Cities & Towns Lauded for Efforts to Support Business at Frederick County Municipalities Impact Awards

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) announces the first Municipalities Impact Awards were held on September 5, 2018 at the Middletown Fire Hall. Ten Frederick County municipalities were honored for their commitments to supporting their businesses.

The event is a project of OED and began with a survey to municipalities in 2017 to gather economic impact data from each town. The Municipalities Impact Awards were created to recognize the projects and initiatives that municipal elected officials and municipal staff work on every day to help support OED’s overall goals of increasing the number of jobs and businesses in Frederick County.

While approximately 41% of the County’s population lives within a municipality, 62% of the businesses are located in a municipality. Director of OED Helen Propheter said, “We know that our cities and towns serve a critical role in attracting businesses to our county. When businesses look to locate or expand their business, they’re not just looking at what land or vacant property might be available,” she commented. “They also want to be sold on the total package of each town or city, they want to know the quality of the local workforce, what infrastructure projects are being completed to support their business and what quality of life factors exist such as tourism attractions.”

Municipalities were recognized for their support of key economic development priorities in the areas of: Business Attraction, Business Retention and Expansion, Infrastructure and Large Projects, Business Marketing and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

The winners were:

•           City of Brunswick – Small Business & Entrepreneurship

•           Town of Emmitsburg – Infrastructure & Large Projects

•           City of Frederick – Business Attraction

•           Town of Middletown – Business Retention

•           Town of Mount Airy – Infrastructure & Large Projects

•           Town of Myersville – Infrastructure & Large Projects

•           Town of New Market – Business Expansion

•           Town of Thurmont – Business Marketing

•           Town of Walkersville – Infrastructure & Large Projects

•           Town of Woodsboro – Business Retention

“Our municipalities represent Main Street America, where business happens,” said County Executive Jan H. Gardner. “Our towns are each unique with rich history, thriving businesses and a culture that energizes the vibrancy and beauty that defines Frederick County. The Municipalities Impact Awards recognize that our County is only as strong as its core.”

To view the Frederick County Proud video which debuted during the event featuring several Mayors and Burgesses of municipalities, please click here. To view all of the photos from the event, please click here. For more information about the Municipalities Impact Awards, please contact OED at 301-600-1058 or email Helen Propheter at hpropheter@frederickcountymd.gov.

# # #