Top 50 Frederick: 2019

PUBLISHERS Shawn Dewees Joseph Silovich

MANAGING EDITOR Nancy Luse

PRODUCTION MANAGER Matthew Piersall

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Annie Ellis

Matthew Piersall

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Turner Photography Studio Supplement to Frederick Magazine

FREDERICK COUNTY OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Helen Propheter, Executive Director, Economic and Workforce Development Jodie Bollinger, Director of Business Retention and Expansion Amanda Lee, Manager of Market Research and Data Analysis Sharon Hipkins, Special Events Coordinator

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Terri Davis tdavis@fredmag.com Linda Dove ldove@fredmag.com Leslie Lillo llillo@fredmag.com

DISTRIBUTOR Josh Ensor alloutdist@aol.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Stephanie Dewees subscriptions@fredmag.com

Telephone: 301.662.8171 | FAX: 301.662.8399

www.fredmag.com Letters to the editor: nluse@fredmag.com Top 50 Frederick is an annual publication of Diversions Publications, Inc., 6 N. East Street, Suite 301, Frederick, MD 21701-5601 (ISSN 006-923). Periodicals postage paid at Frederick, MD. Subscriptions to Frederick Magazine, $24.95 per year, which includes the Top 50 Frederick and all other annual guides (available through the business office). Back issues w/in the last 12 mo/$3.95. Prior to 12 mos. ago/$7. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Frederick Magazine, 6 N. East Street, Suite 301, Frederick, MD 21701-5601. Customer inquiries to same address or call 301-662-8171. Distributed through mail subscriptions, home delivery, and sold at newsstands and other locations in Frederick, Upper Montgomery counties, and throughout the Central Maryland region. Advertising rates available on request. Manuscripts, drawings, and other submissions must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Frederick Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited material. All rights to submissions, including letters and e-mail, will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as subject to Frederick Magazine’s unrestricted right to edit and to comment editorially, unless otherwise negotiated with the author. © DIVERSIONS PUBLICATIONS, INC. Printed on 2020. All contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced Recycled Paper in whole or in part for any reason without prior approval of the publisher.

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TABLE OF

Contents 8

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Health at Work Employers strive for the well-being of staff.

18 Ping Pong Anyone?

Today’s workspace is open, fun and ready for collaboration.

27 Forward Frederick County The Frederick County Office of Economic Development presents its 2019 annual report.

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36 More than a Paycheck Company initiatives for their workers prove to be priceless.

46 Profiles of the Top 50 Best Workplaces A look at the top companies that attract and keep talent by providing a welcoming workplace.

70 Setting an Example Companies give back to the community and encourage workers to do the same.

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78 At a Glance A look at the Frederick County Office of Economic Development.

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Health at Work Employers Strive for Staff Well Being lexible schedules. Ping pong tables.

Dogs. Frederick County employers are offering their workers fun, innovative and helpful ways to preserve employee health. These bosses want to help their employees focus better on their jobs while at work and worry less about their jobs when they’re not there.

F

Employers large and small, government, nonprofit and private, want to help employees get healthier. The following are just some of the examples of businesses that make wellness in and out of work a priority, with staffers responding in ways that help not only their employer’s bottom line, but their own.

BY KAREN GARDNER

Legal & General This life insurance company began its current focus on wellness a decade ago. But even before then, says Cynthia Yee, human resources business partner, employees used the company’s large front lawn for games. In 2009, the company’s social committee began to incorporate wellness initiatives, and the wellness program has taken off.

An onsite gym is available for employees to use and there are organized games, like tug-ofwar and tricycle races, which allow workers to blow off steam.

One-third of the company’s 600 employees work remotely, and many take part in a walking challenge. In the office, there are healthy snacks and a drinking water challenge.

You will “see people with jugs at the water cooler filling up,” Yee says.

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Illumine8 Illumine8 Marketing & PR is a small, 10-person office, located in historic Downtown Frederick on East Fourth Street. Company founder Christina May envisioned a company where employees had healthy options when she started the firm in 2013.

“She thought if employees are happy and healthy, they engage more,” says Sue Shank, project manager. “If you feel better as a person, you’re going to do a better job.”

Illumine8 Marketing & PR, a 10-person office in Downtown Frederick, regularly includes company founder Christina May’s dog, Lucy.

A blood pressure cuff is stored in a small conference room. Health insurance provides employees with a health coach and a digital support group. Employees get time to volunteer for Special Olympics competition and they visit seniors, where they play Bingo, take part in a sock hop and stock a community pantry with fresh and canned foods. At the Urbana headquarters, workers can take a mental break and play ping pong, cornhole, air hockey or foosball, said Christine Traini, training specialist.

Wellness initiatives extend beyond the physical.

Workers also get classes in investing, saving, 401K strategies and retirement planning.

There’s a company pension plan and a loan service which offers low-interest loans to employees, Traini says.

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May’s black Labrador Retriever, Lucy, comes to work with her owner, and employees are welcome to take Lucy for walks. “Depending on the day, people will take her to a park nearby, or they’ll just walk her up and down the street,” Shank says.

The company also provides gym memberships for employees, healthy snack options that include organic and non-genetically modified options and choices for those with special dietary needs. “There’s something for everyone,” Shank says.

For that time when a worker needs a five to 10-minute stretch, there’s a dartboard, Nerf guns and a mini-cornhole game.

“Illumine8 believes games and puzzles can spark collaboration and creativity,” she says.

Life insurance company Legal & General, Urbana, has an onsite gym as well as space where workers can take a mental break by playing pool or other games.

Matan Companies No soda exists in the break room at Matan Companies. “We promote a healthy environment in general,” says Meredith Roark, director of operations. Fresh fruit, seltzer water, tea, cheese and other protein snacks are available to encourage employees to eat healthy foods. The real estate company is based in Frederick, but also has a Germantown office.

“A couple times a year, we’ll have a mandatory yoga class,” she says. The Frederick office has a once-a-week class, with about 25 minutes devoted to yoga and another 15 to 20 minutes for meditation.

Twice a week, there’s an early-morning basketball game. For workers who want other exercise options, the company has a full-sized gym with weights and other equipment.

In addition to initiatives to invite employees to eat healthy, Matan Companies in Frederick has a once-a-week yoga class. For those wanting other options, there’s a full-sized gym.

Wellness initiatives extend beyond the physical. Workers also get classes in investing, saving, 401K strategies and retirement planning.

Plamondon Companies

“We all encourage each other,” Roark says.

Real estate can be stressful, she adds, but these healthy outlets help the company’s employees deal with the pressures.

Employees are also encouraged to take advantage of bowling and golf outings.

“We support work-life balance,” Roark says.

The company has 53 employees, most of whom work in Frederick, with some who work in Germantown, and others out in the field much of the time. But taking time out for health occurs throughout the company.

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Plamondon Companies has been helping its employees get healthier since 2013. At that time, Frederick County’s Healthy Workplace program, and Healthiest Maryland, a state initiative to promote workplace wellness, recognized healthy businesses. Now called Healthiest Maryland Businesses, the program recognizes employers with Gold, Silver, Bronze and On the Path honors for outstanding workplace wellness programs.

Plamondon regularly earns the Bronze award and has won the Silver award. Managers in the company’s 24 Roy Rogers restaurants and 11 hotels in Frederick, Hagerstown, Pennsylvania and Georgia, along with corporate employees, earn points for walking or running, with steps tracked by a FitBit or pedometer.

The employee with the most steps wins the company’s Golden Shoe Award, and awards go to the top three step-achievers. “It was a challenge for us for workplace wellness, because not everyone is in one place,” says Katrina Wyand-Yurish, human resources director. The Golden Shoe Award program solved that. Most hotel and restaurant

managers log a lot of steps in their day-to-day work, she adds.

These employees also get gym fees reimbursed and the company sponsors regular wellness seminars on topics including diabetes. Employees also get treated to financial wellness seminars. “If people have a good handle on their finances, they’re happier at work,” Wyand-Yurish says. Topics include budgeting, 401K saving and insurance.

Two years ago, the company sponsored a Weight Watchers challenge. Employees could report for weigh-ins at corporate headquarters or local Weight Watchers’ centers. “We lost a combined 180 pounds,” Wyand-Yurish says. “We’re thinking about doing that again.” All employees, not just managers and corporate staff, get regular biometric screenings for cholesterol, glucose and other health measurements, and can compare the numbers from year to year.

Plamondon Companies regularly wins accolades in local and state programs for its emphasis on promoting a healthy lifestyle in the workplace. Workers can win the company’s Golden Shoe Award for racking up walking or running points.

The company also reimburses up to $25 for the entry fee to a walkathon or 5K fundraiser run.

At the corporate headquarters, fresh fruit is available. “It’s hard to make healthy choices when you’re faced with a cheeseburger or fried chicken every day, but the fruit helps,” she says. Since 2014 the company has had a smokefree workplace, including outdoor areas within 25 feet of a building.

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Emmes Corporation Emmes opened its Frederick location in 2017.

The clinical research organization is regularly named a Gold winner of Healthiest Maryland Businesses. When the company expanded its Rockville operation into Frederick, wellness initiatives were included.

Each month, the company adopts a different wellness strategy. In December, the focus is holiday health. Other months include breast cancer awareness and financial wellness.

Several times a year, onsite fitness classes, including yoga and Zumba, are held.

Sit/stand desks, which allow the employee to raise or lower the desk easily, are available.

Tammi Toquinto, HR director, said employees get discounts to Gold’s Gym, OneLife Fitness and Anytime Fitness. The Rockville office has a gym that many Frederick employees take advantage of before or after meetings in Rockville.

Sit/stand desks, which allow the employee to raise or lower the desk easily, are available.

“We’re a clinical research company,” Toquinto says. “Our employees look at statistical data all day long, and our staff take advantage

In addition to physical health steps by Emmes Corporation, employees at the Frederick business also benefit from mental health initiatives such as visits from comfort dogs from the Frederick-based Wags for Hope.

of the desks.” Remote work options offer a healthy work-life balance.

“We work to improve public health,” she says.

Employees are not only dedicated to their work, they embrace the healthy workplace initiatives.

Mental health is important, too. Each May, the company brings in comfort dogs from the Frederick-based Wags for Hope.

The company’s Emmes Cares committee works with local nonprofits to increase employee awareness, and to encourage employees to volunteer. “This makes for a healthier community,” Toquinto says. Emmes also received the Alliance Workplace Excellence Award for Workplace Excellence, Health & Wellness.

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Ping Pong Anyone?

