February 2012 Archives

Archives For February 2012

Firms announce 376 Md. expansions in 2011

Nick Sohr — February 28, 2012

By Nick Sohr, Managing Editor, MDbizMedia

New and expanding businesses in Maryland announced more than 10,000 new jobs and $3.3 billion in capital investment last year, according to figures compiled by the Department of Business and Economic Development.

The growth — 376 total projects across all 24 local jurisdictions — reflected the state’s traditional strengths in professional and technical services, health care and government.

Nearly a quarter of the growth came from professional services, with 84 projects. Almost half of those were announced by information technology firms, an area of emphasis for Maryland as the state works to capitalize on growth in cybersecurity driven by the National Security Agency in Anne Arundel County and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg.

The health care sector saw 1,875 new jobs announced in 2011, with more than three-quarters of them part of the expansion of Holy Cross Hospital in Montgomery County.

The federal government was responsible for the largest new capital investment. Most of the $890 million in announced spending will go to the planned Social Security Administration project in Frederick.

There were more than 2,000 new jobs announced in the hospitality and recreation sector, according to the DBED figures. Most of those jobs are at the Maryland Live! Casino being built next to the Arundel Mills shopping mall and the new Four Seasons hotel in Baltimore.

Manufacturing, which has struggled in Maryland in recent years, added the second-most new businesses of any sector, with 11. Along with 53 expansions, manufacturing firms announced 1,477 new jobs and $212 million in capital investment in 2011.

Statewide and across all sectors, businesses new to Maryland accounted for 67 of the 376 announced projects and 2,964 jobs. The 309 expansions accounted for 7,408 jobs.

Projects were announced in all 23 counties and Baltimore City. Howard County led the way with 50 new and expanding projects. Anne Arundel led the state in new businesses announced, with 13 totaling 1,696 jobs.

While the report does not capture all of the employment growth in the state, DBED Secretary Christian Johansson said it is an “important barometer of where Maryland is creating jobs.”

According to the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Maryland added 30,300 jobs in 2011, with 25,600 of them coming from the private sector.

Top deals, according to DBED figures, include:

Cordish/Maryland Live! at Arundel Mills (Anne Arundel County) – 1,500 new jobs, $320 million investment
Social Security Administration (Frederick County) – 200 new jobs, $500 million investment
EMD Sales (Baltimore City) – 70 new jobs, $1 million investment
Evolve Composites (Washington County) – 60 new jobs, $3 million investment
Under Armour (Anne Arundel County) – 225 new jobs
Vocus (Prince George’s County) – 200 new jobs, $10 million investment
Restoration Hardware (Cecil County) – 150 new jobs, $66 million investment
Maricom Systems (Baltimore County) – 150 new jobs

CyberMaryland showcased at RSA

Nick Sohr — February 27, 2012

By Nick Sohr, Managing Editor, MDbizMedia

As reports of hacked websites, pirated troves of personal information and attacks on government computer networks grow more common, some 19,000 IT professionals are gathering this week in San Francisco in hopes of upping their cybersecurity defenses.

Among the throngs of cybersecurity experts at the RSA Conference will be 15 representatives of CyberMaryland, a public-private partnership working to promote this state’s growing cyber defense sector.

The Maryland contingent includes some of the state’s most innovative cybersecurity companies, including CyberHive, KoolSpan, Lookingglass, Oculis Labs, Prism Microsystems, Sonatype and Lockheed Martin. The CyberMaryland booth will also play host to the Cyber Incubator@UMBC and two of the most influential forces in the cybersecurity field, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Security Agency.

NIST, Maryland and Montgomery County launched on Feb. 21 the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, an effort to bring government experts, academics and private sector innovators together to develop and implement cutting edge cybersecurity solutions.

The center will focus on tech transfer to capitalize on the industry-leading innovations being made in Maryland.

“In cybersecurity, we need the best standards in the world. We need the best innovations in corporate America,” said Christian Johansson, secretary of the state’s Department of Business and Economic Development. “We believe, in Maryland, that having that center here, we can serve as that translator [from the federal government] to the corporate side.”

The cybersecurity center will be located near the NIST campus in Gaithersburg. It is funded in large part by $10 million in federal funding secured by U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski.

“We have to protect and defend, and if necessary, retaliate. America stands ready to do that. Where we’re developing that is right here in Maryland,” Mikulski said.

