The MoCo Show - Page 1729 of 3014 -

The History of Classic Bakery

Published May 29, 2023 at 7:51PM | Updated May 29, 2023 at 8:13PM

We’d like to welcome Classic Bakery, a bakery with a rich MoCo history as the newest member of the MoCo Directory (amazing photos below). The family business was introduced over half a century ago by Grandpa Souren, who discovered his passion for baking in 1947 at the age of 17 in Tehran, Iran. He left his job as a machine mechanic to focus on his small bakery.

Grandpa Souren’s oldest son, Rubic, began helping at the family business when he was just seven years old. Rubic was doing everything from sweeping the floors to mixing large batches by hand– learning the business from the ground up. After immigrating to the United States, Rubic Movsessian and his Grandpa Souren opened Classic Bakery in Gaithersburg in 1991 in its original location in the shopping center that was then home to Hechinger’s and currently home to Bruster’s ice cream.

MoCo Government

Montgomery County’s Community Action Board’s Community Advocacy Institute Recognizes 21 Graduates of Free Advocacy Training Program

By Patrick Herron

Published May 29, 2023 at 4:56PM

Per Montgomery County: Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Councilmembers Marilyn Balcombe, Sidney Katz and Laurie Ann-Sayles this week joined the County’s Community Action Board at a graduation ceremony for 21 residents who participated in the 2023 Community Advocacy Institute (CAI).

The County Executive encouraged the 21 graduates to utilize the skills they learned in the program to help make Montgomery County a more equitable place to live for all residents. The CAB provides governance to the DHHS’ Community Action Agency, including Head Start, and facilitates the CAI. Since 2016, there have been 126 graduates from the program. Many now serve on County advisory groups and nonprofit boards, along with participating actively in a variety of advocacy efforts.

Bethesda

Circus Coming to Montgomery Mall in June

By Patrick Herron

Published May 29, 2023 at 4:50PM

Do Portugal Circus is coming to Montgomery Mall ( 7101 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda) from June 9-25. According to its website, Do Portugal Circus is, “A combination of excellence and magic takes you on a journey of laughter and pure amazement. Our talented and passionate artists will have you gasping in awe as they perform their death defying acts. And of course no circus is complete without our wonderful clown that will have you grinning from start to finish. It truly is a show that every generation can enjoy, leaving you with memories that will last a lifetime!” Details and ticket information below courtesy of Do Portugal on Facebook:

tickets.doportugalcircus.com

Montgomery County showcases its unique ecosystem at World Vaccine Congress 2026

By Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation

Published May 13, 2026 at 4:45PM

AstraZeneca's Cell Therapy Manufacturing Facility in Rockville, Montgomery County. Photo courtesy of the Montgomery County Government.

Montgomery County, MD is commonly known as being a suburb of the nation’s capital, but what might surprise some is that it is also home to a thriving biotech ecosystem. With over 350 life sciences companies, including global brands like AstraZeneca, United Therapeutics, and Novavax, Montgomery County anchors the third largest biophama hub in the U.S., behind only Boston and San Francisco.

Running annually in Washington D.C. for over 25 years, World Vaccine Congress attracts an international audience from over 80 countries and convenes more than 3,000 people to learn about the latest trends, research, and technologies in the vaccine industry. This year, Montgomery County took center stage, with a featured session on the extensive Biologics Value Chain in the County, as well as a session during which County Executive Marc Elrich spoke about the extensive resources available to companies here, and an exhibit space showcasing these resources.

A Complete Biologics Value Chain in One Region

One of the defining strengths of Montgomery County is its ability to support the full lifecycle of biologics, all the way from early research to large-scale manufacturing. During the panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Stefanie Trop, Director of Life Sciences at the Maryland Department of Commerce, local leaders emphasized that the region’s strength lies in its network of partners who work collaboratively across discovery, development, testing, and production. Panelists from companies in all stages of the value chain spectrum included Dr. Andrew Lees, Founder of Fina Biosolutions, Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies at AstraZeneca, Dr. Helen Sabzevari President & CEO of Precigen, and Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer of Integrated BioTherapeutics.

This end-to-end capability in close geographical proximity gives companies a unique advantage and is rare to find in other markets, even established ones like San Francisco and Boston. In fact, only a handful of places worldwide offer the combination of infrastructure, expertise, and collaboration found in Montgomery County and if diversity, education and population density are taken into consideration – then Montgomery County standouts even more.

