“The State was pleased to work with our partners in Washington County to provide the funding to develop a strategic plan to create jobs and generate business in Western Maryland,” said DBED Secretary Christian S. Johansson. “Washington County has an outstanding climate for business, including a strategic location accessible to many markets and one of the most highly-skilled workforces in the country.”

Washington County Board of County Commissioners President Terry Baker said, “We thank our Federal and State partners for helping to fund this economic development roadmap for our future.  The County is excited to see the strategic plan and how the action items will benefit the community.” 

The EDSP will provide a detailed assessment of the County’s strengths and weaknesses, competitiveness with surrounding jurisdictions and an action plan to be implemented to enhance opportunities to increase the County’s ability to identify and attract new businesses and create higher paying jobs for its residents. The ultimate goal is to sustain and expand the economic base in order to provide for a high quality of life for all residents. The plan will present a key set of strategies, with action items, that build upon the current asset base of Washington County, its municipalities and the City of Hagerstown. By identifying how to overcome challenges, facilitate the growth and expand existing businesses and attract new businesses, the EDSP will result in increased employment and position Washington County and the City of Hagerstown to be great places to work, learn and live.

In addition to State funds, another $50,000 will come from a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), bringing the total project funding to $100,000. The ARC is a federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life.

About DBED:

The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development’s mission is to attract new businesses, stimulate private investment and create jobs, encourage the expansion and retention of existing companies and provide businesses in Maryland with workforce training and financial assistance. The department promotes the State’s many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development, international trade and tourism.  As a major economic generator, the department also supports the arts, film production, sports and other special events. For more information, visit www.ChooseMaryland.org.

   M A Y  1 4,  2 0 1 2

Gov. O’Malley visited VT Industries in Hagerstown on April 23 to tour the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant and celebrate Maryland manufacturing. In 2010, VT announced it would close its Fine Laminate Countertop plant in Shelbyville, Ind., and move operations to Hagerstown. VT cited Hagerstown’s strategic location at the crossroads of two major interstates and proximity to major East Coast metropolitan areas as the top reasons for their choice. The company hired more than 50 local workers and invested approximately $11 million in the former Kongsberg Automotive plant.
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May 8, 2012

Money to develop a marketing plan for Hagerstown Regional Airport will be the county’s top priority for grant funds from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Washington County Board of Commissioners decided Tuesday.

The project is one of six the commissioners agreed to submit for consideration for an anticipated $1.3 million to be distributed between three Western Maryland counties for fiscal 2013.

The county is seeking $75,000 in ARC funds for the marketing plan, or half of the $150,000 estimated cost.

Other projects on the commissioners’ list were, in order of priority:

$7,500 toward a fiber-optic line extension in Hancock.
$150,000 toward an energy house at Hagerstown Community College.
$25,000 toward a study of manufacturers’ supply chains for the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission.
$10,000 for development of programs for Leadership Washington County.
$200,000 for a wastewater-collection system project by the city of Hagerstown.
In the separate grant category of access road funds as part of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, the county commissioners had only one request: $750,000 toward the extension of Professional Court.

In that category, about $1 million is anticipated for division between the three Western Maryland counties.

For both categories of funds, the Tri-County Council for Western Maryland is responsible for divvying funds between Washington, Allegany and Garrett counties.

The money comes from the ARC, a federal-state partnership that works for “sustainable community and economic development in Appalachia,” according to the commission’s website, www.arc.gov.
heather.keels@herald-mail.com
Copyright © 2012, Herald Mail

May 2, 2012
 
Working proactively with existing businesses, targeting restrictive state regulations and formulating a  “capture strategy” to attract new companies are areas where Washington County officials hope to improve economic development efforts, speakers said Wednesday morning.

Held as part of the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce’s “Eggs and Issues” breakfast at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, the presentation set an attendance record, chamber President Brien J. Poffenberger said…

…Economic Development Commission Chairman Hal Lucas, County Administrator Gregory B. Murray, and county Commissioner William B. McKinley spoke about the future of economic development in the county…
…“On the EDC staff and in the county, we ought to know what your problems are,” Lucas told the local business leaders at the breakfast. “Not when you run in the door and say, ‘Hey I need help working around this plan,’ or ‘How do I do this?’ We ought to be out ahead of that and understanding what your needs are, and reaching out to the community, and we’ve not done that well enough.”

