as bidding opportunities are posted, changed, or closed out.

If you provide a goods or service that the County needs that is listed in either a Request for Quote or Request for Proposal, you may receive a call from Cyndy Watts in my office. Based on direction from the County Commissioners, we’ve started to do specific, refined outreach to inform Caroline County based businesses about opportunities. Are you a plumber? We may need plumbing work in one of our buildings. Do you lay commercial grade flooring? We recently had a Request for Quote for flooring at the 4H Park.

When you are working with any government, you are dealing with public money, and rules need to be followed. We can help you with that! Nicole Pearce is the purchasing coordinator for the County, and she is happy to chat with anyone who has questions on the why’s and what-for’s of submitting an answer to a bidding opportunity.

I encourage you to sign up for the notices, even if you don’t reply to a bidding opportunity request. At least you’ll be aware of the work that the county needs, and who knows – there may be that perfect opportunity waiting for you.

FYI – We have a weekly podcast, Featured Insights with CCED, that highlights local and state information for businesses. It is loaded on all platforms and a new episode drops weekly. Search for “Featured Insights with CCED” (the last two words are important to get a direct search result).

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, please sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Industry Leaders Discuss Economic Trends and Insights at the 2023 Caroline Economic Symposium

April 10th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|

An expert group of industry leaders shared the latest economic trends and insights about the state of banking, innovative ideas on hiring and keeping workers, workforce housing, and school-based workforce development programs at the 2023 Caroline Economic Symposium on April 6th. The symposium, hosted by Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism, took place at the North Caroline High School Auditorium in Ridgely, Maryland.

“We had a fantastic turnout,” says Debbie Bowden, Director of Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism.” More than 160 people joined us to learn from experts in economic development, banking, broadband, housing, and education.”

Keynote speaker Dr. Anirban Basu, Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, kicked off the symposium with an in-depth analysis of the major factors shaping economic outcomes, including business confidence, central bank policymaking, worker attitudes, and geopolitics. He then offered a forecast for the year to come, highlighting the major risks that economic stakeholders will likely encounter.

Dr. Basu characterized the economy as overheated despite the Federal Reserve’s fight against inflation, and says that we are in a wage/cost cycle with central bank policy driving the economy right now. Small business and consumer sentiment is lowering, and we are starting to see the seeds of recession being sown. His goal is to provide information to allow business owner to make their own determination about whether a recession is coming and what to do about it.

Attendees heard an update on how Choptank Fiber is bringing broadband internet to Caroline County communities by Tim McGaha, VP of Technical Services for Choptank Electric Cooperative and VP of Operations for Choptank Fiber. Then Eric Cook, CTE Teacher Specialist & Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator for Caroline County Public Schools, and Morgan Cox, Event and Communications Specialist for the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education offered updates on youth workforce programs, Youth Apprenticeship and NextGen. Both programs provide information on jobs and careers from mid-shore businesses to students, with a goal of bringing young adults into the local workforce.

The symposium also included two Featured Insights discussions moderated by Debbie Bowden. Melissa Quirk, President & CEO of Provident State Bank, joined Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jacob Day for a conversation on Banking and Housing for Workers. Melissa Quirk discussed how inflationary pressures have impacted business, the effect of raising interest rates on homebuyers, and the future of capital markets and lending. Secretary Day shared his plans for serving rural communities, programs that serve the spectrum of housing needs, and how his department is navigating the trifecta of inflation, tightened lending, and lack of inventory.

The second Featured Insight highlighted Behavioral Health in the Workplace and Innovations in Human Resources in a discussion with Jessica Tuel, Director of Behavioral Health for the Maryland Health Department, and Courtney Stewart, Director of Human Resources for Tri-Gas & Oil. Jessica Tuel shared the importance of behavioral health in the workplace, and ways that employees can help their fellow workers and employers can support their workforce. Courtney Stewart discussed the latest innovations in recruiting and retaining workers, and shared her thoughts and solutions for low market participation.

Additional speakers included Caroline County Commissioner Frank Bartz, who provided opening remarks, Dr. Derrick Simmons, who offered a warm introduction to Dr. Basu, and Dan Schneckenburger, Executive Director of Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, who gave closing remarks.

At the end of the symposium, Debbie Bowden also unveiled her department’s new podcast  Featured Insights, a podcast for businesses of Caroline County and the Eastern Shore of Maryland to learn from experts at the local, state, and national level.

“The podcast is inspired by the success of the Featured Insights sessions we moderated at the Symposium,” says Debbie. “There is so much we can learn from our community members, business leaders and elected officials, and the Featured Insights podcast is a way to share that wealth of knowledge and make it accessible to all. You can find the podcast at featured-insights.fireside.fm or on your favorite podcast provider.”

The Caroline Economic Symposium was made possible with support from Caroline County Public Schools, Choptank Electric Cooperative, Provident State Bank, and Pep-Up Tri-Gas & Oil.

April Director’s Note: 2023 Economic Symposium

April 1st, 2023|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

Caroline County Economic Development is hosting the second Economic Symposium on April 6, 2023, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at North Caroline High School. The keynote speaker is economist Anirban Basu, Sage Policy Group, who will present on the state of the economy at a global, national, and local level. We will have panelists discussing the state of banking, providing innovative ideas on hiring and keeping workers, presenting on two school-based workforce development programs, and perhaps discussion about housing for workers. There is no charge for the Symposium, but registration is required.

This Symposium is a chance for you to get information and insight into how industries are coping with the pressure of labor market and inflation. It will also be an opportunity to network with business leaders from the mid-shore region.  The first Symposium was in June 2022, and it was well attended and successful event.

We are hosting the Symposium with the support of great partners: Caroline County Public Schools, Tri-Gas & Oil, Provident State Bank, and Choptank Fiber.

I hope you can join on April 6, 2023. Find more information and register online here. 

FYI – Help us get the word out about the available commercial and industrial space in Caroline County. If you have a supplier or customer that is looking for a great place to do business, please have them reach out to me.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

2023 Caroline Economic Symposium set for April 6th

March 30th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|

Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism invites you to the 2023 Caroline Economic Symposium, a high-level review of the economy at a local, national, and global level featuring an expert group of industry leaders on Thursday, April 6th. The event will be held from 8:30am – 12pm at the North Caroline High School Auditorium in Ridgely.

Dr. Anirban Basu, Chairman & CEO of Sage Policy Group, will be returning as the keynote speaker, offering an insightful analysis of recent economic trends and transformations.

The symposium will also include an update on Choptank Fiber’s broadband progress with Tim McGaha, VP of Technical Services for Choptank Electric Cooperative and VP of Operations for Choptank Fiber, and a presentation on youth workforce programs by Eric Cook, CTE Teacher Specialist & Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator for Caroline County Public Schools, and Morgan Cox, Event and Communications Specialist for the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education.

Following a short break, the program will then continue with two Featured Insights moderated by Debbie Bowden, Director of Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism. Melissa Quirk, President & CEO of Provident State Bank, will be joining Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day for the first moderated discussion. The second will feature Jessica Tuel, Director of Behavioral Health for the Maryland Health Department, and Courtney Stewart, Director of Human Resources for Tri-Gas & Oil.

The symposium will also feature special remarks by Frank Bartz, Caroline County Commissioner, Dr. Derek Simmons, Superintendent of Caroline County Public Schools, and Dan Schneckenburger, Executive Director of Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board.

“We are so excited about this year’s speakers and the wealth of knowledge they will be sharing with us,” says Debbie Bowden, Director of Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism. “We will be exploring the state of banking, innovative ideas on hiring and keeping workers, workforce housing, and school-based workforce development programs – all topics that are incredibly relevant to doing business in our current economy.”

This event is free to attend, but reservations are required. Tickets are available online at bit.ly/CarolineEconSymposium.

This event is hosted by Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism, with support from Caroline County Public Schools, Choptank Electric Cooperative, Provident State Bank, and Pep-Up Tri-Gas & Oil.

 

 


Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the community. For more information, visit carolinebusiness.com, or contact 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com.

 

 

March 2023 Director’s Note: Business Sentiment Survey Results

March 6th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|

This month, I want to share an article from Salisbury University on a Business Sentiment Survey results. I hope you find the information interesting. The next survey will be in June 2023.

Eastern Shore business owners and managers’ recent uncertainty about the economy remains in the short term, while confidence and optimism about long-term survival is positive.

These trends are among the findings of the latest Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Survey conducted through a partnership with Salisbury University’s Business Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON), SU’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC), and Caroline County Economic Development.

The December 2022 results represent the fourth report released by BEACON. The first survey in the series was conducted in June 2021, with a follow-up in December 2021, and the most recent report in June 2022.

The survey included more than 50 questions, asking business leaders to weigh in on a range of topics, from general business concerns to conditions in their own industries. Respondents evaluated business conditions locally, regionally, in the state and nationwide for the coming year. They also shared views related to their specific industries and on issues from labor supply to regulations.

Results include:

The 12-month outlook for business conditions in participants’ respective counties is significantly lower than in December 2021. When asked to predict the business conditions in their counties and the Eastern Shore, 38% responded that they believe economic conditions will worsen, compared to 23% in December 2021.

Businesses are generally confident about their operation on a longer horizon, nearly 86% believe their firm will be operating locally in the next five years, with just 6% predicting business will not be operating locally five years from now.

Respondents assessed labor force issues as the most significant barrier to expanding in their sector, followed by inflation then finances and funding. The highest barrier to starting a new business in their specific sectors was finances and funding, followed by inflation and labor force issues. Continued low unemployment and the quality of labor has impacted labor issues. The Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases designed to control inflation likely contributed to financing concerns.

When asked which cost increase in the previous six months had the greatest impact on the respondents’ businesses, they noted that the increase in payroll and benefits had the highest impact. Close behind, the cost of fuel and transportation and utilities had the second and third largest impacts on local firms.

Some 83% believe household income for the average American has fallen behind the cost of living, while only 4% believe household incomes have surpassed the cost of living.

Participants believe that America’s economy is “In a Recession/Depression” (47%), while 26 believe the economy is “Stagnating,” and 26% believe the economy is “Growing Rapidly/Growing Slowly.”

Counties on the Eastern Shore will continue to conduct the survey every six months, with the data used to identify challenges facing the region, to assist in long-term planning and to guide the development of public policy.

FYI – There are opportunities to quote or bid on Caroline County work that come open all the time. The best way to discover what the county needs is to sign up for alerts for bids. Go to the website https://www.carolinemd.org/bids.aspx to see a listing of current opportunities. We list opportunities on our Facebook page and through our newsletter.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, please sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Latest Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Survey Results

February 24th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|

Eastern Shore business owners and managers’ recent uncertainty about the economy remains in the short term, while confidence and optimism about long-term survival is positive.

These trends are among the findings of the latest Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Survey conducted through a partnership with Salisbury University’s Business Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON), SU’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC), and many of the region’s economic and workforce development professionals.

The December 2022 results represent the fourth report released by BEACON. The first survey in the series was conducted in June 2021, with a follow-up in December 2021, and the most recent report in June 2022. The survey included more than 50 questions, asking business leaders to weigh in on a range of topics, from general business concerns to conditions in their own industries. Respondents evaluated business conditions locally, regionally, in the state and nationwide for the coming year. They also shared views related to their specific industries and on issues from labor supply to regulations.

Results include:

  • The 12-month outlook for business conditions in participants’ respective counties is significantly lower than in December 2021. When asked to predict the business conditions in their counties and the Eastern Shore, 38% responded that they believe economic conditions will worsen, compared to 23% in December 2021. Those responding “Much Better/Better” fell by 22 points over 12 months. On a state and national level, almost 49% of participants believe economic conditions will be worse, compared to 24% in December 2021.
  •  Businesses are generally confident about their operation on a longer horizon, nearly 86% believe their firm will be operating locally in the next five years, with just 6% predicting business will not be operating locally five years from now.
  • Expectations for business conditions locally improved slightly from June 2022 to December 2022, but remain far from ideal. “Much Worse/Worse” responses fell from 44% in June to 38% in December. “Unchanged” responses increased to 37% in December after sitting at 32% in June, and “Much Better/Better” responses increased slightly to 25% from 24% in June.
  • Reflecting on their individual industry sectors, 51% of respondents believe business conditions “Deteriorated A Lot/Deteriorated Slightly” from December 2021-December 2022. Respondents remain cautious about the future, with 48% believing business conditions in their sector will “Deteriorate/Deteriorate a lot” over the next three months.
  • Respondents assessed labor force issues as the most significant barrier to expanding in their sector, followed by inflation then finances and funding. The highest barrier to starting a new business in their specific sectors was finances and funding, followed by inflation and labor force issues. Continued low unemployment and the quality of labor has impacted labor issues. The Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases designed to control inflation likely contributed to financing concerns.
  • When asked which cost increase in the previous six months had the greatest impact on the respondents’ businesses, they noted that the increase in payroll and benefits had the highest impact. Close behind, the cost of fuel and transportation and utilities had the second and third largest impacts on local firms.
  • Respondents agreed payroll and benefit costs (previously titled “wages”) in the next 12 months would be much worse in their county, region and state, and nationally, and had noticeably increased from June’s survey. “Worse/Much Worse” responses rose to 54% from 13% in the county, with similar increases in the region, state and U.S.
  • Even after the events of the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of respondents’ firms do not have remote workers (72%). Of the firms with remote workers, the majority of the workers are located on the Delmarva Peninsula.
  • Some 83% believe household income for the average American has fallen behind the cost of living, while only 4% believe household incomes have surpassed the cost of living.
  • Respondents were split on their expectations of the standard of living in the next five years. Across all areas, 41% believe it will fall, while 30% think it will remain the same, and 29% think it will rise.
  • Participants believe that America’s economy is “In a Recession/Depression” (47%), while 26 believe the economy is “Stagnating,” and 26% believe the economy is “Growing Rapidly/Growing Slowly.”
  • A majority of responses came from company leadership, with business owners, presidents, CEOs and managing partners making up 67% of the participants. A total of 77% were from firms with fewer than 50 employees. Responses came from a wide variety of industries reflecting the economy of the region, with many respondents active in more than one industry. Counties on the Eastern Shore will continue to conduct the survey every six months, with the data used to identify challenges facing the region, to assist in long-term planning and to guide the development of public policy.

“The survey has evolved this year as we have removed the COVID questions and replaced them with questions that gauge the impact that other variables have on the businesses in the region,” said Scott Warner, executive director of the Mid-Shore Regional Council. “This will allow us to craft assistance that can impact the evolving needs of our business community.”

The ESRGC summarized the findings in infographics that can be found on the Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project website, but economic developers also have access to an internal dashboard that enables them to mine the data for insight on specific issues.

“Expanding access to the data on our area is vital to being responsive to our constituents. The toolkit provides a look at trends and data to anticipate business needs and adjust quickly,” said Greg Padgham, TriCounty Council for the Lower Eastern Shore executive director.

Designed to gauge the opinions of the region’s business leaders, this survey is one of the tools that has grown out of the Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project, a venture made possible by grants totaling $507,000 from the U.S. Economic Development Agency (EDA). The MidShore Regional Council and the Tri-County Council of the Lower Eastern Shore are recognized as Economic Development Districts by the EDA.

In addition to the regional councils, partners in the project include ESRGC, BEACON, the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance, the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, and the Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester County economic development offices. To access Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project data, visit recovery.delmarvaindex.org. The complete Delmarva Index can be found at delmarvaindex.org. For more information visit the BEACON webpage and the ESRGC website.

February 2023 Director’s Note: Visit Someplace New for Valentine’s Day

February 3rd, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|

By Tara Hill-Coursey, Tourism Manager, Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism

After the excitement of a successful holiday season in Caroline, we a thrilled to see what 2023 will bring for the tourism industry. Both distant vacations and more importantly local experiences continue to evolve. Travelers are planning their trips in the most unique ways and redefining tourism in such a way that we too must reimagine what that means. It is equally important for us to focus on local tourists as well and the success of this can be measured by locals having something fun to do every weekend this past December!

The uniqueness and ever-growing small businesses that are budding. The creative and careful planning of events in our area, and a new spin on what attracts people here. From fairies to nature walks, to spending time with locals discussing history and art, to dining at new local favorites. Our communities are diligent in making Caroline a destination that sets itself apart from our neighbors.

We look forward to promoting some signature and popular events this month. Places to dine, things to do and where to get unique gifts. The Culinary Arts Center and its chocolate-inspired Valentine’s dinner, all proceeds benefit the center. Tenchi Spanish American kitchen with fun Valentine’s themed taco arrangements. Local florists offering beautiful bouquets and opportunities to be at one with nature for guided walks at Adkins Arboretum.

I’d encourage you to cruise around the county, stop into the Ridgely train station to take look back in time. Then visit the Ridgely Pharmacy which offers a cozy lunch counter and charming gifts. The arts district in Denton is a few miles away where you can explore the current collection at the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore and the Foundry who will also host a Black History Month Celebration. Dine and shop in the growing downtown and grab dinner at Caroline’s. Stay overnight at the Best Western in Denton. Grab local fresh seafood from LNT in Preston and if the weather is just right, you can take a nice, serene walk along the Marshyhope in Federalsburg to cap off your visit.

There is no shortage of things to this month while spending a day or the weekend Caroline is always going to invite you to be our neighbor. Please visit our website VisitCaroline.org to subscribe to our monthly newsletter and follow Caroline County, MD Tourism on Facebook to stay in the know with all things Caroline.

Creative Partnership Brings Patriot Aluminum to Caroline County

January 12th, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|

Caroline County Economic Development Partners with SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate to Bring Patriot Aluminum to Caroline County

A creative partnership between Caroline County Economic Development and Donovan Marine, represented by John Foster of SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate, helped land a lease agreement that brought Patriot Aluminum to Caroline County, Maryland.

Donovan Marine acquired the Bartley Building, a commercial property on Engerman Avenue in the Denton Industrial Park, in 2018. The building was larger than they needed, and provided a value-added opportunity to lease out the second suite.

Knowing that the property was available for lease, Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism approached Donovan Marine about using the property as the location for their Caroline Economic Symposium, a high-level review of the economic state of the country, region, and the Eastern Shore. CCEDT Director Debbie Bowden and Business Development Coordinator Kendall Teague knew that this regional event would be an ideal opportunity to market a prime industrial property in Caroline County.

The CCEDT team worked closely with John Foster of SVN Miller, the listing agent for Donovan Marine, to facilitate the use of the property. The event was a great success – more than 125 business leaders and partners filled the warehouse-turned-conference room to learn about the state of economy from Dr. Anirban Basu. The partnership created great exposure for the building, keeping the property top of mind.

When Patriot Aluminum approached Caroline County Economic Development about expanding their operations from Felton, Delaware, Debbie knew firsthand from her experience with the symposium that the Engerman Avenue property would be a perfect fit. She referred Patriot Aluminum to the listing agent, John Foster at SVN Miller, who worked with both parties to close the deal.

“It was a combination of a collaborative partnership, a strong and credit-worthy client and great market conditions that created this fast-moving deal,” said John Foster. “It was a great experience for all parties involved.”

“Donovan Marine recognized the value in showing their space to the business leaders in Caroline County via the Economic Symposium,” said Debbie Bowden. “It was truly a partnership that turned out to be mutually beneficial. We hosted the Economic Symposium in a great space, Donovan Marine got some exposure that led to an active lease, and Caroline County welcomes a growing new business to the community.”

