Business

With Covid-19 cases on the rise and flu season around the corner, now is the time for businesses to make decisions about vaccine mandates before things get worse, one of Maryland’s top health officials said Friday. Dr. Mohan Suntha, CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System, painted a bleak picture for the fall during a virtual discussion about the coronavirus delta variant, hosted by the Greater Baltimore Committee.

Seven manufacturing and retail businesses in Maryland are receiving microgrants from a $500,000 Opportunity Zone investment, Governor Larry Hogan announced Friday. Opportunity Zones are designated communities that are eligible for federal capital gains tax incentives. “Our state has been working hard to supercharge investment and make Maryland’s 149 Opportunity Zones the most competitive ones in America,” said Governor Hogan. “Maryland Opportunity Zone funds have already received more than $333 million of equity investments, and we continue to see expansion of businesses, new jobs, and much-needed affordable housing in these areas.”

The 2021 edition of the Inc. 5000 is out Tuesday, spotlighting the fastest-growing businesses around the country. This year’s list comes amid a continuing global pandemic, taking stock of the companies that report three-year revenue growth. In all, the Baltimore metro area has 62 companies featured. That’s down slightly from the 71 companies the region saw make the list in 2020. Tops among locals this year is a company in the top 20: Chasen Companies, the real estate firm behind a growing portfolio of residential units and the Federal Hill and Fells Point coworking concept Vision, ranks #18 on the list.

Several people who attended the Maryland Association of Counties conference in Ocean City last week have since tested positive for COVID-19, the association said Tuesday in a notice to the thousands of attendees. Additionally, The Daily Record reported that at least four aides to Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) have tested positive for coronavirus, and that at least two of them attended the conference that drew more than 2,000 state and local elected officials, county employees, and state workers.

Earlier this year, summer was painted as a possible return to normalcy, where Marylanders could finally dine out, gather with loved ones and enjoy concerts — mostly free from the fear of spreading COVID. But then the coronavirus delta variant reared its ugly head leading to a rise in cases and hospitalizations. That, plus a seemingly stagnant vaccination campaign have forced some notable Baltimore area businesses to act.

Well Crafted Kitchen needed to process tons of tomatoes this month, enough to make sauce for its Margherita pizzas for the year. But the Hampden restaurant was short on staff. Co-owner Liz Bower, who started the business as a food truck in 2016 with her husband and another couple, mentioned the problem in a newsletter she sends weekly to customers: “We have 10,000 pounds of tomatoes,” she recalled asking. “Anybody want to help?”

Joe Biden is hardly the most beloved of chief executives in Republican-friendly Worcester County. The Maryland county, which is home to Ocean City, hasn’t voted for a Democrat in a presidential election since 1964. Biden won’t be helping his cause, the locals say, with his planned visit this week to the nearby Rehoboth Beach area of Delaware — a trip necessitating flight restrictions that have caused a scramble by the operators of Ocean City’s iconic banner-towing planes, sightseeing planes and skydiving companies to salvage business during their peak season.

Sarah Rehman had everything planned. With the momentum going into the grand opening of her Gaithersburg, Md., wellness studio, March 2020 was the beginning of a new chapter. Two weeks later, the covid-19 pandemic forced Rehman to shut down the business, Flying Buddha Studios. Rehman, like many business owners, had to get creative and start an online presence to continue her variety of yoga and wellness classes.

Harford Community College Foundation announced that Denise Dregier was appointed its executive director and that Natalie Shaw was hired as director for grants. Dregier previously served as director for college and alumni development for Harford Community College since 2010. Active in the local community, Dregier serves on the board of directors of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce and co-chairs the chamber’s education committee. She also serves on the boards of the Community Foundation of Harford County and the Miracle League of Harford County.