To improve in that area, county officials and the commissioners have begun visiting local businesses to talk about their concerns, Murray said.

Information from those visits will be used to develop a matrix to help the county identify common threads and craft initiatives to help businesses, Murray said.

“With 9,000 small businesses, if we add one employee at each of those small businesses, that’s a percent and a half on our employment rate,” he said.

The county will send out mailers asking local businesses to contact them about their experiences with regulatory roadblocks, he said. The answers will go into a database that the EDC can use to lobby the state for relief on those issues, he said.

The state regulations that the county must enforce are growing increasingly stringent, and when those make it difficult for businesses to relocate or expand, the county is often blamed for not being “business friendly,” Murray said.

However, the county must work within the guidelines imposed upon it, he said.

“We’re trying to think outside the box on many of these issues,” he said. “That’s a cliche. In our case, many times we’re trying to think outside the straitjacket.”

In addition, all three speakers touched on the importance of a strategic plan for economic development soon to be developed by a consultant using state and federal grant funding.

“We all know what consultants often do; they come in, and they sell you a plan for more consultants,” Lucas said. “We’ve worked hard to make that not the case.”

The plan will outline “measurable metrics, key strategies and defined goals,” he said.

It will also include a “capture strategy” for attracting new businesses, McKinley said.

“We need a strategy that when we go out looking for new business, we’re not out there just winging it,” he said. “We need to have something in writing … that we go out every time and use.”

McKinley also encouraged community leaders in the room to help play up the county’s strengths, such as its location and top-notch school system, community college, museum and library, “in the media and anywhere else.”

Just as important as a good plan is an enthusiastic approach to putting it in action, McKinley said. When he was a football coach, drawing X’s and O’s on a blackboard could only take the team so far, he said.

“It only worked out when the players on the team were highly energized, highly motivated, believed in themselves, were proactive, which meant they took it to the other team; they didn’t wait for the other team to bring it to them,” McKinley said.

The same is true for economic development, he said.

“We’re not going to sit and wait for economic development to come to Washington County; we’re going to go out and get it,” McKinley said.

heather.keels@herald-mail.com
Copyright © 2012, Herald Mail

The Boonsboro-based ES&T Inc., and five other Maryland companies were awarded about $75,000 each, the Maryland Technology Development Corp. said Monday in a news release.

The grants were funded by Congress, but awarded by the development corporation, an independent entity established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1998 to help create businesses and foster their growth in all regions of the state.

ES&T Inc., “has developed an early-stage technology, MEDUSA, to disable blasting caps by introducing electrical energy in a specific sequence of voltage, current and waveforms,” the release said. “This technology has the promise to become an effective counter-improvised explosive device solution.”

The other five businesses to receive grants included:

• TRX Systems Inc. of Greenbelt, Md., has developed the Sentrix system, which provides the capability to track personnel without GPS. The Sentrix system uses ranging data to provide corrections to the estimated position of the tracked individuals.

• Smart Imaging Systems Inc. of Beltsville, Md., is building the world’s smallest X-ray scanner mounted on a small robot for inspection of unidentified and suspicious objects. The system can be driven inside buildings and easily deployed by soldiers, customs and border patrol members, as well as first responders.

• GenArraytion Inc. of Rockville, Md., in conjunction with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, is conducting a “detailed molecular genotyping of clinical bacterial isolates to develop a multiplexed molecular polymerase chain reaction.”

• QuickSilver Analytics Inc. of Abingdon, Md., is looking to commercialize a field-sampling kit developed by the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense for collecting and processing human urine samples in the field. This new technology avoids shipping a biological liquid sample by utilizing a dry prepare/processed sample, instead of ice packs and refrigeration.

• BioFactura Inc. of Rockville is developing a therapeutic treatment for Ebola, a virus that is a high-priority biothreat. The effort will also serve to demonstrate the capability of BioFactura’s RHAGe system for biodefense-countermeasure development. A successful outcome could have broad commercial drug development applications, the release said.