Caroline County is excited to have Patriot Aluminum join their business community. The company is an American-Veteran owned and operated family business that fabricates a full line of aluminum fence panels, posts, and gates. Patriot Aluminum takes pride in their product quality, customer service, and overall positive atmosphere for both their customers and employees. They currently employ 12 people, with plans to expand to more than 30 full-time jobs that will be offered to the Caroline County community as the business continues to grow. For more information on Patriot Aluminum, please visit patriotaluminum.net.

 


Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the community. For more information, visit carolinebusiness.com, or contact 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com.

SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate are leaders in commercial real estate for Maryland’s Eastern Shore on the Delmarva peninsula. For more information, please contact John Foster at john.foster@svn.com, or visit www.svnmiller.com.

 

 

 

January 2023 Director’s Note: The Value of Making & Keeping Connections

January 5th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Making and keeping connections – building a network – is an important part of business. You have networks within your organization, your customers and clients and vendors are part of your network, and without them, you won’t be in business.

Connections outside of your organization are essential also. One would be hard-pressed to find a community that does it better at making connections than the Caroline County business community. There have been a number of times when I’ve overheard that business A was reaching out to business B about something – real estate, business advise, even sharing employment information. And because the businesses are made up of the people, those connections and networks are found in church and civic organizations, at the sports fields and local grocery stores.

I’ve been fortunate to participate in structured network building activities, most recently through Leadership Maryland. And it paid off immediately. One of the members of that cohort works for Coca-Cola Consolidated, and at the beginning of November, he reached out to let us know that there were pallets of products available for local nonprofits. I forwarded the information to two Caroline County nonprofits, and Aaron’s Place was able to take possession of multiple pallets of product to give to their clients.

A shout-out to the local Chamber of Commerce who provides many forums for networking. There are plenty of opportunities to meet and greet with local business representatives. Social networking through Facebook and Instagram (and TikTok for the younger folks) is another way to stay connected with local businesses – and not so local businesses also.

Let me offer this call to action for 2023 – build your network.

FYI – Consider discovering more information on the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education through the Caroline County Public Schools. Essentially this program helps certain students learn what it takes to prepare for college and career, and some of those students could be eligible for higher education grants. Contact the coordinator Morgan Cox, who can be reached at 410-788-0333 or morgan@mbrt.org.

 

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. For updates on any future business support, sign up for our newsletter and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Spotlight on Aaron’s Place: Strengthening the Caroline County Community

December 16th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

Creating economic opportunities for our community is at the heart of the mission of Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism. The CCEDT team is passionate about supporting organizations that serve Caroline County, and every month they make a donation to a different nonprofit. This month, the office donated baby supplies to Aaron’s Place, a non-profit dedicated to strengthening families and communities.

Pictured are Aaron’s House Executive Director Cheryl Beulah, Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism Director Deborah Bowden, Tourism Manager Tara Hill-Coursey, and Business Development Coordinator Kendall Teague.

Aaron’s Place began as the vision of ​​Reverend Aaron Robert Moulden, Sr. to feed his community at Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Baltimore, believing that no one should have to deal with hunger. The nonprofit realized that they could best provide for their community by working with others. In its Caroline County iteration, Aaron’s Place began at Living Waters Assembly and through its partnership with the Denton Free Seventh-Day Adventist congregation, relocated to 401 Aldersgate Drive in Denton. 

Aaron’s Place provides invaluable services to the community, helping the underserved with food, clothing, youth programs, family needs, housing and more. Executive Director Cheryl Beulah and her team work tirelessly to meet the needs of Caroline County through their initiatives, feeding between 300-400 families per month through their partnership with the Maryland Food Bank.

Their services make our community a brighter place, especially during the holiday season. The organization recently hosted a turkey giveaway, where 560 turkeys and food boxes were given to those in need. 

Aaron’s Place offers frequent food distributions throughout the county, a soup kitchen, resources for families and new parents, health and wellness counseling, and more. 

“We are incredibly fortunate to have Aaron’s Place serving our community,” says Debbie Bowden, Director of Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism. “Miss Beulah and her dedicated team help so many people. She has a vision of a complete range of services to reach even more people where they are.”

For more information on Aaron’s Place, please aaronsplaceinc.org, email aaronsplace28@gmail.com, or call 410-479-5237.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

Caroline County Economic Development & Tourism Director Debbie Bowden Graduates from Leadership Maryland

December 7th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

Leadership Maryland announced today that Deborah E. “Debbie” Bowden ’22, Caroline County Director of Economic Development & Tourism, has completed the professional development program dedicated to building a better Maryland by harnessing the strength of its local business and community leaders. Leadership Maryland honored Bowden, a resident of Hartley, DE, and the entire Class of 2022 at its 29th annual graduation ceremony held December 6 at the Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport. As a graduate, Bowden is now a member of Leadership Maryland’s powerful alumni network, consisting of more than 1,300 esteemed leaders from all industries and regions of the state.

Bowden was one of 49 applicants chosen by committee to complete Leadership Maryland’s eight-month hands-on learning program. The class participated in an orientation and closing retreat that bookended five, two-day sessions focused on Maryland’s five main geographic regions and the most vital issues impacting economic development, education, health and human services, criminal justice, the environment, and multi-culturalism/diversity across the state. More than 100 experts representing Maryland’s business, government, education, and non-profit communities served as panelists and guest speakers.

“This has been a special class year, both for me as the new president and CEO, and for our organization, as we hosted our full program together, in person for the first time since 2019,” said David Fike ’16 (LM), president and Chief Executive Officer, Leadership Maryland. “The Class of 2022 came into this year eager and inspired, and they’ve maintained that enthusiasm throughout each of our sessions. This is a remarkable group of professionals, diverse in experience and talent, and we look forward to seeing how they will influence our state with the knowledge and connections they’ve gained this year.”

Leadership Maryland is open to senior-level executives with significant achievements in either their careers and/or their communities. Ideal Leadership Maryland members have a desire to learn more about Maryland’s most critical issues and a personal commitment to be a force for positive change in their organizations, their communities, and their state. For more information about Leadership Maryland, please visit www.LeadershipMD.org, call 410-841-2101 or email Info@LeadershipMD.org.

About Leadership Maryland

Leadership Maryland is a non-profit organization offering professional and youth development programs dedicated to building a better Maryland by harnessing the strength of its current and future leaders. Established in 1992, Leadership Maryland’s professional development program selects as many as 52 diverse and accomplished executives from Maryland’s public and private sectors each year to come together as a class for an eight-month learning program focused on the state’s most vital social, economic and environmental issues. Leadership Maryland also offers Maryland Leadership Workshops (MLW), the state’s premier leadership development program for middle and high school students. For more than 65 years, MLW has provided peer-led summer residential and community outreach programs that empower participants – known as delegates – to take ownership of their personal development as they grow in self-awareness, set measurable goals, and collaborate with peers in diverse groups. Together, Leadership Maryland and MLW have established thousands of Marylanders on their lifelong leadership path, equipped with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to influence positive change in all aspects of their lives and within our state. To learn more, please visit leadershipmd.org or mlw.org.

December 2022 Director’s Note: Reflections on the Year

December 5th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

December brings reflections of the previous 12 months, and I want to share mine with you.

This has been yet another interesting post-pandemic year and challenging in ways that seemed to have left many of us a bit breathless. Inflation at a 40-year high. Labor market still as tight as ever. Resurgence of COVID and other illnesses that are impacting the workforce. Mid term elections. Maryland elections. Supply chain tight – then loose – then more expensive because of rising fuel costs.

2022 has been rough for small businesses, employers, and employees.

I’ve seen some partially good news mixed in with the bad news highlighted above. We’ve had more small business start-up and next-stage-growth cases than ever. Larger business growth in terms of capital expansion is better than it’s been in years. Anecdotally, some of the major employers in the County have had banner years in terms of revenue and profits. But the positive outcomes in the economy have been shadowed by layoffs and closures.

2023 is probably not going to be any better. However, I am optimistic that the business community in Caroline County will rally to survive whatever economic policies, legislative agendas, natural and man-made emergencies are thrown at them.

I am so fortunate to work with amazing team. Kendall Teague, who works with small businesses and entrepreneurs and your go-to for information and support on small business concerns. Tara Hill-Coursey, the county’s champion for tourism promoting the things to do and people to see in the county to those who visit here. And I am grateful for the partnerships I have with businesses and organizations that help to make Caroline County such a fantastic place to have a business, have a family, and enjoy peaceful, safe life.

I hope everyone gets to enjoy times with friends and family as we close out 2022 and start up 2023.

For updates on any future business support, please sign up for our newsletter and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

M&M Carnot Expanding in Caroline County

November 29th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

Governor Larry Hogan announced today that M&M Carnot, the most experienced natural refrigerant company in the Americas, is doubling its workforce in Caroline County. Located at 412 Railroad Ave in Federalsburg, M&M Carnot is expanding its presence and leasing an existing 25,000 square-foot space next door, with room available for future expansions. M&M Carnot currently employs approximately 100 workers in the county and anticipates adding 100 new jobs over the next two years.

“We are proud to support M&M Carnot’s expansion in Federalsburg, where 100 new jobs will have a significant impact on the Eastern Shore community,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “The company has had great success in growing its staff recently, and we believe this additional space will allow M&M to continue expanding its manufacturing and production, as well as its workforce, in Maryland.”

Formed in 1969, M&M Carnot is known as one of the leading industrial refrigeration companies in the world. The company focuses on natural refrigerants and “green refrigeration” that have little impact on ozone or global warming. Its systems are used across several industries and are implemented in cold storage, food processing, ice rinks, and supermarkets.

The additional Federalsburg space will allow M&M Carnot to continue expanding to meet the growing need for sustainable products, as well as the increased demand for food refrigeration as experienced during the pandemic. Previously known as M&M Refrigeration, the company changed its name after acquiring the Canadian business Carnot Refrigeration in 2019.

“We are excited to expand our natural refrigeration business in Federalsburg,” said David Sholtis, CEO of M&M Carnot. “With the hard-working people of Caroline County, we can continue to meet the rapidly growing needs of our customers for natural refrigeration solutions. On behalf of everyone at M&M Carnot and our private equity partner Source Capital LLC, I want to thank the Caroline County community as well as state and local officials in Maryland for supporting us and helping to make this expansion a success. We especially want to thank our employees at the facility for continuing to do a great job for our customers every day making the highest quality natural industrial refrigeration equipment.”

“We are so pleased that another Caroline business is expanding, and that we continue to have a great partnership with the Maryland Department of Commerce,” said Debbie Bowden, Director of Economic Development and Tourism for Caroline County. “When we first sat down as a team to discuss how we can support this growth opportunity, it was evident that this was going to be a success story. The continued commitment by M & M Carnot to Federalsburg and Caroline County is the outcome we strive toward for all businesses in the County.”

To assist with the expansion, the company is eligible to apply for several state programs and incentives, including More Jobs for Marylanders; Partnership for Workforce Quality; the Job Creation Tax Credit; and others.

“While Maryland’s advanced manufacturing sector continues to grow, so does our tech-savvy and highly-skilled workforce,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill. “M&M Carnot’s investment in our state is the perfect example of these assets working together to create great things in the Mid Atlantic. We look forward to watching the company continue expanding in the years to come.”

“M&M Carnot is the type of Caroline County business success story that we see often,” said County Commission President Larry D. Porter. “It is no surprise that the company is growing, as many companies are in the County, because of leadership from the founder to the current executive team. As we like to say, this is one more example of the strength of Caroline County and its people.”

To learn more about the company and explore current job openings, visit mmrefrigeration.com.


Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

November Director’s Note: Planning for the Future of Your Business

November 5th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

Small business owners (which accounts for 99% of all businesses) have a lot on their plate. Depending on the structure of leadership, the owner could be the one turning the wrenches or prepping the menu, or the owner could be managing the strategy for growth with a dedicated team of mangers and employees. Regardless of the size and scope of the businesses, one thing that all small business owners should do, but rarely have time to do, is plan for succession.

In talking about this, I’d like to share some of my own story. I came up in a family business. The owner was my father-in-law, and he and his two sons (and me as one of the son’s wife), operated a successful business for nearly 40 years. We began the process of succession planning when Dad started to think about retirement. Those plans were made all the more urgent when he unexpectedly passed away.

Fortunately, there was enough structure in place for the next generation to take over. However, if the succession planning had not been all done, and had Dad not passed on a little of knowledge and insight to the next generation, the business would have been forced to close upon his passing. The succession planning and implementation wasn’t perfect, and there were years where the business still struggled afterwards, but it did survive.

It’s tough when you are in the midst of serving customers and taking care of employees and worrying about supply chain to think toward the future. But asking yourself the simple but tough questions can help put you on the right path toward succession: what is my business worth, what is my real property and other assets worth, who will lead the transition, who will lead the next iteration, do I plan to sell or pass on to family?

As in every part of business, partnerships with subject matter experts can help in answering those questions and making a plan. Talk with your accountant and banker, reach out to have a conversation with a trusted realtor, and have a chat with employees and family to gauge interest in becoming the next generation owners. Experts suggest at least three years to get everything in order to make the leap to sell your business. Making the transition to the next phase of ownership easy will benefit you and your legacy.

For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

Esteemed Boat Building Business for Sale in Denton

October 17th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

For more than 25 years, Mathews Brothers (MathewsBros) has been known for their beautiful, custom Bay-built boats. The esteemed family business has become an institution around the Chesapeake Bay known for their superior craftsmanship, using traditional methods with modern materials to build classic, custom boats. Now, in a once in a lifetime opportunity, this established business and its assets are available for purchase.

In addition to boat building, Mathews Brothers also offers maintenance, storage, and brokerage for clientele down the eastern seaboard. The sale includes all business assets, custom boat designs and features, and customer database. It also includes two parcels of land: their inland headquarters and manufacturing facility, as well as their waterfront commercial  facility along the Choptank River. The business may also be purchased separately from real estate. 

Don’t miss this opportunity to purchase an established boatbuilder with the reputation and experienced staff to continue its already impressive growth.

This property is presented by Ross Benincasa of SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate, leaders in commercial real estate for Maryland’s Eastern Shore on the Delmarva peninsula. For more information, please contact Ross at 443.390.2463 or ross.benincasa@svn.com.

If you are interested in starting a business, growing your business, or moving your business to Caroline County, MD, we are here to help! Contact us at info@carolinebusiness.com or 410-479-4188.

Made in Caroline: Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism Showcase Ridgely’s Shore Sweet Treats & Gifts at Taste of Maryland

September 19th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

Every August, Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism head to the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Summer Conference to represent Caroline County at this educational and networking conference. The event includes the Taste of Maryland Reception, where exhibitors offer tasting samples of all things Maryland. Caroline County partnered with Shore Sweet Treats & Gifts of Ridgley to offer samples of their locally-crafted, artisan nuts.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism Director Debbie Bowden and Business Coordinator Kendall Teague were excited by the opportunity to showcase a unique product made right here in Caroline.

“Caroline County is home to many small businesses and cottage industries run by innovators that offer niche, one-of-a-kind products,” says Debbie Bowden. “It was important to us to highlight the incredible products being crafted right here in Caroline.

Founded by Allyson Marine, Shore Sweet Treats & Gifts offers two different flavors of nuts – Old Bay and Cinnamon Sugar – in five different varieties, including pecans, almonds, walnuts, cashews and peanuts. They also offer custom snack mixes, gourmet popcorn, fudge, cakes, pies, cupcakes and a variety of cookies.

Shore Sweet Treats & Gifts got their start six years ago at Christmas in Caroline, an annual holiday market hosted at the Caroline County 4-H Park. Their product was a huge hit, inspiring Allyson to attend more shows and markets and add more varieties to her offerings.

The business persevered through incredible challenges since its start, including the devastating loss of Allyson’s oldest son followed by the COVID pandemic, which shut down the vendor shows that were a major part of their business model. It took determination, grit, adaptability and teamwork to keep their business going.

“It’s a true family business,” says Allyson. “We all go into the commercial kitchen at Caroline Culinary Arts and make the product together.”

The Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism team brought three varieties to Taste of Maryland to Showcase: Crabby Cashews, Crabby Pecans, and Crabby Peanuts.

“Everyone was raving about the Old Bay flavored nuts we brought to the event,” says Kendall Teague. “Supporting our small businesses is one of our core missions at economic development, and we were excited to showcase Shore Sweet Treats & Gifts. Allyson was on board to fill our extra large order immediately, answered all of our questions, and helped us customize all the details, from determining the serving size and containers to all the signage we needed to post.”

As the Business Coordinator for Caroline County, Kendall regularly works with small businesses, lending support tailored to their needs. From help with business plans and site selection to assistance with financing, the economic development team offers a variety of resources to those looking to start, grow, or relocate their business to Caroline County.

Shore Sweet Treats & Gifts’ products can be found at Shore Gourmet, a public eatery and retail shop in downtown Denton featuring locally-crafted products. They also do custom orders and gifts. If you are interested in placing an order, please contact Allyson at shoresweettreats@gmail.com, 410-714-2104, or through their Facebook Page. 

For more information on Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism and the services they provide, please contact info@carolinebusiness.com or call 410-479-4188.

October Director’s Note: The Importance of Local Economic Resources

September 14th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

It’s an odd economic time. Whether the federal government officially “declares” the economy in a recession has little impact on the day-to-day operations of business – you know it costs more to do business. Whether we are in a recession now or will be in 2023 impacts business planning, particularly planning for growth and making investments in a company, employees, leadership, and interest-holders.

Whether the federal government “declared” a recession doesn’t seem to have made a difference in the cost of capital over the past six months – the cost of money continues to increase thanks to the Federal Reserve increasing interest rates. Interest rates were historically low and cash was flowing (pre- and post-pandemic) for most businesses. The greatest operational concern for almost all businesses was finding labor. The labor market issue is still a big concern, and now we can add on what it costs to get the money to grow and expand. Commercial loans and lines of credit interest rates are still “not bad” (I remember double digit interest rates back in the day), but when the cost of money has doubled in 2022, its difficult for owners to not think twice about making that planned investment for growth.

Times like these are why its important to have a good relationship with your banker and with our office. Local community banks thrive on helping customers prosper and want to see businesses succeed. That is the goal for economic development also. We have programs that supplement traditional lending programs. We also have a network of alternative lending partners that support smaller businesses. Finally, we have a partnership with state agencies that having a business lending portfolio.

It’s a new world in business, and we want to help you navigate it toward success.

For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

September Director’s Note – Tourism Continues to Trend Upward: The Impact and Horizon

August 9th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

By Tara Hill-Coursey, Tourism Manager, Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism

While it may not be surprising to many, tourism was impacted in a major way across the globe both during and post pandemic. A different outlook on this can be realized as Caroline County tourism, attractions, and places of interest have remained viable through it all. In the past year I have made an effort to connect with these stakeholders in a real way. Offering strategies, sharing insights, and listening to where they would like help from our office.

