Saints Row Brewing at 15 Fulks Corner Ave Suite 101-102 in Gaithersburg has announced it will begin serving its beers at upcoming Maryland Bobcats FC games in Germantown.
According to Maryland Lottery & Gaming, Maryland’s sports wagering market generated $4,853,985 in contributions to the state from a handle of $536,730,427 during March 2024. (more…)
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?”
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office congratulated Keena Jones on her appointment to the position of Assistant Sheriff (Lieutenant Colonel) for Operations in the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday.
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BETHESDA, YOUR SATURDAY MORNING PLANS JUST GOT MORE CREATIVE.
Join Craft Cart at Coffee Republic on Saturday, September 26, from 11:00 AM–1:00 PM for a beginner-friendly faux stained glass experience filled with creativity, coffee and connection.
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Frederick County Fire and Rescue responded to a report of a vehicle fire and found a tractor-trailer fully engulfed when they arrived at the scene of I-270 South past Exit 26 MD 80.
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services responded to a call for a fire at Kindley Assisted Living at Asbury (333 Russell Av, Gaithersburg) at approximately 11pm on Tuesday night.
Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, home to America’s Largest Indoor Waterparks, broke ground in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — its fifth resort — back on Friday, October 20, 2023. Now we know that Kalahari is expecting a 2026 opening. The location is less than 75 miles south of DC and approximately 80 miles south of central Montgomery County, MD.
Go to 1.38 Million Square Foot Waterpark/Resort Less Than 75 Miles From DC to Open in 2026
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Health Pack Meals has soft opened at 340 Main St. in Gaithersburg’s Kentlands neighborhood. For now, their hours of operation will be Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30am until 3pm.
Chief Antonio DeVaul from the Takoma Park Police Department announced the arrest of Irvin Mauricio Esquivel, 21, of Takoma Park, Maryland, for larceny, resisting arrest, trespassing and other offenses that occurred at Walgreens in Takoma Park. This is the third arrest in the last four days for larceny at the store.