Archive for September, 2009

MILLERSVILLE – The group assembled today by the Chesapeake Regional Technology Council outlined a vision for renewable energy usage and the many, many steps needed to get there.  Roger Satin of Maryland’s Dept. of Business and Economic Development laid out the state’s goal of reducing energy usage by 15 percent by 2025, and he alerted attendees to smart grids, new wind towers with horizontal blades and other concepts being turned into reality.  Hat tip to Roger for calling attention to the Web site with details of clean energy tax credits.  Charlotte Wallace of Anne Arundel Medical Center brought the gathering up to speed on the LEED certification process currently underway during construction of the hospital’s new tower.  Also driving home the discussion was Monal Dhabliwala of Source & Summit Company who talked about investor risk and the broader economic implications of clean and renewable energy that can make it a moving target.

The venue for the Green Markets Committee meeting was the HQ of the Maryland Environmental Service, which uses a 1.8-acre solar farm to generate 240 kilowatts of electricity for its own use.

ANNAPOLIS – Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp. has released Q2 data showing generally lower numbers when compared to the same period last year:

-       32 new commercial construction permits, down 57 percent

-       586 new residential permits (including multi-family), up 20 percent

-       2,034 existing home sales down 12 percent

-       $362,103 average price of existing homes, down 11 percent

-       6.4 percent unemployed, up from 3.5 percent.

See full report.

HANOVER – Oceaneering International has leased nearly 47,000 square feet at 6090 Dorsey Road to accompany the nearby space that houses its advanced technologies division.  The engineering firm offers services and products primarily to the offshore oil and gas industry with a focus on deepwater applications.

See full story.

GLEN BURNIE – Core-apps, LLC and Map Your Show have forged a partnership to promote their complementary technologies that deliver dynamic content to mobile platforms.  Core-apps is the creator of Follow Me, a smart phone application for the trade show industry, while Map Your Show offers aggregation of event information and floor plans.

See full release.

POCOMOKE CITY – Composite armor supplier Hardwire, LLC will more than double its manufacturing capacity to accommodate demand for its lightweight vehicle armor solutions.  This is the company’s second large-capacity increase in two years.

See full release.

ODENTON – At an open house on Oct. 17th Whole Chiropractic Healthcare will point to the steps it has taken to become a green business with electric power that comes from wind, rechargeable batteries for medical and office equipment, natural stone flooring, zero-VOC paint and energy efficient light bulbs.  Yoga and Pilates classes, and a healthy cooking demo will be offered.

See Web site.

ANNAPOLIS – The Board of Trustees of the Anne Arundel Health System has named Chief Operating Officer Victoria W. Bayless as its new president.  She succeeds Martin L. “Chip” Doordan who will continue to serve the health system as CEO until his retirement, which is expected in spring 2011 to coincide with the opening of a new 8-story patient tower.

See full release.

LINTHICUM – Wise Metals Group will provide the nation’s largest brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev with recycled metal sheets for can production starting next year.  Under a separate agreement the brewer’s recycling subsidiary will supply Wise Metals mill in Alabama with the scrap material it needs.

See full release.

BALTIMORE — IT services firm ANALYSYS reported the positive results of a trial for Windows 7, the Microsoft operating system set for release October 22^nd.  Windows 7 started up in as little as four seconds and is able to run on older hardware and with applications previously confined to Windows 2000 or XP.  ANALYSYS conducted the test on behalf of small businesses, many of which are customers throughout the Anne Arundel region and would be less likely to purchase new hardware.

See full release.

LINTHICUM – The BWI Business Partnership made a hearty return from its summer hiatus of monthly breakfasts.  Introduced by Executive Director Linda Green, ARINC Chairman and CEO John Belcher laid out a stat-heavy presentation showing how the company touches millions of lives each day.  Now in its 80^th year, the company is the technological force supporting aerospace, defense, rail systems, networks, security and aviation.  It enables flight information systems at 165 airports, more than 70 percent of air-ground messaging systems, and it is the only source of a high-frequency data link over the polar regions.  At the helm for 12 years, Belcher outlined how he expects to continue making inroads in industries such as cruise ships, and aviation where airlines will collectively lose $9 billion this year.  For example, checking in a passenger on ARINC’s common-user kiosks costs less than the $5.50 for check in via staff.