We noticed that Caroline remained a destination of choice due to our various recreation and outdoor activities. We remain a place that for many is only a short drive away and offered reprieve to those looking to get outside. Thankfully, we were given the opportunity to support our local small businesses as well. Our strategy is to keep the momentum as we’ve received wonderful feedback on how our social media and radio campaigns have helped to promote our stakeholders.

Many have become more comfortable with using technology to get the information they need. We are going to continue with a balance of those ad placements and communication along with advertising with our local news outlets as well.

Much is on the horizon as we are in position to make the case for increased funding for our area. This is of a competitive nature but nothing unobtainable. Another major focus for us during this portion of the fiscal year is rebranding ourselves. The work done around event creation and other marketable resources make this work exciting and helps to draw people in, thus being an economic driver.

As we move into Fall, there are several activities to enjoy around the county. Consider visiting JZ Farms as they unveil a new corn maze design along with a weekend at Outstanding Dreams Alpaca Farm for their annual festival. There are plenty of things to do!

Please visit our website – www.visitcaroline.org – to subscribe to our monthly newsletter and follow Caroline County, MD Tourism on Facebook to stay in the know with all things Caroline.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the community. Tara can be reached at 410-479-0655 or director@visitcaroline.org

Connect with Qualified Employees at Chesapeake College’s Job Fair

August 3rd, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

Is your business looking to recruit qualified employees? Chesapeake College invites you to participate in their Job Fair on Tuesday, October 4th from 3pm – 7pm. Attendees seeking part time and full time employment will bring their resumes to the event to network and apply for jobs. This is a great opportunity to connect with job seekers!

The Job Fair will take place at the HPAC Multi-Purpose Room at Chesapeake College, 1000 College Circle, Wye Mills, MD. If your business or organization is interested in attending, please contact Shirley Lake at slake@chesapeake.edu.

This event is sponsored by the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, APG Media, and Chesapeake College.

8 Lots Available in Denton Industrial Park

July 21st, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

Are you looking for industrial lots that are fully-equipped with water, sewer, utilities and access roads? SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate is excited to present 8 prime lots in the Denton Industrial Park perfect for light manufacturing, warehouse, service and office use.

The industrial lots range in size from 1.55 to 10.94 acres and are competitively priced at $35,000 per acre. The sites are level, cleared, and ready for immediate construction.

The Denton Industrial Park in Caroline County, MD is centrally-located in the Mid-Atlantic region with easy access to major markets. It is located just 60 miles from Baltimore and 100 miles from Philadelphia.

This property is presented by John Foster and Meredith M. Mears, SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate, leaders in commercial real estate for Maryland’s Eastern Shore on the Delmarva peninsula. For more information, please contact John Foster at 443-390-2600 x 106 or john.foster@svn.com, or Meredith Mears at 410-543-2440 or meredith.mears@svn.com.

If you are interested in starting a business, growing your business, or moving your business to Caroline County, MD, we are here to help! Contact us at info@carolinebusiness.com or 410-479-4188.

Caroline County Economic Facts: You Belong Here

July 17th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

With leading industries that include manufacturing, transportation, logistics, and traditional and value-added agriculture, Caroline County, MD is a strong economic hub in the Mid-Atlantic region. The county is centrally-located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and is close to major markets, including Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore and Richmond. Caroline has become a major logistics hub, especially for the agricultural industry. 

The most recent edition of Caroline County’s Brief Economic Facts, produced by the Maryland Department of Commerce, provides an overview of the county and its economic assets. The fact sheet contains detailed information on Caroline’s location, population, labor availability, employers, workforce, housing, tax rates, utilities, government, recreation and more. 

The fact sheet also highlights how industrial development is strategically located throughout Caroline County’s three parks in Federalsburg, three industrial areas in Denton, and a shovel ready technology park in Ridgely. 

You can download the Caroline County Brief Economic Facts here. 

If you are interested in starting a business, growing your business, or moving your business to Caroline County, MD, we are here to help! Contact us at info@carolinebusiness.com or 410-479-4188.

Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Survey: June 2022 Results

July 14th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

Eastern Shore business owners’ and managers’ optimism is on the decline regarding the economic outlook over the next 12 months.

These trends are among the findings of the latest Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Survey conducted through a partnership with Salisbury University’s Business Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON), SU’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC), and many of the region’s economic and workforce development professionals.

The June 2022 results, available here, are the third report released by BEACON and its partners and the first to include all nine Eastern Shore counties. The first survey in the series was conducted in June 2021 and a follow-up in December 2021.

The survey included more than 50 questions, asking business leaders to weigh in on a range of topics, from general business concerns to conditions in their own industries. Respondents evaluated business conditions locally, regionally, in the state and nationwide for the coming year. They also shared views related to their specific industries and on issues from labor supply to regulations.

 Results include:

  • Optimism about business conditions in respondents’ respective counties over the next 12 months, has declined dramatically with almost 43 percent answering worse or much worse compared to 18 percent in December of 2021 and 6 percent in July of 2021. They predict that conditions will be worse statewide and nationally.
  • Respondents indicate that COVID-19 has caused new problems for businesses and has exacerbated existing problems, particularly related to workforce, a response that reflects national trends.
  • Reflecting on their individual industry sectors, respondents were cautious about conditions in the next three months. In December 2021 almost, 73 percent predicted conditions would be the same (35 percent) or worse (38 percent). In June 2022 the prediction of worse conditions is up, with over 45 percent saying they expect worse conditions in the next three months, and 28 percent predicting same.
  • Predictions of better conditions are virtually unchanged, dropping to 26 percent from 27 percent in December 2021. Predictions for the next 12 months have also dropped, with 53 percent selecting worse or much worse compared to 34 percent in December and 12 percent last July. This round only 30 percent predict improving conditions in 12 months compared to 45 percent in December and 68 percent last July.
  • Concerns about inflation remain the highest concern as a barrier to starting or expanding business in the respondent’s sector, but labor force issues are of equal concern. Supply chain issues are third for both expanding and starting a new business.
  • The industry with the biggest concerns for conditions in the next 12 months was real estate, followed by transportation. Funding and inflation were driving concerns in real estate. Inflation (fuel costs) and labor force issues were the biggest concerns to the transportation industry.
  • Business owners and managers continue to express that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on their businesses, just not as high as in December and remain supportive of the range of tools that economic development offices have deployed.
  • The majority (78 percent) of responses came from owners or senior executives, and 79 percent were from firms with less than 50 employees. Responses were from a wide range of industries, and only accommodations, food services, arts, entertainment, and recreation (formerly “tourism and hospitality”) accounted for more than 10 percent.

“We are pleased the survey includes the business community in the Upper Shore counties this year,” said Jamie Williams, Kent County economic and tourism development director. “This will allow the Upper Shore to better articulate the concerns of our businesses to our legislators, and allow us to better serve their needs.”

“We are glad that the survey includes the business community in Queen Anne’s County this year,” said Heather Tinelli, Queen Anne’s County economic and tourism development director. “It will allow the Upper Shore to serve the needs of our business community.”

“When we sponsored the first survey in July of last year, our goal was to eventually incorporate all three regional councils on the Eastern Shore,” said Scott Warner, executive director of the Mid-Shore Regional Council. “We are so pleased that BEACON and the other councils were able to quickly expand the geography and include all nine counties in this study.”

Counties on the Eastern Shore will continue to conduct the survey every six months, with the data used to identify challenges facing the region, to assist in long-term planning and to guide the development of public policy.

The ESRGC summarized the findings in infographics that can be found on the Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project website, but economic developers also have access to an internal dashboard that enables them to mine the data for insight on specific issues.

Designed to gauge the opinions of the region’s business leaders, this survey is one of the tools that has grown out of the Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project, a venture made possible by grants totaling $507,000 from the U.S. Economic Development Agency (EDA). The Mid-Shore Regional Council and the Tri-County Council of the Lower Eastern Shore are recognized as Economic Development Districts by the EDA.

In addition to the regional councils, partners in the project include ESRGC, BEACON, the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance, the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, and the Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester County economic development offices.

To access Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project data, visit recovery.delmarvaindex.org. The complete Delmarva Index can be found at delmarvaindex.org.

For more information, visit the BEACON website at salisbury.edu/beacon and the ESRGC website at esrgc.org.

August Director’s Note: Business & Community Go Hand in Hand

July 13th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

What is a business? What is community? Short simple questions that have long complicated answers. But one thing is certain – in Caroline County, business and community go hand in hand.

This month that partnership will be demonstrated in a long-standing event curated by the Caroline County Recreation and Parks and the Town of Denton – Caroline Summerfest. This year’s event – the 33rd Annual – will be held the evenings of August 19 and 20, 2022 in downtown Denton. There will be music and food, stuff for the kids, and fireworks.

Summerfest participants get a chance to support local nonprofits in the best way possible – buying food. Local artisans (many of them are small business owners) perform for an enchanted audience. And the folks (again small business owners) who have side hustles in arts & crafts and nice wares are able to meet their customers one on one in the streets of Denton.

The free festival is a draw for people in county and from outside of the county. The corporate sponsors show their community support by connecting their brands with summer, festival, fun – and Caroline!

We’ve had some hot Summerfest days recently, but hopefully the weather will not prevent you and your family from attending to support your community and businesses.

For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development and Tourism is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses of all sizes thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

July Director’s Note: A Recap of the Caroline Economic Symposium

June 15th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

Debbie Bowden, Director

The Caroline Economic Development team facilitated an economic symposium on June 2, 2022, featuring economist Anirban Basu. Approximately 130 business representatives and partners filled the warehouse-turned-conference room to learn from Dr. Basu the latest economic news and forecasting.

His presentation is online at CarolineBusiness.com/SymposiumAgenda. There are charts and graphs of data showing past performance, information in he and other economists use to inform economic forecasts. Not surprising, the forecast is not one of growth and economic prosperity – inflation, the Russian/Ukraine war, and labor market will impact the economy through 2023.

In addition to Dr. Basu’s presentation, it was an honor to have four executives provide insights into issues that are facing businesses today. Mike Malandro, President and CEO of Choptank Electric and Choptank Fiber, announced that grant funding had been allocated for broadband in Caroline County. He anticipates that all Caroline customers will have the availability of signing up for Choptank Fiber by the 2023-2024 school year. Melissa Quirk, President and CEO of Provident State Bank, spoke to current state of liquidity and capital markets, and noted how PSB has been and will continue to be flexible and responsive to its customers’ needs.

We were also fortunate to have Houston Mason, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University in the Master’s of Supply Chain Management Program speak to tightening of labor in the supply chain. Merry Mears, a commercial real estate advisor and economic development consultant, shared her thoughts on the current commercial real estate market in Caroline County and surrounding areas.

The symposium was part of a project through the Mid Shore Regional Council, made possible by a grant from the US Economic Development Administration. The project was the development of an online set of dashboards that provide economic data that support economic resiliency following a disaster. The project began in 2020 and was a partnership of multiple counties’ economic development offices and other agencies. I’m proud that a few members of the project team presented information on the project; their presentation can also be found here.

Plans are underway already for 2023 symposium. For updates on any future event, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

Federal Reserve Roundtable with Mr. Tom Barkin

June 8th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

The Rural Maryland Council held a virtual roundtable discussion with Mr. Tom Barkin, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, on Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Highlights of the discussion included an update on the state’s current rural economic outlook and on the issues that rural communities face.

The insightful roundtable discussion was recorded and can be viewed in the video.

 

About Tom Barkin
Tom Barkin is the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, a position he has held since 2018. Tom serves on the Fed’s chief monetary policy body, the Federal Open Market Committee, and is also responsible for bank supervision and the Federal Reserve’s technology organization. He is “on the ground” continually in the Fed’s Fifth District, which covers South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, D.C., West Virginia and Maryland. His engagement in the region has brought real attention to areas facing economic challenges.

About the Rural Maryland Council
The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) brings together citizens, community-based organizations, federal, state, county and municipal government officials as well as representatives of the for-profit and nonprofit sectors to collectively address the needs of Rural Maryland communities. We provide a venue for members of agriculture and natural resource-based industries, health care facilities, educational institutions, economic and community development organizations, for-profit and nonprofit corporations, and government agencies to cross traditional boundaries, share information, and address in a more holistic way the special needs and opportunities in Rural Maryland.

June Director’s Note: 2022 Caroline Economic Symposium

May 28th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

Debbie Bowden, Director

Caroline County Economic Development is hosting an Economic Symposium on June 2, 2022, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in Denton. The keynote speaker is economist Anirban Basu, Sage Policy Group, who will present on the state of the economy at a global, national, and local level. We will have panelists discussing the state of banking and commercial real estate, broadband and supply chain. There is no charge for the Symposium, but registration is required.

I have written about how businesses in Caroline County rallied together to support each other during the closures and other mandates in the pandemic. Right on the heels of the pandemic response, as we were “opening up” again, pressures started from the supply chain and the shifting labor market. Those pressures continued into late 2021 and early 2022 and were compounded by inflation (as of the writing of this column, national inflation is reported at 8.5% March 2022 year over year).

This Symposium is a chance for you to get information and insight into how industries are coping with the pressure of supply chain, labor market, and inflation. It will also be an opportunity to network with business leaders from the mid-shore region.

We are hosting the Symposium with the support of great partners: Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism, Dorchester County Economic Development, the Mid Shore Regional Council, the Tri-County Council of the Lower Eastern Shore, the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance, and the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative. This group banded together at the start of the pandemic in 2020 to work to bring information and data on the impact of the closures and workforce issues from COVID-19. During the Symposium, there will be a demonstration of the toolkits that have been developed from this project.I hope you can join on June 2, 2022. For more information and to register, visit carolinebusiness.com/economicsymposium. For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com.

Prime Commercial Property in Denton: 602 N. 6th Street

May 12th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

Are you looking for a commercial property with easy access to Maryland Route 404? Don’t miss 602 N. 6th Street, a prime 1.90-acre commercial property with eased access off N. Sixth Street in the Town of Denton. There is 180′ of frontage on N. Sixth Street with excellent access to Route 404 towards Annapolis or the Maryland and Delaware beaches.

The prime property is located within the city limits of Denton and is zoned Regional Highway Commercial. It is also in a federally-designated Opportunity Zone. The Opportunity Zone program provides federal tax incentives in specific areas to help stimulate economic growth in our communities.

The current annual income is $13,200 with annual taxes of $7,680. The seller and tenant require a 48 hour notification before showing the rental, and the listing agent or the Seller must be present during showing. The buyer’s agent must attend all showings and inspections to receive the 5% Buy-Side Commission at settlement.

602 N. 6th Street is listed for $395,000. For more information on this property, please contact Bob Rich, Realtor at 410-200-6625 or brich@bensonandmangold.com.

If you are interested in starting a business, growing your business, or moving your business to Caroline County, MD, we are here to help! Contact us at info@carolinebusiness.com or 410-479-4188.

May Director’s Note: Investing in our Future

May 1st, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

Back in 2018, Alan Stein of Tanglewood Conservatories in Denton asked how many high school graduates do not go to college or the military. From that question was borne an initiative to bring graduating students together with employers who have job openings. The first hiring event was in 2019, and the second was held last month.

The participating businesses represented a cross-section of employers in the county – banking, manufacturing, health care, logistics, and was geographically dispersed. Students from Colonel and North Caroline were guided on how to prepare a resume, introduce themselves, and be ready to complete applications on the spot.

The day was a success. Every student engaged with every business. At one point, as students were completing applications online or on paper, one could hear a pin drop. As of this writing, it is too early to know whether any job candidate was successfully hired, but the students were able to learn about job opportunities here in Caroline County.

Thanks to the participating businesses: Choptank Transport, M & M Carnot, Shore United Bank, Sisk Fulfillment, Caroline County government, Unisite Design, Tri-Gas & Oil & Comfort Services, Arcadia of Denton, Dart Container, Caroline County Public Schools, Crystal Steel, and Shoreline Vinyl.

For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

Prime Development Opportunity at Rt 404 & Fleetwood Road

April 26th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate is excited to present 325 Fleetwood Road, a prime development opportunity located along Rt 404 & Fleetwood Road in Denton, Maryland. Join national tenants Best Western, McDonalds, and 7-Eleven on this main corridor to the Delaware beaches, boasting annual average daily traffic counts of 20,000+. 

A total of 16.22 acres are available for ground lease with flexible lot sizes ready to be parceled out for occupancy. 

Two lots available for commercial development

This commercial property is presented by Meredith M. Mears and John Foster, SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate. For more information, please contact Meredith Mears at 410-543-2440 or meredith.mears@svn.com, or John Foster at 443-390-2600 x 106 or john.foster@svn.com

If you are interested in starting a business, growing your business, or moving your business to Caroline County, MD, we are here to help! Contact us at info@carolinebusiness.com or 410-479-4188.

 

 

April Director’s Note: Invest in Caroline County

April 18th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

Invest in Caroline County…

Part of our mission at Economic Development is to highlight commercial and industrial properties that are available for sale or lease. We have a page dedicated on our website, and we upload properties to the Maryland Department of Commerce’s site selection web page.

In this every changing real estate world, it is tricky to list every available property. We started highlighting larger properties through our blog and newsletter to help get the word out. This activity is not in any way to supplant commercial realtors’ or sellers’ marketing effort. Our intent is to inform those businesses that want to expand in or move into the County of the types of properties that are available.

The goal is to fill in vacant and empty spaces to bring capital investment and jobs to the County. Empty or underused spaces are not productive. It is important to best utilize space that is ready for a new tenant or owner-occupied business. Despite the attention virtual business has gotten over the last couple of years, many of the businesses that support the County’s economy need a physical location to be productive.

Help us get the word out about the available space in Caroline County. If you have a supplier or customer that is looking for a great place to do business, please have them reach out to me.

For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

CDC Launches Quarantine and Isolation Calculator

March 26th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|

The CDC has launched a new Quarantine and Isolation Calculator, a tool to help determine how long someone needs to isolate, quarantine, or take other steps to prevent spreading COVID-19.

Quarantine and isolation guidance has been updated several times as we’ve learned more about the COVID-19 virus and different strains have become predominant. It can be hard to keep up and confusing to figure out how long an employee needs to quarantine or isolate if they test positive or have close contact with someone with the disease. This calculator can help employers and HR departments provide accurate information to their employees about proper quarantine and isolation protocols.

The calculator asks questions about symptoms, vaccination status, and the date of exposure. It takes less than a minute and provides personalized guidance based on a person’s specific situation. You can find this useful tool here, or visit www.carolinecovid19.org, where the calculator is included in the Quick Links.

Caroline County Economic Development is a department within Caroline County government. Our mission is to help businesses thrive in the community. You can reach us at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com.

March Director’s Note: Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Survey

March 1st, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|Tags: , , , , , |

Debbie Bowden, Director

This month, I want to share an article from Salisbury University on a Business Sentiment Survey results. I hope you find the information interesting.

Eastern Shore business owners and managers are optimistic about the economic outlook over the next 12 months, though their enthusiasm has waned over the past six months.

These trends are among the findings of the Eastern Shore Business Sentiment Survey conducted through a partnership with Salisbury University’s Business Economic and Community Outreach Network (BEACON), SU’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC), and many of the region’s economic and workforce development professionals.

“A business sentiment survey is an effective way to gauge the health of the Eastern Shore economy,” said John Hickman, BEACON director. “When business leaders are optimistic, the economy is likely performing well. If survey respondents are more pessimistic in their views, storm clouds could be gathering on the economic horizon.”

BEACON and its partners released the first survey in June 2021 and conducted a follow-up in December 2021.

The survey included more than 50 questions, asking business leaders to weigh in on a range of topics, from general business concerns to conditions in their own industries. Respondents evaluated business conditions locally, regionally, in the state and nationwide for the coming year. They also shared views related to their specific industries and on issues from labor supply to regulations.

 Results include:

  • Respondents in December were optimistic about business conditions over the next 12 months, with 45% predicting better or much better conditions locally and on the Eastern Shore, and 42% expecting better conditions in Maryland and nationally. Only 19% predicted worse or much worse conditions locally, though 29% saw conditions worsening statewide and nationally.
  • Reflecting on their individual industry sectors, respondents shared that conditions improved in the past 12 months. However, they were cautious about conditions in the next three-month period, with increasing optimism for the next 12-month period.
  • Respondents indicated that COVID-19 had caused new problems for businesses and has exacerbated existing problems, particularly related to workforce, a response that reflects national trends.
  • Concerns about inflation have grown in the past six months, overtaking supply chain issues. Labor force issues remain atop the list of barriers to both starting and expanding a business.

Businesses remain supportive of the range of tools that economic development offices have deployed, ranging from long-term economic resiliency plans to workforce development programs, with 85-95% of respondents supporting the continuation of the programs after COVID-19.

“The most interesting outcome of the December survey is how quickly things change in business,” said Debbie Bowden, Caroline County economic development director. “The responses confirm what I am hearing about the impact of inflationary pressures on current and future business conditions. This just shows that we have to be agile with our support for our county businesses.”

Counties on the Eastern Shore will continue to conduct the survey every six months, with the data used to identify challenges facing the region, to assist in long-term planning and to guide the development of public policy.

Partners in the project include ESRGC, BEACON, the Mid Shore Regional Council, the Tri County Council of the Lower Eastern Shore, the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance, the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board, and the Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot County economic development offices.

To access Eastern Shore Economic Recovery Project data, visit recovery.delmarvaindex.org.

February Director’s Note: Economic Resiliency

February 3rd, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|Tags: , |

Resiliency – it’s a word that has become more prevalent in today’s conversations. I first heard it back in my transportation days related to “freight resiliency” – how to make sure goods are delivered if there was a disruption in the transportation systems. Resiliency is used when talking about ecosystem and environment in making sure our structures and places are around for the future generations. And recently, “economic resiliency” gets a lot of play in business circles.

Debbie Bowden, Director

There are official definitions of resiliency depending on your discipline, but the basic meaning is “coming back” from an emergency, a natural disaster, a disruption, or a pandemic.

During the COVID response in 2020, we were concerned about the impact on the economy and whether Caroline businesses would be able to “come back.” In the nearly two years since then, it seems that the business community is resilient and has recovered from the hardships that the pandemic response has on the economy. But there are new issues threatening the economy – COVID surge, workforce, and macro-economic concerns.

Will Caroline businesses be able to continue to be resilient and get through the tough times in first quarter of 2022? The COVID surge is anticipated to slow, which should help alleviate some of the workforce issues, but there will still be an over demand of jobs versus an under supply of workers. Supply chain and inflation will still have an impact on business, but businesses will work through those issues to stay open and make a profit. Yes, I think economic resiliency will help protect the county’s economy in the near term. What happens after that, and what other pressures are going to impact businesses remains to be seen.

For updates on any future business support, please visit carolinebusiness.com, sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development is an office within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

Business Alert: Annual Reports, Personal Property Tax Returns & Extension Requests Available

January 28th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|Tags: , , , , |

The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) announced the availability of 2022 annual reportspersonal property tax returns, and extension requests for businesses registered in Maryland.

All domestic and foreign business entities must file an annual report or request an extension by April 15, 2022 to maintain their “good standing” status. SDAT reminds customers that the quickest and easiest way to submit these filings is through the Maryland Business Express site.

Caroline County Economic Development is a department within Caroline County government. Our mission is to help businesses thrive in the community. If you need assistance starting a business, growing your business, or moving your business to Caroline County, MD, we are here to help! Contact us at info@carolinebusiness.com or 410-479-4188.

 

At-Home COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests: Administering, Reporting & Next Steps

January 27th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

Rapid antigen tests are a safe, easy and fast way to screen for potential COVID-19 cases at home or in the workplace. At-home tests are a convenient alternative for anyone who is unable to access a PCR test right away. For business owners, they can help you stay open, be protected, and succeed during the current Omicron surge.

The Caroline County Health Department has developed a guide to administering, reporting, and the next steps for COVID-19 rapid antigen tests. It includes information on how the test should be taken, who should test, and what steps you should take next based on your results. You can download the guide here to post in your place of business or distribute to your employees.

For more resources on COVID-19, please visit CarolineCOVID19.org. Thank you for helping to protect the workers and residents of Caroline County.

COVID-19 Webinars for Caroline County Employers

January 20th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

Caroline County Economic Development has teamed up with the Caroline County Health Department and Choptank Community Health to offer weekly webinars on COVID-19 to Caroline County employers.  These webinars are intended to help you stay open, be protected, and succeed during the current Omicron surge, and are offered Thursday mornings at 8:30am on Zoom.

Topics that will be covered include local COVID-19 positivity rate, current federal and state requirements and guidelines for businesses, suggested upscale mitigation efforts to improve your current COVID-19 control plan, and a Q&A for employers to ask questions. 

Registration is required to attend these free webinars. To register, please complete this form. A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants. 

The first webinar took place on January 20th. The following resources were provided to attendees.

  • OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has a webpage on Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace. Find the guidelines here. 
  • The CDC’s COVID-19 Data Tracker for Caroline County can be accessed here.
  • The CDC’s Guide to Masks can be found here.
  • Caroline County-specific information on COVID-19 is available at CarolineCOVID19.org.
  • Choptank Community Health has partnered with the Avalon Foundation to connect the community with valuable, local answers about COVID-19. In their most recent episode, Megan Wojtko, CRNP, the Chief Clinical Officer for Choptank Community Health, talks about home testing and reporting results. You can submit questions to be considered in upcoming episodes by emailing info@choptankhealth.org. Additional COVID Answers videos can be found here.
  • You can place an order for FREE at-home COVID-19 tests at CovidTests.gov.
  • Additional information on COVID-19 in Maryland can be found at Coronavirus.Maryland.gov.

The next webinar will be held on Thursday, January 27th at 8:30am. Register online here. Thank you for being part of the work to help protect our workers and residents of Caroline County.

 

Driven By Family: H&M Bay Featured in Coastal Style Magazine

January 17th, 2022|Categories: Blog, Featured Home|

H&M Bay celebrates 40 years as an award-winning logistics provider where families grow careers together.

For nearly four decades, H&M Bay, Inc. has built a reputation as the country’s premier logistics provider and storage company for less than truckload (LTL) frozen and refrigerated goods. Every week, the expert dispatchers at this Federalsburg-based company move 20 million pounds of freight. Founded in 1982 by Walter Messick Jr. and Lawrence Hayman, H&M Bay now has more than 230 full-time team members and 600+ part-time employees, with 10 operational divisions across the country.

Coastal Style Magazine recently featured this industry-leading company as they prepare to celebrate their 40th year. Read the story here. 

7-Parcel Commercial Property with Highway Frontage in Denton

January 12th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

602 6th Street, Denton: A 7-Parcel Highway Commercial Property

Are you looking for a commercial property in Denton with great highway visibility to MD Route 404? Benson & Mangold is excited to present 602 6th Street, a 7.127+/- acre commercial property featuring 7 parcels in Denton. Two of the parcels have a residential zoning component – the possibilities are endless! 

This commercial property is located within the city limits of Denton and is also in a federally-designated Opportunity Zone. The Opportunity Zone program provides federal tax incentives in specific areas to help stimulate economic growth in our communities. 

Map of 602 6th Street Commercial Property

The property features great visibility and high traffic counts with exit access off to Route 404, including +- 665′  of road frontage on the highway. 

The annual taxes for all seven parcels is $27,500, and all seven parcels are being sold together. The seller – Sixth Street Holdings LLC – requires all contracts of sale to be in writing, and they are not interested in seller financing. 

This property is listed for $1,100,000.00. For more information, please contact Benson & Mangold Realtors Bob Rich at (410) 200-6625 or Randy Staats at (410) 924-7207.

If you are interested in starting a business, growing your business, or moving your business to Caroline County, MD, we are here to help! Contact us at info@carolinebusiness.com or 410-479-4188.

Regional Health Officials Request Public’s Help to Reduce Strain on System

January 12th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

Regional county officials, including the emergency medical services (EMS) departments of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot counties, and the chief medical officers of University of Maryland Shore Regional Health and Choptank Community Health, are requesting action by local residents to help alleviate the unprecedented strain that the current COVID-19 surge is placing on the area’s EMS personnel, frontline responders and hospitals.

In just the past two weeks, more than 5,500 confirmed COVID-19 infections have been reported in the five-county region – far exceeding the numbers seen over the two-year lifespan of this pandemic.

“This surge is predicted to last an additional 45 to 60 days and threatens to overwhelm our frontline health care providers and our health care system as a whole,” said William Huffner, MD, Chief Medical Officer for UM Shore Regional Health. “Increased numbers of hospitalizations and a shortage of available staffed beds have put tremendous strain on our hospitals and also on our emergency departments as patients needing to be admitted into our hospitals stay in the ED until a bed can be found.”

According to Dr. Huffner, approximately 74% of hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated, and fewer than 5% have received a COVID-19 booster shot.

Officials also noted that the public should keep in mind that patients arriving for emergency care are triaged – meaning prioritized – for care based on their degree of illness or injury, whether they come on their own or by ambulance. “When bed shortages are severe, ambulances may be required to take patients to other facilities,” said Brian LeCates, Director of Talbot County Emergency Medical Services. “This can take EMS units out of local communities for hours at a time, making them less available for appropriate 9-1-1 calls such as for heart attack, stroke and traffic accidents. We want to be sure that ambulance transport is available for urgent cases.”

“Our EMS system, hospitals and health care personnel are responding to these extraordinary circumstances and continue to meet the needs of our patients,” says Dr. Ted Delbridge, Executive Director of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, which coordinates the state’s EMS system. “EMS Clinicians are available when you truly need them, but please make sure there is a true emergency before calling 9-1-1 or going to the ED.”

“We need help from the community to best utilize our limited healthcare resources. Look for alternative testing opportunities, treat your mild symptoms at home, and do what you can to slow the spread.” says Megan Woytko, CRNP, Chief Clinical Officer of Choptank Health. “The more we can provide primary care services, the more we can keep patients out of the ED and better support our hospitals.”

Regional health experts are pleading for the community to help in this fight by doing the following:

  • Do not go to an ED just to obtain a COVID-19 test. Instead, go to an approved COVID-19 testing site (https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/symptoms-testing) or use a home test kit.
  • Limit 9-1-1 EMS calls to true emergencies
  • Contact your primary care provider or go to an Urgent Care center for illness that does not require emergency care
  • Get vaccinated and/or receive the COVID-19 booster, and encourage others to do the same
  • Wearing a well fitting mask when in public. If you are concerned, or have high risk medical problems, wear a KN95 or N95 mask
  • Practice social distancing and wash hand frequently
  • Limit exposure to others, especially if there has been close contact with someone known to have COVID-19 or there are COVID-19 symptoms.

By following these guidelines, Eastern Shore residents can help decrease COVID-19 transmission and, in so doing, decrease the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths. For more information about COVID-19 and related resources, visit or https://covidlink.maryland.gov/content/.

January 2021 Director’s Note

January 5th, 2022|Categories: Blog, News|Tags: , , , , |

Last issue, I talked about the importance of partnerships. At the time, I didn’t realize just how important partnerships are. Allow me to share a story.

I have the pleasure of participating with the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education through the Caroline County Public Schools. Essentially this program helps certain students learn what it takes to prepare for college and career, and some of those students could be eligible for higher education grants. I work with the CCPS coordinate, Morgan Cox.

One component of the program is to take students on tours of employers in Caroline County. Morgan had set up a day in Denton with three employers, and one of them had to cancel. Four days before the tour. Morgan reached out to me, and in two days, my office was hosting almost 40 kids to talk about small business, entrepreneurship, and working in the County. The team – Kendall Teague, Chris Dorr, and Zach Blough – all stepped up and did presentations off the top of their heads to give the kids insight into what it takes to run your own business.

It was a success. Morgan reported that a third of the students said our stop was the most interesting. More importantly, and it is something we may never know, we gave information to a student that could help them take a path to success that they would not have otherwise known.

I thank Morgan for thinking of us. I thank Kendall and Chris for pitching in to make the day successful. And I thank Zach for coming in completely last minute to share his views on how to be a successful business owner.

By the way – if you want to learn more about helping Morgan and the Business Roundtable, reach out to her at 410-788-0333 or morgan@mbrt.org.

For updates on any future business support, please sign up for our newsletter and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

Caroline County Economic Development is a department within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com.

Commercial Real Estate Opportunity in the Federalsburg Industrial Park

December 4th, 2021|Categories: Blog, News|Tags: , , , , |

Two commercial manufacturing/warehouse properties are now available for purchase in the Federalsburg Industrial Park, located just one mile from downtown Federalsburg on MD Route 313. The available properties – 1500 Industrial Park Drive and 1700 Industrial Park Drive – are presented by the Henry Hanna Team at  SVN: Miller Commercial Real Estate, leaders in commercial real estate for Maryland’s Eastern Shore on the Delmarva peninsula. 

About the Federalsburg Industrial Park

The Federalsburg Industrial Park is equipped with electricity, water, sewer, broadband access and offers paved roads and fire and police protection. The Maryland & Delaware Railroad line borders the park, which is strategically located near major ports – just 80 miles from Baltimore, 125 miles from Philadelphia, 170 miles from Norfolk and 207 miles from New York 207.

1500 Industrial Park Drive, Federalsburg, MD 21632

Listed for $1,465,000
This property is a 29,000 sq.ft. manufacturing facility situated on 5-acres in a federally-designated Opportunity Zone. The warehouse is fully heated and cooled and has compressed air lines and electrical rails. The property features two 10′ docks and one 10′ drive-in door and offers small private offices, a tool room, multi stall restrooms and is fully sprinklered. There is 3 phase electric and column spacing of approximately 20′. The warehouse is heated by zoned oil heat (inspected and certified in May of 2021), with a ceiling height of 14′ (12′ to rafters). The roof was recoated in August of 2020 and offers a 5 year warranty. There are two exterior maintenance sheds. 

The property also features a 3,000 sq.ft. front office space offering private offices, a kitchen, a meeting room, and an owner’s office with full restroom. There is a separate HVAC for the office.

The 5-acre site offers plenty of room for expansion. This property is currently under lease through August 2023, offering $103,125 in net yearly income.

Find more information on 1500 Industrial Park Drive here.

 

1700 Industrial Park Drive, Federalsburg, MD 21632

Listed for $2,988,780
Also located in an Opportunity Zone, this 49,813 sq.ft. manufacturing facility sits on 5.586 acres and offers five docks (8 x 8) and one drive-in door (8 x 8). There is 3 phase electric capacity – 480 steps down to 280. This manufacturing facility is heated with propane hanging heaters and has a 6″ water line. There are electrical drops and compressed air lines throughout the production/manufacturing area, and column spacing of 50′ across and 20′ depth.

The property also features 2,000 sq.ft. of 2nd floor office space overlooking the production area with new a/c, new heat pump, new duct work, a conference room, executive offices, private offices and restrooms.

There are approximately 40 parking spaces, plus 15 trailer spaces. This 5+ acre site offers room for expansion. The property is under lease until April 2023 with $192,000 annual income.

Find out more information on 1700 Industrial Park Drive here.

If you are interested in starting a business, growing your business, or moving your business to Caroline County, MD, we are here to help! Contact us at info@carolinebusiness.com or 410-479-4188.

December Director’s Note: Partnerships Make Caroline County Merry & Bright

November 14th, 2021|Categories: Blog, News|Tags: , , , |

Partnerships are key to any successful organization. I’m happy to have a great partnership with the Office of Tourism and its Executive Director Tara Coursey. The connection between economic development and tourism can be complicated, but it boils down to two things – supporting the businesses that cater to visitors and letting outside decision makers know about Caroline County’s quality of life.

Visitors to Caroline County provide economic activity that supports shops and farms and restaurants and outdoor spaces. Through Tara’s leadership, there has been greater exposure to people inside and outside of the County that drive in for the day, enjoy what we have to offer, spend their money, and then continue their travels or go back home. During the fall, great festivals and events helped to support start-ups and established businesses, and that economic churn is expected to keep happening for the holiday season.

Tara and her team are promoting the great Christmas-themed events happening in our Towns, and the specialized shopping that many of the nonprofit organizations and businesses provide. Tara points out that the State, County, and local parks are gathering spots for folks who live here and those that travel here (I applaud those hardy folks who take to the river and the trails on the cold winter days). In typical Caroline County style, visitors feel welcome wherever they travel to in the County and with whoever they meet along the way.

If you and your family are looking for a memory-making event, or if you have folks in from out of town that need to have something to do, check out visitcaroline.org. And if you are a business that caters to visitors, please reach out to me so that we learn about your operation.

I wish everyone a joyous holiday and a great start to 2022! Thank you for all that you do for Caroline County.

For updates on any future business support,  sign up for our newsletter, and follow Caroline County Economic Development on Facebook.

 

Caroline County Economic Development is a department within Caroline County government. Its mission is to help businesses thrive in the community. Debbie can be reached at 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

 

Tanglewood Conservatories Partners with Walt Disney Imagineering

November 4th, 2021|Categories: Blog, News|

Headquartered in the Denton Industrial Park in Caroline County, Maryland, Tanglewood Conservatories is designing and building custom conservatories, greenhouses and pool enclosures worldwide.  It came as no surprise when we heard their exquisitely crafted designs caught the eye of Disney’s Imagineering team and were selected to be a partner in designing their newest attraction.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure – located at the French Pavilion in EPCOT – is where you will find Tanglewood’s latest commercial installation of steel and glass canopies! Read more about this exciting venture here. 

 

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure by Tanglewood Conservatories

 

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure by Tanglewood Conservatories

From walking the fanciful streets of Paris to scurrying along with Remy and friends through Gusteau’s famous restaurant, the Imagineering team carefully crafted every detail to bring guests into Remy’s idyllic Paris! 

 

Caroline County Observes Economic Development Week

October 25th, 2021|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|Tags: , , , |

Pictured is Economic Development Director Debbie Bowden with the Caroline County Commissioners.

The Caroline County Commissioners proclaim the week of October 25 through 29, 2021 Economic Development week. In doing so, they acknowledged and recognized the hard-working men and women who have the businesses that built the foundation of the county’s economy.

Caroline County Economic Development is a department within Caroline County government and serves to foster a diversified local economy that leads to business retention and attraction, job creation and workforce development, and a strong quality of life for the citizens of Caroline County.

