Business Briefs

ARINC Provides Digital Radio Network for Medical Helicopter Communications
Annapolis-based ARINC Inc. has completed a major digital enhancement of the nine-state flight operations radio network of Phoenix-based PHI Air Medical Group, one of the leading providers of emergency helicopter transport for hospitals and public safety agencies in the U.S.
ARINC deployed new digital command consoles and custom software at four PHI Air Medical Communication Centers - a primary center at the company's Phoenix, Ariz., headquarters, and three regional Centers in Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana. ARINC also installed new digital network hardware at 53 new and existing PHI air-ground radio sites to expand and enhance the network's national radio coverage
The new digital technology includes cutting-edge ROIP (radio-over-IP) capability which overcomes many of the limitations of analog voice networks by adding powerful, flexible message handling.

Buan Consulting Leverages Salesforce.com for Florida's Great Northwest
Annapolis-based Buan Consulting has created a grants management application for Florida's Great Northwest Inc., a regional economic development organization. The application is based on Salesforce.com, a cloud computing company.
Buan offers customized cloud computing solutions and supporting services. Florida's Great Northwest decided to leverage its current Salesforce.com system, which was developed by Buan Consulting, for administration of the WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) grant.
Each amount awarded and requests for reimbursements will be tracked, along with compliance to the terms of the grants, while supporting documentation is also stored in Salesforce.com for easy reference. Distribution of funds and the approval process will be tracked as well.

AirPatrol Expands Globally With Several New Channel Partners
Columbia-based AirPatrol Corp., a mobile and wireless threat management solutions company, has expanded its global Channel Partner Program to help meet demand for its award winning wireless security products.
Joining AirPatrol as Premier Partners in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region are Global Security Academy & Consultants and Synaptic Solutions. In addition, ETI Holdings and Proxy srl have joined the program as European Authorized Partners.
"Demand for AirPatrol's wireless threat management products is increasing, which necessitates our expansion in the EMEA region and also specifically in Europe," said AirPatrol Corp. CEO Ozzie Diaz. "Our customers in government, law enforcement, retail and financial services are experiencing more intrusions and threats to proprietary information through their wireless networks, making it imperative to protect unauthorized individuals from stealing confidential information."

BWI Marshall Ranked First in Class for Annual Airport Service Quality Awards
BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport was ranked first in the world among airports serving 15 to 25 million passengers per year, according to the 2009 Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey.
The annual survey program of airport users examines a wide range of services, operations and facilities at airports worldwide. According to ACI, there are 140 global airports participating in the ASQ program.
ACI is one of the leading organizations representing airports around the world. The results of the 2009 ASQ awards were based on more than 275,000 questionnaires completed by passengers at 118 airports worldwide. During the survey, customers were asked to rate more than 30 service parameters at airports they visited, including parking, cleanliness, food and retail facilities, and restrooms.

Harkins Project Wins USGBC Award
Harkins Builders' Health Care for the Homeless project has received the U.S. Green Building Council Maryland's Award for New Construction. The general contractor's project team was honored, along with architects Kann Partners and owner Health Care for the Homeless (HCH).
The new, $9.5 million, 56,000-square-foot HCH headquarters and clinic building at Hillen Street and Fallsway in Baltimore was built to achieve LEED for New Construction Gold certification, with design calculations indicating 20% energy reduction and 40% water reduction. The building is a pilot project for the utilization of a green roof to satisfy the city's storm water management requirement.
Located in a flood plain, HCH was not able to install a storm water management vault. The green roof allows storm water quality requirements to be met on-site. Sustainable construction practices included 85% of construction waste being diverted from landfill, 37% recycled content and 27% regional materials extracted, processed and manufactured.