Dorchester center feeds growing workforce

MDbizMedia — February 23, 2012

by Mindie Burgoyne, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development’s Upper Shore Field Office

As Maryland’s Eastern Shore works to attract and grow high-tech companies, the Dorchester County Career and Technology Center in Cambridge is preparing the next generation of workers to staff them.

The Center moved to a new, 98,000-square-foot building in Cambridge before the Fall 2011 semester and has 445 high school students enrolled in its courses. The new Center blends traditional vocational courses, such as masonry, welding and diesel engine mechanics, with high-tech tracks including interactive media production, computer-aided design and IT networking.

A tour of the Center, which every local eighth and ninth grade student in the county is invited to take to pique their interest, is impressive.

All the equipment is new, and enthusiasm exhibited by students, teachers and staff is palpable. Students take honors courses, compete in state academic and technical competitions and partner with community organizations on large projects.

Students learning building trades work with Habitat for Humanity to build a home for a family in the community. The culinary arts students provide lunches for guests who attend meetings at the DCTC conference area. Cambridge International, a local manufacturer, hosts DCTC student interns.

The goal of Maryland’s career and technology education programs is to work with traditionally academic programs in providing a well-qualified pool of potential employees, trainees, and college students.

Henry Wagner, Superintendent Dorchester County Schools; Mary Calloway, Cambridge Economic Development, Keasha Haythe, Dorchester County Economic Development; Natalie Chabot, Cambridge Economic Development; Kermit Hines, DCTC Principal

“This Center plays an enormous role with kids that graduate,” said DCTC Principal Kermit Hines. “This has actually kept some students that would have otherwise dropped out of school in school and has brought them the success academically that they couldn’t otherwise find before. They see the relevance in their academic education.”

The new focus on technology fields comes at a critical time for Dorchester County, which saw significant job losses as manufacturing plants moved overseas and the seafood industry declined. For years, Dorchester has dealt with high unemployment and a workforce struggling to find jobs that pay well.

The county, in partnership with Cambridge and state and federal agencies recently initiated the $8.5 million development of the Dorchester County Business and Technology Park to attract high-tech companies and house the state’s only technology incubator on the Eastern Shore.

The county sees DCTC with its expanding curriculum in technology courses as a key supplier of workers for the firms it hopes to bring to the technology park.

“The young people have a wonderful opportunity to rewrite their life scripts,” said county school Superintendent Henry Wagner. “We find that the children in our community often have a narrow view as to what their potential is in the global economy and in the workforce. What a facility like this accomplishes for them is that it provides them with an opportunity to see their future differently and to align their school experience right here in [Dorchester County] with that future they are now envisioning.”

Arts & Entertainment Districts work for Maryland

MDbizMedia — February 22, 2012

by Kate McMillan, Maryland State Arts Council

When it comes to leveraging the arts to stimulate the economy, the diverse regions of Maryland present different challenges and opportunities. In 2001, Maryland pioneered a statewide arts and entertainment district program that empowers Maryland localities with a set of tax incentives to encourage artists, arts organizations, and other creative enterprises to locate in a targeted area.

“In 2001, communities were eager to use arts to attract new business, revitalize their downtowns, and create more livable, sustainable neighborhoods,” said Theresa Colvin, Executive Director of the Maryland State Arts Council. “The A&E District Program is a proven tool for supporting jobs and enhancing the quality of life in local communities through the arts.”

Gateway Arts & Entertainment District

Six Arts & Entertainment (A&E) Districts began operation under a 10-year designation in 2002. Since then, 13 additional Maryland A&E Districts have been added and designations for the Gateway and Silver Spring A&E Districts were recently granted 10-year extensions.

This month, the arts council released a study that found A&E Districts supported more than 1,600 jobs and nearly $50 million in wages on average every year between fiscal 2008 and 2010. The study also shows that the districts supported an average of $147.3 million in state gross domestic product (GDP) those years, and a total tax revenue impact of approximately $37.6 million during the same period.

“Each A&E District has a unique identity,” said Pamela Dunne, A&E Districts Program Director at the MSAC, “rural and metropolitan districts have very different assets and opportunities, needs and challenges, but both can benefit from A&E designation.”

Cambridge Arts & Entertainment District

Rural districts like Cambridge or Frederick often use A&E designation incentives to complement historic preservation and community revitalization plans, create affordable live and work spaces for artists and establish marketable tourist destinations. Metropolitan districts like Bethesda or Baltimore’s Station North are often home to large cultural institutions that anchor redevelopment, jobs and other opportunities in the cultural sector and beyond. All of Maryland’s A&E Districts boast festivals, public art, galleries and performances that brighten and unite communities.

“A&E districts are lively and desirable places to live and work which creates a ‘spillover effect’ that attracts an array of businesses that are not necessarily related to the arts,” said Tina Benjamin of the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development.

Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District

Two new A&E districts are under consideration and four districts—Bethesda, Cumberland, Hagerstown and Station North—are up for designation renewals this year. The program will continue to help more Maryland communities harness the power of the creative sector to maximize local economic impact. The recent study shows that beyond improving quality of life, A&E Districts are powerful economic drivers in Maryland’s modern economy.

Maryland, NIST ink cyber center partnership

MDbizMedia — February 21, 2012

by Nick Sohr, Managing Editor, MDbizMedia

The state of Maryland, Montgomery County and the National Institute of Standards and Technology launched on Tuesday the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to speed development of cybersecurity solutions by tapping experts in the field from government, academia and the private sector. The center is a key component of the state’s CyberMaryland initiative, designed to make the state the leader in the field.

Montgomery County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett, Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown, U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski and NIST Director Patrick Gallagher sign a memorandum of understanding creating the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.

The center will be hosted by NIST near its Gaithersburg campus and will be funded in large part by $10 million in federal funding secured by U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski.

“We are at war, and it’s not a single force. It’s everyone from nation states to hackers who are not only here, but over there. We have to protect and defend, and if necessary, retaliate,” Mikulski said at Tuesday’s announcement at NIST. “America stands ready to do that. And where we’re developing that is right here in Maryland. Maryland is the epicenter of cybersecurity and cyber development.”

The center will bring together companies and institutions in need of cyber protection, researchers with new ideas and experts in the field to integrate cutting-edge security technology into new products.

NIST Director Patrick Gallagher said speeding commercialization is one of the “key objectives” of the center.

“We’d like to see the standards, the cybersecurity, if you will, baked in, built in so they interoperate, so that they support each other,” he said. “The sooner that’s integrated into technology and commercialized, the better off we all are.”

State and local leaders see great potential in cybersecurity, with federal anchors like NIST, the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command forming a core to which tech contractors and entrepreneurs will gravitate.

CyberMaryland was launched in January 2010 as another piece of the state’s multi-pronged approach to fostering growth in its high-tech industries.

Academic leaders have retooled curriculums to produce cybersecurity professionals, including through degree and certificate programs at University of Maryland, Baltimore County and University of Maryland University College.

The General Assembly passed InvestMaryland in April 2011, creating the groundwork for a venture capital fund fueled with at least $70 million from the state and focused on young, high-tech companies. The first investments could be made as early as this summer.

And this year, Gov. Martin O’Malley has urged the legislature to pass his Innovation Initiative, a more than $6 million effort to commercialize discoveries made in the labs of the state’s public and private research universities.

“The work that we’re doing, the important work around safeguarding and protecting our computer networks and infrastructure, it’s critical and it’s expanding,” said Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown. “So what that’s going to do for Maryland is create jobs and opportunities. As we develop the strategies and technologies to defend against cyber attacks, we’re going to do that right here in Maryland.”

O’Malley, Solis tour GM White Marsh expansion

MDbizMedia — February 16, 2012

by Nick Sohr, Managing Editor, MDbizMedia

U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis toured the GM Baltimore Transmission Plant in White Marsh on Wednesday as part of President Obama’s effort to spur investment and expansion in the country’s manufacturing sector.

“That’s what we want,” she said on the factory floor. “We want to see products that are developed and produced and made here in America so we can sell those to other countries and consumers here.”

Solis, accompanied by Gov. Martin O’Malley and Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, saw a factory in transition.

The plant, which opened in 2000, kicked off an expansion last year. When it is completed in 2013, the White Marsh operation will produce electric motors for the next generation of hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles.

GM employs about 200 in White Marsh now and will double its payroll when the expanded facility opens next year.

“GM is now the No. 1 auto maker because they’re building cleaner, greener automobiles and a lot of that is happening right here in Baltimore County,” said O’Malley.

The automaker is investing more than $125 million in the plant expansion and also received a $105 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for the project. Maryland contributed $4.5 million and the county, $6.15 million.

As Solis toured the GM plant, the president visited a Master Lock manufacturing plant in Wisconsin. Obama has made growing the country’s manufacturing base a key component of his economic agenda and has proposed incentives to spur growth in the sector.

“That’s where the American jobs are, the good middle class jobs that can provide support for a family,” said Solis.