BY GINA GALLUCCI-WHITE

Today’s workspace is open, fun and ready for collaboration hen custom software development company Orases decided to move from its Guilford Drive location to Industry Lane, the entire team got to decide what kind of office space they wanted.

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members wanted a big conference room where training could take place, along with a large kitchen so they could eat together in a casual environment. They also wanted a lot of natural light. “We

“We all sat down together and put out ideas of what we wanted the place to be,” says co-founder Nick Damoulakis. “...Everybody was like we should do this.

We should have this.”

Their ideas were transformed into reality when the company moved from its 2,000 square foot space into a 10,000 square foot facility during winter 2018. Team

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With Orases’ wide open spaces at their Industry Lane building, there’s plenty of room for the staff to launch a group cheer.

knocked out a vast majority of the front of our building and put in three industrial garage doors that are glass to get the natural light in and it allows us to open and close it on nice days,” Damoulakis says.

“You get a little bit of the outside in.”

There is also a wellness room that can be used for meditation while also hosting a massage chair, and refrigerator, along with some healthy snacks and a library with books. Because the office has an open concept with low walls around working spaces, they created privacy booths for people to take personal calls.

Team members may also unwind with a friendly game of ping pong. “We work hard,”

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Damoulakis says. “Don’t get me wrong. Does (the table) get used?

Yeah. A few times a week. We do have a tournament. (It is) more a stress reliever. When people just need to take a break or sometimes you just need that moment where you are like ‘I have been working on this problem and I just need to get away.’

Some people like to just go for a walk.

Some people do it through ping pong.

Some go to work out across the street.”

When asked if these amenities promote working together, Damoulakis notes a company must have a great culture to

have the collaboration. “You can have all the right tools and everything but if you don’t have the culture, you don’t have anything,” he says. “We have to make sure we are always trying to figure out what we can do better.

“Collaboration and culture are a living breathing organism that we are always fine-tuning, checking Employers are seeing today’s job market as employee-driven and what better way to in and making better,” attract and retain workers than to offer a comfortable and inviting work environment. he says. “We really try to focus on meaningful relationships. It all starts there, and we do very meaningZavos Architecture + Design ful work. The work that we are doing is Hannah Weikel, vice president and director changing the world to be a better place. of interiors with Zavos Architecture + When you have that you start having a Design has noticed more open concepts great culture and the work environment when it comes to workspaces. More is just part of that.” companies are asking for glass walls People spend as many of their waking hours at their jobs as they do at home.

In the past, offices were filled with tall cubicles where employees never saw their neighbors and large offices for executive staff members. Today’s office space is pretty much the opposite.

Cubicles have barely, if any, walls and CEOs and company founders have desks alongside staff.

instead of plaster and dry wall in order to show more transparency. Not many are asking for private offices and those that need them are taking the doors off to increase communication.

Another trend is companies wanting common amenity spaces, including having a foosball table, or sitting and grabbing a cup of coffee to talk with coworkers in a breakout space.

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Clients today are looking for three areas in an office—design, function, and feel.

“Everyone kind of is different,” she says.

“It depends [on] what kind of work you do.” Technology is also a factor with staff wanting the ability to be able to move around and not be so stationary. Staff can take their laptops into a conference room or use a private room for a meeting and share screens.

market,” Weikel says. “You can write your ticket right now. The market is so strong, and everyone is building. You want to keep your employees there. A long-term employee is better for business. It is better for customers. I think if you keep your employees happy there are benefits to that all around.”

A friendly and inviting workspace is important for employers in today’s market.

After a decade in Germantown, Asbury Communities Inc. moved their corporate office to Frederick in September 2017.

When designing the headquarters, the focus was on open space and collaboration. Staff now work in pods of desks with short walls so they may interact face-to-face with co-workers instead of through emails.

“From what we are experiencing and what we are seeing, it is an employee

Asbury Communities Inc.

“We knew that to continue transforming our business, we needed input from everyone— that associates needed to feel equally valued and valuable,” says Doug Leidig, president and CEO. “That was a major push behind the open office concept. We absolutely have seen an increase not only in collaboration, but in the amount of time we resolve certain questions or issues.”

Asbury Communities Inc.

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Their former office had lots of cubicles along with the

management team stationed in offices. “It didn’t encourage open lines of communication,” he says. “We did a lot of emailing.

We are doing a lot less of that. By putting people from different departments in proximity to each other where we thought there could be synergy, we've seen some processes streamlined. Legal is close to human resources. Finance, payroll, and accounting are in areas where they can easily see each other and troubleshoot.”

Asbury Communities on Westview Drive created an entirely new look for their space with plenty of light and open spaces. President and CEO Doug Leidig doesn’t even have an office, instead working alongside staff.

Leidig doesn’t have an office now and works alongside his staff. The change has helped him to feel more connected and gives him the opportunity to better understand the issues facing staff along with seeing them reach goals.

“It's been really exciting to see the change in how we work, but also in the energy level at the Asbury Support & Collaboration Center,” he says. “You see your colleagues working, talking, you make eye contact. You're not just seeing three cubicle walls or your office day in and day out. We've learned how to

follow the signals of when someone is busy, but I think everyone feels a lot freer to go up to the person and get a quick answer to a question or share an idea.

“And that goes for people at all levels of the organization—including me. I think it's made a lot of associates feel more comfortable reaching out in person,” Leidig says. “When you are in full view, it promotes greater transparency, accountability, and promotes trust throughout.

We see each other carrying out our mission, and doing our best, and it's inspiring, especially through the challenges.”

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Soaring to New Heights Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) is the catalyst for commercial growth. OED’s mission is to increase the overall economic health of Frederick County through attracting new businesses in key industries and helping existing businesses be more successful.

FORWARD »

Frederick County 2019 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT

JOINT MESSAGE

Helen Propheter & Jan Gardner Executive Director of Economic and Workforce Development and County Executive

OED has many reasons to celebrate 2019. Our economy is thriving and business activity has never been better. This annual report highlights key accomplishments, milestones and data points over the past year.

It also sets forth strategies and initiatives for the upcoming year.

The number of jobs in Frederick County increased 6.6% over the last five years, with total jobs exceeding 104,000. Frederick County is leading the way, with big wins such as Kite Pharma, Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley’s eCommerce facility and the expansion of Thermo Fisher Scientific. OED continues to support existing businesses through our retention services and programs such as Business Appreciation Week, our largest retention program.

In collaboration with our partners, we visited 116 companies representing over 16,500 employees. We look forward to sharing some exciting announcements soon about large business prospects locating or expanding in Frederick County.

It is clear that Frederick County is a great place to do business!

As a county, our AAA bond rating has solidified our economic position as one that less than 2% of counties in the nation have been able to achieve.

Making life better for Frederick County residents takes good planning. Livable Frederick, an award-winning masterplan for the future of Frederick County, will do just that, supporting items such as good paying jobs close to home, excellent schools, effective services, beautiful parks, a vibrant arts community and a variety of housing options. We are leading the way with innovation and excellence. Frederick County is soaring to new heights!

Finally, we’d like to acknowledge and thank the organizations and businesses that have made this year’s Top 50 Best Workplaces.

These companies are a major reason Frederick County continues to be a great place to live, work, and raise a family. They have made it clear that their most important asset is their workforce, and they contribute to the success and the overall health of Frederick County.

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2019 Success Stories Costco Wholesale eCommerce Facility “We chose to put our facility here in Frederick County, Maryland primarily for its location. In addition to lower cost of real estate, its locality from all major highways and the Port of Baltimore, as well as the proximity to the 33 locations we service in Maryland, Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania, made this the best point to efficiently ship from,” said Depot Manager, Jen Cerrito. The company expanded its Intercoastal Industrial Center location, adding about 294,000 SF in 2018 for a total of 503,000 SF in Frederick County. In 2019, Costco Depot added fleet services and purchased approximately 380 trailer trucks. With over 570 employees, Costco Wholesale remains a Frederick County top employer.

Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley eCommerce Facility Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley is a non-profit organization employing over 400 people in Frederick County.

Their mission: Creating Hope, Jobs, and Futures in our Community. They chose to house their eCommerce facility in a 110,000 SF building located on English Muffin Way in the Wedgewood West Business Park. This expansion gives Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley national exposure through their site, shopgoodwill.com.

Dairy Maid Dairy Manufacturing Dairy Maid Dairy, founded in 1946 by Joseph Vona, processes, packages and distributes 100% antibiotic-free milk and fruit juices at their facility located on East Street in downtown Frederick. They recently completed a $15M expansion at their state-of-the-art facility. Dairy Maid Dairy supports the local economy by only purchasing local dairy, fruits and vegetables.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Distribution Center Facility Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Frederick campus houses a recently expanded (adding 191,000 SF) east coast distribution center, new CryoInnovation Center and the National Cancer Institute Central Repository for Clinical Trials.

The site will help the company meet growing global demand for diagnostic instruments and cell and gene therapies that support patients participating in clinical trials around the world. This expansion is off of Route 85 and New Design Road.

Healthwell Foundation Nonprofit Call Center As the third largest charity in Maryland, the Healthwell Foundation is a leading nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to cover copays, premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses that insurance doesn’t cover. They recently opened their 9,000 SF call center at Westview Corporate Center creating 84 jobs. Healthwell Foundation has served over 405,000 patients to date and awarded over $1.25B in copayment assistance.

AROUND THE CORNER » ROOT will welcome Mount St. Mary’s University as the newest tenant on the second floor.

» OED has been working with large prospects in 2019. In Q1 and Q2 2020, we look forward to sharing several big announcements.

» OED will use data to tell the story of Frederick County’s key industries, beginning with the tech industry. This is a partnership with Data Story to better visualize data, while serving as an attraction tool.

» OED will return to the third floor of ROOT, which will include a large Video Pitch Room.

Kite Pharma Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Kite, a Gilead Company, leads innovative cell therapies for people battling cancer. The company will open a new facility on a 20-acre site at the Urbana Corporate Center. “This new facility in Urbana builds on our substantial technical capabilities and rapid progress in making personalized chimeric antigen receptor T and TCR cell therapies for people with cancer.

As we advance our industry-leading cell therapy pipeline and seek to help a growing number of people with cancer, expanding and investing in our manufacturing capabilities is essential,” said Tim Moore, Executive Vice President of Technical Operations at Kite. “With the Urbana site, we will have the opportunity to build and design the facility tailored to our own innovative processes and with state-of-the-art features that will enable us to meet the future needs for cell therapies.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN 2020

» ROOT will create a podcast room as the latest service to our business community.

