The Maryland Marketing Partnership, which helps drive Maryland’s branding and marketing efforts to attract businesses, create jobs, and grow the state’s economy, today shared a summary of the latest news from companies and organizations that invest in the partnership.
“Maryland’s momentum is undeniable,” said Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson. “The achievements of our partner organizations demonstrate our commitment to fostering a culture of creativity and progress. From established companies expanding their footprint to cutting-edge startups making waves, our state is a prime location for businesses of all sizes to succeed.”
BGE, based in Baltimore and Maryland’s largest natural gas and electric utility, joined Annapolis officials last month to open the city’s first public 150 kW EV fast charger and celebrate the fifth anniversary of customers benefiting from BGE’s EVsmart program. Through EVsmart, BGE has installed nearly 400 of 500 planned chargers in central Maryland on land owned, leased, or occupied by state or local governmental entities, and made other investments to help encourage EV adoption in the state. EVsmart programs are aligned with the intent of the Maryland Public Service Commission’s 2019 order requiring utilities to build out EV charging infrastructure where private investment was less likely to occur until much later in our state and country’s EV transition.
St. John Properties, Inc., based in Baltimore and one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately-held commercial real estate firms, will construct the final three commercial buildings at Maple Lawn, a 605-acre mixed-use community in Howard County via a joint venture partnership with Greenebaum Enterprises. All three buildings, two medical offices and one inline retail space, are being developed on a speculative basis with lease inquiries starting immediately. Additionally, St. John Properties, Inc. and Somerset Companies LLC held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Aspen at Melford Town Center, a 388-unit luxury multifamily community in Bowie. A joint project between the two real estate companies, the community features oversized studio, one-, and two-bedroom living spaces ranging from 507 to 1,490 square feet, as well as a full complement of on-site amenities.
Harbor East Management Group, based in Baltimore and a vibrant waterfront neighborhood, is excited to announce three new retailers in their neighborhood. Saatva, a luxury online mattress brand, recently opened their immersive 3,900 square-foot viewing room at 1001 Fleet Street. Alo Yoga, the Los Angeles-based premium lifestyle brand, has signed a lease to open a 4,100-square-foot Alo Sanctuary store at the corner of Aliceanna and S. Exeter Streets. On the adjacent corner, California jewelry brand gorjana will be opening their 1,350 square-foot storefront later this summer, showcasing their timeless designs and pieces. With these recent and upcoming openings, Harbor East continues to be a destination for the latest retail trends and experiences.
SECU, Maryland’s largest state-chartered credit union, is excited to announce its partnership with Greenlight® Financial Technology, Inc., a fintech company on a mission to help parents raise financially aware, independent children. SECU is one of the first financial institutions in Maryland to partner with Greenlight, paving the way for the next generation of Marylanders to be financially well during all the stages of their lives. Starting this fall, all SECU members can join Greenlight at no additional cost. Members can empower their children to learn healthy financial habits using Greenlight’s debit card and money app.
Bozzuto, based in Greenbelt, has been named one of The Washington Post’s 2024 Top Workplaces in the area, ranking twelfth among the largest employers. Selection is based solely on employee feedback gathered through an anonymous third-party survey. The company also announced that Kirsten Andrews Woepler has joined Bozzuto as its new General Counsel. Formerly, she was a real estate attorney with Gallagher Evelius & Jones, where she was head of the firm’s Business Transactions Practice. Andrews Woelper’s hiring marks the establishment of an in-house general counsel role at Bozzuto, which is essential to support Bozzuto’s multi-state expansion and nationwide growth.
Kaiser Permanente, based in Rockville, proudly commemorated Juneteenth, a significant federal holiday recognizing the emancipation of the last enslaved Black individuals on June 19, 1865. Kaiser Permanente partnered with community organizations to celebrate this important recognition and to highlight ongoing efforts to achieve equity for all. Kaiser Permanente sponsored the Annapolis Juneteenth Gala, Festival, and Parade on June 21-22, an event that drew thousands of attendees to celebrate African American heritage. As a sponsor, Kaiser Permanente hosted a booth offering giveaways, healthy recipe literature, and diabetes information.
Cloudforce, based in National Harbor, released a video capturing the winning essence of its AI-powered workplace culture. They also celebrated three-peat success for both the Inc. Fastest Growing Company’s list and Inc. Best Workplaces, being featured on the front page of Inc.’s website in this year’s national announcement. At the annual RSA Conference in San Francisco, CA, CEO Husein Sharaf addressed the Maryland Cyber Leadership Breakfast, sharing insights on AI’s impacts on cybersecurity. Cloudforce hosted local tech community members and leaders for the first-ever Microsoft Cloud & AI Meetup, featuring headliners Wolf Ruzicka, author of “AI Driven”, and Microsoft’s Ryan Jones, Pupun Das, and Chris Ingeholm discussing Microsoft’s latest AI innovations built upon GPT-4o in Copilot and Azure OpenAI.
TEDCO, Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies, released a study outlining the current status of Maryland’s cybersecurity workforce. Additionally, they announced changes to their Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII) Program and the appointment of Abishek Kulshreshtha as the new MII Executive Director, hosted a roundtable discussion with Senators Cardin and Van Hollen and Congressman Sarbanes for the new Federal Lab Leveraging Innovation to Products (FLLIP) Program, announced the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF) grant awardees for FY24, announced promotions for two Executive Directors, announced securing a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) with Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCD), and more. TEDCO continues to 
invest in Maryland-based innovators including Kubanda Cryotherapy, Vegetable + Butcher, Beyond Commissions, Astek Diagnostics, and Aquatic Circle.
About Maryland Marketing Partnership
The Maryland Marketing Partnership, founded in statute as the Maryland Public-Private Partnership Marketing Corporation, develops branding strategy for the state, markets the state’s assets, and encourages the location and growth of new businesses in Maryland.