“We’ve seen a lot of factories closing down in this industry,” she said. “Now they’re popping up. To see it happening here, in Baltimore, Maryland, it’s a wonderful sight.”

The factory makes a range of products for GM vehicles, including hybrid transmissions for Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks.

“The product that’s being manufactured here is what’s really so special,” Kamenetz said. “We’re talking about electric motors, hybrid transmissions. These have the potential to really grow in popularity and the fact that we’re on the cutting edge of that technology here is very promising for the future of this plant.”

You Salon

MDbizMedia — February 15, 2012

by Eric Parekh, Michael Drake, Mike Haran & Rob King, Loyola College

Located between the Baltimore and Washington D.C. metropolitan areas, You Salon offers a wide range of products and services for anyone seeking a new style or simply maintaining the one they already have. The services offered include color (both single process & dimensional), haircuts, corrective color, perms, straightens, treatments, & natural nail services.

You Salon found a home in the Columbia/Ellicott City area 8 years ago by establishing a high standard of work and customer satisfaction. Each stylist has gone through an extensive training program that was developed by the salon. “It’s almost like they are getting a master’s degree in hair”, said Director of Salon Operations Meghanne Haran. This advanced training enables the 13 employees of You Salon to cater to over 2,700 active clients.

As Director of Salon Operations, Meghanne handles everything from managing inventory and handling staff schedules to managing payroll & budgets. However, her most rewarding work comes from the social media and marketing side of her job. Meghanne has been extremely active on Facebook, print media and e-mail promoting the salon and communicating with clients and potential customers. In 2012, the salon is planning to launch a blog that will feature various articles and commentary from their staff as well as style tips. All of these media channels help the salon keep in touch with their customers and expand their brand.

The hair style industry is competitive and anything that can set you apart is a plus. The name itself, “You Salon”, was created by the owner Robin Gribbin who realized that most salons worry more about their own situation when they should be more focused on the customer.

One way You Salon focuses on its customers is by offering various amenities in the salon while they wait for their appointment. The Salon provides an Internet-ready computer for clients at the coffee bar as well as Ethernet ports and additional wireless connections for customers waiting for color treatments. Some appointments can take up to 2 hours, but with the provided technology, clients can remain productive and multi-task. This is just one idea that derived from a client’s suggestion. Extending the online access was reasonable and affordable, but goes a long way towards customer satisfaction.

In addition to offering Internet accessibility, the salon gives clients the opportunity to e-mail the salon in advance to order lunch or dinner from a menu listed on its web site provided by neighboring Casey’s Coffees and Sandwiches, another feature drawn from a client’s suggestion.

Maryland Chamber Members Share the Love

MDbizMedia — February 14, 2012

by Kathy Snyder, CCE, President/CEO, Maryland Chamber of Commerce

I Love Chamber

While it is true that business looks at its bottom line, many focus on more personal qualities such as building loyalty among customers and “friends” on Facebook. In celebration of Valentine’s Day here’s a light-hearted look at some outstanding companies that are Maryland Chamber members who are “sharing the love”:

Spice up your world with some fun recipes from McCormick & Co., that “little” global company based in Sparks. From coloring your food red to yummy dessert concoctions, McCormick is a brand name that adds taste to our meals.
If you’d rather give candy, check out Goetze Candy in Baltimore – their caramel creams are to die for!
Treat the love of your life to a special weekend at the Cambridge Hyatt in Cambridge, Clarion Hotel in Ocean City, Gaylord at National Harbor or the Marriott or Choice Hotels around the state. It’s amazing what a night away can do for your spirit! Here’s a list of the members of the Maryland Chamber.
Maryland is for crab lovers – Phillips Seafood was created on our Eastern Shore and is a global company. Spice up your Valentine’s Day with a visit to any of their locations.
Charm City Cakes
And cakes! Charm City Cakes is the best! If you miss the Ace of Cakes star Duff Goldman on his Food Network hit, or can’t get your order into Charm City Cakes by the 14^th, join us at our Small Business Awards Luncheon on June 7 to hear this success story that is oh, so sweet!
The Gaylord National Harbor in Prince George’s County wants you to “celebrate love all year long” at its breathtaking hotel right on the banks of the Potomac River, just south of Washington, D.C. If you haven’t seen the views or the spectacular atrium, take your sweetie to the Gaylord.
For those who love golf, and if our warmer than usual winter continues, visit the Renditions Golf Course in Davidsonville where every hole is a replica of one of the great championship courses.
Baltimore Ravens fans whose hearts simply were not in the Super Bowl this year may find solace in the Top 5 Moments of the last season. Sigh. There is always next year!
Don’t forget the wine and beer, especially in the Southern Maryland region where Miller-Coors distributor Betty Buck has led Buck Distributing to great success over the past 27years. Betty will be inducted into the Maryland Business Hall of Fame on April 30.

Loving local is a great way to support local businesses like these. Check out our website at www.mdchamber.org and click on Business Directory to find more in your part of our great state!

Tourism Advocates Meet with Legislators

MDbizMedia — February 13, 2012

by Gerald Levin, Tourism Film & the Arts

About 200 Maryland tourism industry leaders convened in Annapolis earlier this month for Tourism Day – an annual advocacy event to make the case for tourism funding to state legislators by discussing the industry’s economic value. Presented by the Maryland Association of Destination Marketing Organizations (MDMO) and the Maryland Tourism Council, the day-long event featured a morning of one-on-one meetings between county tourism officials, business leaders and their state representatives, then an afternoon of remarks by state officials and legislators.

The day’s speakers included DBED Secretary Christian Johansson; Margot Amelia, executive director of the Maryland Office of Tourism Development, and Greg Shockley, chair of the Maryland Tourism Development Board. Amid a stream of legislators who stopped by to offer greetings, Brian Conyers, general manager of the Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore, delivered a keynote address in which he detailed his ascent from teenaged bellhop at a Holiday Inn in Richmond, Va., to prominent hotel executive.

“It’s all about economic development and jobs,” Johansson said of tourism. He announced that the industry provides $1.9 billion in state and local taxes, while employing 130,000 Marylanders in full-time positions. He also said that 97 percent of tourism-industry enterprises are small businesses and underscored Gov. Martin O’Malley’s commitment to tourism.

Worcester County Contingent at Tourism Day

Shockley, owner-operator of Shenanigan’s Irish Pub and Grille in Ocean City, said the effort to advise legislators of the economic impact of tourism is “a continuing education process in which we have to tell our story.”

That story includes this recently reported information, according to Amelia: Maryland welcomed 32.2 million domestic visitors in 2010, an increase of 10.7 percent over 2009. Visitors spent $13.1 billion on travel expenses in 2010, which was 4.3 percent more than in 2009. And, every 303 tourism visits generates enough state and local tax revenue to fund a public school student for one year.

2011 Ends with Promise of Stronger Growth

MDbizMedia — February 10, 2012

Research Director Nancy McCrea and Economic Researcher Al Goyburu share the top 10 indicators that Maryland’s economy continues to perform.

Maryland Indicators:

Maryland stocks are up 70% from 2 years ago. The Bloomberg Maryland stock index is over 300, up from 175 in January 2010
Initial claims for unemployment insurance are down 17% from 2 years ago
The number of employed persons has grown by nearly 50,000 in the last 2 years
The unemployment rate is 6.7% for December, down from 7.6% at the height of the recession for Maryland
Existing home sales up 4% over 2009 (51,000 in 2011; 49,000 in 2009)
The foreclosure rate is down 38% from 2 years ago (.71% in 2011Q3 vs. 1.14 in 2009Q3)
Car sales up 7% from 2010 and 16% from 2009
BWI Passengers up 3% over the year (22.4 million through Nov-11/21.8 million through Nov-10)
Overall, Maryland’s economic activity as measured by the Federal Reserve’s coincident index has increased 2.4% over the past 12 months
The Federal Reserve Bank’s leading index for Maryland, a six-month forecast of the state coincident indexes, projects growth of 2.7% over the next six months

MDbizMedia Brings Depth to Marketing Maryland

MDbizMedia — February 9, 2012

Agency elevates interactive media strategy with robust business news channel
Introduces New Editor, New Format, New Features

By Andréa Vernot, Assistant Secretary, Marketing and Communications

In February 2011, Maryland’s business marketing agency entered the blogosphere with a bang.

After months of considering how to best organize and operate an ‘in-house’ news bureau, we launched MDbizMedia with a dedicated editor, outfitted her with a video camera and tape recorder, and set her off to tell the stories of businesses in Maryland.

From ground-breakings and expansions to in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs and corporate executives, we set out to make MDbizMedia a source of original content, breaking news and reliable perspectives from subject matter experts. Based at the Agency’s Baltimore office – but reporting regularly from the road – the Marketing-Communications team applied journalistic principles and practices to model MDbizMedia on the rapidly expanding number of interactive channels launching daily.

