Business

Emmes, a Rockville-based global Contract Research Organization (CRO) supporting the advancement of public health and biopharmaceutical innovation, Wednesday announced the addition of telehealth capabilities within its digital data platform Advantage eClinical. The new application means any scheduled visit can become virtual with video calls augmented directly through the platform and patients signing in through their existing participant portal.

Hampstead residents may soon have another option for high-speed internet service, as Antietam Broadband is looking into bringing its fiber-optic network to the northeast Carroll County town. According to the company, its direct fiber network “can handle more users and more data at consistently higher speeds than other Internet connections,” and because data is transmitted via light, “fiber optic networks are not as prone to outages as other Internet networks.”

Truist Financial Corp. (NYSE: TFC) plans to aggressively cut costs over the next several quarters in a bid to improve its efficiency and its bottom line, but the Charlotte-based bank’s local leader said the impact of those cuts in Greater Washington will be minimal. That’s because Truist’s leadership views the Washington-Baltimore region as a growth area for the $555 billion-asset bank, said Evelyn Lee, the president of the Greater Washington region who next week will also take over as head of the Maryland region following the retirement of that market’s longtime leader, Greg Farno.

Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is rolling out yet another new hotel brand to appeal to budget-conscious travelers.The new brand, which the Bethesda-based hotel giant unveiled Wednesday morning, is Four Points Express by Sheraton, and will launch in Europe, Africa and the Middle East over the next few years.

As a nationwide deal, the Baltimore-based Under Armour will have a presence throughout Ripken Baseball, including the naming rights for The Ripken Experience Aberdeen in Maryland and the presenting sponsor of All-Ripken Games. Under Armour will also provide the official uniform for more than 9,000 12U baseball players who travel to Cooperstown All Star Village in New York every summer. The partnership takes effect Jan. 1.

The Federal Trade Commission, along with a coalition of 17 state attorneys general — including Maryland’s Anthony Brown — sued Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) on Tuesday alleging practices that stifle competition and raise prices for consumers. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for Western Washington, wasn’t unexpected. The FTC opened a probe into Amazon’s business practices in 2019, before Amazon critic Lina Khan began leading the agency in 2021.

Competition for lucrative procurement and contracting opportunities is tough, especially for minority business enterprises (MBEs) in the market with more established companies. Many small businesses grow through work as a subcontractor, and building relationships with prime contractors is key for MBEs to be successful. Ben Morgan, vice president at Barton Malow Builders, a Baltimore-based construction management firm that focuses on projects for higher education, K-12 schools, health care and sports, embraces his company’s role in supporting the development of MBEs.

Columbia-based Authority Brands launched Lawn Squad, a lawn care franchising business developed from its Weed Pro name and system. Lawn Squad will offer services such as lawn fertilization and weed control, lawn aeration and seeding as well as lawn grub and insect control for both residential and commercial properties. Originally founded in 2001 by Rob Palmer in Ohio as Weed Pro, the business currently serves the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati markets in Ohio and will now expand its technology driven practices on a national scale.