» 2020 brings the 20th year to Business Appreciation Week (BAW). The theme this year will be recognizing our legacy businesses by visiting companies that were founded 20+ years ago.

Visit discoverfrederickmd.com/baw for more information.

» Flower Downtown Frederick Mural Project will bring more awareness to the growing cut flower sector of Frederick County Agriculture.

This project will consist of a mural in downtown Frederick.

» Agriculture Business Viability Roundtable will continue to explore ways to help farmers diversify their product, with a value-added facility in the works.

» This year we will give new life to our small business loan fund. Stay tuned for an exciting new program to assist small businesses.

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Golden Mile New Additions—

top 10 E C O N O M I C

D E V E L O P M E N T

HIGHLIGHTS IN 2019

OED Strategic Realignment— OED strategically repositioned into 4 teams to better align with the Growth Opportunity Strategy and better serve the business community.

» » » »

Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Agriculture (Ag) Business Attraction and Marketing (BAM) Workforce Services (FCWS)

The large retailer, Big Lots, now occupies the former Toys R Us building. Frederick Towne Mall, or District 40, has repositioned itself as an entertainment center with Warehouse Cinemas as the first new tenant.

Maryland Defense Technology Commercialization Center (DefTech)— OED brought in a new ROOT tenant, DefTech, to assist entrepreneurs and companies in commercializing intellectual property developed by the US Department of Defense.

CEO Connect— OED teamed up with partners from the City of Frederick Department of Economic Development (DED), as well as Orases, for a networking event bringing CEOs from the DMV region to meet CEOs from Frederick County. CEO Connect introduces CEOs to the area, provides information on key projects, and bringing awareness of investment opportunities in Frederick County.

School of Food— Partnering ROOT Wins Statewide Innovation Award—

Minority Business Leaders Graduate—

Frederick County was recognized at the Maryland Association of Counties (MACo), winning one of only two innovations awards.

15 women, veteran and minority business owners graduated from the 7-month program designed to educate and connect minority business leaders with ongoing services and support.

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with Downtown Frederick Partnership and the City of Frederick DED, OED brought School of Food to Frederick County. School of Food is a year-long program that teaches its students the business side of working in the food & beverage industry.

Through this program, entrepreneurs can get a head start on creating their own food based business. Platinum PR is a school of Food Partner.

Signature Events— For the 3rd year, OED honored the most successful commercial real estate transactions with the Frederick Real Estate Dealmakers (FRED) Awards. In addition, OED held its 19th annual Business Appreciation Week with Frederick County’s largest business retention program. Over 116 businesses were visited, 63% expressing expansion plans. In December, OED held its Annual Business Reception thanking businesses for the contribution they made to Frederick County’s economy.

New Market becomes a Main Street Maryland Community— Frederick County leads the state with five Maryland Main Street Communities, Downtown Frederick, Main Street Brunswick, Main Street Thurmont, Main Street Middletown, New Market, and Mount Airy Main Street (shared with Carroll County).

ROOT Video Pitch Competition— Each month, free professional videos are created to market Frederick County businesses. In partnership with FITCI and the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, OED selected three videos to compete in the first ROOT Video Pitch Competition.

2019 Selected Company Locations & Expansions:

NEW JOBS

Costco eCommerce Distribution (E) Kite Pharma (L) Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley eCommerce (E) Greenleaf Medical (E) US Pharmacopeial Convention (E) Electrical Test Instruments (L) Off Grid Adventure Vans (L) Signa Gen Laboratories (L) Industrial Indicators (L) Abicor Binzel (E) Long and Foster–Camp Bow Wow (L) HPS Specialties (L) Hometown Harvest Kitchen (E) Smoketown Brewery (E) Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing (L) Edgewater Federal Solutions, Inc. (L) CMES (Complete Mechanical and Electrical Solutions, LLC) (L) Frey's Brewing (E) AMI Signs (L) Datakwip (E) Jug Bridge Brewery (L)

ADDITIONAL SQ. FOOTAGE

134 400-800

293,931 279,000

150 84 60 25 16 25 10 9 30 8 35 14 42 24

108,168 42,000 24,250 20,000 17,500 16,000 15,000 11,400 7,800 7,500 6,250 6,122 6,000 5,500

36 5 4 7 1

5,400 5,100 2,500 2,271 1,764

(L): Locations, (E): Expansions

Additional Economic Development Wins: » Abbraccio Gelato– Middletown » Auto Clinic International– Frederick » Big Lots– Frederick » Black Hog– Middletown » Blunt Assessment Laboratory– Middletown » Bogley's Auto Sales of Thurmont– Thurmont » Boys & Girls Club– Frederick » Brooks Behavioral Health Services– Thurmont » Commercial Building Contractors LLC– New Market » The Decadent Doula Birth & Wellness Services– Frederick » DISTRICT Arts– Frederick » Frederick Lifestyle– Frederick » Freesia & Vine Flowers– Frederick » Genesis Treatment Services– Frederick » Kelco Plumbing & Backhoe Service– Thurmont » Lil Irish Too– Frederick

» Luna Yoga– Frederick » Maxwell’s Kitchen– Frederick » Miner Feinstein Architects– Frederick » Mountain Postal– Middletown » Natural Fusion Hair Studio– Frederick » Overhead Door Company of Frederick– Frederick » Restoration Family Chiropractic– Frederick » Rustic Splinter– New Market » Sabor Casero Bakery– Frederick » Stumpy's Hatchet House– Frederick » Tapias on Main– Middletown » The Affiliated Barbershop– Frederick » Therapeutic Massage– Middletown » Thurmont Barbershop– Thurmont » TreeTrekkers– Frederick » Wagsmore Adopt & Shop– Frederick » West Main Tech– Middletown » Winsupply Frederick Maryland– Frederick

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$11B Frederick County’s Gross Domestic Product

BY THE

Numbers T W O - T H O U S A N D

N I N E T E E N

Small Business Growth

3.1%

FISCAL YEAR

FISCAL YEAR

FISCAL YEAR

FISCAL YEAR

FISCAL YEAR

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Business Starts

34

27

27

17

14

Jobs Created

149

40

85

91

76

Frederick County’s Unemployment Rate All time low as of September 2019

104,088 People Employed in Frederick County

Source: Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Maryland Women’s Business Center

Frederick County ended 2018 with 104,088 jobs, representing 6,397 additional jobs since 2014 and an overall increase of 6.5% over the past five years.

Maryland’s five-year job growth rate was 4.6% during the same time frame. Frederick County added 1,484 jobs from 4Q-2017 to 4Q-2018, representing an increase of 1.4%. As of 4th quarter 2018, there were 6,514 businesses in Frederick County, representing 159 net new businesses since 2014.

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6,514 Businesses in Frederick County

Growth Opportunity Strategy Looking forward to the next 10 years: » Strengthen Frederick County’s economic foundations » Build upon the County’s mix of industry clusters » Enable the County to sustain the diversity of its industry and employment base » Raise performance in driving high quality economic growth

Strategic Priority Areas Workforce » Infrastructure and Placemaking Targeting Core Industry Cluster Growth

Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

Manufacturing

Hospitality & Tourism

Frederick County Clusters

Professional, Engineering, Scientific, & Technical Services

$428.3M Spent by Visitors in Frederick County

Computing and Information Technology

Value-Added Agriculture

$5.15B Frederick County’s Annual Wages

Biosciences

$176.6M Value of Commercial and Industrial Construction Costs as of 3rd quarter 2019

$13.98 Commercial Asking Rent per square foot Compared to $12.25 5 years ago.

8.6% Overall Commercial Vacancy Rate Includes Office, Industrial, Flex Costar 3rd Quarter

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Ag Awards

2019

ACCOLADES

FARM FAMILY OF THE YEAR Mid-view Farm » The Stanley Tucker Family

AG ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR Connie Palmer

AG BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

ROOT Video Pitch Competition

JUDGES’ CHOICE Tenth Ward Distilling Company

RUNNER-UP The Word Woman, LLC

2019 Frederick Real Estate Dealmakers (FRED) Awards DEAL OF THE YEAR Kite Pharma Project » Kite Pharma » CBRE » Deloitte » Natelli Communities » Rodgers Consulting

MOST CREATIVE DEAL Wilcoxon Sensing Technologies Project » Wilcoxon Sensing Technologies » Clagett Enterprises » St John Properties » Ellison & Benjamin Architects

MODERN MASTERPIECE AWARD The Firehouse Project » Ruppert Properties » Fitzgerald Realty » Waynesboro Construction » Archive Design

BROKER OF THE YEAR Tony “C” Checchia, VCRE

EMERGING DEALMAKER OF THE YEAR

FREDERICK COUNTY EXECUTIVE Jan H. Gardner

FREDERICK COUNTY COUNCIL

Hemps Meats, Inc.

People, Projects and Companies Honored

Stay Connected

PEOPLE’S CHOICE GOEFER Frederick County Future Minority Business Leaders

CLASS OF 2019 VALEDICTORIAN Xavier Bruce » UpLift Maryland Association of Counties (MACo) Innovation Award Frederick County » ROOT: Dig Deep. Cultivate Tomorrow. Business Incubator

Maryland Economic Development Association (MEDA) Volunteer of the Year Robert Black » Catoctin Mountain Orchard Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI) The Edge Demo Day Winner » Meridian Technology Systems

M.C. Keegan Ayer, President Michael Blue, Vice President Phil Dacey Jerry Donald Jessica Fitzwater Kai Hagen Steve McKay

FREDERICK COUNTY OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Helen Propheter Executive Director, Economic and Workforce Development Jodie Bollinger Director of Business Retention and Expansion Beth Woodring Director of Business Attraction and Marketing Solash Aviles-Montanez Senior Business Development Manager Sherman Coleman Business Development Specialist Matt Doyle Senior Business Attraction Manager Cindy Harris Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator Amanda Lee Manager of Market Research and Data Analysis Katie Stevens Associate Director of Agriculture Business Development Britt Swartzlander Communications and Marketing Coordinator Sharon Hipkins Special Events Coordinator

MARYLAND WOMEN’S BUSINESS CENTER Maria McElhenny Business Counselor/Trainer

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER Robert Bower Frederick County Consultant Diane McFarland Training Manager, Maryland SBDC

Brandon Cannon, Ruppert Properties

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Jonathan Warner, Warner Commercial

118 N. Market St., Suite 300 Frederick, MD 21701 | 301.600.1058 www.discoverfrederickmd.com www.homegrownfrederick.com | www.rootfrederick.com

Connect with us at Discover Frederick, MD, Homegrown Frederick and ROOT Frederick.

