Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to the scene of a crash involving a motorcyclist who was struck and killed around midnight on Friday night into Saturday on University Blvd West near Kerwin Road (Kemp Mill area). Montgomery County Police has provided the following update regarding the fatal crash: (more…)
Montgomery County Police and Gaithersburg Police responded to the 18700 block of North Frederick Avenue (near the intersection of 355 and Travis Ave.) in Gaithersburg on Sunday, June 2, for the report of a shooting.
Talent is one of the most important factors influencing where companies choose to invest, expand, and grow. As competition for skilled workers intensifies, employers are embracing a broader talent strategy: one that leverages partnerships. Last week, almost 120 business leaders, elected officials, and members of Montgomery County’s business community attended the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation’s (MCEDC) panel, “The Talent Advantage: A Growth Strategy for Companies in Montgomery County, Maryland,” to hear how local businesses are capitalizing on the County’s world-class academic institutions, innovation ecosystem, quality of life, and economic development resources to attract and retain top talent.
Moderated by Dr. Anne Khademian, Executive Director at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG), the panel included executives from businesses and institutions across industries, including Lockheed Martin, TrilliumBIO, Thales Defense & Security, Johns Hopkins, Montgomery College, and AstraZeneca, who discussed their companies’ strategies for developing their workforce.
Talent as a Business Strategy
For companies competing in highly specialized industries like the defense industry, access to talent directly influences where they choose to locate and grow. For Lockheed Martin, which employs nearly 1,000 people in Montgomery County, talent is one of the primary reasons the company chose to be headquartered here.
“Talent is in the top one or two reasons why we are in the County,” said Todd Cohen, Senior Lead of Strategic Workforce Development, Lockheed Martin.
According to Cohen, Lockheed Martin begins working with partners to develop their talent pipeline well before students enter the workforce, including partnering with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) on programs such as coding challenges. Lockheed Martin also maintains close relationships with local higher education institutions, including the Universities at Shady Grove (USG).
That local talent pipeline is also an important factor for AstraZeneca, which employs more than 5,000 employees and contractors in Montgomery County. According to Tiffany Lukis, Director of STEM and Community Engagement at AstraZeneca, the company often taps into its alumni base from Montgomery College (ranked #26 nationally among community colleges) and USG (which offers nine different public universities onto one campus), and other local institutions to fill highly technical roles.
Local Companies Are Developing Talent and Not Just Finding It
According to the panelists, investing in existing employees is just as important as recruiting new ones.
At Suburban Hospital, workforce development is closely tied to talent retention. The hospital partners with local educational institutions to provide employees with opportunities to gain new skills and advance their careers. Programs include a Certified Nursing Assistant program through Montgomery College and English as a Second Language classes.
“A huge part of our talent strategy is to prioritize holding on to our top tier talent,” said Corey Lewson, MSW, Program Manager, Workforce Development, John Hopkins Medicine.
For smaller companies, developing talent internally can be especially valuable. Lane Edwards, Vice President of Operations, TrilliumBIO, a biomarker discovery company with fewer than 20 employees based in Rockville, described the challenge of balancing the need for highly specialized expertise with the realities of building a team at an early-stage company.
“When it comes to hiring, we have to be very strategic,” Lane said. “Do we have someone who has the expertise or someone that we can build on?”
Back in January we let you know that Chipotle signed on as a tenant at the renovated Burtonsville Crossing shopping center. The fast food restaurant will be joining the longstanding Burger King and the coming soon Moby Dick and Eggspectation at the shopping center and is listed as taking the longtime vacant, former KFC/Taco Bell space.
Back in October we let you know that Moby Dick House of Kabob signed on to join the redeveloped Burtonsville Crossing shopping center. Construction has progressed and the restaurant appears ready to open very soon, though an exact date is not yet available (photo below).
At The Head Spa by Bare, we believe that true beauty begins with a healthy scalp, its your unique wellness experience for the mind and body. Relax with aromatherapy and gentle massages while healing your scalp.
Head Spa Facial rituals are a unique and luxurious experience that focuses on relaxing and revitalizing the scalp and hair. These rituals combine traditional Japanese techniques with modern spa treatments to provide a holistic approach to wellness.
Bring your family and friends to our free , all-day outdoor Oktoberfest celebration. These will be an outdoor craft fair featuring local artisans and professional woodworkers, a chainsaw carving, woodworking and tool demonstrations by Festool, Montgomery Wood Turners and Carvers. There will also be lots of delicious food provided by El Parente Tacos, El Jeffe Wood-fired pizzas, Bruster's Ice cream and seasonal craft brews from Saints Row Brwsing Company.
Dave’s Hot Chicken, the hot chicken restaurant chain based in California, will be opening its second Maryland location and first in Montgomery County at the upcoming White Oak Town Center (12345 Columbia Pike). Construction has begun and photos can be seen below.
The Office of Councilmember Natali Fani-González issued the following release on Thursday, May 30:
The Office of Governor Wes Moore issued the following on Saturday, June 1:
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a collision in Montgomery Village on Saturday, June 1.
The suspect wanted in connection to the death of a Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services agent is now in custody, according to the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).
According to a recent statement by MCEA, MCPS Chief of Staff Pete Moran sent the following email to MCPS principals highlighting several key points that relate to the identification of schools that will receive a staffing reduction and the timeline that will need to be implemented. The e-mail, per MCEA, can be seen below: