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Forward Frederick
The Frederick County Office of Economic Development’s mission is to sustain, diversify and grow Frederick County’s vibrant economy by providing leadership and resources for businesses to start, locate and expand.
FORWARD » Frederick County
2022 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT
Letter from the AcTing Director
The Frederick County Office of Economic Development (FCOED) has many reasons to celebrate 2022. We welcomed new businesses to the County, we helped existing businesses expand, we provided grants to the agriculture industry and helped our entrepreneurs start and grow. We developed new initiatives that received international and state recognition and expanded existing FCOED programs to support our business community.
We proudly launched our new brand, returned in person for our signature events and launched a new website to support Frederick County manufacturers, MadeinFrederickMD.com. This new site was presented with the 2022 Champion of Manufacturing Award by the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland.
FCOED has been implementing the strategic plan that was developed by Jacob France Institute. The Growth Opportunity (GO) Strategy identified workforce development, infrastructure planning, targeted industry growth and branding as focus areas. The GO Strategy elevated Frederick County to a national and international level, with companies such as Kroger/ Ocado, Kite Pharma, Ellume and Quantum Loophole choosing the County for their new location.
FCOED is thrilled to be back in person for our signature events! With approximately 130 people in attendance, we held the Frederick Real Estate Dealmaker (FRED) Awards celebration in May honoring the most successful commercial real estate transactions and projects. Business Appreciation Week (BAW) was held in October, and we visited 108 businesses with our economic development partners. In December, we held our Annual Business Reception with close to 200 people representing leaders in our business community, partners and elected officials. The Great Frederick Fair was better than ever, and FCOED had more than 12,000 visitors in the Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries Showcase building, highlighting the craft beverage industry.
FCOED was happy to participate in person at the Bio International Convention held in California. Frederick County continues to gain recognition as a premier location for the rapidly expanding life sciences industry and has a high demand for entry-level workers. The Biotech Boot Camp program was created to address these workforce needs, and to date, two cohorts have successfully completed the program at an 85% employment rate.
We would like to thank the businesses that made this year’s Top 50 Most Innovative Businesses. We have an amazing, innovative, creative business community, and narrowing it down to 50 was a difficult task. The businesses in this publication are making the biggest impact on their industries, workplace and the Frederick County Community – thriving in today’s ever-changing environment.
2022 was an exciting year and we are looking forward to driving progress throughout 2023!
Jodie Bollinger, Acting Director of FCOED
2022 Selected Company Locations & Expansions: NEW JOBS ADDITIONAL SQ. FOOTAGE/ACRES
Chestnut Hill Farm (E)
Aligned Data Centers (L)
Westbound Transport (E)
DRS Signal Solutions Inc (L)
Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona (E)
Federal Stone Industries (E)
New York Life Insurance Company (L)
Green Leaf Medical (E)
Forecyte (E)
Belleza Salon & Day Spa (E)
X-energy (L)
Medigen (E)
Rehab 2 Perform (E)
Smoketown Brewing Station (E)
Planar Monolithic Industries (E)
Valence Vector Labs (L)
Zalgen Labs (L)
Union Mills Public House (L)
Kiosk Group (E)
Zegaz Instruments (E)
Northrop Realty (L)
Fitzgerald’s Heavy Timber Construction (L)
Prospect Point Brewing (E) 6
Infrastructure Phase
30
150
45
5
21
25
5
5
20
10
10
8
4
5
2
15
6
19 16 Acres
460,000
128,000
88,000
72,000
41,000
36,000
17,040
17,000
15,000
10,447
9,000
9,000
8,000
17,000
7,500
6,600
6,000
5,200
4,000
3,000
2,600
2,500 Additional Economic Development Wins
Advanced Functional Health & Wellness Agave 137 Tequila Bar & Kitchen Antelux Capital Partners B. Anderson’s Backyard Experience BK Juices BridgePath Scientific Cannon’s Event Space Capital Telecom Services Catoctin Breeze Vineyard Charm City Run Citizen’s Ballroom Community Title Network Concerted Care Group Cornerstone Genomics Curaleaf Dash Hair Studio Dream FREE Art Frederick Social Give Rise Studio Groundswell MMA Harlan Hawkins Aesthetics Hoffman Brothers Ice Cream Hummingbird Wealth Management Ideal Jewelers Imagination Station Children’s Center Interventional Pain & Spine Care Kesar by Shivaani Kika Stretch Studios Lockhouse Studios Louie’s Famous Chicken & Subs Love Your Vessel Magpie Fibers Maryland Center for Brain Health McClintock’s Back Bar Move Buy Marsh Realty New York Life ODIN Crossfit Passion Events Design Pediatric Movement Center Priscilla’s Pound Cakes Prospect Pantry Rollins Life Celebration Center Rosie Cheeks Distillery Smoketown Bait and Tackle The Basement Hair Studio The Premier Group of Long and Foster The Frederick Ballroom Traveling Bros Cigars
A FIVE-YEAR Look Back
Since 2018, FCOED has worked with 522 prospective businesses, visited 1,265 businesses and assisted 11,333 businesses. FCOED services include but are not limited to: business expansion and location assistance, incentive/funding resources, workforce recruitment and training programs, permitting/zoning assistance, marketing and public relations assistance, diversity and inclusion EmPOWER Program, business networking and industry connections, demographic and business data.