“We support businesses so that they can thrive and create jobs,” says Director Debbie Bowden. “We recognize that starting and running a business is not easy. It takes courage to put one’s money and time into a venture that has a risk of failure. The leadership in Caroline County government acknowledged the dedication to improving oneself and community is evident in the small businesses in the county.”

Economic Development week is a chance to highlight the works of the department and its partners. Ms. Bowden and her team offer assistance to the largest private employer to the new startup family owned company. Those partnerships for workforce, commerce, academics, and recreation all reflect the dynamic community that works towards the betterment of businesses, workers, and the County.

“You Belong Here” is the brand for Caroline County. It conveys a sense of community for a resident, a business owner, and a worker. Active with economic development, Caroline County reflects a history rich with agricultural production and connected businesses. The future of the county, from a business perspective, looks positive. The folks of Caroline County will keep doing what they always do – work hard, value community, and support each other. It in is that spirit that the Commissioners proclaim October 25 through October 29, 2021 Economic Development Week

Crystal Steel Announces $72 Million Contract

October 15th, 2021|Categories: Blog|

Crystal Steel will supply $72 million in steel components for offshore wind off Maryland’s and New Jersey’s coasts. The Federalsburg steel fabrication company made the announcements on Thursday, October 14, 2021, as it hosted Governor Larry Hogan at its Caroline County facility.

The agreement with Ørsted, a Danish offshore wind energy provider, established Crystal Steel as the first offshore wind steel fabrication center in Maryland. The company expects to add 50 positions to its current roster of 90 employees.

Governor Hogan toured the facility, along with Senator Addie Eckardt, Delegate Johnny Mautz, and Caroline County Commissioner Larry Porter, Federalsburg Mayor Kim Abner, and Council members Debi Sewell, Dave Morean, and Ed Windsor. This is the second trip that Governor Hogan made to Crystal Steel. He visited the plant in 2018 to celebrate the Federalsburg location opening, and he noted that growth for the company was anticipated at that time.

Crystal Steel will begin the work on its Ørsted contract this month. It is anticipated to be a long-term project.

ONLINE/TELEWORK ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

October 6th, 2021|Categories: Blog|

CAROLINE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

ONLINE/TELEWORK ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

 

ONLINE/TELEWORK ASSISTANCE PROGRAM APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE HERE: https://carolinemd.seamlessdocs.com/f/telework2

 

Eligibility:

  • Grant assistance is available for businesses that established online sales or started teleworking opportunities.
  • Have no more than 20 employees.
  • Eligible uses of funds include: Expenses incurred to establish or expand online sales and/or telework during COVID19 (between March 9, 2020 and September 30, 2021).
  • Previous recipients of Caroline County COVID19 Small Business Emergency Relief Grants are not eligible to receive Online/Telework Assistance Program grants.
  • Must be physically located in Caroline County
  • Established by March 9, 2020
  • For expenses incurred on or after March 9, 2020, that have not been reimbursed by Federal, State, or County grant funds.
  • Formerly organized
  • In good standing with Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation
  • In good standing with County taxes
  • Not a major Codes violator
  • As part of the application process, the applicant’s information will be used to establish the applicant as a vendor in the County’s Vendor Registration System (CVRS) as a condition of receiving grant funds.
  • The applicant must not use any of the grant funds for any expenses that are reimbursed by the Federal or State government, losses that are reimbursed by a covered insurance policy, or to reimburse wages to an employee for any time where that employee was eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.

 

What the grant funds will cover:

  • Expenses incurred to establish or expand online sales and/or telework during COVID-19 that have not been reimbursed by Federal, State, or County grant funds.
  • New technology or upgrades (Hardware and Software) for online sales or telework
  • Expansion to an e-commerce platform
  • Website Development
  • IT expenses
  • Telecommunication devices, cameras, microphones, monitors
  • Infrastructure improvements related specifically to online sales or teleworking

 

What is needed to Apply:

  • Completed application (available October 11, 2021 on CarolineBusiness.com )
  • W-9 (Form found at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf )
  • Documentation of expenses is required for reimbursement. Note that statements (e.g. credit card bills, vendor statements) are not sufficient documentation; please provide invoices or receipts.
  • The applicant must provide short narrative statement describing the reason for establishing or updating online sales or telework capability during COVID-19.

 

Contact & Questions:

Caroline County Department of Economic Development

info@CarolineBusiness.com

410.479.4188

 

 

 

Caroline County Economic Development | www.CarolineBusiness.com | 410.479.4188

 

 

Caroline County celebrates Small Business Week

September 15th, 2021|Categories: Blog|Tags: , |

The heart of a community’s economy is the small businesses. The owners, employees, patrons, and customers are connected through more than a financial transaction, and in Caroline County, that fact is particularly true. Almost all businesses in the county are technically defined as “small,” by revenue or employment size. But no matter what product or service a Caroline county business provides, it is part of a community.

This week, Caroline County Commissioners acknowledge and recognize the hard-working men and women who have the businesses that built the foundation of the county’s economy. We celebrate their accomplishments, whether it is a business that was started 55 years ago by a young man fresh out of the service or a new business startup by a woman who is embarking on a second career. We celebrate the hairstylists and restaurant owners, the landscapers and accountants, the nurse practitioners, and the convenience store operators.

Starting and running a business is not easy. It takes courage to put one’s money and time into a venture that has a risk of failure. The leadership in Caroline County government acknowledge the dedication to improving oneself and community is evident in the small businesses in the county.

Erick Arslan of Pizza Empire in Denton Receives a Small Business Grant

August 30th, 2020|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |

Erick Arslan of Pizza Empire in Denton and Henderson receives a Small Business Grant from Debbie Bowden, Director of Economic Development.

All businesses are required to us PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in the State of Maryland and this brings new challenges to small and large businesses in Caroline County. Business leaders have mostly acquired PPE through online retailers such as Amazon, Staples, Grainger and Office Depot.

Caroline County Economic Development would like to encourage businesses to buy local or to search the Maryland Manufacturers website to procure the necessary PPE for their business. As with any disinfectant, CCED is encouraging local businesses to follow the CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting the workplace, this information can be found here.

In Caroline County we are looking toward a brighter future in 2021 for our businesses, citizens, employees and customers.

Please contact Debbie Bowden, Director of Caroline County Economic Development for more information.

COVID-19 (Corona Virus) Closures & Operational Interruptions

March 13th, 2020|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |

Closure & Operational Interruptions Due to COVID-19 (Corona Virus) UPDATED March 16, 2020

  • Governor Larry Hogan has closed all: restaurants, bars, gyms & movie theaters (Effective 5 PM)
  • All carry out, delivery, and drive through options are open.
  • All pharmacies, gas stations, banks, and grocery stores are to remain open.
  • The State of Maryland is under a State of Emergency, and by order of the Governor during this time:- All utilities such as phone, cable, internet, and electric may not be turned off and late fees will be waived. Evictions are prohibited.
    – All gatherings of 50 people or more are banned and will be enforced by local and state law enforcement until further notice.
    – We have been notified of a post stating that there is a curfew for the State of Maryland. That is false information.
  • County government operations will continue as normal as we develop an appropriate plan of action based on recent state guidance.
  • The Maryland State Department of Education has issued an order that all schools be closed from Monday, March 16, through Friday, March 27.  All school-related travel, including field trips, are canceled effective immediately until further notice.
  • All Caroline County Public Libraries will also be closed from March 16 through March 27.  The Denton Branch ONLY will be open Friday 3/13 from 10am to 6pmand Saturday 3/14 from 10am to 3pm.
  • All Caroline County Senior Centers are closed until further notice. Upper Shore Aging will continue delivering Meals on Wheels to home-bound participants and will stay in contact with congregate meal participants.
  • Governor Hogan has issued an Executive Order prohibiting all social, community, religious, recreational, or sporting events or gatherings of more than 250 people until further notice.
  • In addition, based on advice from the Director of Emergency Services and County Health Officer, Caroline County government is cancelling all events like those outlined above, regardless of size. This policy will remain in place until the State of Emergency is lifted. Nonprofits, community groups, and other organizations are strongly urged to do the same.

Download The New/Updated Federalsburg Enterprise Zone Guide

July 11th, 2019|Categories: Blog|Tags: , |

Download the latest edition of the Federalsburg Enterprise Zone Guide.

The Enterprise Zone program provides real property and state income tax credits for businesses located in the Federalsburg Enterprise Zone in return for job creation and real investments.

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The Vantage: March 2019 Newsletter

March 5th, 2019|Categories: Blog|

Chesapeake College Skilled Trades Tour

Thursday, March 21, 2019
Tours: 6:30 p.m. and 6:50 p.m.
Networking: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Learn more about Chesapeake College’s growing skilled trades programs including Core Training for Skilled Trades, Welding, HVAC, Electrician, Commercial Driver’s License and Marine Service Technician.  Network with manufacturers from the region to build relationships, share resources and ideas, and meet workforce, training, economic development, local and state agency resource partners.

Free to attend!  Click Here To Register

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The Vantage: January 2019 Newsletter

January 5th, 2019|Categories: Blog|

Property and Income Tax Relief in County Enterprise Zones 

The Enterprise Zone program provides real property and state income tax credits for businesses that make property improvements and/or create jobs. The Zone covered most commercial parcels in Ridgely, Greensboro, Goldsboro, and Federalsburg. The program is administered by Caroline County Economic Development in partnership with the Maryland Department of Commerce, State Department of Taxation and Assessment, and the Comptroller of Maryland.

REAL PROPERTY TAX CREDITS

  • Based on increase in assessed value due to improvements to the property
  • Applies to Town and County real property taxes
  • The property must be located on designated parcels in Ridgely, Greensboro, Goldsboro, or Federalsburg.

Timing is extremely important for the Enterprise Zone certification application.
The business entity that wants to take advantage of the real property tax credits must be certified by Caroline County Economic Development before making any changes to the property that would increase the assessed value because such changes could impact the “baseline” assessed value. The purpose of the certification is to determine whether a business, property, or developer is eligible for Maryland Enterprise Zone tax credits.  If determined to be eligible, you will receive a certification letter from the Caroline County Economic Development. Certifications are being accepted for the next eligible property tax year (beginning July 1, 2020) through December 31, 2019. (The certification deadline for tax year 2019 closed on December 31, 2018.)

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The Maryland Microenterprise Loan Program

November 30th, 2018|Categories: Blog|

The Maryland Microenterprise Loan Program is designed to provide entrepreneurs with flexible financing for microenterprise start-ups and expansions. Microenterprise Loans originate and are administered by Intermediary Microloan Partners Maryland Capital Enterprises, Inc., Salisbury, MD, 410-546-1900, www.marylandcapital.org, and Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, Easton, MD 21601, 410-770-9330, info@ventureahead.org

Business must be located in a town (specifically a Sustainable Community or Priority Funding Area).

ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES: Retail, manufacturing, goods and services related businesses. Small business cannot exceed $500,000 in annual revenue. Not more than 5 employees at time of application

ELIGIBLE USES OF FUNDS: Working capital, marketing/planning/feasibility studies, real estate acquisition down payment, minor renovations, minor leasehold improvements, machinery and equipment

INELIGIBLE USES OF FUNDS: No residential or transient living businesses, multifamily or single-family housing developments, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, crisis care centers, group homes, transitional housing, and homeless shelters. No facilities such as community halls, fire stations, hospitals, colleges, or universities. No adult bookstores, adult video shops, other adult entertainment facilities, gambling facilities, gun shops, liquor stores, massage parlors, pawn shops, tanning salons, or tattoo parlors. No home-based businesses.

MICROLOAN TERMS: Microenterprise Loan Program portion of loan cannot exceed $50,000. Additional funds may be added to project by Intermediary. Rates up to 12%. Loan term cannot exceed 5 years. Collateral is required and may include, but is not limited to personal guarantees, liens on business assets and pledges of accounts. No prepayment penalties.

Choptank Transport recognized for excellence in recruiting by Workforce magazine

November 29th, 2018|Categories: Blog|

Preston, MD. Choptank Transport is pleased to announce that it has been recognized as a prestigious winner in the Recruiting category of the 2018 Optimas Awards by Workforce magazine, a Human Capital Media publication. The awards program, celebrating its 28th year, recognizes companies achieving successful measurable business outcomes through visionary and impactful human resources initiatives.

Pam Hutchinson, Choptank’s vice president of human resources, explained, “The talent market is vastly different than it was just a few years ago. If you want to attract top talent you must provide the best candidate experience possible and communicate proactively with prospective employees. Our team has changed their whole perspective on talent acquisition and it shows in the improved quality and volume of candidates we have been able to bring on board. People drive this business and receiving this award reflects the hard work of our entire HR and talent acquisition team. It’s a huge honor.”

Optimas Award winners were initially announced on workforce.com and Choptank Transport will be profiled in the November/December issue of Workforce magazine. For more information on the program and past winners, please visit workforce.com/optimas.

Leadership Development Opportunities

November 28th, 2018|Categories: Blog|

Leadership preparation. Strategic focus. Succession planning. These are elements of ensuring that a business grows and moves forward into the future. Most successful owners and managers get help in one or all areas. Consider giving your folks the skills and knowledge they need to carry on the legacy of your organization.

I had the good fortune to participate in a local leadership development program this past year. The Shore Leadership program offers supervisors and managers on the Eastern Shore the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the issues and challenges facing our region. Led by a certified master coach, participants are guided through skill building activities and conversation to foster collaboration and problem solving. https://www.shoreleadership.org/ . I encourage you to consider sending your bright stars to Shore Leadership in 2019.

Another leadership development program is being considered for this area. Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MD MEP) is considering holding its “Exceptional Leadership” program on the Eastern Shore in 2019.  MD MEP needs minimum 15 participants, and there is already genuine interest from a Queen Anne’s County manufacturer to send 8 participants. Please let me know if you have an interest to send your folks to this training. Link leads to information on the program that is being held in Baltimore http://www.mdmep.org/event/exceptional-leader-training-2018/

Governor Hogan Visits Federalsburg

October 22nd, 2018|Categories: Blog|

Governor Larry Hogan recognized Crystal Steel for its completion of $8 million capital improvements at the company’s Federalsburg location on October 18, 2018.

Pictured Above: Congressman Andy Harris, Delegate Johnny Mautz, Delegate Jeff Ghrist, Senator Steve Hershey, Senator Addie Eckardt, Governor Larry Hogan, Federalsburg Mayor Chuck Planner, Crystal Steel President Bill Lo, Town Councilmember Edward Windsor, Commissioner Larry Porter, Frank Adams, Commissioner Wilbur Levengood, Commissioner Dan Franklin, George “Happy” Mayer

Pictured Above Second Photo: Governor Larry Hogan and Crystal Steel President Bill Lo cut the ceremonial ribbon for the company’s Federalsburg location

One Maryland Tax Credit

October 22nd, 2018|Categories: Blog|

The State of Maryland offers Caroline County businesses a state income tax credit for acquiring, constructing, rehabilitating, installing, equipping a facility, and for costs related to moving a business from outside Maryland and the costs to furnish and equip that new location.

One Maryland is for businesses engaged in an eligible activity: manufacturing or mining; transportation or communications; agriculture, forestry or fishing; public utility; research, development, or testing; biotechnology; business services; warehousing; filmmaking, resort and recreation; computer programming, data processing or other computer related services; central financial, real estate or insurance services; operation of central administrative offices or a company headquarters.

Maximum tax credit depends on the amount of jobs created:
Create 10-24 jobs – maximum $1 million tax credits
Create 25-49 jobs – maximum $2.5 million tax credits
Create at least 50 jobs – maximum $5 million tax credits

A few things to keep in mind:
At least $500,000 in capital expense.
Project must be in a Priority Funding Area
At a minimum, the business must create 10 new full-time jobs in 24 months.

For information: Maryland Department of Commerce One Maryland Tax Credit.

Maryland Business Express

October 22nd, 2018|Categories: Blog|

Maryland Business Express
The State’s website, Maryland Business Express, combines information previously spread across many state agencies into one, easy-to-navigate site, while also providing a clear outline of the steps involved in starting a business. The site’s layout is based on the questions most commonly asked by existing business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, and contains four main sections: Plan, Start, Manage, and Grow. The Plan and Start sections list orderly steps that guide entrepreneurs through the process of developing a business plan, registering a business, and applying for tax accounts and licenses. The Manage and Grow sections help business owners remain in good standing, make legal changes to their business, and find additional programs that best fit their needs.

Maryland Workforce Expressway
The Maryland Workforce Expressway is a new website that connects businesses to the full array of state workforce development resources. The Expressway connects those business owners and their employees with the education, training, and services they need to develop their workforce and thrive in Maryland.

Small Business Relief Tax Credit
Maryland small businesses that provide their employees with paid sick and safe leave may be entitled to a refundable tax credit. The Small Business Relief Tax Credit, administered by the Maryland Department of Commerce, offers businesses that meet certain criteria a state income tax credit of up to $500 per employee and $7,000 per small business for every year in which they qualify. The tax credit was proposed and enacted by Govern Hogan to help businesses comply with the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act which was passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2018. Any type of business, including nonprofits, may apply for the tax credit on January 3, 2019. Click on the link below for more information about eligibility requirements and how to apply.

The Essentials of Learning

September 25th, 2018|Categories: Blog|

Choptank Transportation, Tanglewood, and Choptank Community Health speak to “The Essentials of Learning”

Representatives from local businesses spoke to students, parents, and teachers to informed students, parents, and teachers on the way 21st Century workplaces are structured.  The presentations are a component of the Caroline County Public School Essentials for Learning initiative. From pre-K through graduation, CCPS is teaching rigorous academic standards in ways that incorporate the skills employers need in the workplace: the ability to work in a team structure, make decisions and solve problems, communicate verbally with people, plan, organize, and prioritize work, and obtain and process information.

The speakers did a wonderful job of making this connection and, as Superintendent Dr. Patricia W. Saelens said, providing the “why?” for the Essentials for Learning Initiative.

Federalsburg and Denton selected as “Opportunity Zones”

September 25th, 2018|Categories: Blog|

The federal “Opportunity Zone” program provides tax breaks for private investments in Federalsburg and Denton. This incentive program allows investors to realize benefits of capital gains from projects in these Caroline County Zones. The program is under U.S. Treasury, and supported in Maryland by the Department of Housing and Community Development (#OpportunityZone).

Choptank Community Health Groundbreaking

September 25th, 2018|Categories: Blog|

The Choptank Community Health System Board of Directors ceremonially broke ground for a new medical facility. The facility will house primary family medical care, pediatric medical and dentistry, and behavioral health services. Choptank Community Health System “is a private, non-profit Community Health Center providing primary health care services in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties and the surrounding areas.”

Training: Federalsburg Enterprise Zone Tax Credit

July 16th, 2017|Categories: Blog, News|

Calling all Federalsburg businesses! We will be hosting a training session on the Federalsburg Enterprise Zone on Wednesday August 16th, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. at the Federalsburg Library (124 Morris Ave., Federalsburg).

The Enterprise Zone offers two types of incentives:

  1. Real Property Tax Credits – for businesses investing at least $100,000 in capital improvements
  2. State Income Tax Credits – for businesses hiring at least one net new employee working a minimum of 35 hours per week and paid at least 150% of the federal minimum wage

The training session will review the application process (it’s easy!), benefits, and FAQs. You should plan to attend if you will be hiring full-time employees AND/OR making an investment of at least $100,000 in your property.