Edelman's Financial Planning Firm Expands Into Maryland
Edelman Financial Services LLC, the financial planning and investment management firm headed by financial adviser, author and talk show host Ric Edelman, has announced the opening of two additional offices, including Howard County and Friendship Heights in the northwest Washington, D.C./Montgomery County area. They are in addition to nine existing offices.
Edelman Financial manages $4.5 billion for more than 12,500 clients across the country and internationally. While most investment firms serve only the wealthy, Edelman Financial is known for catering to a clientele of lesser means.
Edelman, ranked the nation's No. 1 independent financial adviser by Barron's, has been providing financial advice to consumers for almost 25 years. His nationally syndicated radio program, "The Ric Edelman Show," airs in Washington, D.C., on WMAL 630 AM and in Baltimore on WCBM 680 AM on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

VetCentric Announces Partnership With Pfizer Animal Health
Glen Burnie-based VetCentric, the nation's largest practice-to-home delivery provider of prescription medications and veterinary therapeutic and wellness diets, has announced a partnership with Pfizer Animal Health.
The deal opens the full suite of products from Pfizer, developer and manufacturer of veterinary-prescription vaccines and medicines for livestock and companion animals worldwide, to VetCentric's partner clinics for home delivery. Veterinarians partner with VetCentric for numerous reasons, notably the company's ability to increase patient compliance on average of more than 200%. This results in more successful therapeutic results.

BWI Marshall Reports 2.3% Increase in Passenger Traffic for 2009
New figures from the Maryland Aviation Administration reveal that 20,953,615 passengers flew through BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport in 2009, a 2.3% increase from 2008. Of the largest 25 continental U.S. airports, BWI Marshall was one of only two to demonstrate growth in 2009.
The global economic recession impacted air travel particularly hard in 2009. According to the Air Transport Association, overall passenger volume fell 6%. During the past six months, the number of passengers at BWI has grown by 8.4%; passenger traffic has increased at the airport for seven consecutive months, and eight of the past nine months, dating back to April 2009.

IndiSoft, FLS Bring Video Solutions to RxOffice Homeowner/Borrower Portal
IndiSoft and Coral Springs, Fla.-based Financial Literacy Solutions (FLS) have announced a strategic partnership to bring web-based tools to homeowners in need of foreclosure prevention assistance. Using a series of educational videos, FLS enables consumers to learn about their options to avoid foreclosure, and how to work with nonprofit counseling agencies to assist completing modification packages.
The partnership with Columbia-based IndiSoft combines these educational tools with IndiSoft's flagship product RxOffice Homeowner/Borrower portal, which assists housing counselors and consumers in submitting supporting loan modification documents to mortgage companies. FLS launched the solution in August 2009 and it has been accessed on the Internet more than 125,000 times since.

Halpin Law, BTLG
Announce Strategic Alliance
The Law Offices of Kirk Halpin & Associates and the Business & Technology Law Group (BTLG) have formed a strategic alliance to better serve clients in the areas of litigation and real estate law. "Kirk's team is unparalleled in the area with regard to real estate matters, so we began referring clients to them in 2009 and received great feedback on their outcomes," said Chris Young, managing member of BTLG.
"BTLG is superior with litigation, so they have been handling all of our litigation matters. Creating an official alliance was the next logical step," said Halpin, managing partner of his firm. Collectively, these boutiques now can offer the full breadth of services of the larger firms in the region while maintaining their local, client-focused service.

M-Edge to Launch Full Suite of Accessories for Apple iPad
Odenton-based M-Edge Accessories will launch a suite of accessories designed specifically for Apple's iPad this spring. Designed to bring protection, innovation and personalization to the iPad experience, M-Edge's offerings will allow users the freedom to take their device into any environment.
"With the iPad, Apple is putting forth a compelling eReading platform, and we are excited to broaden our focus and develop accessories that will enhance the iPad experience," said Patrick Mish, CEO at M-Edge Accessories.

Georgetown Consulting Expands Core Practice in Supply Chain Management
In a move designed to tap new markets in green logistics and smart delivery of electrical power, Clarksville-based Georgetown Consulting has expanded its core practice in supply chain management by forming Fourth Party Reverse Logistics (4PRL) and acquiring partial ownership of TBW Solutions of Alpharetta, Ga.
"In today's challenging economy, more and more companies are looking for ways to reuse and repair materials instead of buying new. At the same time, organizations of every shape and size need to find environmentally responsible methods for disposing of leftover materials that are considered hazardous waste. That's what reverse logistics is all about," said Bob Burich, vice president and managing director of Georgetown Consulting and 4PRL.