Year Prospects*
*Prospects include businesses looking to start, locate or expand in Frederick County.
Business Visits Business Assists
Workforce Services As one of the nation’s One-Stop Career Centers, Frederick County Workforce Services (FCWS) links businesses in need of qualified employees with individuals seeking employment opportunities. For job seekers, FCWS provides comprehensive career management services. For businesses, FCWS utilizes innovative strategies to help identify and achieve recruitment, retention and training goals.
Year One-Stop Services CUSTOMERS SERVED
One-Stop Services
YOUTH CUSTOMERS SERVED Job Openings Received Frederick Business Works Projects
TRAINEES Recruitment for Business
Customized & Onsite Recruitment Events
Looking Forward
The impact of FCOED is to:
» Strengthen Frederick County’s economic foundations.
» Enable the County to sustain the diversity of its industry and employment base. » Raise performance in driving high quality economic growth.
» Build upon the County’s mix of industry clusters: • Biosciences • Computing and Information
Technology • Hospitality and Tourism • Manufacturing • Professional, Engineering,
Scientific & Technical Services • Transportation, Distribution and Logistics • Value Added Agriculture
$12.2B
GDP
AAA
Frederick County’s Bond Rating
1.852M
Annual Visitors
$461M
Visitor Spending
279,835
Population (2021)
BY THE Numbers
TWO - THOUSAND TWENTY TWO
Small Business Services
FCOED partners with the Small Business Development Center and the Maryland Women’s Business Center to offer Small Business Services.
175 CLIENTS COUNSELED
13 BUSINESS STARTS
27 JOBS CREATED
42%
Bachelor’s Degree or higher
$100,685
Median Household Income
6,619
Businesses
The Frederick County ARPA Farmer Relief grant program allocated funds to eligible farmers and agriculture crop producers impacted by the steep increases in input costs brought on by the COVID-19 public health emergency and its negative economic impact.
$1,569,614.12 118
Total grant award Total applicants awarded
Frederick County Employment Categories
*CONSISTS OF 9% LOCAL 1% STATE 4% FEDERAL
Leisure & Hospitality
10%
Education & Health Services
14%
Other
4%
Source: Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Annual Average Employment 2021 Data
Professional & Business Services 17%
Financial
4%
Government*
14%
Natural Resources & Mining 1%
Construction 10%
Manufacturing 6%
Information 1%
Trade, Transportation & Utilities 19%
98,144
Jobs
$5.86B
Annual Wages
3.4%
Frederick County Unemployment Rate
$15.55
Commercial Asking Rent per Square Foot
Compared to $12.56 5 years ago.
6.6%
Overall Commercial Vacancy Rate
Office, Industrial, Flex Costar 3rd Quarter.
$306M
Value of Commercial and Industrial Construction Costs (2021)
1,179,822
Square Feet Leased
The amount of commercial space businesses leased in the last 12 months.
2022 top highlights
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Agricultural Innovation Grants Frederick
County conducted two rounds of the Frederick County Agricultural Innovation Grant program, that is designed to improve economic viability of the agriculture industry by encouraging agricultural producers to expand or diversify their business operations. In 2022, 32 ag innovation projects received $1,029,235 in funds. These projects added 85 fulltime and 89 part-time jobs.
The next round of the Agricultural Innovation Grant program opens March 1, 2023. To be eligible for the grant program, an applicant must be a crop or livestock producer, value added producer, agricultural cooperative, seafood processor, or primary or secondary timber products processor. Grant funds are available to cover a portion of project expenses for research and development, production buildings, major fixtures and processing facilities.
Biotech Boot Camp Frederick’s Biotech Boot Camp is a no-cost training program designed through the collaborative effort of Frederick Community College, Frederick County Workforce Services, The City of Frederick Department of Economic Development and Frederick County Office of Economic Development to teach participants the basic skills needed for entry-level positions within the biotechnology/biomanufacturing industry. Focused on delivering real career opportunities & meeting workforce needs, graduates are then matched directly with participating local companies for job interviews.
To date, two cohorts have successfully completed the program, and 85% of the program’s graduates are already working within the biotech industry. A Bio Boot Camp cohort is offered in January 2023.