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MORE THAN A

Paycheck Company Initiatives Prove to be Priceless mployees are on the ground, in the field and in the community.

Frederick’s employers want their staff to be stakeholders in company success, and they aren’t shy about giving their workers a voice in company operations, insight into better processes, or a path to a promotion.

E

Here are some Frederick employers who encourage their staff to mentor each other, to have a great work-life balance and to build a team mentality.

BY KAREN GARDNER

Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNL) is a federally-funded research and development center sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and operated

by Leidos Biomedical Research. “We work to improve the lives of those who suffer from cancer,” says Chris March, director of human resources.

“It’s important for us to recognize that not everyone [who works here] is a scientist, or someone who does research,” March says. “We take great pride in understanding what our roles are to enable the scientists to do their job efficiently.”

Leaders at Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research stress that every employees’ job is important to the company’s mission to improve the lives of cancer patients.

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Instead of the old-fashioned suggestion box, a companywide intranet allows for faster collaboration. Employees are also encouraged to talk to scientists about their work, and scientists are encouraged to communicate with non-science staff members about the mission and the importance of their work. It is in these labs that scientists seek cures for different forms of cancer and infectious diseases like Ebola and AIDS. Employees can get educational assistance for advanced degrees and certifications, which helps in their quest to become subject matter experts. FNL also partners with Mount St. Mary’s University, Hood College and other universities. Employees regularly take part in community-relations efforts, most recently at Frederick’s In the Streets festival in September.

“I view HR as the silent partner to ensure we are at the forefront of driving the next solutions, the next discoveries,” March says. The company has many other initiatives to make work better for all FNL employees, from wellness programs and work-life balance to seminars, lunch and learns and annual service recognitions.

Dynamic Automotive This homegrown Frederick company has a plan to train its newest workforce. Starting more than two years ago, the company joined forces with the Maryland Department of Labor. Co-owner Dwayne Myers met with Kelly Schulz, then Secretary of Labor and now Secretary of Commerce, about the state’s youth development opportunities.

Dynamic Automotive has five young people in its three-year Registered Apprenticeship program, working at one of the company’s four centers in Frederick County.

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Graduates qualify for jobs at Dynamic Automotive, are certified technicians and have more than half the credits they need for an Associate’s Degree.

“You have to be able to read diagrams and understand computers to work on today’s cars,” says Dynamic Automotive co-owner Dwayne Myers.

“They were creating a Youth Apprenticeship program for high school students, along with a Registered Apprenticeship program for after high school,” Myers says. At the same time, the company was having a difficult time finding qualified auto mechanics, who today are auto technicians.

“You have to be able to read diagrams and understand computers to work on today’s cars,” Myers says. “This isn’t just a trade anymore. It’s so technical and skilled that it’s becoming a profession.”

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Dynamic Automotive has five young people in its three-year Registered Apprenticeship program. During the day, they work at one of the company’s four centers in Frederick County. At night, they attend school for free at either Montgomery College or Community College of Baltimore County at Catonsville.

“We pay their tuition,” Morris says.

Graduates qualify for jobs at Dynamic Automotive, are certified technicians and have more than half the credits they need for an Associate’s Degree. The first graduate is expected to join the company full-time in summer 2020.

iHire Working at iHire means working in a collaborative, cooperative environment. The company provides industryfocused recruiting solutions for employers and job seekers.

That means employees value people as a resource, and company leadership wants employees, as well as clients, to be aware of this.

“Our shared mission makes it a special place to work,” says Michelle Emmons, director of marketing. Employees can use an online social recognition tool to praise another employee who demonstrates the company’s core values of collaboration and cooperation. Recognized employees are eligible for a gift card drawn once a month.

Employees set their own hours, and the company is confident this policy empowers the staff. Emmons works four 10-hour days to allow her to spend more time with her son.

“We care about everyone here, even outside of what you contribute to the company,” she says. “We trust employees to be adults and get their work done.”

An employee worried about getting his or her child onto or off the school bus can focus on work better when that’s not a problem, she gives as an example.

iHire has a committee of rotating members that plans happy hours, spirit weeks, office Olympics and other fun activities.

Employees have unlimited paid time off, which offers employees control over their work-life balance.

“When you offer a flexible work environment, you create company advocates,” Emmons says. Then there’s iHire on Fire, a committee of rotating members that plans happy hours, spirit weeks, office Olympics and other fun social activities.

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Nymeo Federal Credit Union Nymeo has been serving credit union members since 1933, moving to Frederick in 2011. Once known as COMSTAR, the company changed its name in 2013 to Nymeo and now serves people in Frederick and Montgomery counties.

Victoria Johnston, president and CEO, says she’s been focused on making Nymeo a place where people want to work since she became CEO about eight years ago.

“A lot of these were ideas I or my team had, and they have evolved over time,” she says.

Employees get the benefit of working with mentors, who share their knowledge and skills.

Back in 2012, after the company came to Frederick, telework was just starting to become popular with employers. Today, employees can telework if their job duties allow it. Others do a mix. “We have an administrative assistant who puts her son on the bus, and then she comes to work,” Johnston says.

Employees get the benefit of working with mentors, who share their knowledge and skills. There’s in-house continuing education and other opportunities to further education. Once a month, staff in the Frederick headquarters can bring their dogs to work. Dress policy depends on your workday.

“We implemented a dress-foryour-day policy,” Johnston says.

Employees who are going to spend the day at their desks can wear jeans or other casual wear.

Once a month, staff at Nymeo Federal Credit Union’s Frederick headquarters get to bring their dogs to work.

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Employees are recognized for years of service and top performances. But the recognitions don’t stop there. Awards go to the friendliest employee and the most helpful. There’s also the Standout Staff Awards, for employees who come up with creative ways to cut operating expenses and make work more efficient.

At Canapes in Frederick employees do a daily family meal to accommodate face-to-face meetings. There are 20 full-time employees and 45 who work part time.

Canapes At Canapes, employees have an informal, face-to-face meeting nearly every day. Instead of gathering in a conference room, however, employees of the Frederick catering firm do it a little differently. “We do a family meal every day,” says founder M.L. Carroll.

This family atmosphere includes space for nursing moms, and space in general for their babies, if needed. “Even if they have to bring their babies in, it’s fine, as long as we can all do our jobs,” Carroll says. “As a new grandma, I totally get it, and you want your employees to be happy at work.”

Staff members often recommend other family members for jobs at the catering company, and Carroll has watched teens learn customer service skills from the ground up.

“People work smarter around their family members, and they can still spend time with their family while working and making money,” she says.

“There’s one family in particular, three siblings, two college-age boys and one in high school, and they all push each other to excel,” she says. Staff frequently recommend family members for job openings. “It makes me feel honored that they all want to work here.”

Canapes has been catering in and around Frederick since 1989, and is now located at Highland Tech Park, home to its 550 Grab&Go café. Canapes employs 20 fulltime staff and 45 part-time employees. “This business is hard,” Carroll says. The staff, however, makes it easier, she adds.

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Plamondon Companies

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FREDERICK’S

Top 50 BEST WORKPLACES FOR 2019 » ADTEK Engineers, Inc. » Antietam Technologies, Inc. » ArachnidWorks, Inc. » Asbury Communities, Inc. » AstraZeneca

On average, workers spend as much of their waking hours on the job as they do at home. In response to this dynamic, businesses are seeking ways to attract and keep good talent by making the workplace comfortable and inviting, all of which contributes to greater productivity and job satisfaction.

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development sent out a call for nominations of businesses that have set the benchmark when it comes to ideal workplaces. Worker health was one of the goals of business leaders along with a comfortable physical workspace and intangible factors such as allowing telecommuting or offering tuition assistance.

In looking at this report, it’s clear Frederick County has great places to work.

» Goodwill Industries of

Monocacy Valley » HighGear » Hood College » Housing Authority of the

City of Frederick

» Pleasants Construction, Inc. » Precision for Medicine » RoosterBio, Inc. » Ruppert Properties » Saputo Dairy Foods USA

» Baker Tree Services, Inc.

» iHire

» Scheer Partners

» Canapes, Inc.

» Illumine8 Marketing & PR

» Skyworks Solutions

» CDJ Genie Services, LLC

» IronNet Cybersecurity

» Stauffer Funeral Homes, P.A.

» Costco Wholesale

» Jecho Laboratories, Inc.

» STULZ Air Technology

» Dairy Maid Dairy, LLC

» Kensington Glass Arts, Inc.

» Dynamic Automotive

» Legal & General America

» Edgewater Federal

» Matan Companies

Solutions, Inc. » EMMES » EngageUSA » Flying Dog Brewery » Frederick Air, Inc. » Frederick National Laboratory

for Cancer Research

» Metlfab, Inc.

Systems, Inc. » The Crowley Company » Thurmont Smiles » Transportation Management

Services

» Mount St. Mary’s University

» Triple Crown Construction

» Nymeo Federal Credit

» Unity Technologies

» Union » Orases » Plamondon Companies

Corporation » Warner Service » Werres Corporation » YMCA of Frederick County

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

YEAR ESTABLISHED TOP50

47

ADTEK ENGINEERS, INC. 150 S. East St., Suite 201 | Frederick www.adtekengineers.com

ADTEK Engineers offers a unique and relaxed environment in the former Monocacy Valley Cannery building. The office is a short walk to the MARC station and Downtown Frederick.

Flexible work schedules and telecommuting options are offered to help balance work/life needs and there’s a monthly organic fruit delivery and bagels to help keep everyone going.

What initiatives do you have to attract and keep top talent?

Each department hosts a monthly seminar to share something unique about their team with staff across the country, offering a chance to learn more about what we do while developing public speaking skills. At individual offices, monthly team-building events are hosted from egg drop competitions to building minicatapults. Summer outings are scheduled, and the company comes together each December for a holiday party where service anniversaries and professional achievements over the past year are recognized.

63 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1987

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ANTIETAM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 5257 Buckeystown Pike, #191 | Frederick | www.antietamtechnologies.com

Antietam sees its employees as extended family. Its philosophy is if you take the worry and intimidation away from your employees, they will plant roots and bloom. Ninety percent of Antietam's staff work onsite 100 percent of the time at federal customer locations, reducing the need for traditional office space, with the cost savings shared with employees.

How are employees encouraged to give back to the community?