“Gaithersburg is one of the six places in the world where we can do what we’re doing,” explained Benjamin Moutier, Senior Vice-President, Vaccines and Immune Therapies, AstraZeneca. “We have the right partners at every step of the value chain [in Montgomery County].”

A Strong Partnership Network

Biotech breakthroughs rarely happen in isolation. They depend on strong partnerships between private companies, local and state governments, academic institutions, and workforce training organizations. Montgomery County has intentionally cultivated these connections, making collaboration and coordination defining characteristics of its life sciences ecosystem.

Dr. Frederick Holtsberg, Chief Scientific Officer at IBT Bioservices, a full service CRO offering clinical & preclinical contract research services, says the company’s close partnerships between them and local stakeholders have been crucial to its success. “As a Rockville-based company, we’re grateful for the partnership and support from city, County, and state leaders,” explained Dr. Holtsberg. “These programs have helped fuel our growth, and we’re excited about the continued momentum of our community.” (more…)

Cabin John

Baskin Robbins to Hold Grand Opening Event With $2 Scoops

By Patrick Herron

Published May 29, 2023 at 4:35PM | Updated June 3, 2023 at 8:58AM

Courtesy Baskin Robbins

Baskin Robbins at 1079 Seven Locks Rd in Potomac Woods Plaza, which opened earlier this month, will hold its official grand opening event on Saturday, June 3, from 11-4pm. The event will feature a DJ, prizes, giveaways, and 2$ scoops of ice cream. Baskin Robbins is located in the space that was previously home to Ibhana Creations.

Last February, Baskin Robbins closed its doors at Cabin John Village and announced its plans to open in the nearby Potomac Woods Plaza shopping center. Baskin Robbins was replaced in Cabin John Village by The Scoop, which was opened this past August by Timothy and Mitch Ryoo– Potomac natives and Winston Churchill High School Graduates (2010 and 2006). Baskin Robbins will also be opening a location later this year in the Montgomery Village Center. Featured image courtesy of @baskinrobbbins on Instagram.

Event

Ariéto Yukayú Guáyiga – An Evening of Strength, Spirit & Survival

May 28, 2026 6:00 pm -9:30 pm

The Historical Odd Fellows Lodge

1308 Olney Sandy Spring Road

Sandy Spring, Maryland 20860

Website Contact Social

Historic Indigenous Recognition Event to Take Place in Montgomery County, Maryland

The Taino American Indigenous National Organization (T.A.I.N.O.) proudly announces its upcoming signature public event,

Arts

Call to Artists to Design the County’s Official Pride Decal

By MCS Staff

Published May 29, 2023 at 1:51PM

In preparation for Pride Month in June, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Community Partnerships are calling on artists and designers to create the county’s official 2023 Montgomery County Pride decal.

Submissions are due Wednesday, June 1, and should be submitted electronically on the MontgomeryCountyPride.org website. The county’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board will choose up to five final designs to be displayed Pride Month events and on social media for public voting.

Events

Applications Open for Third Annual Children’s Business Fair

By MCS Staff

Published May 29, 2023 at 1:47PM

The third annual Montgomery County Children’s Business Fair will return in August after a three-year hiatus. Applications are being accepted for the fair, set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19. The fair, which will be held in Rockville Town Square, is open to youth aged 6-15.

The deadline to apply is Friday, June 2. Applications are available here. Open to the public, the fair will host 40 young entrepreneurs. Those selected will have an opportunity to present innovative ideas and make sales pitches to a panel of judges from the local business community and celebrity influencers.

Bethesda

Westfield Continues Deleveraging Process in U.S., Currently Owns Montgomery and Wheaton Malls in MoCo

By MCS Staff

Published May 29, 2023 at 9:35AM

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) has maintained its deleveraging progress with US and European asset sales with the announcement of the sale of Westfield Brandon Shopping Center (located in Brandon, Florida) in the US for $220 million and “V” office building in France for €95 million, bringing total sale proceeds to €4.7 billion. It was reported in 2021 that Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) planned to sell all of it’s US holdings in 2022. Last year, then-Chief Executive Jean-Marie Tritant told investors that Unibail wants to shed most of its U.S. properties by the end of 2023, according to a Wall Street Journal report, which pushed things back about a year. Montgomery Mall and Wheaton Mall (Westfield Montgomery and Westfield Wheaton), both located in Montgomery County, are owned by URW.