The Federalsburg Enterprise Zone encompasses all three industrial parks, most commercial areas within town limits, and some industrial properties just outside town limits. If you would like to verify that your business is located within the Zone, please contact the Town of Federalsburg at 410.754.8173.

If you plan to attend the training session, please email us to let us know. If you have any questions, you can also call us at 410.479.4188.

Anco Inc. Moves Manufacturing Operations to Federalsburg

May 22nd, 2017|Categories: Blog, Featured Home, News, Press Release|Tags: , , , , |

77 H Street, Washington, DC. Window walls fabricated by Anco Inc.

Caroline County Economic Development has announced that Anco Inc. is relocating part of its operations to Federalsburg. Anco is headquartered in Bowie. The company has purchased a property in the Caroline Industrial Park and is relocating its manufacturing operations from Delaware. Anco will be bringing at least 15 new jobs to Federalsburg.

Anco is a family-owned glazing contractor that has been in business for more than 25 years. The company fabricates, installs, and services glass facades for multistory commercial and residential buildings. It also provides interior glass systems. Anco has completed projects for many prominent construction companies and developers throughout Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C.

“We’re very excited to welcome Anco to Caroline County,” said Rachel Barry, Economic Development Coordinator for Caroline County. “They are a well-run company with a great reputation and will be a great addition to our business community.”

Anco will be eligible for the manufacturing tax credit offered by the Town of Federalsburg, as well as the Enterprise Zone income tax credits offered by the State of Maryland.

Anco is the third manufacturer to expand or relocate to Federalsburg within the past eight months. Caroline County Economic Development and the Federalsburg Economic Development Commission worked closely to help Anco with their relocation plans.

To learn more about Anco Inc., please visit their website at www.ancoglass.com. Questions about their relocation may be directed to Rachel Barry at Caroline County Economic Development at 410-479-4188.

Caroline County Announces the Expansion of Eastern Shore Forest Products to Federalsburg; 45 New Jobs

May 17th, 2017|Categories: Blog, Featured Home, News, Press Release|

 

Caroline County Economic Development has announced the expansion of Eastern Shore Forest Products to Federalsburg. Eastern Shore Forest Products is headquartered in Salisbury, MD and operates four other locations in Millington, Salisbury and Pocomoke, MD and Frankford, DE. The company purchased the former Kraft-Heinz property that ceased operations earlier this year. Eastern Shore Forest Products will be making a total investment of $5 million in the property and adding at least 45 new jobs.

Eastern Shore Forest Products is a family-owned business that has been operating for 37 years. It produces specialty consumer wood products, industrial wood fiber, mulch, fuel and specialty soil mixes. Its Federalsburg facility will produce animal bedding and fuel products that is distributed primarily through major national retailers. The company is making improvements to the facility to sound-proof its operations from outside the building. It is also in the process of building its own proprietary equipment used in the production process.

“We are excited to welcome another great company to our community,” said Rachel Barry, Economic Development Coordinator for Caroline County. “Eastern Shore Forest Products has won quality and service awards from its customers, and it has a very strong management team. We’re proud they chose to expand their business to Federalsburg and Caroline County.

Eastern Shore Forest Products may be utilizing the manufacturing tax credits offered by the Town of Federalsburg and Caroline County, as well as the Enterprise Zone tax credits offered by the State of Maryland.

Eastern Shore Forest Products is one of three manufacturers to expand to Federalsburg within the past eight months. Chuck Planner, Mayor of Federalsburg, credits the responsiveness of the Town’s staff, its dedicated economic development commission, and a strong relationship with County economic development for its recent success. “When businesses like Eastern Shore Forest Products visit our town, they see a team of people who are excited to help them.”

Dan Franklin, President of the Caroline County Commissioners, agrees. “We are privileged and excited to have Eastern Shore Forest Products coming to Caroline County. They are innovators in their field, and have been very successful. We welcome them with open arms into our business community. We look forward to seeing Eastern Shore Forest Products continue their success with the citizens of Caroline County.”

Eastern Shore Forest Products will begin hiring for several key positions immediately and has expressed interest in interviewing former Kraft-Heinz employees affected by the merger and plant consolidation. Tom Johnson, CEO of Eastern Shore Forest Products, said the availability of experienced manufacturing talent was one of the things that made Federalsburg an appealing location. “We’re looking for dedicated people who can grow with us. Most of our employees have been with us for years. I believe if you treat people right, they will treat you right and they will want to stay with you.”

Anyone interested in applying for a position with Eastern Shore Forest Products may complete an application on their website at www.esforest.com. Questions about economic development in Caroline County may be directed to 410-479-4188 or info@carolinebusiness.com

 

Caroline County Launches New Manufacturing Curriculum

April 27th, 2017|Categories: Blog, Featured Home, Press Release|

The Caroline County Board of Education and Caroline County Commissioners have announced the launch of a new manufacturing curriculum for high school students. The Advanced Manufacturing Professionals (AMP) curriculum was developed to prepare Caroline County students for careers with local and regional manufacturers. The Maryland State Department of Education has approved the new curriculum, which will begin enrolling students for the 2017 – 2018 school year.

The AMP curriculum was developed in response to Caroline County Economic Development’s five-year strategic plan, which identified workforce development for the manufacturing sector as a top priority. The Board of Education, economic development, and local manufacturers began working together to develop AMP nearly three years ago.

“We are very excited about the opportunities AMP will provide our students,” said Dr. Patricia Saelens, Interim Superintendent of Caroline County Public Schools. “The new curriculum is very robust. It will prepare students for modern manufacturing, which requires creativity, problem solving, and teamwork.”

The manufacturing sector employs more than 1,200 people in Caroline County, representing 12.2% of all jobs in the County, according to the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation. There are more than 6,500 people employed in manufacturing in the broader Mid-Shore region. The Board of Education received fifteen letters of support for the AMP curriculum from manufacturers located in all five Mid-Shore counties. These companies expressed concern that it has become increasingly difficult to find skilled technical workers. They expect this trend to continue as their most experienced workers are aging and retiring out of the workforce.

The local shortage of skilled manufacturing labor reflects broader national trends. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the industry expects to add a total of 3.5 million manufacturing jobs over the next ten years. In a recent survey, 80% of manufacturers reported that they are already facing a moderate or serious shortage of qualified applicants for skilled or highly-skilled positions. This is despite the fact that the average manufacturing worker’s wages are $26.00 per hour, excluding benefits. This is higher than the average wages for workers in other sectors.

“The AMP program will begin developing the next generation of manufacturing talent, which is absolutely vital to Caroline County,” said Dan Franklin, president of the Caroline County Commissioners. “We’ve seen significant growth with new manufacturers moving to the County, and our existing companies growing and expanding. We are very fortunate to have a Board of Education that is so eager to work with our businesses. There’s a true partnership between the schools and our economic development office.”

The AMP curriculum will give students the opportunity to work on equipment like 3D printers, CNC machines, and state-of-the-art welding kits. Students will work on real-world projects provided by local manufacturers. Local manufacturers have also volunteered to help co-teach lessons, provide feedback to students on completed projects, and provide internship opportunities.

Josh Zimmerman, Business Liaison for Caroline County Public Schools, said the manufacturing community has helped make AMP a reality. “We have incredible business leaders who have already invested a tremendous amount of their time to support this curriculum. Tanglewood Conservatories has been part of this effort from the beginning, and has gone above and beyond what we could have ever asked. Other manufacturers like Dart Container and Crystal Steel have also been very generous with their support.”

Students enrolled in the AMP curriculum will begin taking classes in their sophomore year and will move through the program as a cohort. They will begin by learning the principles of safety, quality, measurements, and lean manufacturing. They will apply those concepts as they move through the curriculum, working on projects related to product design and development, process automation, and production management.

Gene Smith, Principal of the Caroline Career & Technology Center where AMP will be taught, says the curriculum will have a heavy emphasis on soft skills. “Businesses have told us that they’re looking for people who are good at problem solving and working in teams. We’ll be providing students with projects that challenge them. They’ll have to work together to figure out solutions, just like in a real manufacturing environment,” said Smith.

Students who complete the AMP curriculum will be prepared to go to work immediately, or to pursue further education. The Board of Education has secured articulation agreements with Chesapeake College and Delaware Technical Community College.

Smith said students and parents interested in AMP should contact their guidance counselors. Businesses interested in getting involved with AMP may contact Josh Zimmerman, Business Liaison for Caroline County Public Schools at 410-479-1460; or Rachel Barry, Economic Development Coordinator at 410-479-4188.

New Ag Business Hiring Management Positions

March 6th, 2017|Categories: Blog, Featured Home|

There will soon be a new agricultural business in Ridgely, and they are hiring!

BSD Farms is a large-scale hydroponic greenhouse operation. The company will be producing lettuce, herbs, and vegetables for sale to Kosher markets throughout the east coast. BSD Farms will be building their operation in the Mid-Shore Technology Park located in Ridgely, MD.

BSD Farms is currently seeking candidates for two important management positions. Please click the links below for the complete job descriptions:

Project Manager – BSD Farm

Chief Local Grower – BSD Farm

BSD Farms is tentatively scheduled to conduct initial interviews on March 16, 2017. Anyone who would like to be considered should submit a resume and cover letter as soon as possible to angela@carolinebusiness.com. Please do not mail your cover letter and resume; they should be sent via email only. Cover Letters may be addressed to:

Mr. Asaff Bagg

BSD Farms, Inc.

Mid-Shore Technology Park

Ridgely, MD 21660

Candidates selected for consideration will be contacted to schedule an interview. Please share this post with anyone you know who may be interested.

Caroline County Commissioners Hire Rachel Barry as Economic Development Coordinator

March 3rd, 2017|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|

Rachel HeadshotThe Caroline County Commissioners are pleased to announce the selection of Rachel Barry as Economic Development Coordinator.

Barry comes to the County with three years’ experience in economic development. Prior to being hired by the County, she served as the Manager of Small Business Services for Caroline Economic Development Corporation, where she was responsible for all aspects of the organization’s small business strategy and outreach.  This included managing the Caroline County Small Business Loan Program, business plan review, site selection, troubleshooting permitting and regulatory issues, and assistance securing project financing.

In her new role, Barry will be responsible for implementing the County’s strategic plan for economic development. Her duties include working with the County Commissioners and the Economic Development Advisory Board to establish objectives in business retention and expansion, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and marketing and business attraction.

County Commission President Dan Franklin stated, “I’ve had the privilege of working with Rachel in her former position with CEDC, where I was on the Board of Directors. I am excited to have her aboard as Caroline County’s Economic Development Coordinator, and have no doubt that she will continue to provide outstanding service to our business community and citizens. We’re proud to have Rachel on our team.”

A native of Caroline County, Barry holds an A.S. in Business Administration from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.  She moved back to Denton with her husband after he completed military service in 2012.  Barry previously worked in the logistics and financial sectors and is active in several local organizations, including Caroline Imagination Library Partnership.  She has also served on the Board of Directors for SCORE Mid-Shore, a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses start, grow, and succeed, since 2013.

Barry began her position effective March 1, 2017.

Caroline Economic Development Corporation Launches New Brand

October 18th, 2016|Categories: Blog, Featured Home, Press Release|

“You Belong Here” brand will attract businesses, talent, and visitors to Caroline County

Caroline Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) has launched a new brand to attract businesses, talent, and visitors to Caroline County. The new brand will be implemented by both Economic Development and the Office of Tourism. Establishing a strong brand for the County was identified as a top priority in CEDC’s five-year strategic plan for economic development.

The new brand was built around the tagline “You Belong Here,” which was chosen after extensive community input. CEDC hired Choptank Communications, a marketing firm based on the Eastern Shore, to conduct focus groups, a public survey, and one-on-one interviews with key stakeholders throughout Caroline County. Participants were asked to provide their insight into the culture and characteristics that best define the County. In total, nearly 400 people who live and/or work in Caroline County provided input that helped shape the brand.

“It was interesting to see how consistent feedback was across demographic groups and industries,” said Angela Visintainer, Director of Economic Development. “There were very clear themes that emerged. Almost everyone talked about how warm and down-to-earth Caroline County is, and how it just feels like home. Many people also spoke about how collaborative and close relationships are in the County. There are a lot of very strong partnerships.”

Based on the input from the community, Choptank Communications proposed the tagline “You Belong Here” to serve as the foundation of the new brand. This was reflected back to many of the same people who participated in the focus groups and interviews to get their feedback on the concept. There was overwhelming consensus that “You Belong Here” accurately captures the character of Caroline County.

Community feedback was also used to guide the design of the logo for the new brand. “There was again a lot of consistency from the focus groups and survey results,” said Visintainer. “People talked about how much they love the rural landscapes in Caroline County, including the farmland, rivers, and parks. There were very vivid descriptions of the green in the fields, the yellow of the corn that grows throughout the county, and the blue of the rivers and open sky.”

CEDC contracted Christina Lippincott Designs to incorporate this imagery into a logo design that is both modern and versatile. The resulting logo includes an icon of graceful arches in blue, green, and yellow to represent the County’s landscape. The “You Belong Here” tagline is presented in a bright green, casual script that feels friendly and welcoming.

“We wanted a logo that is bright and cheerful to appeal to visitors coming to the County,” said Kathy Mackel, Director of Tourism. “The logo looks friendly and welcoming, and I think it really sends the message that when you visit Caroline County, we’ll make you feel right at home.”

Both Economic Development and Tourism will be incorporating the new “You Belong Here” brand into all future marketing efforts. CEDC will also offer to share the tagline with other County agencies, departments, and non-profits, as well as the various municipalities throughout the County.

“We’re developing guidelines for other organizations that would like to incorporate the ‘You Belong Here’ tagline into their own marketing and communications efforts,” said Visintainer. “Our hope is that the brand will be widely adopted, which will create a consistent message and experience for everyone visiting, living, or working in the County.”

Caroline County Welcomes Crystal Steel Fabricators; 126 New Jobs Coming to Federalsburg

October 12th, 2016|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|Tags: , , |

Steel structure for UMES Engineering, Aviation, Computer and Mathematical Science Building designed and fabricated by Crystal Steel

Steel structure for UMES Engineering, Aviation, Computer and Mathematical Science Building designed and fabricated by Crystal Steel

Caroline Economic Development Corp. has announced that Crystal Steel Fabricators, Inc. is expanding to Federalsburg. Crystal Steel is headquartered in Delmar, Delaware and has facilities in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and the Philippines. The company is continuing operations in its current locations and adding additional manufacturing capacity in Federalsburg.

Crystal Steel is a family-owned structural steel fabricator specializing in large-scale projects such as stadiums, hospitals, bridges, and schools. Significant projects completed in Maryland include MGM Resort Casino at National Harbor, the Ocean City Convention Center, and Salisbury University Perdue School of Business, among others.

Crystal Steel has acquired the former ES Steel building in the Frank Adams Industrial Park, which totals 100,000 square feet. The company is also acquiring a 4.8 acre lot in the Park for additional development. Over the next two years, Crystal Steel expects to create 126 new jobs at its Federalsburg facility.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Crystal Steel to Federalsburg and Caroline County,” said Angela Visintainer, Director of Economic Development. “We’re thrilled about the job creation and investment they’ll be making of course, but we’re also excited that they’re such a good cultural fit for our County. They have a hardworking, down-to-earth culture. Members of their team have already begun working with Caroline County Public Schools to advise on the new manufacturing curriculum launching in the spring.”

Crystal Steel is currently accepting applications for a variety of positions including CNC Machine Operators, Structural Steel Fabricators, Welders, and Structural Steel Helpers. The company offers a robust training program and will consider applicants with limited experience as long as they can demonstrate a strong work ethic.

“We are always excited to provide people with great career opportunities, and many of our employees have been with us for ten years or more,” said Emad Mohamed, Executive Vice President at Crystal Steel. “We expect strong growth, which will provide folks in Federalsburg with the chance to move up and become leaders.”

Crystal Steel was initially attracted to Federalsburg because the building site has direct rail access and was designed for steel fabrication. The State of Maryland offered strong incentives including the One Maryland Tax Credit and the Enterprise Zone Tax Credit programs, as well as a $315,000 conditional loan through the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority and Fund (MEDAAF), which is based upon the company’s commitment to job creation and capital expenditures.

“Crystal Steel’s plan to invest more than $4 million and create more than 126 jobs is exactly the kind of economic development our administration pledged to bring to Maryland,” said Governor Hogan, a strong advocate for Maryland manufacturing jobs. “In addition to bringing high-paying jobs to the Eastern Shore, employees will learn new skills like lean manufacturing and CNC programming. This project is a win for Crystal Steel, a win for the Caroline County, and a win for the citizens of Maryland.”

Crystal Steel will also utilize the manufacturing tax credits offered by both The Town of Federalsburg and Caroline County. These tax credits incentivize local investment for new and/or expanding manufacturing businesses.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Crystal Steel to our business community,” said Federalsburg Mayor Chuck Planner. “It’s an honor to have a company of Crystal Steel’s caliber choose our community for their future growth.”

Caroline County Commissioner Dan Franklin, who also serves on the Caroline Economic Development Corp. board of directors, said he is pleased to see more manufacturing come to the County. “Caroline County has a great workforce for manufacturing,” he said. “Because of our agricultural roots, we have a lot of people who like to work with their hands and tackle mechanical challenges. It’s very exciting to have new career opportunities open up for our residents, especially at a business as strong as Crystal Steel.”

The Crystal Steel team has met with Caroline County Warden Ruth Coulbourne to discuss the possibility of training inmates on work release. “Sometimes people make a mistake in life that they regret, and they need a second chance to get on a positive track,” said Jeff Weaver, Director of Operations at Crystal Steel. “We’re happy to provide that chance to anyone who is willing to work hard.”

Crystal Steel will begin filling some positions immediately and will continue to scale up over the next two years. Anyone interested in applying for a position with Crystal Steel should submit a resume to alana@crystalsteel.net.

Notice of a Public Regional Meeting to Modernize State Procurement

June 23rd, 2016|Categories: Blog|

COMMISSION TO MODERNIZE STATE PROCUREMENT
Public Regional Meeting

Governor Larry Hogan’s Commission to Modernize State Procurement, chaired by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, will host three regional meetings.
The third Public Regional Meeting will be held:

Tuesday, June 28, 2016
10 AM to 12 Noon
Easton Fire Hall
315 Aurora Park Drive Easton, Maryland 21601

Plenty of parking is available at the Easton Fire Hall

Because the State of Maryland spends $ 4 billion annually on goods and services, the Commission seeks to engage Marylanders in its efforts to ensure that State contracting is efficient, transparent, and equitable for businesses and produces the best value at reasonable prices for Marylanders.

Everyone is invited to attend this public meeting. You will have the opportunity to address the Commissioners. Business owners are encouraged to share their experiences with the State procurement process and their ideas on improving it.

[Note that discussion will not focus on specific bids, contracts, or disputes.] Please visit their website for further information about the Commission to Modernize State Procurement:
Executive Order 01.01.2016.05

Spotlight on Small Business: Nice Farms Creamery

June 20th, 2016|Categories: Blog|

nice farm logo

You may have heard June is National Dairy Month so we thought it would be appropriate to spotlight one of Caroline County’s dairy farms, Nice Farms Creamery in Federalsburg.