As a service-disabled veteran owned business, we have a deep understanding of what it means to serve. One of our best programs has been the 40 for 40. Every employee is offered a matching week of vacation for a week spent volunteering at a registered 501.3(c) of their choice. This helps to instill a sense of community, appreciation and stewardship that turn into a sense of purpose other than “punching the clock.”

13 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 2005

ARACHNIDWORKS, INC. 5104 Pegasus Court | Frederick | www.arachnidworks.com

The marketing company’s team works hard and plays hard, routinely scheduling activities to allow employees to de-stress, step away from everyday work and connect with one another in innovative and fun ways including indoor skydiving, cooking classes, cookouts at the office and going to a shooting range. The environment is laid back and the office space is fun and inviting.

ASBURY COMMUNITIES 5285 Westview Drive | www.asbury.org

Our ability to attract top talent is buoyed by our strong brand presence and reputation in the market.

As the 16th largest continuing care retirement community system in the United States and a recognized leader in senior living, the Asbury Support and Collaboration Center, which is the corporate headquarters for Asbury Communities, Inc., stands out as a desirable place to learn and grow a career in senior living services.

How are employees encouraged to give back to the community?

Every Tuesday, a team from Asbury delivers meals to seniors in the area as part of the “Meals on Wheels” program. We’ve also conducted food drives to create emergency food packs for Frederick seniors in need.

The industry we work in and our mission to “do all the good we can” drives our associates every day. In our last engagement survey, 90 percent of Asbury associates agreed with the statement “I have the opportunity to impact someone’s life for the better every day at work.”

83 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1926

How are employees encouraged to give back to the community?

We are actively involved with a host of community programs, civic organizations and non-profit board memberships including Rotary Club, The Frederick Rescue Mission, The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Maryland, American Advertising Federation and TechFrederick. We encourage team members to give back in the ways that mean the most to them, something that varies by person.

14 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1998 TOP50

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ASTRAZENECA BAKER TREE SERVICES, INC. 633 Research Drive | Frederick www.astrazeneca.com

147 Water St. | Thurmont | www.bakertreeservices.com

We take great pride in the work that we do, following American National Standards Institute practices for proper pruning, which insures that only proper cuts will be made.

AstraZeneca provides competitive compensation and benefits packages, robust opportunities to learn and develop in a chosen career path, and the chance to work at sites across the globe.

We offer tuition reimbursement up to $10,000 a year for employees to continue their education and have a partnership with Mount St. Mary’s University providing a 20 percent reduction in tuition for select courses.

How are employees encouraged to give back to the community?

Our colleagues are dedicated to their work, and to giving back to the local community. AstraZeneca supports employee volunteerism by giving employees one paid day of volunteer leave per year and provides community outreach opportunities. The company hosts yearly inclusion and diversity conferences and many sites have an employee resource group— the Network of Women—devoted to promoting diversity and inclusion and enhancing employees' professional development through interactive and engaging events and initiatives.

675 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1988

We take the safety of our employees and your property seriously. We will wear proper gear while doing your tree work and follow safety procedures. Extra care is taken so there’s no damage to your property.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We host holiday dinners, recognize everyone's birthday with a treat for everyone and we purchase a hog and steers from the FFA, distributing the meat to our employees. We treat them like family. Paid vacation and personal time are provided, and we are flexible when someone needs time off.

Annual bonuses are awarded. On a continuous basis we upgrade our equipment, always looking for the best tools to work smarter and not harder.

24 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1996

CANAPéS, INC. 550 Highland St. | Frederick | www.canapescatering.com

All of us at Canapés believe in the spirit of paying it forward. We rarely if ever turn down requests for providing free goods and services for the many non-profits in our beloved Frederick. You name it, we have donated to it. We do little things for each other, from helping with a team member’s wedding to throwing a surprise shower for a new baby on the way, to showing support for a staff member's spouse becoming a U.S. citizen.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

If there is a problem, we resolve that hiccup immediately. The office/sales staff requested stand-up desks; now we all have stand-up desks. The chefs needed stress relief from standing in place for long periods and now they have the best floor pads that we could find. New mothers can bring their child to work and we offer a quiet room for nursing needs. We offer telecommuting to our sales staff.

63 EMPLOYEES

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ESTABLISHED 1989

CDJ GENIE SERVICES, INC. 329 S. Jefferson St. | Frederick | Follow on Facebook

CDJ cleaning business caters to the working parent, understanding that finding a job that meets the needs of being a parent can be hard. CDJ offers them an opportunity to earn a decent income while still being able to be there for their families through the flexible hours offered. Last year the company gave 12 free cleanings to deserving residents.

How do you recognize employees?

We love to recognize employees for their hard work.

We have a designated Facebook page just for that. We make sure to give daily/weekly shout outs to top performers so everyone can see and also give recognition. We also subscribe to "Tickets at Work" to be able to provide our employees with discounted travel rates. We host quarterly happy hours and a yearly holiday dinner for them to bring spouses.

33 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 2014

COSTCO WHOLESALE 5236 Intercoastal Drive | Frederick | www.costco.com

We are a warehouse environment consisting of two buildings with a streamlined operation to offload and load freight utilizing our cross dock and an additional facility which houses our E-commerce operation. We have a quiet room for nursing mothers and break rooms with micro markets in both of our facilities along with a basketball hoop in one of our buildings.

DAIRY MAID DAIRY, LLC 259 E. 7th St. | Frederick www.dairymaiddairy.com

3-Ti To me Hon p50 oree !

The business produces a variety of fluid milk and juices, plus eggs, ice cream mixes, cottage cheese and sour cream. The plant is 100 percent farmer-owned and serves restaurants, corner stores, schools and other institutions. The company offers its employees 18 days of personal time off for new hires and 40 hours of sick leave, as well as tuition reimbursement and other career growth opportunities.

How are employees encouraged to give back to the community?

We partner with the United Way and Stuff the Bus, which gathers school supplies for needy students, the Salvation Army and its holiday stockings, local food banks and are a second chance employer. Dairy Made Dairy has been nominated as Best Place to Work in Frederick County multiple times and nominated as Best Business Employer in Frederick.

187 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1894

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We promote more than 99 percent from within. There are multiple opportunities for employees to be promoted to supervisor and management positions and a rotation of positions within multiple departments and businesses on our campus.

To help employees feel good about giving back to the community we host charity drives throughout the year promoting the Children's Miracle Network and the United Way.

592 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1976

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DYNAMIC AUTOMOTIVE

EDGEWATER FEDERAL SOLUTIONS, INC. 3280 Urbana Pike | www.edgewaterit.com

Edgewater Federal Solutions was founded in 2002 with the mission of being the best IT consulting company possible for our government clients, contracting partners and employees. As a small business with experi-

8824 Urbana Church Road | Frederick www.dynamicautomotive.org

We have an amazing team that has been with us a long time. Having career paths for each member is key. Career paths are individual and can start from entry into your field to retirement. Our apprenticeship programs are key to bringing new talent into a field that many people no long want to do. Our Youth Apprenticeship Program allows high school students to try the automotive industry. The next step is our Registered Apprenticeship Program with partnership with a mentor and working full time while going to school.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We have many awards that recognize our people, including Team Member of the Month Awards that puts their name on a plaque in the waiting room, a $50 gift card and prime parking in front of the building. We celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries.

During our Christmas party we recognize team members.

42 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1995

enced management, we give you the opportunity to achieve contracting compliance without sacrificing quality. Our business has grown steadily, supporting several federal organizations across the U.S. How does your business keep employees healthy?

We offer health club reimbursement to encourage employees to exercise. The company provides healthy snacks and drinks and sponsors a softball and golf team which has a putting area. We also provide stand-up desks and ball chairs and a stand-up desk with a treadmill. To help relieve stress we allow dogs to come to work and offer flexible schedules to promote family activities.

168 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 2002

EMMES 5280 Corporate Drive | Frederick | www.secure.emmes.com

In 2017, Emmes opened the Frederick office to further support work-life balance, after realizing the time staff spent away from their families by commuting to the corporate office in Rockville. We recognize staff for going above and beyond their normal work duties with spot bonuses. In addition, we have the GiveA-Wow program, that allows staff to recognize a colleague for a job well done.

How does the physical environment contribute to an appealing workplace?

Our Frederick office offers a lot of natural light and bright wall colors. We have started to work on our art and began displaying pictures of familiar areas of Frederick County. All staff have offices, no cubes. Emmes is an analytical data driven company, so staff need to work in quiet so private offices are given to all.

79 EMPLOYEES 52

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ESTABLISHED 1977

ENGAGE USA 880 N. East St. | Frederick | www.engageusa.com

Whether they've been here six months or 20 years, the health and welfare of colleagues is one of the company’s primary concerns. Employees receive five-star health and dental benefits, two weeks paid vacation, flexible hours, liberal leave and opportunities to work from home whenever possible. Promoting from within is one of the core values and giving back to the community is another, with projects such as adopting needy families at Christmas or donating to local shelters.

How does the physical environment contribute to an appealing workplace?

What strikes most people when they come through our doors is the warm and relaxed environment. The layout and decoration has been personally created by owners Dennis Hoffman and Kathleen Clem. Employees enjoy the benefits of ergonomic chairs, stand up desks and an open office concept that facilitates teamwork, creative thinking and the development of lasting friendships.

112 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 2000

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FLYING DOG BREWERY

FREDERICK AIR, INC. 3 King Ave. | Frederick | www.frederickair.com

We have cultivated a culture that is customer and team member first. Our values make sure that quality of life for the team is considered with every decision. The vision

4607 Wedgewood Blvd., Frederick www.flyingdogales.com

We have an open office, collaborative environment and have the unique setting of a production environment, a corporate environment and a tasting room. We are very involved in the community; H.R. is entering the second year supporting the LYNX program with Frederick County Public Schools. We attend, help create and support many local events (including non-profit). Some of our managers are involved on local boards.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We offer four annual employee events (holiday party, Brewhouse Rarities family crab feast, Wellness Fair) FitBit competition and reimbursement to purchase your first FitBit, anniversary recognition program, safety incentive program, employee referral program, monthly happy hours and quarterly town hall meetings.

109 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1990

at Frederick Air, Inc., is to aggressively maintain and improve our well-earned reputation, market dominance and innovation; growing profitably and becoming debtfree, from one generation to another, while being outrageously generous.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We offer tele-commuting and flexible work hours in every position possible. Looking outside the workplace, employees are encouraged to make the community a better place by volunteering together throughout the year as well as at special times such as during the Christmas Cash for Kids drive and Toys for Tots. We also participate in 5k runs for charities.

