Views from Charles

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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Interests in medicine and number crunching lead one Charles County entrepreneur to combine her two passions, along with a healthy dose of tenacity and hard work, to create a successful medical billing business. Joyce Kingsbury, owner of Patient ... Read More...

“Ubuntu” is an African word emphasizing connectedness between people of the world. A philosophy embraced by Nelson Mandela, it stresses actions benefiting the greater good. America and Africa’s growing trade relationship is an excellent example of “ubuntu.” Imports from Africa and exports from America boost both economies in powerful ways. In 2017, the US had a $39 billion two-way goods trade with Sub-Saharan Africa — and revenues for both economies are on the rise.

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Charles County is open for business! That was the message sent loud and clear at the Economic Development Department’s (EDD’s) Quarterly Business Roundtable on January 24. We were thrilled to have 82 attendees representing local ... Read More...

The Nonprofit Institute at CSM is Southern Maryland’s comprehensive resource for nonprofit organizations, offering programming and consultation to enhance their effectiveness and achieve success in fulfilling their missions. In our latest ... Read More...

Charles County Commissioner President Reuben Collins, in his speech at his Oath of Office, said, “I believe we can balance our County’s beauty and natural resources with improved infrastructure while growing our economy and attracting ... Read More...

This is a guest blog by Dr. John Short, College of Southern Maryland. Cultivating economic growth in Charles County requires, among other things, helping those with an entrepreneurial bent develop their talents and put them to work in the creation ... Read More...

Shopping local this season has a lot of benefits. It supports our small businesses, keeps money in the county, and builds community. But, what about those people on your list who have everything? Here are some ideas for Charles County experiences to ... Read More...

Pediatric Dentist Dr. Joseph Brannon, known as “Dr. Joe,” serves some of Charles County’s youngest residents from his new office in White Plains. We say “new” because his office, Kids By the Bay Dental, just opened in ... Read More...

It’s that time of year to remember what we’re thankful for, and at the Economic Development Department (EDD), we’re especially thankful for the business resource partners we work with to help Charles County businesses succeed and ... Read More...

The craft beverage industry is growing in the State of Maryland, and the Charles County Economic Development Department (EDD) in collaboration with Planning and Growth Management recently proposed a zoning amendment, passed by our Board of ... Read More...

Charles County is home to a well-educated, experienced workforce. We have the data to prove it, thanks to a study done by the Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI) at Towson University that will be presented at the Fall Meeting. When study ... Read More...

Building a strong labor force is critical in many aspects of economic development, and by providing quality education and training in Charles County, we’re creating a skilled workforce to meet the demands of today and the future. Charles ... Read More...

A critical component of our Charles County Economic Development 5-year strategic plan is to help our existing businesses grow and expand. After all, research suggests that up to 86 percent of economic growth is spurred by existing businesses. Our ... Read More...

It’s been more than four years since the state legislature voted to legalize medical cannabis, and growers, processors, and dispensers are beginning to open throughout Maryland. Charles County is home to three medical cannabis dispensaries and ... Read More...

In June 2018, Charles County was awarded Opportunity Zones designations for three census tracts: The Town of Indian Head; An area west of U.S. 301 in Waldorf – the southbound side – from the county line to Berry Road, encompassing the ... Read More...

We’re already planning for our 2018 Economic Development Fall Meeting on October 30, but the topic is one that came up in every panel discussion at our 2017 event. Even before the 2017 Fall Meeting adjourned, we knew what our topic would be ... Read More...

Applying for a Maryland Business License is the first and most important step any entrepreneur or business owner takes to launch a new company. Although it might seem daunting at first, we’ve covered the “what you need to know” ... Read More...