Archive for December, 2009

COLUMBIA – Carrollton Bancorp/Carrollton Bank has named Mark Semanie as senior VP/Chief Financial Officer of the 11-branch bank.

See full release.

LINTHICUM – Northrop Grumman has made three leadership appointments in relation to a realignment of several program divisions within the company’s Electronic Systems sector, each carrying the title of VP/general manager:

• Gloria Flach (Targeting Systems Division), responsible for combat avionics, global sensor solutions, electro-optical/infrared targeting, and laser systems
• John Johnson (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Systems Division), overseer of space systems, command, control, communications and computers and ISR systems, and surveillance systems activities
• Jeffrey Palombo (Land & Self-Protection Systems Division), responsibile for weapons and sensors, infrared countermeasures, radio frequency combat and information systems, and communication, intelligence and networking solutions.

See full release.

ANNAPOLIS – ARINC and Vizada Americas have made available voice and data services using the Inmarsat I-4 satellite constellation, which will complement those available on the older I-3 network. Inmarsat services are used on more than 8,000 commercial air transport aircraft, business jets, and military aircraft for operational and safety-critical applications.

See full release.

ANNAPOLIS – Through a survey of more than one thousand properties in the Mid Atlantic, Heavy Hammer and USHUD.com found that government foreclosures are routinely underpriced by 8 to 10 percent.  Reviewers based the conclusion on statistics comparing the average asking price of foreclosure homes to tax assessment values and the average sales price of comparable homes.  Heavy Hammer says little-known gaps in rules include requiring only a single appraisal and requiring acceptance of bids up to 11 percent below the asking price.

See full release.

ANNAPOLIS – RxNT V 6.1.4, an application for eprescribing from Networking Technology, Inc., has achieved the 2011 Standalone ePrescribing certification from the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology.  RxNT is the first standalone product in the U.S. to obtain the CCHIT Certified 2011 Standalone ePrescribing certification.

See full release.

ANNAPOLIS – TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. sent word that its Short Message Service Center (SMSC) application running on platforms in wireless carriers’ networks is set to process close to 700 billion text messages by the end of 2009.  The biggest spike in usage will be the hour around the changeover into next year, which the company expects to be three times the level of last year.
Separately, TCS announced that it secured an $8 million contract with the U.S. Marine Corps for the company’s wireless point-to-point link systems and services.  These provide deployed Marines with secure point-to-point and point-to-multipoint transmission of voice, video and data communications over terrestrial microwave radio links.

ANNAPOLIS – The new administration in the City of Annapolis has gotten some extra time to evaluate the initiative to generate power and revenue from the former dump near Parole.  With a Dec. 21 unanimous vote by the city council, the administration will begin negotiations with developer Aerotropolis Renewable Energy Group with the aim of making a decision in 45 days to move ahead with a memorandum of understanding.  The renewable energy project will spend $250 million of private funds on solar, biomass and geothermal systems, and will generate up to 18 megawatts of power.

And what a year it has been.  A new president, stimulus, clunkers, GM bankruptcy, health care and Madoff.  Locally we had slots, Redwood Capital buying Erickson, and ongoing BRAC activity around Fort Meade.  Not a bad year to start a business publication.

Will next year be different?  On a high level, the news never changes, it just happens to different people.  So we’ll be here, bringing it to you as it happens along with other offerings such as our events program.  We’ll host a mixer on Jan. 12, 5:30 pm at Armadillos in Annapolis where we’ll raffle two three-hour sessions with career management firm Proticon Career Services.

May all your news be good news.  Happy New Year.

ANNAPOLIS – Construction of a gambling casino near Arundel Mills mall is expected to start this summer following Monday night’s county council vote and a signature by County Executive John Leopold.  Statewide voters last year approved the contentious concept, which is projected to bring in $450 million to the state and $30 million to the county.

See full release.

SEVERNA PARK – The Hogan Companies announced that it brokered the sale of land to The Shelter Group for a planned 103-unit affordable senior housing project.  To be called Park View at Severna Park, the seven-acre site on Route 2 is one of four Anne Arundel projects that resulted from a federal program for construction based on low-income housing tax credits.  A second of the four projects also handled by Hogan Companies moved forward this week with the purchase of a site in Glen Burnie for a 55-unit project called Hammerlee House.  It will be constructed by a joint venture between Koch Homes and Stavrou Companies.

See full release.