Views from Charles

The Economic Development Department (EDD) is searching for local companies who want to explore new business opportunities overseas and join an international trade mission to Africa. In Spring 2020, the EDD leadership team and key stakeholders will ... Read More...

A new restaurant in Bryans Road, High Noon Southern Fine Cuisine & Seafood, opened in September and is already filling a food gap in western Charles County. Patrick McKinnis says, “I live in Indian Head, and when I ... Read More...

During the last decade, demand for office space nationwide has enjoyed steady growth. Businesses want amenity-rich, class-A spaces featuring green technologies and smart design, and Meinhardt Properties’ Charles County offerings fit the bill. ... Read More...

As all of us on the Economic Development Team get ready for Thanksgiving, talk about the dishes we’re planning to make has reminded us of the diversity of our department and how well we really work together as a team. It’s interesting ... Read More...

True to her Southern roots, when Texas native Audra Atkinson welcomes newcomers into her shop, she doesn’t consider them strangers, just friends she hasn’t met yet. Atkinson is the exuberant owner of House Boutique, a La Plata gem ... Read More...

If there’s one thing you don’t expect to find in a gas station, it’s a gift shop. Transforming a convenience store into an enchanting emporium of Maryland-themed gifts is just one of the ways that Martin’s Service Station in ... Read More...

Veteran-owned Balancelogic of Waldorf supplies our small businesses and workers on the front lines with what they need to continue their mission. Many of these entrepreneurs are doing all they can do to keep their small business going, and at some ... Read More...

The surge in our over-65 population is unprecedented in American history. Thus, the need for quality elder care is essential for our Baby Boomers—many of whom still hold jobs and lead active lives—to thrive in the decades to come. Kelsey ... Read More...

Lee Platt is undeniably a woman on a mission. As CEO of Avening Management and Technical Services, she’s at the helm of an IT and cybersecurity company that supports government organizations focused on national security. When she decided to ... Read More...

Charles County is growing and diversifying, and more of our citizens have developed a palate for ethnic foods, often from living or working in the nation’s capital, a hotbed for international food and flavors. Raj Malhotra and wife, Punita, ... Read More...

Partners and CPAs Robert and Cathy Askey In the years since Robert and Cathy Askey established their accounting and advisory firm, Askey, Askey & Associates, they’ve helped shape the business climates of Charles and neighboring St. ... Read More...

While people love the appearance of a shiny new high-rise or crisp hotel linens, few think about the process. Thankfully, the innovators at CHUTES International power that behind-the-scenes process. A master in the mechanics of debris removal and ... Read More...

Scary Strokes, Doug and LaNeta Roth’s monster-themed family entertainment center, has been in Waldorf for only a couple of years, but it’s already recognized as a beloved haunt—in the best way possible. The 11,000-square-foot ... Read More...

They say you can’t pick your family, but Charles County is looking for a sister—a Sister City, that is. The search was initiated partly in response to feedback at the Economic Development Department’s International Trade Seminar in ... Read More...

For those who work in economic development, pointing out a community’s assets is part of the job.  But sometimes, it’s what its citizens say that makes a difference.  This is a true story told by a local businessman who’s now in Southern Maryland but moved here from another state. 

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Millennials are a vital part of our workforce and future homeowners in Charles County. There is a good chance they’ll start up small businesses, and they’re one of the key demographics to look at when planning for retail development. ... Read More...

Waldorf is home to Charles County’s active hotel market, which includes nine national “flag” properties located along Route 301, one of the busiest U.S. highways along the Atlantic seaboard. Our hotel industry holds a distinct ... Read More...

The building at the intersection of Route 301 and St. Patrick’s Drive in Waldorf is often overlooked by passersby. A wall of trees along southbound 301 limits the view of the structure from the tens of thousands of cars that go by every day, ... Read More...

Maryland is a lot crabbier this year—and that’s a good thing. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the state’s blue crab population soared by 60% this year. Whether you’re a connoisseur of Maryland’s ... Read More...

Honey is sweet and shelf-stable, but its capabilities extend far beyond taste and time. This humble pantry staple harks back to 2,400 B.C., during the early days of beekeeping in Cairo, when Ancient Egyptians used honey as a sweetener and medicine for a variety of ailments. Local honey made with the pollens of Southern Maryland plants provides the same benefits to Charles County residents today.

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Automated Graphic Systems (AGS) of White Plains is the largest printer in Charles County, but they’re not your traditional commercial print company. Data is their specialty, and using that combined with cutting-edge technology, they ... Read More...

Gourmet cookies with Belgian chocolate, soft biscotti, mixed berry crumb tarts, roasted granola—these are only a sampling of the sweet treats sold by Chef Cynthia Ann and her mother, Marilyn, at the La Plata Farmers Market. Cynthia has spent ... Read More...

Food activist Alice Waters famously said, “Good food should be a right, not a privilege.” When she uttered these words decades ago, farm-to-table eating was largely reserved for foodies, not for working families on the move. In recent ... Read More...

The camera angles are tight, the action is compelling, and the 30-second rock and roll instrumental pulls no punches. If the latest U.S. Army Reserve ad is any indication, the Army is primed for battle. Their tagline, “The Army is Ready to Fight,” exudes adrenaline and aptitude. The White Plains-based U.S. Army Reserve Training Center, now open, will help reservists keep their A-games strong.

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The guest speaker at our April Business Roundtable came to the U.S. in 1967 from a small village in India, and his family has since transformed healthcare in Southern Maryland. Dr. Vinod Shah co-founded Shah Associates along with his wife, Dr. Ila ... Read More...

Our “Meet the EDD” blog series profiles a member of our team. Through our interviews, we hope you get to know the hardworking members of our staff that are dedicated to the economic vitality of Charles County.

 

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Contrary to the industrial-size bags of rock salt stacked in your garage, spring is on the horizon! While spring might feel like a distant fantasy, producers at our farmers’ markets have been prepping for the season all year long.

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The focus of our first International Trade Seminar on March 14 was on business opportunities in Africa—a growing and diverse part of the world economy that has too many possibilities to ignore. Entrepreneurs and business experts who are already doing business in Africa and elsewhere shared from their experience and gave Charles County businesses a glimpse of what is involved.

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While Charles County is thousands of miles from the Emerald Isle, our festivity during the season of St. Patrick is Celtic in spirit. In the 1600s, Maryland became a safe haven for Irish families seeking freedom from persecution for their Catholic beliefs. In the centuries following, reverence for (and revelry in) all things Irish made St. Patrick’s Day an adopted American holiday, regardless of cultural backgrounds.

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Scott Nash, CEO of MOM’s Organic Market, opened his Charles County store on an “inkling” that it was the right location. After the Waldorf store opened in 2012, that “inkling” grew into serious income for the family-owned chain, which deems the Charles County location one of their top producers in the Mid-Atlantic.

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