Business

Alan Tsao wanted to spend big on a new luxury watch but his wife joked that at that price, perhaps he should start a watch company of his own. He took that message to heart. Tsao started the Tsao Baltimore Watch Company in 2017 and initially found success on Kickstarter, with one campaign raising more than $40,000 in 30 minutes. He has since released nine watch models and expects to pass $1 million in annual sales this year.

The Maryland Cannabis Administration plans to conduct another lottery on June 28 to award 31 new opportunities to start a cannabis business in the state. The lottery will award dispensary licenses that were stalled because of litigation in Talbot and Calvert counties, along with any other licenses that have not yet been awarded as part of a social-equity-focused round that began earlier this year.

The owner and head chef over a trio of restaurants in Fells Point announced a decision to temporarily close the establishments, citing public safety concerns. Duck Duck Goose, Osteria Pirata and Anchor Bar, under the Alfred Restaurant Group umbrella, are among the restaurants and bars that will “press pause,” according to Baltimore chef Ashish Alfred.

State officials said Friday that they are winding down temporary worker and business assistance programs that were put in place in the wake of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Applications will close on June 28 for the Maryland Department of Labor’s worker support program, which provides temporary relief to workers who lost income from reduced operations at the Port of Baltimore; the Maryland Department of Commerce’s business assistance program; and the Department of Housing and Community Development’s small-business grant program.

At the midpoint of life, Stanley Crump, 55, has walked many paths, as a business consultant, hip hop dancer, restauranteur, real estate investor, reality TV cast member, and karate champion. The latter set him up for his current incarnation of Crump Inc. as the after-school care impresario of Howard County. Or at least of his corner of the county, at the wide-angle intersection of Montgomery and Waterloo roads.

Does it seem as if all that new construction and redevelopment in the county has been going on a long time? Well, get ready. Because many of those projects are headed for the finish line. Last fall, we kicked off a series of articles about new development by checking in with Jonathan Horowitz, the county’s business and economic development director, and Jill Thompson, director of community and economic development for Hagerstown, for an overview of all that activity.

Federal leaders met Thursday afternoon with business and industry partners following the reopening of the Port of Baltimore. On Wednesday, 11 News Investigates reported exclusively that U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and White House officials would meet Thursday with companies about the port since the reopening of the Federal Channel.