Maryland's economic landscape is undergoing a period of robust growth, driven by strategic initiatives across its diverse counties. Throughout the rural expanses and more densely populated regions, local economic development efforts are collectively contributing to the state's overall prosperity. Counties like Calvert, Allegany and Washington are each leveraging unique strengths, cultivating a business-friendly environment that benefits the entire state starting with each community.
Calvert County: Preserving natural assets during strategic development
Calvert County’s unique location on Maryland’s Western Shore presents both opportunities and challenges for economic diversification as the county actively works to enhance its regional standing. The county's economic development strategy is grounded in four core pillars: business retention, business development, agriculture and tourism.
A pivotal component of this strategy is the multi-year revitalization of Prince Frederick, the county seat. This includes a $40 million project to build a new county administration building, relocate county employees and obtain “Main Street Affiliate” status to create opportunities for businesses, stores, restaurants and housing on Main Street, attracting residents to the community through seasonal events including a county parade.
Officials note that this is just one piece of a broader strategy to revitalize the county seat into a livable, walkable region. Julie Oberg, director of Calvert County’s Department of Economic Development mentioned a $40 million, 110,000 square-foot commercial retail development nearby at the former site of the Calvert Middle School — a partnership between MCB Real Estate and local developer Generation Properties. The dynamic strategy also has the county building an open-air pavilion on the site of the former Louis L. Goldstein National Guard Armory Building across the street from the retail development. This pavilion will serve as a community gathering place for a variety of events and activities including a farmers’ market and seasonal ice-skating rink.
“In addition to the Armory Square development and the pavilion, there's new housing options coming online within walking distance of this area as well,” Oberg explains. “These are all complementary development uses that allows for the full development of land that has been vacant for more than a decade. All of these pieces are interconnected and when it comes to fruition, it's going to be amazing.”
Through strategic collaborations including workforce development initiatives and education, county residents can prepare to enter the workforce as jobs continue to become available, whether through commercial development or one of the 40 small businesses the county welcomed last year.
Oberg also noted with pride the growth of businesses in the county’s tourism industry. With over 150 miles of shoreline, the waterfront county draws approximately 800,000 tourists each year, and businesses like the Rod’N’Reel Resort are expanding to meet demand. “They're finishing up a gorgeous multi-phase expansion,” says Oberg. “The resort has additional hotel rooms, a conference center, rooftop pool, expanded gaming areas, new restaurants and a marina…it's a great asset for the community right there on the Chesapeake Bay.”
Calvert County places a strong emphasis on balancing economic growth with the preservation of its rural and natural character, acknowledgment that helped the county earn the nickname “The Jewel of the Chesapeake.” By concentrating growth in its town centers while protecting open spaces, Calvert County is poised to benefit residents and tourists alike.
Allegany County: Diversifying the Western Maryland economy
Much farther west, Allegany County is implementing a multifaceted strategy to diversify its economy, in addition to traditional industrial sectors. The county is forging strategic partnerships, such as the one with SPARC Aerospace, to attract high-tech employment opportunities.
"With an application to the George Edwards Fund, we were able to get them $100,000," said Jeffrey Barclay, director of economic and community development for Allegany County. "They're going to sign a three-year lease for the office space. They'll have at least six engineers, all making over $100,000 each, and an opportunity to expand the number of engineers based on the workload they get. There's opportunity for expansion of this group; if they get established for their back office in the newly renovated downtown, there may be an opportunity for them to do a phase two.”
Another 100 jobs are anticipated in the future when Irish manufacturer Kingspan establishes one of three U.S. locations in Cumberland at the former Hunter Douglas site. With funding secured from the George Edwards Fund and Maryland Commerce, the county will provide a new railway line connection to the facility. “I said, well, you know what? For better or for worse, our office will oversee a rail project for this business and get you here,” recalls Barclay.
The county understands more opportunity demands a prepared workforce and available amenities, all objectives it supports through workforce development initiatives including school career centers and a makerspace where students can learn trades or prepare for college. That support extends to entrepreneurship through the establishment of a business incubator in Frostburg and the implementation of Business Expansion and Transition Loan programs to benefit both entrepreneurs and expanding small businesses. As they observe unique needs in the community each year, Barclay notes, “We've tried to be in the position where we can assist with a number of different factors in order to make improvements in the county’s economic ecosystem.”
The ecosystem proves to be diverse as Barclay listed opportunities ranging from dining and retail amenities to circular economic initiatives and existing business expansions. A notable example is Berkeley Springs Instruments, a high-tech pipeline monitoring systems company that moved to Cumberland before expanding to a new facility in Frostburg with the county's support.
As opportunities grow, the county is also prioritizing revitalization from new workforce housing to outdoor recreation opportunities, progress Barclay hopes will result in a satisfied workforce and growing population: “I just want to see us building upon the successes of visitors that say, ‘wow, this place is fantastic. I would like to open a business here, live here, work here and raise my kids here.’”
Washington County: Strategic growth in a key logistics and manufacturing hub
Neighboring Allegany to the East, Washington County benefits from their location at the intersection of interstates 81 and 70, an advantage that helped them earn a “strategic location” designation from Amazon, who has five locations in the county. This location supports the county’s three key industries: logistics/warehousing, agriculture and manufacturing.
Since consumer habits shifted in 2020, Washington County has experienced a boom in demand for warehousing and truck infrastructure support which has resulted to date in the development of over 17 million square feet of speculative industrial space to meet industry demand.
Jonathan Horowitz, director of business and economic development for Washington County, recognized the magnitude of the expansion, stating, “The fact that 17 million square feet were developed in just four or five years is pretty astonishing, honestly. But we have already absorbed almost all of that new space.”
Rapid industrial growth in a traditionally rural county has left citizens feeling wary, a concern Washington County takes seriously as they prioritize balance while looking into future developments. Key focus areas include business attraction, retention and expansion, and entrepreneurship support.
“Even as an economic developer, I don't want to see an idyllic, tree-lined, country home lane turned into a big box,” notes Horowitz, “The land that we have left, we'd like to be more strategic about how we use it.”
Another strategic location in the county is the Hagerstown Regional Airport, a resource the county is leveraging to welcome opportunities for aero defense contracts including a recent contract won by Sierra Nevada Corp. to replace the Air Force’s E-4B Nightwatch “doomsday planes.”
Local health care system Meritus is expanding in what will be only the third school in Maryland to train physicians. The Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine received over 1,000 applicants for their first term beginning this fall, which will welcome more than 100 students. “That's a huge thing for Washington County,” says Horowitz. “We're going to be educating and training our own doctors here and that’s a game changer for us.”
Washington County continues to attract new businesses and entrepreneurs in collaboration with the Small Business Development Center and incubator at Hagerstown Community College. As industries and opportunities diversify, the county is poised to continue strategic growth.
Maryland's interconnected economic progress
The economic strategies employed by Calvert, Allegany and Washington counties, while tailored to their specific regional contexts, collectively illustrate a broader trend of dynamic growth across Maryland. From Calvert’s careful balancing of development and natural preservation to Allegany’s aggressive diversification into high-tech and manufacturing, and Washington's strategic leveraging of its logistics advantage and emerging opportunities in new industries, Maryland's counties are each contributing to a statewide economic resurgence.
This interconnected progress, driven by localized initiatives and bolstered by collaborative efforts between state agencies, local governments and private sector partnerships, underscores Maryland's commitment to fostering a robust and diversified ecosystem where the prosperity of each county strengthens the state as a whole.
Source: Washington Business Journal