Herald-Mail Company

cj.lovelace@herald-mail.com

The prospect of building a new multiuse sports and events center in downtown Hagerstown took another step forward Tuesday night.

In a joint meeting before a large crowd at City Hall, Washington County and city elected officials agreed on a potential funding model to build the $30-million facility that would be the new home of the Hagerstown Suns minor league baseball team.

Earlier Tuesday, the Washington County Board of Commissioners approved an indirect contribution to the city’s downtown revitalization efforts by permanently taking over the city’s $400,000-a-year payment to the 911 emergency communications center.

Following suit, the Hagerstown City Council came to an unofficial consensus to match the county’s pledge, marking a total city contribution of $800,000 a year toward the debt service of the stadium over 20 years.

The five-member council voted unanimously in favor of the funding concept for the stadium, which could host baseball games by mid-2014 or the beginning of 2015 if all goes as planned, Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II said.

“I believe that it’s a step in the right direction to getting us to that point that we have to be at to approach the state to get their funding,” Bruchey said.

City and county officials have maintained throughout the process that a tax increase will not be needed to pay for a new ballpark at the corner of East Baltimore Street and Summit Avenue.

The city council will hold a special session Tuesday to take an official vote on the funding model, a major milestone in the process because it allows city officials to begin working on a new long-term lease and/or memorandum of understanding with Suns majority owner Bruce Quinn to keep the team in town, Bruchey said.

The team is currently being courted to move to Winchester, Va.

Bruchey said the deal would likely be a 20-year lease with two five-year extension options.

The mayor recently said he expects the Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals to kick in more than the originally expected $300,000 in yearly rent to play in the facility.

Council members spoke up about the potential management of non-baseball events at a new center, which would be handled by the Suns with a portion of revenues paid back to the city and county governments, according to a consultant’s feasibility report.

Councilman Forrest Easton said he would not support the project if the Suns are granted sole management of the facility. The council agreed to discuss the issue with Quinn as part of a new lease agreement.

Using the most conservative projection in the feasibility study conducted by Ripken Design of Baltimore, the local debt service over the first 10 years would amount to about $9.8 million, City Administrator Bruce Zimmerman said.

With its annual 911 center payment eliminated, the city could then fund $800,000 annually, or $8 million over 10 years, toward the debt, Zimmerman said.

An additional $188,000 per year, or about $1.8 million over 10 years, in private-sector funding would still be needed, he said.

However, Councilman Lewis C. Metzner said he believes that finding private money won’t be too difficult.

“I think we’re moving at a great pace now,” he said. “I think private investment is going to be right around the corner, and then we go to the state, and I’m very optimistic this project is going to be done.”

State funding would be required to cover the rest of the project, officials have said.

Bruchey noted that even the most conservative projection in the Ripken study shows the facility breaking even by the sixth year of operation, as long as attendance numbers for baseball games are on par.

Although Bruchey acknowledges that there are going to be “a lot of challenges over the next two years,” referring to issues such as parking, access for public-safety vehicles and traffic around the center, officials will be able to find solutions and ultimately help improve the city’s struggling downtown, he said.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Bruchey said. “I believe there’s a great opportunity here for everybody.”

With public support growing, Metzner said interested citizens have already begun forming groups to help seek additional investments from the community.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “When I say that 90 percent of the people six or eight months ago thought we were crazy, I probably would include me …. I can tell you there was a time when I did not think this was a project that I would be able to support.”

Metzner said he’s “been totally turned around” about building the multiuse facility that would be used for more than just baseball.

Concerts, high school sports, festivals, fairs, and most recently, professional football have all been named as types of events to supplement the Suns 70-plus home game schedule during the summer.

“I think the momentum has just grown phenomenally,” Metzner said. “And I just look at Winchester and say, ‘You guys are one step too late.’ And I think we’re going to get this project, and it’s going to be in downtown Hagerstown.”

Tom Bets the Farm Stables Grand Opening and Open House

Saturday, May 5, 2012
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
FREE Event and Open to the Public
Tom Bets the Farm Stable
5404 Mondell Road
Sharpsburg, MD 21713

The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission, Agricultural Marketing is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of Tom Bets the Farm Stables owned and operated by Betsy Ayers on May 5, 2012 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.  The public is welcome to attend and admission is FREE at 5404 Mondell Road in historic Sharpsburg Maryland.

