The Safeway at 1800 Rockville Pike, located on the ground level of the Galvan at Twinbrook complex, has begun a store closing sale. Currently, the store is offering 30% off select merchandise, including frozen groceries, household items, and health and beauty products. Items excluded from the discount include bakery goods, fresh and frozen meat, seafood, soda, deli and fresh produce. (more…)
In this article we take a look at the upcoming restaurants that have created the most buzz on our website and associated social media accounts in the last few months. […]
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?”
MoComCon, an all-day, all-ages event celebrating comics, graphic novels, and fandoms, returns to Montgomery County on Saturday, March 22, and Sunday, March 23, at the BlackRock Center for the Arts and Germantown Library. (more…)
Falafel Inc is coming to 11802 Rockville Pike, Suite G, in North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose– taking over the space previously occupied by Kung Fu Tea and Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt, according to a listing by Federal Realty. (more…)
We’ve Got the Ticket to Every Sunday Showdown! 🏈🔥
Catch every live out-of-market Sunday game with NFL Sunday Ticket this football season at Lucky Strike Rockville!
Music. Art. Food. Community. The Takoma Park Folk Festival brings it all together for one free, unforgettable day. Discover six stages of live music from around the world, shop an acclaimed juried craft show, enjoy international cuisine, connect with local community organizations, and let the kids explore crafts and activities in the Children's Nook. It's one of the region's most beloved traditions, and a celebration of the creativity, diversity, and welcoming spirit that has long defined Takoma Park.
New this year! Jam at the Crossroads is a place for musicians of all levels to come together and be part of the music.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief opposing President Trump’s executive order banning transgender individuals from military service, arguing it is unconstitutional, harms national security, and discriminates against qualified service members. (more…)
Maryland deer hunters harvested 84,201 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 6, 2024 through Feb. 4, 2025, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).
Below is the weekly message from Montgomery County Executive (2/15/2025), followed by a video of the message: (more…)
Yelp’s annual Top 100 Places to Eat “celebrates local restaurants across the U.S. that reflect the unique tastes of the Yelp community.” Yelp’s annual list covers a wide range of places to eat… from white tablecloth to food trucks and taquerias. This year, just one Maryland restaurant made the list.
The City of Gaithersburg has received final permit authorization from the Maryland Department of the Environment for the Blohm Park Trails project (18900 Watkins Mill Rd. next to the Montgomery Meadows neighborhood). The final site plans for this project, SP-9735-2024, will be presented to the Planning Commission on Wednesday, February 19, 2025.
Due to how finicky our winter weather can be, a storm showing up on a model a week or more out isn’t usually mentioned by local meteorologists. Thursday’s potential storm, however, has had a strong enough signal to be mentioned by most as we move within five days away from the possible snowstorm.
Holy Cross Silver Spring and Holy Cross Germantown have announced that they have achieved Gold Certification from the Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program.