URW operates over 75 shopping centers in 12 countries, including over 40 which carry the Westfield brand. These centers attract over 900 million visits annually. Fabrice Mouchel, Chief Financial Officer of URW, said: “URW continues to achieve deleveraging progress, even in a more challenging financing environment. With these two transactions, we have now generated €4.7 Bn in disposal proceeds since 2021 and consistently improving credit metrics. The Group’s robust operational performance and strong liquidity position will allow us to complete our deleveraging programme, including a radical reduction of our US financial exposure, in a timely and disciplined manner.”

Maryland

Montgomery County Dominates Niche’s 2023 ‘Best Places to Live in Maryland’ List

By MCS Staff

Published May 29, 2023 at 8:42AM

Niche recently released its 2023 list of the ‘Best Places to Live in Maryland’ and 18 of the top 25 are right here in Montgomery County. Niche.com is an American company headquartered in Pittsburgh that runs a ranking and review site. The company is an online resource providing information on K–12 schools, colleges, cities, neighborhoods, and companies across the United States. The ‘Best Places to Live’ ranking provides a comprehensive assessment of the overall livability of an area. This grade takes into account several key factors of a location, including the quality of local schools, crime rates, housing trends, employment statistics, and access to amenities in an attempt to measure the overall quality of an area. Montgomery County is home to all five places in the top 5 and 17 of the top 25. 706 places are listed overall. Below you’ll see places in Montgomery County that have made Niche’s top 25:

25. Cabin John

Business

MedStar Health Named to Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and Women 2023

By MCS Staff

Published May 28, 2023 at 6:54PM

MedStar Health, which is headquartered in nearby Columbia and has multiple urgent care facilities in Montgomery Countyas well as a hospital in Olney, has been named one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and Greatest Workplaces for Women 2023 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group. The recognition is part of a larger effort to identify the nation’s best workplaces for not only promoting diversity and empowering women, but also supporting veterans, job starters, LGBTQ associates, and more.

To determine the Greatest Workplaces, Newsweek and Plant-A conducted a large-scale study of U.S. employers based on hundreds of thousands of company reviews, associate interviews, as well as publicly available information. Newsweek says that interviewed associates gave MedStar Health particularly high scores for encouraging diversity in the workplace, respecting female associates, and respecting LGBTQ associates. MedStar Health represents one of the only healthcare organizations in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., region to be awarded the highest possible five-star rating for diversity. MedStar Health received a rating of four stars out of five for its emphasis on supporting women.

Bethesda

Viamericas Relocates From MoCo to Miami

By MCS Staff

Published May 28, 2023 at 6:27PM

Viamericas Corporation, a licensed, international remittance company, recently relocated its corporate headquarters from Bethesda, Maryland to Coral Gables, Florida. Viamericas was located at 4641 Montgomery Avenue in Bethesda prior to its announced departure earlier this month and selected the Miami region because it is a major transportation hub connecting the Americas, making it an ideal location for a company specializing in cross-border money transfers. The city also has a large and growing Latin American population, which provides a natural customer base for Viamericas’ services.

Per the press release: Moving its headquarters to Miami also enabled Viamericas to tap into the city’s diverse talent pool, which includes skilled workers with experience in finance, technology and customer service. The company has been able to recruit top talent from both the local area and other parts of the United States, helping to drive its growth and expansion. “Moving our headquarters to Miami has been an excellent decision for Viamericas. We can leverage the city’s many benefits, which positions Viamericas for continued growth and success,” said Joseph Argilagos, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Viamericas. “We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as we continue to expand and innovate our offerings to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

Bethesda

Trophy Office Tower in Bethesda Changes Hands

By MCS Staff

Published May 28, 2023 at 6:23PM

JLL Capital Markets announced earlier this month that it has arranged the sale of 4747 Bethesda Ave., a 300,508-square-foot, trophy office building in the heart of downtown Bethesda, Maryland, on behalf of the seller, JBG Smith. Built in 2019, 4747 Bethesda Ave. is an iconic asset that is 98% leased to a diversified tenant roster and serves as the headquarters location for JBG Smith. The LEED Gold and Fitwel-certified building offers new construction and a best-in-class amenity package highlighted by a rooftop lounge, state-of-the-art fitness facility and a penthouse conference room with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

The property has a gateway location adjacent to Bethesda Row, which features more than 70 retailers, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Additionally, the property is walkable to mass transit, including the Red and future Purple Lines, which connect tenants to the Greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The JLL Capital Markets Investment Sales and Advisory team representing the seller was led by Senior Managing Directors Jim Meisel, Matt Nicholson, and Andrew Weir, Senior Director Dave Baker and Director Kevin Byrd.