40 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1992

FREDERICK NATIONAL LABORATORY FOR CANCER RESEARCH 8560 Progress Drive | Frederick | www.Frederick.cancer.gov

Our employees are inspired by the mission of the Frederick National Laboratory, starting on orientation day. All new employees attend a day-long session where they begin to learn about the organization.

The highlight of the day is a brief but powerful talk by laboratory director Dr. Ethan Dmitrovsky, a practicing oncologist and researcher who shares his genuine enthusiasm for his job.

What initiatives do you have to attract and keep top talent?

Employees enjoy a bevy of fringe benefits such as on-site fitness centers, telework and flexible scheduling, health benefits, tuition assistance, matching 401K, chili cookoffs and more.

2,283 EMPLOYEES

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ESTABLISHED 1969

3-Ti Top5me Hon 0 oree !

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF MONOCACY VALLEY 401 E. Church St. | Frederick | www.gimv.org

Goodwill Industries of Monocacy Valley began as a branch store of the Baltimore Goodwill’s retail operations and became an autonomous organization servicing Frederick and Carroll counties in 1969. Since then, our organization has progressed to eight retail and donation operations, an eCommerce and Distribution center and two Workforce Development program sites to address the needs of persons with employment barriers.

How does the physical environment contribute to an appealing workplace?

As the organization grows, we have made many improvements to working conditions for our employees. We renovated stores to include brighter colors, cleaner workspaces and backrooms, better point of sale systems, improved HR software for record keeping and better floor layouts to help provide a positive work experience for our associates.

401 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1969

HIGHGEAR 5301 Buckeystown Pike | Frederick | www.highgear.com

This company that specializes in visual no-code workflow automation is proud to be guided by the faith-based principles of honesty, decency, excellence and service. We have the innovative culture and customer focus of a start-up but are a profitable and mature company with careful financial management and strong cash reserves.

HOOD COLLEGE 401 Rosemont Ave. | Frederick www.hood.edu

At Hood, it's about being in a community. President Andrea Chapdelaine strongly encourages worklife balance, and the college offers wellness committee programming, including lunchtime yoga and mindful meditation on the quad; access to the swimming pool and gym; Fifth Friday celebrations as a way for employees to gather and socialize; and summer hours on Fridays in June and July.

How are employees encouraged to give back to the community?

There are opportunities for community service with the Frederick Health Hospital-Hood community garden, food drives, a food pantry, blood drives, the Green Neighbor Festival and tabling at events like In the Streets and First Saturday. Employees can take advantage of the educational benefits for themselves and their dependents and spouse.

515 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1893

What career growth opportunities are offered?

Our team is filled with highly committed and experienced team players, with near-zero turnover.

We love helping people grow into top performers and strong leaders. We promote from within, train intensely, build trust quickly and we give their team a lot of responsibility and autonomy.

16 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 2003

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55

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF FREDERICK 209 Madison St. | Frederick | www.hacfrederick.org

We are an organization that is always giving back to the community. We have a large celebration for National Night Out and an annual Fishing Derby for the children of our residents, in which employees participate. We adopt a family at Christmas to purchase gifts for the children and contribute to the United Way's “Stuff the Bus� campaign to provide school supplies to children who need assistance.

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We provide staff with tuition reimbursement when the budget allows and offer flexible work schedules and some telecommuting. Training and team building days are scheduled.

How does the physical environment contribute to an appealing workplace?

We have provided stand up desks for those that have requested. Our office spaces are designed by the employees, so they choose their colors and furniture.

42 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1937

iHIRE 209 Madison St. | Frederick | www.ihire.com

iHire’s positive company culture stems from an emphasis on seven core values: growth-focused, transparent, collaborative, accountable, innovative, committed and optimistic. These values are not only physically displayed throughout our offices but also embedded in everything we do—from our everyday work to social events and community initiatives.

How does your business keep employees happy? iHire believes healthy and happy employees are critical to a successful business. We offer a robust wellness program, comprising a full-service Employee Assistance Program, biweekly yoga classes and a Wellness Spending Account that reimburses employees for gym memberships, fitness programs and more.

65 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1999

ILLUMINE8 MARKETING & PR 25 E. 4th St. | Frederick | www.illumine8.com

Illumine8 offers employees something that many other employers can’t—the sense of family, of belonging. As a company that serves family-based businesses, Illumine8 applies the unique advantages of familyowned and operated enterprises to itself.

Our greatest strength is our people.

IRONNET CYBERSECURITY 16 E. Patrick St., Frederick www.ironnet.com

The cybersecurity business offers education assistance to all employees, starting the day they are hired. Job promotion from within is encouraged. The workspace includes the option of standup desks, lounge areas where staff collaboration is encouraged, as well as enclosed spaces when such an environment is required. Telecommuting days are offered.

Community outreach is encouraged, especially during the holiday season.

How does your business keep employees healthy?

We offer free health and wellness classes, a series of summer yoga on the roof, a volleyball league, internal ping pong battles and food and stress management seminars.

25 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 2014

What career growth opportunities are available?

We strive to provide a positive and supportive environment, starting with investing in our employee's continual growth. Every month we set aside a half-day for staff to put down the “work” and work on themselves through an online training class, completing a certification, researching new ideas, or simply catching up on newsletters and podcasts from industry thought leaders. Every year staff is chosen to attend conferences, seminars and training nationwide.

9 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 2013

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JECHO KENSINGTON GLASS ARTS, INC. LABORATORIES, INC. 5719 Industry Lane | Frederick | www.kensingtonglass.com

Kensington Glass Arts, Inc. is the leading fabricator and installer of high-end interior architectural glass in the BaltimoreWashington region, with the best lead times in the business. Fully 70 percent of what

7320 Executive Way | Frederick www.jecholabs.com

The business, just five years old, shares a clear vision with employees to engage them in its objectives and is working on a stock option that may be offered to staff.

They have a quarterly CEO award program to honor employees and supervisors have a budget to make an award within their groups.

we install, we produce ourselves. With over 70,000 square feet between our three facilities and more than 185 employees, either we’ll have what it takes to conquer the challenge, or we’ll figure it out.

What initiatives do you have to attract and keep top talent?

We perform an Annual Employee Satisfaction Survey and offer an employee assistance program, seasonal social events including an end of the year party with employee gifts, the annual KGa BBQ Battle where small groups of employees compete for prizes, quarterly All Hands Meetings, Continuous Improvement Teams, tuition reimbursement, Women In Construction (WIC) events for employees and participation in company sponsored charity events.

160 EMPLOYEES What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

The company provides free lunch every Friday and holiday and birthday celebrations are held. We have a little gym, with a shower, and a quiet nursing room for employees to use. Standing desks are available, as well as other ergonomically designed furniture. We offer financial support for further education and give young scientists opportunities to lead projects.

20 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 2014

ESTABLISHED 1976

LEGAL & GENERAL AMERICA 3275 Bennett Creek Ave. | Frederick | www.lgamerica.com

LGA cares about the community where we do business. We sponsor a charity campaign each fall that provides employees with the opportunity to have fun and give back to a charity of their choice. In 2018, LGA raised over $950,000 during its campaign. Employees raised the first $477,000 through in-house fundraising, and LGA matched the amount spreading the funds across hundreds of employee-selected charities.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We strive to provide employees with various options for savings and financial well-being.

Eligible employees can save for retirement with a 401K plan, the company matching employee contributions dollar for dollar up to 6 percent. Participants are immediately vested. LGA also provides a separate pension plan for eligible employees.

588 EMPLOYEES

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ESTABLISHED 1836

MATAN COMPANIES 4600 Wedgewood Blvd. | Frederick | www.mataninc.com

We give our employees Fridays off in August and lots of extra days surrounding all the holidays. We have a fully stocked kitchen for our employees with free food and drinks. We have season tickets to the Nationals and Capitals and offer them to our employees. Work schedules are flexible; employees can work from home when needed.

How do you encourage employees to give back to the community?

Giving back is very important to the Matan family as we all know that we have been so richly blessed and it is our duty to give back. This year we furnished three homes for families at the Faith House, cleaned up the YMCA after the flood, sent care packages to troops overseas, remodeled the rec room at the Frederick Rescue Mission, partnered with Blessings in a Backpack to feed 2,557 children and the list could go on.

53 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1976

METLFAB INC. 7340 Executive Way | Frederick | www.metalfab.com

We try to offer competitive pay, awarding raises twice a year for hourly workers and once a year for those who are salaried, as well as providing great insurance. Each month we usually do a give-away with prizes ranging from tickets to The Great Frederick Fair, Yeti Coolers, smokers, grills and Hershey Park tickets. We also try to do quarterly luncheons and have food catered.

How do you attract and keep top talent?

We have started an apprenticeship program to try and bring in youth, getting them back working with their hands and getting them familiar with the workload here. We have room for growth within the company as far as promotions. Everyone here is basically one big family; a lot of people have been here for 20-plus years and their children are starting to work here as well.

60 EMPLOYEES

MOUNT ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY 16300 Old Emmitsburg Road, Emmitsburg | www.msmary.edu

Working in higher education comes with many benefits, including the ability across the workforce to help students succeed in a familyfriendly atmosphere and deeply caring community.

Our mission and vision, coupled with the excellent perks of working on a beautiful mountain, help us to attract, retain, grow and reward skilled employees.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

The Mount offers recreation classes, discount programs and tuition benefits.

The Administrators Affairs and Staff Affairs committees host professional development programs and charitable giving activities. President Dr. Timothy E. Trainor provides an update on the university’s plans and operations at a twice-yearly forum that also features employee recognition awards.

615 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1808

ESTABLISHED 1975

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NYMEO FEDERAL ORASES CREDIT UNION

5728 Industry Lane | Frederick | www.orases.com

5210 Chairmans Court | Frederick www.nymeo.org

Nymeo Federal Credit Union has been open since 1964 and is the 22nd largest credit union in Maryland with assets totaling $272.49 million, providing banking services to more than 23,000 members.

It is a member-owned financial cooperative providing financial banking services to multiple member groups, but primarily serves federal, state and local government employees. Membership is also open to immediate family of current members.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We offer telecommuting, flexible scheduling, bring your dog to work day, a wellbeing program, paid volunteer time, tuition reimbursement, standing desks, a job shadowing program, career path mentorship, employee appreciation party and events, a focus on work/life balance, service tenure awards and Stand Out Staff awards.

78 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1933

At Orases, we believe that mastery and autonomy lead to a great sense of purpose.