The International Economic Development Council honored the Biotech Boot Camp with the Excellence in Economic Development Silver Award for Partnerships with Educational Institutions.
There’s No Place Like
Frederick County! For 22
consecutive years, FCOED has coordinated Business Appreciation Week (BAW), one of the largest business retention programs in the State of Maryland. FCOED and our economic development partners visited 108 businesses in one week. While recognizing the brains, heart and courage of our business community, we asked why There’s No Place Like Frederick County. Below are some of the responses:
“I am so thoroughly impressed, and it warms my heart how welcoming the business community is here. As a whole, our local business community is very inviting and always looking to help each other thrive.”
COAST Designs
“We love the way Frederick County supports new businesses and the camaraderie amongst business owners.”
Nelson Coleman Jewelers
All participating businesses received marketing exposure and an opportunity to win a $5,000 marketing package from Manning Media.
BAW By The Numbers
108 Businesses Represented
» 175,000+ SF and 500 Agricultural Acres
» In total these businesses employ 2,080
» 27% of the businesses were new
» 60% of businesses plan to expand
has over 200 manufacturers that call Frederick County home and this industry continues to grow. To highlight the value and importance of this industry, FCOED launched a new website in 2022. MadeinFrederickMD.com, a one-stop shop for existing manufacturers, manufacturers looking to locate to the area and the overall community. Made in Frederick aims to strengthen and foster the growth of Frederick County’s manufacturing industry by providing resources, connections and tools to succeed, as well as a jobs board to post manufacturing opportunities.
The Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland awarded MadeinFrederickMD.com a 2022 Champion of Maryland Manufacturing recognition
EmPOWER Mentorship Program The
EmPOWER Mentorship Program is a facilitated mentoring model designed to help underrepresented businesses generate ideas, identify blind spots, troubleshoot problems, and grow their networks in Frederick County.
2022 COHORT
» Alexandra Gushard-Edwards -
Marie Rose Photography &
Videography » Alice Victoria Mbuyi -
The Frederick Ballroom » Alyssa Palermo - Shoppers
Insurance Agency » Jarad Bowens - Benefactor Events » Juve Lima - Greek Aroma » Lois Pruitt - The Frederick Basket
Company » Sandra Hofmeister -
A&S Construction » Sanathana Shanmugam -
Minnodi, LLC » Tina Harper - Dream Free Art » Tonya Chubb - EmPowerment
Consulting Services, LLC
2022 MENTORS
» Michelle Nusum-Smith – The Word
Woman, LLC » Xavier Bruce – Uplift Energy
Coaching » Tereance Moore – T.M. Consulting LLC » Deanna Grimm – Fulton Bank » Justin Saltzman – VCRE.co » Timika Thrasher – Thrasher’s
Cleaning Service » Darrick Bowens – Colbert/Ball
Tax Service » Kristopher Madore – Madore Law, LLC » Amanda Rodriguez – Trendsetters
Digital Media » Simone Mitchem – JSM Enterprise, LLC » Karen Kalantzis – Maryland
Women’s Business Center » Serina Roy – Dublin Roasters Coffee » Darren Sheffield – Midar International » Bethany Lord – SHRM » Ashleigh Kiggans – MacRo, Ltd.
Commercial Real Estate
Awards and Recognition
Agricultural Awards
Farm Family of the Year: Glade Haven Farm Ag Advocate of the Year: Dr. Ray Edigar Ag Business of The Year: Shuff’s Meat Market Young Farmer of the Year: Ben and Kate Sowers
Fred Awards
Deal of the Year: Ellume at Progress Labs at Center 85 » Dan Mallon and Jeff Boyle, Ellume » Brad Benna, Matan Companies » Pete Briskman, JLL » Taylor Davis, Morgan Keller Construction Creative Adaptive Reuse: Middletown Memorial Hall LLC » Elkana Bretton, Ingrid Smith and Gerardo Lepatina,
Memorial Hall Middletown, LLC » Becky Axilbund, Main Street Middletown » Burgess John Miller, Town of Middletown Modern Masterpiece Award: Union Mills Retail » Jim Mackintosh, Mackintosh, Inc Commercial
Brokerage » Matthew Jamel, Douglas Development » Niko Negas, Public House Dealmaker of the Year: Tony “C” Checchia, VCRE.CO Emerging Dealmaker of the Year: Ashleigh Kiggans, MacRo Ltd. Commercial Real Estate Lifetime Achievement Award: Tim Shanklin, Tyler Duncan Realty Partners Most Valuable Partner: Innovation in Training Institute at Hood College
Stay Connected
THE FREDERICK COUNTY OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
118 N. Market St., Suite 300 Frederick, MD 21701 | 301.600.1058 www.DiscoverFrederickMD.com www.HomegrownFrederick.com www.MadeinFrederickMD.com
