Businesses Express Optimism about Expansion Opportunities in Frederick County during Business Appreciation Week

The Frederick County Office of Economic Development (OED) today announced the results from the 17th annual Business Appreciation Week (BAW), the largest business retention event of the year and also the largest business retention event in the state of Maryland. Between October 23-27, 2017, 117 businesses were visited throughout the county. A record number of businesses said they have plans to expand with 63% responding with future expansion plans. Last year, 54% of businesses visited said they had plans to expand, compared to 31% in 2015.

“We found that location, growth opportunities, and quality of life were the top factors for doing business in Frederick County,” said Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner. “The results of this year’s Business Appreciation Week speak for themselves – clearly Frederick County is a great place to do business!”

This year, 53 ambassadors comprised of local and state economic development partners thanked the businesses for selecting Frederick County as the place to do business. This year’s theme was “Rooted in Frederick County” with an emphasis on companies that have been in business 25 years or more.

“This recognition means a lot. It is great to know that small businesses like ours are appreciated and have the county’s support,” said Dave Lowe, President of Donald L. Lowe & Sons, a heating and cooling company incorporated in 1974 and based in Monrovia. Director of Business Development Ryan Pickney at ADTEK Engineers said, “ADTEK is glad to be a member of the Frederick community, and we were pleased to be recognized for our work. We appreciate the opportunities we have to live and work in such a special place, and look forward to many good years ahead.” ADTEK has been based in Frederick for 30 years with 27 employees.

The event also gives OED the opportunity to assess the local business climate, look for trends and provide feedback to the community and elected officials. From the data collected during the week, 100% of businesses surveyed said they like doing business in Frederick County. When asked how business has been this year versus last year, of the businesses who responded, 71% said it was better than last year and 23% said business remains the same. Businesses were very optimistic about what 2018 holds, with 82% predicting a better year next year and 18% saying they expected it to be the same.

Frederick County’s strategic location was named the top factor for doing business, followed by growth opportunities here and the county’s quality of life.

“We hear year after year that businesses choose Frederick County because it makes good business sense. Our location and growth potential adds to so many quality of life aspects and opportunities, “said OED Director Helen Propheter. “It is important to us that we help position the county to be able to adapt to new industries, new employee skill set needs and new ways of doing business to stay competitive. Business Appreciation Week helps us keep our fingers on the pulse of the business community.”

Following along with the theme of the event, businesses who were visited shared how many years they’ve been “Rooted in Frederick County” on OED’s social media pages. To view photos from the event, follow OED on Facebook at www.facebook.com/discoverfrederickmd.

To learn more about BAW, visit www.discoverfredrickmd.com/baw or contact OED at 301-600-1058.