These pillars allow us to not only attract top IT talent in the nation, but to build an award-winning team that is disrupting the IT industry. Our team lives by strong core values that include focusing on our client’s vision, integrity all of the time, respecting the individual, striving for constant improvement and thoughtful communication.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We like working together so much that we enjoy spending time together with our families, too. We do things like host family BBQs, take trips to amusement parks and attend baseball games together. We even have a company beach house that employees can use free-of- charge for family vacations. The company offers Summer Fridays and the option to work from home when needed. A kitchen is stocked with healthy snacks.

31 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 2000

PLAMONDON COMPANIES 4991 New Design Road | Frederick | www.plamondonhospitalitypartners.com

Our company embraces talent management. We believe in developing people and through our retention goals and internal development plans, we have invested in our workforce. Currently, over 30 percent of our management team is promoted from hourly positions. We see our diversity and inclusion efforts as a strength, recognized by the Frederick County Society for Human Resources and by the Frederick County Human Relations Commission.

What career growth opportunities are available?

One of our company declarations is “education will change our world.” To help support this firmly held belief, we offer two robust tuition reimbursement programs, one for hourly staff and one for managers. The manager program is 100 percent paid for up to the IRS limit. Hourly associates receive up to $95 per credit, up to 12 cred hours a semester, based on grades.

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ESTABLISHED 1980

3-Ti To me Hon p50 oree !

PLEASANTS COMPANIES 7700 Grove Road, Frederick www.pleasantspaving.com

Many employees have worked 20, 30 and 40 years at Pleasants, which has been a family-owned business for more than 50 years, proving that it is a great place to work and to have a longterm career. Employees are proud of the work they produce and the company’s stellar reputation.

What unique initiatives do you have to attract and keep top talent?

Employees are treated like family.

There are in-house training programs as well as a Pleasants Learning Academy and educational assistance program. The company works in the community and makes donations to a wide range of causes. An open-door policy is fostered, and the company has an outstanding safety record, made possible through initiatives including a Safety Bonus Program.

385 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1941

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PRECISION FOR ROOSTERBIO, INC. MEDICINE

5295 Westview Drive | Frederick | www.roosterbio.com

Celebrating birthdays and upcoming nuptials is part of the work culture at RoosterBio, Inc. Also, they observe National Jelly Bean Day, National Scrabble Day and International Haiku Day. And then

8425 Precision Way | Frederick www.precisionmedicinegrp.com

Precision Medicine Group is an integrated team of experts in fields from advanced lab sciences to translational informatics, clinical trial delivery and regulatory affairs, payer insights to marketing communications. Together, we help our pharmaceutical and life-sciences clients conquer product development and commercialization challenges.

How do you encourage employees to give back to the community?

At Precision for Medicine we believe not just in our employees but the wellbeing of the Frederick County community. A Spirit Committee made up of employees lead initiatives such as Light the Night, fundraiser to fight Leukemia and Lymphoma, participated in the Maryland Apprenticeship program to mentor a high school student and sponsored needy families during the holidays.

140 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 2012

there are the random bagel or donut days, pot luck lunches and a kitchen stocked with free food and drinks. Discounted gym memberships are available.

Outside of work the staff volunteers, ranging from the backpack program for needy students to Bring a Broom Saturday in Downtown Frederick.

What do you do to make the workplace an inviting space?

We have great office and lab spaces that are open and filled with natural light. We have a ping pong table where we host company tournaments. Take Your Child to Work Day always makes the place inviting.

51 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 2013

RUPPERT PROPERTIES 12 W. Church St. | Frederick | www.ruppertproperties.com

One of the values of our parent company, the Ruppert Companies, is “appreciate and celebrate.� This value means that we always show appreciation for the hard work that our employees contribute daily.

We celebrate both individual accomplishments and the strides of the company. In the community, we support and sponsor various causes and organizations which have meaning to our employees, partners and vendors.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We do a weekly team lunch which, despite only being an hour long, goes a long way in building a team. We do an annual Christmas party and awards banquet where we recognize the efforts of employees who have gone above and beyond.

11 EMPLOYEES

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ESTABLISHED 2000

SAPUTO DAIRY FOODS USA 428 E. Patrick St. | Frederick | www.saputo .com

Our plant manufactures over 10 million single serve cups daily, which means we have hard working employees who keep our machines running 24/7/365. We value them, and that is evident in our tenure and turnover. We listen to our employee's concerns and act on them, and then follow up so they know we care.

Saputo constantly re-evaluates the benefits offered to ensure they are diverse, competitive and evolving with the times.

How do you attract and keep top talent?

We retain our top talent because we know we would not be successful without the hard work and dedication of our team. We celebrate our wins as a team and support each other through the challenges. The people and strong ties to the community are a large part of what keeps Saputo in Frederick County. We look forward to attracting more talent from the local workforce.

112 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1954

SCHEER PARTNERS 12 W. Church St. | Frederick | www.scheerpartners.com

Scheer Partners plays a pivotal role in assisting the area’s most successful real estate developers to acquire land, office, researchand-development, warehouse, life sciences and retail developments. They enjoy strong ties to financing sources and can help find suitable investment capital for clients. Scheer Partners maintains close contact with numerous traditional capital sources that have remained, or recently become active, in the region.

SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS 5520 Adamstown Road | Adamstown www.skyworksinc.com

Skyworks provides a variety of benefits and programs for employees beyond traditional medical, dental and vision plans—all designed to support a work-life balance and enhance the well-being of our employees. Some of these programs include education reimbursement, internal job referrals, management and peer recognition, health and wellness campaigns, career development and training, as well as employee discounts for pet insurance, identity protection, home and auto insurance and phone services.

How do you encourage employees to give back to the community?

The company embraces a robust sustainability program, offers a matching gift program to support local communities and is engaged in charitable efforts. We have participated in the United Way of Frederick County ‘Stuff the Bus” campaign, Marine Corps Toys for Tots and a food drive for the local food bank.

161 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 2002

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

Scheer Partners offers an education reimbursement program that allows our staff to continue to grow professionally. We have monthly team building activities and employee recognition initiatives including peer/staff coaching and mentoring. Retirement plans are offered as well as a performance-based bonus.

2 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1991

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STAUFFER FUNERAL HOMES P.A. 1621 Opossumtown Pike | Frederick | www.staufferfuneralhome,com

We are fortunate that in the funeral industry our funeral home is sought out and many desire to work for us. We are family owned and we value our employees and want them to have a good work balance. We offer a great work schedule with minimum night call, no nightly visitation work for funeral directors and they get a three-day weekend every other week. We promote a healthy home and work balance. Many of our staff are involved in the local communities that we serve. We highly promote getting involved and

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giving back to the community, helping financially and also by giving them time off when needed.

What career growth opportunities are offered?

We offer everyone on our staff continuing education courses in our field. We believe it’s important to keep their skills sharp and to keep up with the changes in the funeral industry. We always try to promote from within. We also offer job shadowing to anyone who is interested in the funeral business.

64 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1973

STULZ AIR TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS INC. THURMONT SMILES 1572 Tilco Drive | Frederick | www.stulz-usa.com

STULZ, the world's leading solution provider of energy efficient temperature and humidity management technology, specifically for mission critical applications, offers its employees leadership and professional development training via classrooms and online. Skills training is done in

partnership with Frederick Community College at the Monroe Center.

How does your business keep employees healthy?

We offer monthly wellness activities including walk/run events, seminars, healthy eating workshops, tips for managing stress, wellness coaches and a discount on health insurance premiums for employees who earn 110 wellness points per year.

Our top health insurance plan option covers 100 percent of claims and has no deductible.

445 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1947

THE CROWLEY COMPANY 5111 Pegasus Court | Frederick | www.thecrowleycompany.com

The Crowley Company is a unique blend of manufacturer, distributor and service provider headquartered in Frederick. Our core business is the digitization of historical archives and business records, which makes for an interesting workplace, bridging the past with the technology of the future. Team members are engineers, marketers, imaging specialists, scan operators, business administrators, equipment technicians, artists, students and more, adding a wide diversity of interests, background and lifestyles to our work environment.

100 S. Center St. | Thurmont www.thurmontsmiles.com

From National Employee Appreciation Day when employees receive gifts, to team building activities and celebrations of birthdays and work anniversaries, the dental practice makes sure the staff is appreciated.

Weekly team meetings are held to discuss goals, projects that excite them and to view educational videos.

Staff also travels for educational opportunities and lunch-and-learn events are held onsite.

How are employees encouraged to give back to the community?

We annually provide a free full mouth smile makeover to a patient and treat Seaton Center clients at low cost or no cost. The staff hosts an annual patient appreciation party, participates in a book drive for the local library, Toys for Tots, Halloween candy buy back, school supply drive and participates in the Thurmont Business Showcase.

5 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 2013

How does the physical environment contribute to an appealing workplace?

After a recent renovation, Crowley added an Employee Gallery Wall that features employee artwork every quarter. The images are shared with our satellite offices in California and the United Kingdom to foster the relationship between locations.

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TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT SERVICES

TRIPLE CROWN CONSTRUCTION 5115 Pegasus Court | Frederick | www.triplecrownconstruction.com

At the end of each year the company presents three employee awards to recognize performance throughout the year. Quarterly

5 S. Market St. | Frederick www.tms.com

performance reviews are scheduled to discuss opportunities for growth and development. On a fun note, there are monthly happy hours and quarterly team outings that have included: Pedego Electric Bike scavenger hunt in Downtown Frederick, Surelocked In Escape Room challenge, Frederick Keys baseball game, bowling at Terrace Lanes, a Frederick Rocks rock painting afternoon followed by hiding the rocks in Downtown Frederick.

Our business designs and manages large scale transportation plans for sporting events, music festivals, conventions and major FEMA evacuations. Founded in 1995, TMS has been a major player in the event space for some of the largest events in the country and abroad.

TMS opened a satellite office in 2017 in Frederick and is currently in the process of beginning a year-long transition bringing the full headquarters to Frederick.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

Due to the demands of travel and the high stress situations associated with events, TMS believes family is the priority. Team members with children or family they care for are never penalized for needing to miss work to care for them. We do not require employees to use their paid time off for sick children or family emergencies.

58 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1995

How are employees encouraged to give back to the community?

We do several donation drives to give back to the community, including a school supply drive for Frederick County Public Schools, pet supplies for a local animal shelter, a fundraiser and donation drive for Heartly House, a drive for hats, scarves and mittens for the homeless in the winter and we hosted a blood drive for the American Red Cross.

