By the BF Staff
From the May/June 2017 Issue
Harford County, MD offers a strategic position on the I-95 corridor, centrally located in the mid-Atlantic region along the Chesapeake Bay. Harford’s ideal location, highly-skilled workforce, business-friendly environment and quality of life create a winning combination and a destination to work, live, play and invest. Harford County is Maryland’s new center of opportunity—here’s why you should make it your own:
Robust logistics. With easy access to roadways, rail and the Port of Baltimore, Harford County is a desirable location for manufacturing, e-commerce and distribution centers. Nearly one-third of the U.S. population is accessible in an overnight drive affording timely operational delivery east of the Mississippi. Accessibility to the world-renown, award-winning Port of Baltimore in under 30 minutes from Harford County provides import and export solutions for a global market and post-Panamax shipping capabilities.
Highly-Skilled Workforce. The key to success for any thriving business is a pipeline of skilled workers. Harford County is well positioned as a key workforce center, drawing from more than 13 jurisdictions in three states as an employment hub. Technical training is a focus of our local Workforce Investment Board, the Susquehanna Workforce Network and a focused effort among government, industry and academia. All three sectors work collaboratively to ensure relevant outcomes are applied and integrated into curriculum and training programs. Our K-12 initiatives offer career pathways in technical vocations and college prep; secondary programs offer magnet and signature programs in Biomedical, Homeland Security, Agrisciences, an International Baccalaureate program, and a Science and Math Academy. Harford Community College offers 2 + 2 programs with Towson University, which shares not only real estate on the campus but program alignment.
Business Friendly Environment. Fast. Efficient. Customer-focused. You’ll like doing business in Harford County. The Fast-Track Permitting process, team of knowledgeable economic development professionals and business resources make everything from your site selection, to hiring, to utility incentives and grand opening a little easier. Just as important is the sense of community a business experiences when it opens its doors in Harford County.
Active Opportunities. East Gate is a 2.1M square foot industrial multi-facility, spec-build site currently under construction. Located in the Perryman Peninsula, the site could accommodate up to 2,000 employees. Perryman Logistics Center, a 571,000-square-foot facility built on spec and completed in Q4 2015, was fully leased by XPO Logistics in October 2016. James Run, a mixed office designation with a residential component, affords a signature development opportunity at the interchange of I-95 and MD 543.
Industrial Hubs, Commerce Centers and Airparks: Built for Business. Harford County is home to several thriving industrial hubs, commerce centers and business airparks, each committed to streamlined operations and a customer focus. The Perryman Peninsula, one of Harford’s key commerce centers with approximately 24 manufacturing and distribution centers including Clorox, Sephora, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Rite Aid Corporation, Gordon Food Services, Worthington Armstrong Venture and XPO Logistics, employs more than 4,000 skilled workers. The Riverside Business Park, located between Aberdeen and Edgewood, is home to Coty, McCormick & Spice, Chesapeake Spice, TIC Gums, Citrus & Allied Essences, Sephora (Retail), DWE Plastics and Avon Protection. Lakeside Business Park includes Smiths Detection, Alcore, Nutrimax and ManCrates, and the Chesapeake Commerce Center includes Dunlop Protective Footwear, Smuckers, Plastipak and Solo. Forest Hill Business Airpark features Beacon Environmental, Jack’s Small Engine Repair, Wilkes & Riley and Harbor Spice. A wide range of companies call Harford County home; their success in growing their business and retaining a qualified staff is the best testimony for attracting new businesses to this community.
Aberdeen Proving Ground: A national asset for research and development. As Aberdeen Proving Ground turns 100 in 2017, we celebrate not only the heritage of one of our nation’s oldest Army installations, but a century of technological evolution. With a primarily civilian Department of Defense population of nearly 21,000, Aberdeen Proving Ground is home to six Centers of Excellence, an autonomous vehicle proving ground and one of five national cyber test ranges in the U.S. An innovation hub is under development with the Army Research Laboratory to bring collaboration among industry and academia in high-speed supercomputing. Federal laboratories, with pioneering technologies in 3-D printing and prototyping, afford private sector access to bring commercialization concepts to market faster through their fabrication facilities for additive manufacturing.
Innovation and partnership. You can find what you need to be successful in Harford County. From manufacturing coalitions to job fair supports, certification programs to professional organizations, you’ll find opportunities to network within a community committed to lifelong learning, economic vitality and a sense of place.
Harford County is Maryland’s New Center of Opportunity… let us make it yours! For more information, visit www.harfordcountymd.gov/oed or call (410) 638-3059.