In less than a year, MDbizMedia has become a trusted news resource for the business community and a respected information source for both print and online media, including the Gazette of Politics and Business, the Star Democrat and others.

As we prepare to enter our second year – rolling out new features, expanding content and transitioning editorial duties to veteran reporter and incoming managing editor Nick Sohr – I wanted to take the opportunity to update our readers on the popular blog’s inaugural year and share our plans for expanded news and features.

MDbizMedia Origins

MDbizMedia was inspired by the rise in hyperlocal journalism with its bands of “citizen” journalists and emerging community-centric news outlets like Patch.com which debuted in December 2007. In developing the conceptual framework for content and contributors, one of the professionals we consulted was Scott Broom, a veteran Baltimore/DC broadcast journalist and early advocate and practitioner of “backpack journalism.” Featured in a standing exhibit at the Newseum in DC, Scott underscored the importance of social media to provide interactive journalists with the fodder for reporting, editing and producing stories as a “one-man band.”

MDbizMedia Accomplishments

What’s Next for MDbizMedia

As we begin our second year, MDbizMedia is debuting a new look, designed in-house, to make multiple featured stories, photos and videos more engaging, eye-catching and prominent whether viewed on desk top or tablet.

We are delighted to welcome new Managing Editor Nick Sohr on February 13. A University of Maryland graduate and seasoned reporter, Nick comes to us from The Daily Record, where he spent more than two years covering state government, economic development and the General Assembly session.

In the spring, we’ll introduce a new feature highlighting key economic research and examining employment and industry trends. Posts will be curated by Senior Manager of Research and Information, Jim Palma and connect the State’s research resources to Maryland’s business community and citizens.

MDbizMedia was built to encourage connections with businesses in Maryland. While the first year far surpassed our anticipated goals, it will only continue to be meaningful and relevant if it reflects your interests. We invite you to comment on stories, share your opinions, suggest topics or add events to the MDbizCalendar. With your continued participation and our expanded content – MDbizMedia’s second year holds even greater promise to grow as a dependable source of business news and information.

Since its inception, MDbizMedia has been managed by professional editors and writers. Beginning with inaugural news director Christine Hansen - a former business journalist - and continuing with veteran reporter Nick Sohr, the blog is built on a foundation of journalistic integrity and style, serving as a trusted source for traditional and social media. As MDbizMedia continues to evolve, Managing Editor Nick Sohr will be looking to break more business news and tell the stories of the innovative, groundbreaking companies that call Maryland home.

Maryland Sees Stars with New Netflix Series

MDbizMedia — February 2, 2012

by Amanda Winters, Office of the Secretary

Baltimoreans may once again be seeing stars.

Award-winning actors, filmmakers and film crews will soon descend on several locations in and around the Baltimore area to film the Netflix series House of Cards. Originally broadcast by the BBC in 1990, the political thriller starring Kevin Spacey and directed by David Fincher, who also directed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, is being rewritten to fit Washington, D.C. as the backdrop. With Baltimore’s vast inventory of locations and architecture, the City is able to easily transform into the nation’s capital with a touch of film magic. Production starts this spring and will continue into the fall.

It’s been a busy year for film crews in and around Baltimore. Over the past year, two highly anticipated HBO productions have wrapped and are on their way to premiering. The first season of VEEP, a political satire series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the Vice President of the United States, will begin on Sunday, April 22. Game Change, a film following Ed Harris as John McCain and Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin on their race to the White House, will premiere on HBO on Saturday, March 10.

: Julianne Moore and Ed Harris starring in Game Change

“These recent productions mean jobs for Maryland film crews and actors, revenue for Maryland businesses, and economic activity for our State,” said Maryland Film Office Director Jack Gerbes.

Season one of House of Cards, consisting of 13 episodes, is a dramatic boost for Maryland’s film business. This production is Netflix’s first venture into one-hour drama programming.

Gerbes says the move by Netflix is a strong one. “They are making this move into original hour-long dramatic programming with an amazing array of talent. I can’t recall another production that has shot in Maryland that has had so many Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy winners attached.”

Last quarter, Netflix raked in more than two billion hours of streamed video. According to industry publications, both Netflix and HBO bid for the series, with Netflix taking the win. They currently have about 24 million subscribers.

The state’s newly enacted Film Production Employment Act, signed by Governor Martin O’Malley last May, was instrumental in securing the Media Rights Capital production for Maryland.