Come stroll through the barns and meet Betsy Ayers, an avid horse lover, instructor and trainer.  If you have interest in learning how to ride a horse for pleasure, seek more competitive challenges, or want a safe environment to board your horse, this is the event for you.

Activities scheduled throughout the day including:
• Saddle Fitting Demonstration by Terry Peiper of Saddle Fit 4 Life
• Pain Point Demo by Lorrie Bracaloni, Holistic Practitioner
• Farrier Demonstration by Samantha Brammer
• Horse Drill Team Demonstration
• Horse and Pony Rides
• Western Demonstrations
• English Demonstrations
• Food Available all day

For more information please contact:
Betsy Ayers at 717-215-5103
or Leslie Hart at 301-432-4782.

About the EDC, Agricultural Marketing
The Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission (EDC), Agricultural Marketing is a county agency providing assistance to new and expanding businesses throughout Hagerstown and Washington County, Maryland. The EDC, Agricultural Marketing is responsible for developing, marketing, and managing economic development strategies and implementing marketing programs to attract, retain, preserve and grow agricultural enterprises and related industries.   The EDC interacts with a vast network of public, private and nonprofit organizations to address the agricultural and business needs of the community, as well as attract new companies to the county. Visit www.washco-agmarket.net for more information.

Leslie Hart, Agricultural Marketing Specialist
Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission
Phone: 301-432-4782
Email: lhart@hagerstownedc.org or lhart@washco-md.net
       www.washco-agmarket.net

By HEATHER KEELS – Herald-Mail

heather.keels@herald-mail.com

A 55,555 square-foot, three-story office building under construction at Fountainhead Plaza near Hagerstown is expected to be completed by December, developer Asad Ghattas said Tuesday after a groundbreaking ceremony.

At the ceremony, Washington County officials recognized the Fountainhead One Professional Offices project as one of the first to take advantage of two county incentive programs, a “pad-ready” stimulus program and a “green building” tax credit for high-performance commercial buildings.

“If you don’t think this is a great thing for Washington County, just look out there at all the workers,” Washington County Board of Commissioners President Terry Baker said, gesturing at the workers in hard hats and fluorescent vests working on the former Martin’s Food Market site.

“They’re the beneficiaries of everything that’s happening here, and it’s just going to continue with these pad-ready and green building initiatives.”

The shopping center’s anchor space had been vacant for about three years after Martin’s decided to move to a larger site where it could add gas pumps, Ghattas said.

“I tried to market it to the best of my ability, and we couldn’t get anybody to really take the whole space,” he said.

But when his architect showed him a design that would fit more than 50,000 square feet of office space in about half the footprint of Martin’s, leaving room for an area of green space around the building, Ghattas said he was interested.

The availability of the county’s pad-ready incentive helped seal the deal, and the green building tax credit contributed to his decision to pursue silver-level LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification, Ghattas said.

The pad-ready program is for projects in commercial or industrial zones that take an undeveloped site to a ready-to-build state or demolish, renovate or expand a building in need of redevelopment.

It expedites aspects of the county’s planning and review process, defers some costs and offers a property tax credit after a building is constructed on the site.

The high-performance, tax-credit program provides property tax credits for construction of LEED-certified commercial buildings.

The company was able to recycle 93 percent of the rubble from the demolition of Martin’s, and recycled materials will be used as much as possible in the new office building, he said.

Demolition of Martin’s began around February, Ghattas said. The work is being done by Waynesboro Construction.

Ghattas said he had had “serious inquiries” about space in the office building, but had not signed any tenants yet.

The Comptroller created this new program to recognize individuals and organizations in each county and Baltimore City best exemplifying William Donald Schaefer’s lifelong commitment to helping people. The honor is called the William Donald Schaefer Helping People Award.

Winners will be selected based on their demonstration of: improving the community; swiftly solving a citizen problem through effective government intervention; directly aiding the most vulnerable in society; or creating a public/private partnership to improve the lives of Marylanders.

