Archive for November, 2011

The Chris O-pinion: When was your last fishtail?  From recent car ads on television, it seems to be a requirement that drivers do this maneuver where the rear wheels lose traction and the car starts going sideways.  With the untold amounts that manufacturers have spent to improve handling and making their products safer, it’s odd that the clips show them out of control.  Are advertisers being creative and conveying a fun aspect of the cars, or just being dumb?

LINTHICUM – More than 350 entrepreneurs attended the first state-wide Entrepreneur Expo this week, an event put on by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO).  It is one of 10 featured events in the country as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov. 14 – 20).

Objectives from Bryan Sivak, Maryland’s Chief Innovation Officer (left) who was interviewed by Mario Armstrong, Digital Lifestyle and Technology Expert for CNN:

1. Help startups commercialize their products; he welcomed personal contact with him to present ideas
2. Use the state’s resources to convene groups such as incubators to work together.  He offered up www.easy.maryland.gov, a site designed to remove barriers to business success.

ANNAPOLIS – Anne Arundel Medical Center is the first acute care facility in the state to receive the LEED Gold certification.  LEED is a prominent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

See full release.

HANOVER – Conmed Healthcare Management is not going through with a previously announced merger.  Prospective buyer Ayelet said it was having trouble obtaining financing for the purchase of the correctional facility health care provider.

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BWI AIRPORT – With Southwest’s acquisition of AirTran Airways complete, all AirTran operations as of today will shift from Concourse D to the Terminal A/B facility.  More security, curbside checkin and 16 automated ticketing kiosks have been added to accommodate the increased traffic.

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HANOVER – Ciena Corporation has signed a lease with W2007 RDG Realty for its new headquarters at 7035 and 7031 Ridge Road.  W2007 RDG is expected to complete the building in a year.

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ANNAPOLIS – ARINC Managed Services, provider of managed IT services and support for the aviation industry, has opened a new headquarters office at 170 Jennifer Road.  The ARINC subsidiary provides 24-hour maintenance and support for airline check-in systems and other technologies, both from its new site and at airports around the world.

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ANNE ARUNDEL – There were more closed sales of homes in the county in October than a year ago but the average sold price was almost 10% less, says the numbers from RealEstate Business Intelligence.  The average number of days on the market was almost 7% higher (123 days).  In Howard county, there were 5.5% fewer sales than a year ago with a sold price almost 7% lower; they were on the market for 87 days (2% more than last year).

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ANNE ARUNDEL – Jody Madigan, CPA is the new Chief Financial Officer of the $500 million gaming and entertainment destination in development at Arundel Mills.

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The Chris O-pinion: How accurate is others’ perception of you?  The August issue of Harvard Business Review says most bosses overestimate how well others view them.  If there are competence and character issues, staff probably won’t trust you enough to say so, not to mention the limits this problem can put on organizational accomplishments.  So it likely comes down to this question: How perceptive are you about others’ perceptions?