The Miller’s story began in New Jersey but in 1989 they decided to relocate to American Corner in order to expand their acreage and produce a high quality milk.

In 2009 their oldest son, Bob Miller resigned his commission as an officer in the US Army to build a creamery on the dairy farm. Bob invested his own savings and began with one 35 gallon pasteurizer and a four gallon bottler, pump and chiller. By October of that year they were producing creamline whole milk, chocolate milk, and yogurt. Since then they have added skim milk and butter as well as seasonal eggnog and ice cream.

Even with the expansions over the years they have maintained the highest quality and all of their products are made on site with their own milk. They have always believed in the importance of a pastured diet to maintain optimal health of the herd. The cows rotate between pastures each day feasting on seasonal grasses. 

If you are interested in purchasing any of their products you can visit the farm 3pm-6pm. However, they recommend calling first to ensure staff is available and products are in stock. Also, keep an eye on their Facebook page for special events and farmers market locations.

Leadercast 2016 Speaker Lineup

February 4th, 2016|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , , , |

Leadercast DelmarvaLeadercast Delmarva is a one-day event broadcast live  from Atlanta, GA that features some our nations most well-known leaders. It is a day filled with leadership development and opportunities to network with business leaders from across the Mid-Shore. This is the third year that CEDC has partnered with Caroline County Public Schools to host this event at Colonel Richardson High School. Read on for a short introduction to this years speakers. Click here to purchase tickets.

We hope you will join us on May 6, 2016 Leadercast Delmarva: Architects of Tomorrow. Click here to purchase your tickets.

LC16-SpeakerBiosSocial_Page_1

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Press Release from Choptank Transport: New Construction Has Begun

December 18th, 2015|Categories: Blog, News, Press Release|Tags: |

We are pleased to share the following press release from Choptank Transport. Congratulations to Choptank for their continued growth and success! You make Caroline County proud!

Choptank Transport

Choptank Transport Begins New Construction – Adds Jobs

Expands Preston Headquarters, Adds New Jobs

12/10/2015 Press Release

 

Preston, MD – Choptank Transport, a rapidly growing third-party logistics company, has announced that it has started construction on a new 11,000 square-foot expansion of its headquarters in Preston, Maryland which will allow them to hire an additional 130 people in the next two years. This is its third expansion at this location within the last decade. The new space will mirror the existing facility, with large open spaces to preserve the collaborative environment that is part of the company culture.

In addition to the construction, Choptank has acquired 4,000 square feet of additional office space by purchasing another pre-existing building on Main Street in Preston within a few miles of the main offices. This location will further accommodate the increase in employees needed to service the company’s growing customer base.

“We have been blessed with outstanding growth,” says Steve Covey, Executive Vice President at Choptank. “Our strategy has been and will continue to be our results driven culture.   Our employee’s dedication and focus on exceeding customer expectations has allowed this growth.  The new addition will allow for further investment into our culture through business intelligence and staff additions.  Those additions will foster collaborative technologies that will allow us to successfully manage and grow in a logistics world that faces unprecedented legislation for over-the-road safety and cargo security.”

“Logistics is a hot career right now. It’s not only a great place to begin your career; it’s a great place to advance it,” says Pam Hutchinson, Choptank’s Vice President of Human Relations. Recruiting top talent has been a priority in her department over the last several years. “Nearly all of our management staff has been promoted from within.  We’ve partnered with Salisbury University’s sales initiative and Stevenson University’s Sales Club to attract recent graduates and also work with local veteran’s groups and community organizations.  And for our existing staff, the team just gets better every day at developing and mentoring new leaders.”

With such a large hiring goal, the company is focusing on non-traditional means to recruit new talent.  “The buzz surrounding our company culture is definitely our biggest recruitment asset.  Lots of companies have their management make claims about great culture or publish testimonials by selected employees.  We haven’t really had to push culture from the top down because it’s something that starts at our grass roots.  Our people share their success stories daily with their personal connections.  The culture is something people want to be a part of,” says Hutchinson.

About Choptank Transport

Choptank Transport is a nationally recognized, award-winning 3PL with over 25 years of experience in the field of shipping and logistics. Specializing in truckload freight, Choptank’s expertise includes refrigerated and frozen transport, dry van and flatbed services. For those requiring additional services, Choptank has dedicated divisions for refrigerated LTL and intermodal shipping. Office locations include Maryland, Denver, Dallas, Tampa, Atlanta and Nashville.

Interested candidates can apply at any of our locations through our website at  www.choptanktransport.com/careers.  New classes begin in January and will continue throughout 2016.

 

5 Marketing Strategies for Success

November 24th, 2015|Categories: Blog|

marketing

We came across this article, 35 Ways to Grow Your Brand by Isadora Badi on one of our most-visited sites, marketingprofs.com, and couldn’t wait to share it. While the whole article is loaded with helpful ideas for marketing, we’ve pulled out our five favorites:

1.   Adapt your formula to meet consumer concerns: Once, Aspartame was OK. Now, consumers are worried it might be dangerous for their health. PepsiCo has announced it will stop using aspartame as a sweetener in its drinks.

This is a tricky one so be careful. You will not please everyone all the time; however, if you start to hear the same concerns voiced over and over, start taking steps to reassure the customer you have their best interest at heart, even if that means rethinking an entire recipe..

2.   Dominate your vertical: Planters knows everything about peanuts; therefore, Planter’s Peanut Butter must be great.

Once you develop a solid market for your product or service, and a trusting relationship with your customers, they may assume you are an expert in your industry. Treat this trust with great care, and cultivate it as it will allow you to expand your market and customer base down the road.

3.   Become a sponsor: P&G’s sponsorship of the 2012 London Olympic Games alongside its “Thank you mom” campaign offered heart-warming ads featuring athletes and their families.

While we can’t all sponsor the Olympic Games, there are always opportunities you can take advantage of, even on a limited budget. Strategically using sponsorship dollars will do much more for your brand than mailers and newspaper ads; they tell your customers that you support your community, and that is worth its weight in gold.

Need sponsorship ideas?

  • How about sponsoring a youth sports team that places your business name on a dozen little jerseys?
  • Check with local non-profits to see what they offer in terms of an affiliate membership or event sponsorship.
  • Keep an eye on local community events such as festivals or races that are in need of sponsorship funding.
  • Look into sponsoring professional events within your own industry.

4.   Show you truly care: Become the Zappos in your industry. Make customer care your thing, and go above and beyond. Your clients will come back—and bring their friends.

Have you ever heard the saying “good news travels fast; bad news travels faster”? That’s particularly true in this age of social media. When a customer has a bad experience, this will be shared with friends, family, and anyone who will listen.  Granted, you will never be able to please everyone; however, consistent, reliable customer service builds your reputation over time. If someone does have a bad experience, do everything you can to make it right, even if you are not at fault. Remember: word of mouth can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

5.   Be an authority in your field: Rachel Zoe started as a stylist, telling people what to wear and creating a name as an expert in fashion. Once she launched her fashion line, it became an instant success.

Remember how your customers presume you are the expert? Focus on what you are good at it and become the expert. Don’t let your vision become clouded with ideas that do not fit into your area of expertise. Once you have established a solid customer base, you can begin to expand your products or services slowly, methodically, and strategically. Starting out too broad and growing too fast are mistakes that will have the opposite desired effect.

Have time for more? Check out the other tips in the article, and browse around this helpful website that may become one of your favorites too.

Response to Kraft Plant Closing

November 5th, 2015|Categories: Blog|

Yesterday, we received word that the Kraft plant in Federalsburg will be closing within the next 12 – 24 months.  This is certainly very disappointing news.  The plant has been part of Federalsburg and Caroline County for decades, and we’ve always been proud to be the home of Stove Top Stuffing.

The decision to close the plant is a result of the recent merger between Kraft Foods and the Heinz Company.  Whenever a merger like this takes place, there is risk that it will impact local facilities.  Since the merger was announced several months ago, we have been in contact with the Federalsburg plant and have been monitoring the situation.  It appeared that the Federalsburg facility may come through the merger unscathed.  The company was adding jobs at the plant and doing some minor renovations to the facility.

Unfortunately, Kraft Heinz Company has initiated a new round of consolidations, and the Federalsburg plant is part of that.  Companies merge because they see opportunities to streamline their operations and improve efficiency.  This is a good move for shareholders, but it often has a very negative impact for individual plants and the people who work there.

So what’s next?  We are working with the Maryland Department of Commerce to reach out to corporate executives at the Kraft Heinz Company to see if there is anything at all that can be done to keep the Federalsburg plant open.  We’re also working with the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board to help the affected local employees find new jobs in the area.  Fortunately, our other manufacturing companies in Caroline County are growing and adding jobs.  Dart Container alone is currently hiring 50 production employees.  Smaller manufacturers are also adding jobs, like Shoreline Vinyl Systems, which is currently adding five new production positions.  These are just a couple of examples that indicate there are good opportunities for Kraft employees to find new jobs in the area.

Our hearts are with our fellow citizens who are directly impacted by this decision made by Kraft Heinz Company.  We’ll do everything we can to help them through the transition.  We take care of each other here in Caroline County, and we’ll do our absolute best to ensure that the local employees find new opportunities right here at home.

If you have questions about the plant closing or would like to know more about the response by Caroline Economic Development Corporation, please contact us at 410.479.4188.

— Angela Visintainer, Director

Meet CEDC’s New Board Members

October 27th, 2015|Categories: Blog|

J DeLude headshotJeannette DeLude

Town Manager for the Town of Greensboro

Jeannette DeLude is best known as the Town Manager for the Town of Greensboro, but she also owns a travel consultant business that organizes group tours to the Dominican Republic.

Originally Jeannette is from Corning, NY but she has been living on the Eastern Shore for the past twenty years with her husband. They have a son who is currently serving in the U.S. Marines. In her free time, Jeannette enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.

 

A Casey headshotAnthony Casey

Commissioner for the Town of Ridgely

In 2010, at the age of 25, Anthony Casey became Ridgely town commissioner. With that election, Anthony also gained the title of the youngest commissioner in Maryland, the first commissioner to win through a write-in vote in Caroline County, and the youngest past President of Caroline County Municipalities.

Anthony is a current member of the 5th Annual Ridgely Pharmacy and Ice Cream Parlor car/motorcycle show, a current advisor for Danny’s Walk, and a current administrative member in the Ridgely Volunteer Fire Department.

Anthony currently resides in Ridgely with his wife, Amy and their son, Nolan. In his free time, Anthony enjoys playing golf and participating in community events.

 

Morrel

Chris Morrell

Vice President of Shoreline Vinyl Systems

Chris is a Caroline County native and graduated from North Caroline High School. After graduation, he went on to Wesley College to earn his Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Management. Through his education, Chris gained skills in business development, customer service, team building, and efficient operational execution.

Chris currently serves as the Vice President of Sales and Operation of Shoreline Vinyl Systems, the region’s leading manufacturer of vinyl fencing and deck railing systems. Chris is responsible for managing the daily operations and expanding Shoreline’s sales and product distribution into new markets.

Prior to his role at Shoreline Vinyl Systems, Chris worked for 10 years at Foxfire Printing located in Newark, DE. Chris was a fundamental piece of a team that took Foxfire from a ten million dollar company to a forty-five million dollar company.

Chris lives in Townsend, DE with his wife Katy and their two daughters Ava and Mara. In his free time he enjoys quality time with his family, playing golf with his friends, and rooting for the New York Giants and New York Rangers.

K.Fuchs - MAFC - Arms crossedKurt Fuchs

Government Affairs Officer for MidAtlantic Farm Credit, ACA

Kurt Fuchs graduated from McDaniel College with a bachelors degree in Political Science. Kurt is also a Class IV graduate of LEAD Maryland, the state’s agricultural leadership development program. He remains actively involved as the program’s Treasurer.

Kurt is the past Chair of the MidShore Regional Council and more recently serves as the President of the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., the trade association for the peninsula’s meat chicken industry. Before his career with MidAtlantic Farm Credit, Kurt worked for nine years as the Assistant Director of Government Relations for the Maryland Farm Bureau.

Kurt lives in Denton, MD on the Eastern Shore through which he serves the association’s five-state territory. In his free time, Kurt enjoys outdoor activities such as kayaking and home-brewing beer.

M Fluharty HeadshotMickey Fluharty

Owner of Reliable Linen

Mickey Fluharty attended Colonel Richardson High School, while he grew up in Federalsburg, where he continues to live today. He opened his dry cleaning business, Reliable Linens in Federalsburg in 1993 as has been serving the entire Eastern Shore ever since. Mickey attributes much of his success to his loyal employees, holding the belief that nobody works for him but rather they work with him.

Mickey has shown his dedication to Federalsburg and Caroline County through his multiple positions and contributions that have helped improve the community. In the early 90’s, Mickey served as a Federalsburg town councilman and mayor for 10 years. Mickey also served as a circuit rider town manager for four years with the Maryland Rural Development Corporation.

Mickey lives in Federalsburg with his wife. In his free time, Mickey enjoys spending time with his family and surf fishing.

 

10014748_562985000475924_8130772326869856690_oDan Franklin

Caroline County Commissioner/Denton Police Department

Dan Franklin moved to Caroline County in 2001 from Scranton, PA to pursue his career in public safety. He attended Luzerne County Community College and is a graduate of Police Academies at Lackawanna College in Scranton, PA, as well as Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy in Salisbury.

Dan has devoted most of his adult life to public service. In the past he served in several leadership roles within the Denton Volunteer Fire Department. In addition to his volunteer work, he worked for the Caroline County Department of Emergency Services for 11 years. Along with his passion for his community, he loves animals and was able to combine these two passions when he began the Denton Police Department K9 Unit.

Dan lives in Denton with his wife Stephanie, his K9 partner Bart, and several adopted pets. In his free time, Dan enjoys the many outdoor recreational opportunities Caroline County offers such as hunting, fishing, boating and golf.

 

Jay Korat HeadshotJay Korat

Owner of the Best Western Hotel-Denton Inn

Before deciding to open The Best Western hotel in Denton, Jay was an Electronic Engineer where he spent over 10 years in this industry before moving to the United States in 1999.

The hotel is independently owned and operated by Jay featuring 60 rooms, a seasonal outdoor pool, as well as serving a continental breakfast each morning. Jay is invested in his community and offers the use of the hotels pool to Caroline County Parks & Recreation for their swimming program for the past three years.

Jay lives in Denton with his wife Kavita, and their son Om. In his free time, he enjoys spending quality time with his family and friends.

On Your Mark Lighting

July 10th, 2015|Categories: Blog|

mark_logo2bFormer President of the United States, George Bush and WWF star, Hulk Hogan are two names you don’t often see in the same sentence. As different as these two worlds seem, they have at least one thing in common, the need for a professional lighting designer. These are just a few of the people Mark Peach has worked with during his 34+ years in the profession. Mark is the owner of On Your Mark Lighting, a lighting design and equipment rental company in Denton, Maryland.

Mark’s career has taken him across the world and back again. He started out as an intern at Baltimore Stage Lighting and quickly discovered his passion for lighting design. He traveled throughout the U.S and Canada with the WWF, a world tour with Michael Jackson, Amman, Jordan with Voice of America, and participated in the last six presidential inaugurations. He also worked on the sets of popular movies like He Said She Said and Sleepless in Seattle.

In 2012 On Your Mark Lighting began to focus on corporate and special event lighting here on the shore. Mark is using new and innovative wireless technology to ensure his customers have a professional and unique experience. He takes pride in his friendly working style and his ability to listen to the clients’ needs for aesthetics and budget. He says, “I’m happy to be here on the Eastern Shore raising my family and growing my business.”

If you would like more information about On Your Mark Lighting Design and Equipment you can find him on Pinterest  or visit his website.

Michelle_Reception_290 (1)

 

 

 

 

Social Media and Small Business

February 26th, 2015|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |

 

When it comes to small businesses, the most common problem we notice is marketing. Small business owners often have very limited resources and don’t know where to begin with advertising and drawing customers. Marketing is critical to the success of your business but it doesn’t always have to cost a lot. In fact, thanks to technology today, many marketing avenues are free. 

The first place to start is by becoming familiar with social media. Did you know that if Facebook were a country it would be #1 in population?  That means there are more people using Facebook than live in China! If you are still not convinced, check out this video.

social-media-icons

Let’s talk about some guidelines.

1.       There are literally hundreds of platforms you can use but to start just pick one or two. A few of the most common options are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Vine, Vimeo, LinkedIn, and blogging.

2.       This is not a one size fits all approach. Understand the culture within each social media site. While you can and should be on multiple sites, you should not copy and paste your content to all of them. The wording that works on Facebook is too informal for your LinkedIn page or may be too wordy for Twitter’s 140 character maximum.  

3.       Keep it short. The average attention span of your follower is less than that of a goldfish so don’t be too wordy.

4.       Real friends don’t spam. Nobody likes being harassed. Be consistent and active but don’t overload your followers.

5.       Do your research. There are few things worse than finding out you have been deceived. Be sure the information you share with your followers is accurate.

6.       Socialize. This is the foundation of social media. Engage your followers by asking questions and interacting with them as much as possible. Refer to #4.

7.       Tell your story. People are going to be curious about who you are and what you do so tell them!

8.       Unless you are a church or a politician stay away from these subjects on your businesses page. This goes back to keeping things relevant for your followers and your business page is not the place to talk about these things.

 

Additional resources:

8 Social Media Sins

How to Use ‘Alternative’ Social  Networks in Your Marketing Strategy

The Best Days and Times to Post Content

 

 

Spotlight on Small Business: Joviality

January 27th, 2015|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , , , |

Joviality logo

In the midst of the economic downturn in 2010, Abby McNinch and her former partner decided to open a gift shop in downtown Denton, calling it Joviality. Some doubted their timing, but they preferred to view it as a wonderful challenge.

Abby understood early on that one of her greatest challenges would be marketing her business on a very tight budget.  Although Abby no longer has a business partner per se, she recognizes that she has many allies in the community.  She partners with a variety of local organizations to promote events and reach a broad audience. Joviality participates in Downtown Denton’s Third Thursday campaign, offering Sip and Shop sales once a month.  Also, the shop hosts a kid-friendly Fairy Garden Party with Denton Child Development Center each spring.  Abby relies heavily on free marketing through social media and word of mouth.  She stands firm in her belief that success is not achieved alone and offers advice to other business owners to “never stop marketing”.

You can learn more about Joviality on their website and Facebook page.  You can visit the shop at 406 Market Street in Denton.

Enterprise Zones 101

January 18th, 2015|Categories: Blog|

As you may have heard, we are actively working to establish an Enterprise Zone in Federalsburg. So what exactly is an Enterprise Zone? Read on for some basic info. If you’d like to know more, feel free to call our office (410.479.4188) or attend a public hearing on Monday, February 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Federalsburg Town Office located at 204 South Main Street.

What is the purpose of an Enterprise Zone?

An Enterprise Zone (EZ) is intended to spur development and investment in economically disadvantaged areas within the state.  By stimulating investment by businesses, new and better jobs are created.  The ultimate goal is to realize an increase in income levels and employment rates for the citizens living in and around the EZ.