19 EMPLOYEES

ESTABLISHED 1991

UNITY TECHNOLOGIES CORP. 5350-A Partners Court | Frederick | www.unitytec,com

Unity Technologies Corporation is an economically disadvantaged, woman owned small business with operations in Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington. We provide a broad range of program management, engineering, analytics, training and management consulting service to the Department of Defense and federal civilian agencies.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We provide our employees with a work environment where respect for the individual is the highest ranked element of our core values. Our management team sets aside time to recognize individual achievement at each of our locations quarterly. We provide opportunities for career growth through educational reimbursement, internal training programs and the opportunity to advance in their program or transition to new contracts as they are awarded.

63 EMPLOYEES

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ESTABLISHED 2006

WARNER SERVICE 217 Monroe Ave. | Frederick | www.warnerservice.com

The heating and air conditioning company is active in the community, including as a Frederick Health Hospital Corporate Honor Roll partner, establishing the Warner Memorial Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation of Frederick County, as well as being active in Rotary, the Frederick County Mental Health Association, YMCA, Hospice, Boys and Girls Club of Frederick and countless other endeavors.

What career growth opportunities are offered?

We have a ton of career growth opportunities here, especially with the help of our manufacturers. We offer in-house training as well, and due to the unlimited resources online, career growth opportunities are limitless. We also enroll our apprentices into local trade schools, a wonderful opportunity, especially for those who want to make this their career.

28 EMPLOYEES

1000 N. Market St. | Frederick www.frederickymca.org

The YMCA is a flexible workplace that supports the entire family. Each year the Y hosts two employee events. Service pins are awarded to employees for every five years of employment. An affordable health care plan and retirement are offered and If an employee has worked for two years they are fully invested in the Y's national retirement system.

ESTABLISHED 1937

WERRES CORPORATION 807 E. South St. | Frederick | www.werres.com

Since being acquired in 2016, Werres has made huge strides to improve employee benefits and culture. Continuous improvement is the new way of life. We were able to offer the benefit program from parent company Raymond/ Toyota and greatly increase the company’s cost share on group health insurance.

What initiatives do you offer to keep employees happy?

We added a spirit committee and give members authority and funding to provide fun activities for our employees. This past year we’ve had a cornhole tournament, pumpkin decorating contest and a door decorating contest to name a few of the activities. The spirit committee also works on outreach so we can give back, for example collecting food for the Maryland Food Bank and gifts for a retirement home, as well as supporting other charities.

157 EMPLOYEES

YMCA of FREDERICK COUNTY

How does your business keep employees healthy?

All part time employees get free Individual membership to the Y and full time employees get a free family membership. All employees can take any class offerings and we host a health and wellness fair yearly, providing health screenings for employees and their family members.

The Y also provides a location for flu shots, making it convenient for staff.

542 EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED 1858

ESTABLISHED 1935

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SETTING AN EXAMPLE Companies Give Back and Encourage Workers to do the Same

By Gina Gallucci-White esides providing a unique array of beers to thirsty folks both locally and nationally, Flying Dog Brewery’s Chief Marketing Officer Ben Savage notes a large part of the company is dedicated to becoming a big part of the community.

B

“We don’t like to do things halfway,” he says.

“If we identify a charity or a cause we are really interested in and we think will have an impact in the community and it is a good fit for our team’s personality then we are a big part of it.”

The company will not only provide a financial donation to events happening in the Frederick

area, but also like to have staff volunteer their time there as well. They are fixtures at multiple annual events such as Frederick’s Oktoberfest, Tour de Frederick and Colors on the Creek, hosted by Carroll Creek Rotary and the Rotary Club of Frederick’s Leprechaun Luau.

“A big part of who we are is being a big part of the community,” Savage says. “I can’t see a situation where we would not want to engage in those levels. If anything, we sometimes have to make sure we are not doing too much. We encourage everyone to be a part of these initiatives. We encourage them

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Frederick’s Oktoberfest

to be part of the events as they come up because the biggest part about being a local small business is having a direct impact on the community. I think we try to do that every day.”

Flying Dog is also actively involved in the Linking Youth to New Experiences (LYNX) program at Frederick High School. Designed to create individualized plans for students’ academic and career goals, the program, which began last year, focuses on advocacy, partnerships, flexible schedules and innovative learning.

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“WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE A BIG PART OF LOCAL EVENTS AND INITIATIVES.” —Ben Savage, Chief Marketing Officer, Flying Dog Brewery

Julie Christiansen, Flying Dog’s vice president of human relations, is also a youth lacrosse coach in the county and asked the company to get involved in the program. “Preparing our youth for various things is just something I care a lot about so when I have the opportunity to parallel that with work and give back in that capacity, it was just a no brainier for me,” she says. “... I am super passionate about us getting out in the community and getting involved in ways other than just your typical events and things that we do. It was a really good opportunity for us to donate our time and to share work experiences.”

Christiansen talks with students about a variety of topics they can use throughout their lives in different facets including how to make a good first impression, getting involved in the community and building their network of contacts.

“It is a great opportunity to help give basic life skills from a professional perspective,” she says. “...I think that the Frederick County Public Schools system has done a really good job of recognizing that not all kids potentially have a path to college. Some will follow the path to a career and how do we set those kids up for placement in some of the local organizations here in Frederick County?

So, by partnering with all these businesses

Flying Dog Brewery is involved in an array of community events, ranging from Frederick’s Oktoberfest to Tour de Frederick, a bike race through the county.

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and getting these students face time with businesses and out and involved in their communities, I think it is such a great program and concept and something we felt was really great to be involved with.”

R.W. Warner Inc. Now on its third generation, R.W. Warner Inc. has been giving back to the community since 1937. CEO Matt Warner has previously served on the board of directors for Frederick Memorial Hospital, now Frederick Health, and the company has been recognized as the hospital’s Corporate Honor Roll partner through its continued financial support over 15 years.

The company also partnered with the Community Foundation of Frederick County to

“A BUSINESS THAT SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITY ALWAYS GETS SUPPORT BACK.” —Josh Via, President, R.W. Warner Inc.

establish the Warner Memorial Endowment Fund in honor of R.W. Warner Sr. and Mary Warner. Since 1997, the fund has supported numerous charitable, educational, scientific and religious endeavors.

They also support numerous local organizations through charitable giving like the Frederick County Mental Health Association, YMCA, Christmas Cash for Kids, Hospice of Frederick County and Special Olympics.

Third generation company, R.W. Warner Inc., promotes community involvement, including Chirstmas Cash for Kids.

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Josh Via, Warner’s president, notes the company giving back dates to R.W. Warner who passed the tradition down to his son, R.W. Warner Jr. and

Market Street Mile

grandson, Matt Warner. With the business located within walking distance of the Frederick Fairgrounds in the City of Frederick, staff see daily the importance of community giving. “Any time you can give back to the community, it is always a good thing,” Via says.

“A business that supports the community always gets support back.”

Transportation Management Services (TMS) Located in Frederick for four years, Transportation Management Services took part in the Frederick Market Street Mile this year not only with a sponsorship but also having employees volunteer their time. The company

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Frederick Rescue Mission

“IT IS REALLY FUN. MOST OF OUR STAFF ACTUALLY GO AND HELP OUT EVERY YEAR.” —Ellie Ayiub, Marketing Manager, Transportation Management Services

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also encourages staff to take shifts at the Frederick Rescue Mission. Ashley Allen, social media campaign manager, has helped with lunch service as well as wiped down tables and chatted with patrons. “I am really lucky to work for a company that allows me to take a break during my workday, go to the rescue mission and then come back and finish out my day with wonderful people,” she says.

Sharone Marraccini, office and project manager, says management is very flexible in terms of employees’ hours when they chose to volunteer.

“If you get your job done, no one is going to be on you for going and volunteering some time for two hours,” she says. “It is not time that

people have to make up.

There is nobody sitting around going ‘You missed 20 minutes and now you have to stay late and that is your 20 minutes to make up for that time.’”

The company also sponsors transportation every year to the Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge at Sandy Point State Park. “It is really fun,” says Ellie Ayoub, marketing manager. “Most of our staff from the office actually go and help out at this event every year so it is a good team building event as well.”

Kathy Hutcherson, human resources manager, joined the company in mid-2019 and has been impressed by the philanthropy and Frederick County companies have a long tradition of encouraging their workers to community spirit shown by become involved in the community. staff. “There is a lot to this place,” she says. “There is a lot of giving. There are a lot of kind people here. They love what they do which something that is important to someone then just amazed me and they like working we all stand behind them. We are a small but together. I think it is a really, really cool mighty company.” environment.”

Allen recalls one employee was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, so the company sponsored a walk with a staff majority showing up to participate. “I think that encompasses what TMS is all about,” she says. “If there is

“There are not many of these companies out there I can tell you,” Hutcherson adds noting the company is planning to give even more in the future. “I think the best is yet to come. We’ve got quite a bit more planned.”

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AT A GLANCE

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development OED is advised by a Business & Industry Cabinet and an Agriculture Business Council.

The office is guided by a set of Strategic Priorities:

» Retain and support the expansion of existing businesses. » Attract new businesses in key industries: Bioscience, Tech, Manufacturing, Craft Beverages and Agriculture.

» Create an environment where entrepreneurs and smal businesses can grow.

» Diversify and advocate for the County’s Agriculture industry.

Front row, seated, from left: Beth Woodring, Director of Business Attraction and Marketing; Amanda Lee, Manager of Market Research and Data Analysis; Sherman Coleman, Business Development Specialist. Middle row: Solash Aviles-Montanez, Senior Business Development Manager; Cindy Harris, Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator; Britt Swartzlander, Communications and Marketing Coordinator; Matt Doyle, Senior Business Attraction Manager; Helen Propheter, Executive Director, Economic and Workforce Development; Katie Stevens, Associate Director of Agriculture Business Development; Jodie Bollinger, Director of Business Retention and Expansion. Standing on ladder: Sharon Hipkins, Special Events Coordinator.

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) is a catalyst for economic growth in Frederick County. OED is a department within the County Executive Branch of Government and serves to increase the overall economic health of the county.

» Identify, support and promote high impact projects.

Located at ROOT, a one-stop business and technology innovation center in the heart of Downtown Frederick, OED has the resources to get businesses connected. OED can provide businesses with tools such as site selection assistance, redevelopment services, incentives and demographics.

Among the Top 10 Best Counties in America and Top 100 Places to Live, businesses flourish in Frederick County. We invite you to be a part of the success story.

118 N. Market St., Suite 300 | Frederick, MD | 21701 | 301.600.1058 | 800.248.2296 | www.discoverfrederickmd.com 78

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