“As we approach the one year anniversary of William Donald Schaefer’s death, I can’t think of a better way to honor his legacy of public service than by recognizing individuals and organizations demonstrating his doctrine of helping people,” said Comptroller Franchot.

Nominations will be reviewed by a special panel of friends and colleagues of Schaefer’s including Lainy Lebow-Sachs, Mark Wasserman, Robert Douglas, Zelig Robinson and Michael Golden. The Comptroller will personally present the award to each winner starting in April. Nominations must be received by March 30, 2012.

Congratulations on Ms. Hart’s nomination and thanks for all you do!

Educational Campaign on Safe and Sensible Structures

Hagerstown, MD (May 2, 2012) – When you enter a house or building, most likely you assume it is safe and was properly constructed in accordance with building codes. Fortunately, your local safety experts work hard to assure building safety and fire prevention every day. To help raise awareness of building safety, Washington County Government proudly celebrates Building Safety Month this May. The theme, “An International Celebration of Safe and Sensible Structures” highlights four areas: Energy and Green Building; Disaster Safety and Mitigation; Fire Safety and Awareness; and Backyard Safety.

Importance of Building Safety                                                                                                    
Across the nation, leaders and communities are promoting the use and understanding of these topics to protect lives and property. Washington County Government’s Divisions of Emergency Services, Plan Review and Permitting, and Public Works does this year round – and hopes May’s educational campaign will remind citizens of the importance of building safety.  The Board of County Commissioners recognized this effort by presenting a Building Safety Month proclamation to involved Washington County Government employees. 

“When building safety and fire prevention experts inspect buildings during and after construction, we help to ensure that the places where you live, learn, work, worship and play are safe,” said County Administrator Greg Murray.  The important work we do is often overlooked until a catastrophic tragedy occurs.”

Building safety and fire prevention codes address all aspects of construction, such as structural soundness of buildings, reliability of fire prevention and suppression systems, plumbing and mechanical systems, and energy efficiency and sustainability. To ensure buildings are safe requires the active participation of building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, builders, engineers, contractors and others in the construction industry, as well as property owners.

“Public safety is our number one concern,” said Murray. “During Building Safety Month and all year long, building safety and fire prevention officials are here to help protect you, your family and our community.”

Educational Campaign                                                                                                                   
To celebrate Building Safety Month, Washington County Government is launching an education campaign, focusing on the hot topics in building safety.  We will be interactive with the public by posting daily safety tips on Facebook, and answering “Ask the Expert” questions all month long.  In addition, the County will be highlighting videos that further explain building code and safe structures.  Children can also participate by completing educational workbooks, found at local libraries. 

Tune in the County’s website, Facebook page, and news alerts to participate in each week’s theme. 

Week of May 7th: Energy and Green Building – Learn how the County has implemented energy saving practices using grant money.

Week of May 14th: Disaster Safety and Mitigation – Learn how the County’s Emergency Services team alerts citizens during major emergencies and ensures safety.

Week of May 21st: Fire Safety and Awareness – Learn how the County’s first responders keep our County safe and continue to educate the public on fire safety.

Week of May 28th: Backyard Safety – Learn how to be safe in outdoor settings, as the County’s Division of Plan Review and Permitting will highlight backyard pool safety. 

About Washington County, Maryland Government                                                                 
Washington County, Maryland Government strives to fulfill its duty to the citizens of Washington County with regard to operational efficiency, fiscal responsibility, and responsiveness to the needs of the community. This vision is used to ably assist the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County in achieving goals for moving the County forward as present needs and future plans are addressed.

According to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services, the Washington County General Fund has the third lowest cost per capita for services provided of all 23 counties and Baltimore City.  This is attributed to the efficiency, staffing levels, and cost containment exhibited in Washington County Government operations. Visit www.washco-md.net for more information.

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About the International Code Council                                                       
The International Code Council is a member-based association dedicated to helping the building safety community and construction industry provide safe and sustainable construction through the development of codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.
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CONTACT:

Sarah Lankford Sprecher, Director of Public Relations & Community Affairs
Phone: 240-313-2215
Email: ssprecher@washco-md.net 

Norman Bassett, Public Information Officer
Phone:   240-313-2077V/TDD
Email: nbassett@washco-md.net