What are the benefits of an Enterprise Zone

The EZ provides a reduction on real property taxes for businesses that make significant improvements within the zone.  It is important to note that the tax breaks are on the increased property value resulting from improvements only.  In other words, there is no tax break on the existing value of the property, so there is no reduction in current local tax revenues.

The following is the schedule of real property tax reductions on improvements for qualifying businesses located within the EZ:

Years 1 – 5:  80%

Year 6:  70%

Year 7:  60%

Year 8:  50%

Year 9:  40%

Year 10:  30%

Regular tax rates resume after Year 10.

What is the cost of the Enterprise Zone to the Town of Federalsburg and Caroline County?

Fortunately, the EZ program has no cost to local jurisdictions.  As described above, it does not impact current tax revenues.  Although both the county and town will be forgoing a portion of future tax revenues, the State of Maryland reimburses 50% of the uncollected tax revenue to each jurisdiction.  So, as companies move to or expand within the EZ, both the town and county will be collecting more tax revenue than they otherwise would have.

Which properties are included within the proposed Enterprise Zone?

The EZ will encompass all three industrial parks located in Federalsburg, additional industrial properties (such as Kraft and Maryland Plastics), the commercial properties along Main Street, undeveloped commercial properties in other areas of the town, and several industrial and commercially zoned properties within the county near Federalsburg.  Check back at this blog soon; we’ll be adding a map that shows each parcel to be included.  We will also have a large map available at the public hearing on February 2nd.

Grant available for farmers and small businesses

January 8th, 2015|Categories: Blog|

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service Agency is now accepting applications for grants under the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). This program is designed to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption, as well as encourage you to integrate renewable energy technologies into your facilities.

Do you:

  1. Earn at least 51 percent of your income from farming or ranching? OR Operate a privately owned, for-profit small business located in a rural area or town of 50,000 people or less?
  2. Want to install a system that will generate renewable energy or reduce energy costs?
  3. Is the project’s technology readily available for purchase?

If you answered YES to these three questions, your project may be eligible for assistance of up to 25% of energy improvements through REAP.

**Please review further eligibility requirements HERE .  If you have additional questions, contact Bruce Weaver, DE/MD Energy Coordinator at bruce.weaver@de.usda.gov or (302) 857-3629. 

Click here for the Notice of Solicitation for Applications

Small Business Saturday-November 29

November 24th, 2014|Categories: Blog|Tags: , |

This time of year is full of traditions starting with this week. Most Americans will fill themselves silly with turkey on Thursday. Then many will not even go to bed Thursday evening as they prepare to fight the large crowds and spend their life savings at the big box stores for another tradition, Black Friday.

A few years back American Express started a new campaign to highlight small businesses. This has become known as Small Business Saturday and it takes place each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. This is a great opportunity for small business owners to showcase their unique products and for the community to support their neighbors by spending thier money locally.

Small businesses are vital to rural counties like ours and cannot survive without your support. There are salons and barbers in all our towns who can give you a fresh look for the season. Retail shops will be offering unique gifts, special discounts and extended hours to help you start off your holiday shopping. After a day of shopping nobody wants to go home and cook dinner so don’t forget to dine small too. Our downtown’s need your support; will you #shopsmall and #dinesmall this Saturday?

Contact the town offices for more details.

Town of Denton   Town of Ridgely   Town of Federalsburg   Town of Preston   Town of Greensboro

Why Shop Small Infographic

 

Strategic Plan – Now Available for Download

November 3rd, 2014|Categories: Blog, Featured Home|

Strategic Plan Cover JPG

The CEDC’s five-year plan for Strategic Development is now available for download.  CLICK HERE to view the plan and learn more about how we’ll be working to serve the businesses and citizens of Caroline County in each of the following areas:

  1. Infrastructure, Policy, and Business Retention
  2. Workforce Development
  3. Entrepreneurship
  4. Marketing & Business Attraction

Check back for updates on where we are with accomplishing each of our objectives.  Onward and upward!

Edwards Classic Barber Shop

October 22nd, 2014|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |

 

Edwards Barber Shop

Have you ever watched the classic show Andy Griffith and found yourself wanting to visit Floyd’s Barber Shop in Mayberry? Well now you can… sort of. You may have noticed there is a new face on Market Street in Denton. Jordan Jarrett, the owner of Edwards Classic Barber Shop, opened his doors in August. I decided to stop by for a visit and was greeted by a friendly face and welcoming atmosphere.

Jordan is originally from Caroline County. He began his career by serving his country as a paratrooper in the United States Army. He enjoyed his job with the Army but was ready to settle down and enjoy his family. After seeing the world, he decided to come back to hometown. He loved the idea of the vintage style barber shop and figured there was no one better to open this classic place than himself. And what better location to do this than Historic Downtown Denton?

Jordan has created a retro feel by lining the walls with vintage barber shop photos and installing classic style barber chairs, complete with a red and blue spinning pole out front. However, he has a vision that goes beyond cutting hair. He wants to create a place where the community feels welcome – a place like Floyd’s Barber Shop in Mayberry. From our conversation, I can say he is well on his way to doing just that.

Next time you find a need for a trim or shave, stop by and see Jordan.

Edwards Classic Barber Shop

223 Market Street

Denton, MD 21629

443-448-4711

Closed Sunday and Wednesday

Strategic Plan Presentation – Register Now!

October 3rd, 2014|Categories: Blog, Featured Home|

Click to Register

If you have a stake in Caroline County’s future, you need to be at this event!  Anirban Basu will provide a snapshot of the county’s demographic and economic profile and how it relates to the broader region.  If you’ve never been to one of Anirban’s presentations, you’re in for a treat.  He is funny and insightful, and he is sure to share some surprising facts about our county.

Immediately following, the CEDC will present our five-year strategic plan for economic development.  This plan has objectives in four key strategic areas:

  1. Infrastructure, Policy & Business Retention
  2. Workforce Development
  3. Entrepreneurship
  4. Marketing & Business Attraction

This is a FREE event if you register in advance; $5 at the door.  See you there!

Economic Development Annual Report for FY2014

September 23rd, 2014|Categories: Blog, Featured Home|

We are pleased to present the annual report for Economic Development for the CEDC! The report covers fiscal year 2014 (July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014).  Just click below to read the full report. If you would like a printed copy of the report, please contact our office and we’ll be happy to send you one.

Leadercast Delmarva 2015 Speaker Reveal

September 19th, 2014|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , , , , |

For those of you who missed Leadercast Delmarva last year, you won’t want to make that mistake again this time. The theme for this year is “The Brave Ones” and all of the speakers have demonstrated bravery in one form or another. You may recognize some of the speakers but some you may not, so here is a little introduction.

 

Andy Stanley

“If your leadership isn’t all about you, it will live beyond you.”

Andy Stanley is back again this year! He was first on stage last year and set the bar high for the remainder of the day.

The Leadercast website describes him very well as a Leadership Author and Communicator. He has written numerous books but perhaps his most famous are Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication and Next Generation Leader: 5 Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future. Leadership is obviously his passion and calling in life. In his spare time between writing books and speaking at large conferences across the nation, he is also the founder of North Point Ministries. He is the Senior Pastor of five large churches in Georgia that are attended by more than 33,000 people each week.

(Source: Andy Stanley)

 

 

Malala Yousafzai

“Education is neither eastern nor western. Education is education and it’s the right of every human being.”

If your life was actually being threatened if you decided to continue your education, would you do it? Malala did. She decided she was going to continue getting her education and this decision alone landed her a death threat from one of the worlds most feared terror groups, the Taliban.

In the fall of 2012, the Taliban finally caught up to her. The 14 year old girl boarded a bus home after school. A member of the Taliban boarded the bus behind her and shot her in the face. She survived the attack and has become an advocate for girls’ education. She is still considered a target by the Taliban.

CNN called Malala the “Bravest Girl in the World” and I can’t think of a better way to describe her. Her accomplishments are nothing less than remarkable. She celebrated her 16th birthday by giving a speech at the United Nations. She is a two-time Nobel Peace prize nominee, an International Children’s Peace Prize nominee, and winner of Pakistan’s National Youth Peace Prize. She wrote the biography I am Malala: the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.   (Source: Malala’s Biography)

 

 

Ed Catmull 1

Ed Catmull is most famously known for being the President of Disney Animation Studios and co-founder of Pixar. His accomplishments include five Academy Awards in the categories of Technical Achievement (1), Scientific & Engineering (2), Merit (1), and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for his lifetime of technical contributions and leadership in the field of computer graphics for the motion picture industry. If he isn’t busy winning awards you could probably find him in one of several leading technology centers of computer graphics he has founded, the computer graphics laboratory at the New York Institute of Technology or the computer division of Lucsfilm, LTD.(Source: www.computerhistory.org )

 

 

Seth Godin

“Being aware of your fear is smart. Overcoming it is the mark of a successful person.”

Seth Godin has been described as an innovative thinker and he is able to sell books in record timing. He has 12 best-selling books including LinchpinTribesThe Dip, Purple Cow and most recently “The Icarus Deception”. In his past life, he was the Vice President of Direct Marketing at Yahoo! (Source: Seth Godin)

 

 

Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani is most famously known for his calm in the face of terror and death during those crucial hours following the attacks on 9/11. Tragically, many men and women would not come home that day, but because of the rescue efforts he coordinated, tens of thousands of people would do just that. Aside from leading New York through 9/11, his accomplishments are many. He has held many prestigious titles in his lifetime from Associate Attorney General under President Reagan (the 3rd highest position in Dept. of Justice), to Mayor of one of the largest cities in the world, to candidate for President of the United States, to CEO of Giuliani Partners– founded in 2002.

During his term as Mayor, he was able to establish one of the largest and most successful welfare-to-work initiatives in the country, moving hundreds of thousands to self-sufficiency. He fronted efforts to keep organized crime off the streets by prosecuting the Italian mafia.

(Source: www.nyc.gov and Rudy’s Biography)

 

 

Aja Brown

This young community developer won the mayoral election in the City of Compton in 2013. Aja Brown made history as the youngest Mayor in the history of the city.  With an education and experience in Urban Planning and Economic Development, she has big dreams for Compton.  Before being elected, she made big strides in reviving this distressed community. She was responsible for initiating legislation and revitalization efforts for the downtown community. She also led the marketing and rebranding efforts of the community redevelopment agency. She initiated Compton’s Apprentice Program intended to create jobs for local residents on city funded or assisted capital improvement projects.

(Source: City of Compton)

 

 

Bill McDermott

Bill McDermott is also back from last year! He started out as a young entrepreneur, owning his own delicatessen on Long Island, New York and has since become one of the world’s top-ranked CEOs. Bill is the CEO of SAP, the leading provider of business software. He has over 66,000 people working for him, with a 99% internal approval rating and serves customers in over 188 different countries. Under his leadership, the company has reached record growth in all major areas including customers, revenue and market value. In his spare time he serves on the board of Directors for Under Armour and ANSYS, Inc.

(Source: SAP)

 

 

Rorke Denver

For most of its history, US Navy SEAL’s missions and training have been kept confidential. Everyone recognizes how courageous these men are but society was never privileged enough for much more detail. In more recent years this has changed as more and more have taken the opportunity to accurately tell their stories through books and major motion pictures.

Rorke Denver is most famously known for the movie Act of Valor and his best-selling book Damn Few. The theme for this year’s Leadercast is “The Brave Ones” and this man is the embodiment of that. He exhibits bravery and strength to the highest degree.

Blough’s Seafood

September 18th, 2014|Categories: Blog|

If you know anything about the Eastern Shore of Maryland, it’s that we take our seafood pretty seriously. With that in mind, last week we visited with Glenn Blough, the owner of Blough’s Seafood in Denton.

Over the years, Glenn worked in a few different industries but nothing satisfied him quite like being on the water. Armed with a passion, he set out to start his own seafood business and would not dream of doing it anywhere but Caroline County. He and his wife started out of their home seven years ago, only selling about five pounds of crab meat a week. Despite the economic downturn of the past few years that was coupled with some of the toughest seasons the seafood industry has ever seen, the owners of Blough’s Seafood have not just survived the rough waters – they’ve thrived and are now selling anywhere from 80-120 pounds of crab meat a week.

Blough’s Seafood has grown almost exclusively through word of mouth by offering fast service, competitive prices, and the best customer service around. They offer crabs steamed or prepared in just about any way one could imagine. From personal experience, I can tell you the homemade crab cakes are some of the best in town. Once the warm summer months are over, they quickly shift gears as the oyster season begins. Did I mention everything he sells is local? If he isn’t able to catch the seafood himself he is only willing to purchase from other local vendors.

Glenn has a small but mighty army helping him at his shop. If you don’t have a taste for crabs or oysters, that’s not a problem for them. They offer just about any other kind of seafood you can think of from lobster to fillets and whole fish. Even with all that going on, he manages to have the cleanest seafood operation I have ever seen.

We are proud to have passionate entrepreneurs like Glenn call Caroline County home. Give him a call or stop by!

Open 7 days a week until 6pm

9620 New Bridge Road

Denton, MD

What a Conference Call Would Look Like in Real Life

February 11th, 2014|Categories: Blog, News|Tags: |

Conference calls are a necessary evil in the business world.  They are inevitably awkward, confusing, and frustrating, but we all have to suffer through them from time to time.

Tripp Crosby, one of the 2014 Leadercast hosts, has produced a fantastically funny video that shows what a conference call would look like if it was taking place within an actual conference room.  I think you’ll find that this all looks very familiar…  Enjoy!

Key Takeaways from the IEDC Conference

October 27th, 2013|Categories: Blog, Featured Home|Tags: , , |

I recently had the opportunity to attend the International Economic Development Council’s annual conference in Philadelphia. The conference provides economic developers with information about best practices, new technologies, and networking opportunities. Here are my top three takeaways from the conference:

Workforce development is the #1 priority for the country’s most successful economic development organizations.

Successful economic development organizations have learned that the best way to keep businesses in their area and to attract new ones is to provide a talented, dynamic workforce. This is an ongoing effort. Technologies and markets are ever-changing, so training programs and educational initiatives must keep pace.

Traditional economic development incentives are not very effective.

Presenter Henry Loewendahl, an expert in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), presented statistical data about the efficacy of traditional incentives such as tax breaks and cash grants. The data clearly show that these incentives have little impact on a company’s site selection for expansion or relocation. The number one factor that does influence site selection? The quality and supply of the local workforce.

Regional branding and cooperation is increasingly necessary for economic development success.

A successful local economy requires great infrastructure, leading workforce development programs, and top-notch branding and PR (you have to let the world know that your region is a great place to do business). All of these things are expensive. A more regional approach to economic development maximizes resources and achieves better results than a city or county going it alone. This is especially true in a rural area like Caroline County and the greater Eastern Shore region.

Do any of these findings surprise you? I was surprised to learn just how ineffective traditional incentives are. This information and the other key takeaways will help shape CEDC priorities and focus our efforts.

AMPing up Caroline’s Workforce

October 27th, 2013|Categories: Blog, Featured Home|Tags: , |

There’s a new effort underway to develop Caroline County’s homegrown engineering and technical talent. The Advanced Manufacturing Professionals (AMP) program will connect high school students with local manufacturers and other technical and industrial sectors.

What is the purpose of AMP?

AMP is designed to educate students about the career opportunities available in manufacturing, which is Caroline County’s largest employment sector. It also allows businesses to build relationships with students who have strong potential for future employment. The ultimate goal of AMP is to provide Caroline’s brightest students with a career pathway that leads them to our own local employers.

Who’s participating in AMP?

The AMP program is open to top pre-engineering and technical students at each of the county’s high schools. Students are nominated by their teachers and must meet attendance requirements and show genuine commitment to their future careers. On the business side, six Caroline companies have expressed interest in participating in AMP thus far.

How does AMP work?

AMP kicks off with a visit to several local manufacturers. At the first stop, students get a broad overview of the manufacturing industry and learn about the types of careers available. They then learn more about the specific companies they will be visiting that day. After that, the students tour the companies’ plants and interact with their engineering and technical employees.

After students have completed the tours, they can apply for internships with companies participating in AMP. If the companies’ business needs and resources allow, they bring on interns to work half days during the school year and/or full time in the summer.

The first group of AMP students will be visiting manufacturers in January 2014.

Spotlight on Innovation

October 27th, 2013|Categories: Blog|Tags: , |

Have you heard about the fascinating, game-changing, and all around AWESOME innovation taking place here in Caroline County? You might be surprised to know:

  • Ridgely-based Combined Technology Solutions has developed an ultra-lean burn system for natural gas engines that dramatically reduces NOx and CO2 emissions. They’ve also designed a Cadillac CTS engine that gets 72 MPG.
  • M&M Refrigeration is one of the few companies in the world that has developed ground freezing technology used when drilling mineshafts. They have completed projects all over the world.
  • Knaggs Guitars, one of the world’s best guitar makers, is producing works of art and technology at their Greensboro factory. Knaggs Guitars are used by artists such as Grammy Award winner Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, Kings of Chaos), Nils Lofgren (E-Street Band), and Doug Rappoport (Edgar Winter Band).

Want to know more? Each monthly edition of The Vantage, the CEDC’s e-newsletter, features a “Spotlight on Innovation” column that highlights the achievements of a Caroline County business. Click here to see previous editions of The Vantage, or subscribe to our newsletter by submitting the form below.

What’s Up at the CEDC?

October 27th, 2013|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |

Whenever someone new takes the helm of an organization, people are always interested to hear how things will change and what the new leader’s goals and priorities are. I’ve had a chance to discuss my plans with many folks, but I thought it would be a good idea to share a bit more information about my vision and plans for economic development in Caroline County.

Priority #1: Workforce development

Businesses are most successful when they have great people at every level in their organization. With rapid advancements in technology and globalization, a region’s workforce must be dynamic. This requires strong resources for training and education, as well as strong coalitions between businesses, schools, and governmental agencies.

Priority #2: Working with existing Caroline businesses to help them stay strong, healthy, and HERE!

This is the best part of my job. Working with businesses to help them solve problems or to grow and expand is incredibly rewarding. It means that hard working people will keep their jobs, and hopefully even have new opportunities open up for them.

Priority #3: Branding Caroline County as a great place to do business

Marketers like to use the word “branding” because it makes us sound smart, but branding is really just story telling. Telling the stories of Caroline County’s innovation, opportunities, and great way of life helps attract businesses and talented workers to our area. It also lets those of us who are already here learn about new opportunities, whether that’s a great career move or the chance to start a business that meets local needs.

What about business attraction?

Attracting new and expanding businesses to Caroline County is also an important part of my job, but focusing on the three priorities listed above will get us pretty far in that effort. The number one factor businesses consider when they relocate to a new area is the local workforce. By making workforce development a priority, the CEDC is not only serving existing businesses, we’re building up our strongest asset to attract new companies. Keeping existing businesses strong also ensures that we maintain a vibrant local economy that can support new companies that come to Caroline. And of course, branding is how we let the world know that we’re here and open for business.

I am so excited about all the great things happening here in Caroline County. I’m honored to be in a position to help businesses and my fellow citizens pursue new opportunities. Check back here often to stay current on all the latest economic development news!

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