Business And Economic

The state's new economic development chief has seen the haves and have-nots of Maryland, having worked in that capacity in both Allegany and Montgomery counties. That's why David W. Edgerley is the right person for the job, say state officials and business leaders. "He's a true economic development professional," said Donald C. Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee, which represents regional business and civic leaders. Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Edgerley's appointment as secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development yesterday in Annapolis.

Aris Melissaratos, who led the state's Department of Business and Economic Development for the Ehrlich administration, said yesterday that he is stepping down even though some business leaders had urged Gov.-elect Martin O'Malley's incoming administration to retain him. "It was a phenomenal four years, and I think we accomplished all we set out to accomplish," Melissaratos, 63, said. His last day will be today, he said. "I was willing to stay, but the new administration didn't indicate strong enough interest.

The Glendening administration asked lawmakers in Annapolis yesterday for two economic development funds aimed at wooing growth industries and promoting small businesses.Gov. Parris N. Glendening has proposed putting $5 million into a revolving fund to give low-interest loans to businesses in such expanding industries as aerospace, biotechnology or financial services.The governor also wants to make $2 million available next year for loans and other help to small businesses that have been denied private financing.

Small-business owners are reasonably optimistic about their own companies despite uncertainties that could rattle the economy this year, experts say.Among the unknowns are the impact of economic woes in Asia and South America, President Clinton's political viability and the year 2000 computer problem."

State legislators moved to gain more timely oversight of Maryland's "Sunny Day" economic development fund yesterday after a report that the General Assembly often votes on projects after they are under construction and it is too late to reject them.Part of a larger revamping of Maryland economic development programs, a draft bill approved by a legislative task force would create a small legislative committee that could meet quickly and often to vote on smaller Sunny Day deals.The Sunny Day fund gives loans and grants to businesses to induce them to move to or stay in Maryland.

To fix or to flack? To patch or to peddle?It's the marketer's dilemma. In a world of limited resources, should you massage the product to perfection and hope it sells itself? Or drill the ad campaign and worry about quality when you get the chance?In selling Maryland as a business address, packaging is starting to get as much attention as product. Some would say more attention."I thought to myself, where is the marketing element of the department? And I came here to find that it was fairly low, among the various agendas," said Richard C. Mike Lewin, Maryland's new secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development.

State economic development officials attempting to lure businesses to Maryland are getting a boost from a new database that contains information ranging from state-by-state wage comparisons to where to find a local business park that has rail access."

From electricity deregulation to Y2K, this year's General Assembly session produced surprisingly bountiful returns for Maryland's business community.Business leaders, who began the 90-day session worried about the political fallout from last year's elections, found far more to celebrate yesterday than to bemoan."

Maryland economic development information is going high-tech.Yesterday, state officials unveiled M/Quest, a corporately funded, $1.5 million interactive marketing tool that will put a massive collection of the area's economic and demographic data at their fingertips so they can more easily sell the region to companies.The database would give businesses immediate access to information such as the state's median income, property taxes, wages and statistics on the labor market, officials said.

Members of the Maryland General Assembly demanded answers from officials of two state departments yesterday about the debt owed by the partly closed Columbus Center in Baltimore.The center's $7.5 million debt includes $2.5 million to NationsBank, $2.3 million to the city, $1 million to the University of Maryland and $1.2 million to vendors."The Columbus Center is named appropriately," said state Sen. Robert R. Neall, an Anne Arundel Republican. "Christopher Columbus didn't know where he was going when he left, or where he was when he got there, and he did it all on Queen Isabella's money."

A Swedish bioenergy company will open its U.S. headquarters in Annapolis, two months after Gov. Martin O'Malley met with the company during an economic development mission to that country, state economic development officials announced Thursday. Swebo Bioenergy International, which develops equipment for heating and electricity production using waste fuels, plans to open a Maryland office in the fall and hire three people to begin operations here, said Mattias Lindgren, a Swebo managing director who will head U.S. operations.

2 Gov. Martin O'Malley plans to announce today the appointment of Christian Johansson, a Harvard University-educated entrepreneur who has run a Baltimore-based business and government alliance, as the state secretary of business and economic development. Johansson, who must be confirmed by the Senate, would replace David W. Edgerley, who resigned in December to pursue a career in the private sector or education. O'Malley has sought to reorganize the Department of Business and Economic Development, a process that emphasized efforts for the biotechnology industry and international trade and consolidated some functions.

Hard times also add to abuse of children As David Kohn's article "Hard times mean more abuse" (Dec. 14) suggested, the stress of economic downturns can be played out in more conflict between domestic partners. The stability of a marriage and a family functioning are often thrown into crisis as a result of a loss of job, income or even a foreclosure. But the article did not address the related issue of child abuse. Children are often the targets of the frustration and stress of the parents.

DBED isn't gambling with state's resources I read with interest the editorial "Gambling blindly" (Dec. 2), which aptly summarized a host of past problems at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development that were recently brought to light by a legislative audit. Sadly, our agency's recordkeeping was lax, but we have identified and corrected all the auditor's concerns. And we have refocused the agency, streamlined operations and targeted resources to maximize productivity.

It's as plain as the steely resolve in Gov. Martin O'Malley's eyes that something interesting is about to happen to the Department of Business and Economic Development. The governor didn't tell the department he wanted to overhaul it until just before he said so in a speech last month, according to people familiar with the situation, so O'Malley and DBED Secretary David W. Edgerley haven't been reading from the same PowerPoint plan. The risk is that, like governors before him, O'Malley will turn Business and Economic Development Department into a deal-chasing boiler room for planning ribbon-cutting announcements with out-of-state companies.

Forgive the members of the farming industry, the largest in Maryland by some measures, if they do not feel as though they have gotten the same treatment over the years as other businesses in the state. Those in the industry likely do not know what it is like to be, say, General Motors, which received $10 million in public funds to help pay for its Allison Transmission plant in White Marsh. Or, Marriott International, which landed a $9 million grant to help pay for sprucing up its Bethesda headquarters.

The state's new economic development chief has seen the haves and have-nots of Maryland, having worked in that capacity in both Allegany and Montgomery counties. That's why David W. Edgerley is the right person for the job, say state officials and business leaders. "He's a true economic development professional," said Donald C. Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee, which represents regional business and civic leaders. Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Edgerley's appointment as secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development yesterday in Annapolis.

Aris Melissaratos, who led the state's Department of Business and Economic Development for the Ehrlich administration, said yesterday that he is stepping down even though some business leaders had urged Gov.-elect Martin O'Malley's incoming administration to retain him. "It was a phenomenal four years, and I think we accomplished all we set out to accomplish," Melissaratos, 63, said. His last day will be today, he said. "I was willing to stay, but the new administration didn't indicate strong enough interest.

`BRAC to the Future' symposium slated The Howard County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a daylong symposium for people from all business sectors, "BRAC to the Future in Howard County," at 8 a.m. Feb. 6 at Turf Valley Resort & Conference Center in Ellicott City. Registration and a Continental breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m. Participants can also register by calling 410-730-4111, or online at www.HowardChamber .com. Speakers are to include R. Gary Dinsick of BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure Commission)

Bank pledges $25,000 to county YMCA Citizens National Bank has pledged $25,000 to the Howard County Family YMCA. The money is to be divided between the Y's $11.2-million renovation and expansion campaign and its annual giving campaign to provide scholarships for its programs. The bank is a longtime supporter of the YMCA. Cindy Ensey, a senior vice president of the bank, serves on the Y's board. The bank, which will pay the pledge over five years, will be recognized with a banner on the Y's playground and as a "Silver Sponsor for Annual Giving."