Harkins Awarded Satellite Earth Terminal Station at Fort Detrick
Harkins Builders, of Marriottsville, has been awarded an $11.7 million contract to build a new Satellite Earth Terminal Station (SETS) at Fort Detrick in Frederick. The new 34,000-square-foot facility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, will replace a deteriorated, out-of-date building with a larger, permanent, state-of-the-art structure.
It will include emergency back-up systems to support the current and emerging Defense Satellite Communication missions, as well as network operations and maintenance support areas, secure conference/training areas and intrusion detection systems, among others features.

BWI Marshall Welcomes
DuClaw Brewing Co.
The Maryland-based DuClaw Brewing Co. has opened a new operation in BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport adjacent to the Southwest Airlines ticket counter.
The BWI Marshall location is DuClaw's first airport operation. It opened its first brewery in 1996 in Bel Air; the company's brewing operations later moved to a larger facility in Abingdon. In addition to the new restaurant, DuClaw operates at Arundel Mills and in Bel Air and Bowie Town Center. It recently closed its Fell's Point location.

NGC-Built Space Telescope Sunshield Design Reaches Significant Milestone
The five-layer, tennis court-sized sunshield for the Northrop Grumman Corp. (NGC)-built James Webb Space Telescope has passed its critical design review, certifying that its design is complete and meets mission requirements. By achieving thermal, deployment and stray-light targets, the sunshield is now ready for manufacturing.
"Passing this review is the culmination of years of intense effort meeting the unique challenges that have defined this mission," said Scott Willoughby, Webb Telescope program manager for the Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems sector. "This is the first time a sunshield of this size and complexity will fly on a space telescope. We've achieved a very significant mission-critical milestone with this important validation of our sunshield design."

GP Corp. Awarded More Than $3.4 Million in New Energy Work
Elkridge-based GP Strategies Corp. has announced that its subsidiary, General Physics Corp. (GP), was awarded more than $3.4 million in new contracts at the close of 2009 for its Energy Services Workforce Development business unit. GP Corp. will provide customized training services and content development for industry-leading power companies throughout the United States, including We Energies and Kansas City Power & Light.
"We expect demand for training new and existing power plant personnel on new equipment and environmental control systems to continue to grow," said Joe Nasal, senior vice president for GP Energy Services.

TownePlace Suites: BWI Business District's First LEED-Certified Hotel
TownePlace Suites by Marriott at Baltimore BWI Airport will receive LEED Existing Building Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making the hotel the first property within the BWI Business District to have that distinction.
The hotel, built in 2007, is developing comprehensive programs to qualify for LEED status, including composting all breakfast waste to achieve zero waste, using sustainable and environmentally friendly cleaning products, replacing plumbing hardware with low-flow devices and purchasing renewable energy wind credits to offset the hotel's carbon footprint.

Court Approves Classic's Sale and Restructuring Plan
Only 25 days after filing for protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, Judge Nancy Alquist approved the sale of Jessup-based Classic Sleep Products to Classic Brands LLC, which was formed by the current management team and the company's Chinese manufacturing partner.
Classic's current management team, led by CEO Mike Zippelli, will increase its majority ownership stake in the business with funding provided by JMX Capital Partners and Classic's senior lender, CIT Commercial Services. JMX is partially owned by Xiong Yu of Delandis Trading Corp. of Fujian, China. Together, the parties are contributing $10 million to recapitalize the company.

CWA Says the Maryland PSC Fails to Safeguard Verizon Customers
The Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents 5,000 Verizon employees in Maryland, said that the Maryland Public Service Commission's (PSC) order settling Verizon's service quality issues falls far short of serving the interests of consumers.
"While the PSC order provides a slight improvement over Verizon's proposal rejected by the PSC last year at our urging, Verizon customers in Maryland will still be getting the short end of the stick," said CWA District 2 Vice President Ron Collins. "Verizon still won't be required to make the investments in infrastructure and personnel needed to provide the quality service customers deserve and that our members want to provide. CWA will evaluate all our legal options to determine what next steps would be best for Maryland customers, workers and communities."

EIS Allows Howard County Residents to Track Snowplows
Thanks to the innovations of a Howard County company and the benefits of wireless technology, a new product called the Snowplow Tracker gives residents real-time information on road conditions before they have to head out the door.
Enterprise Information Solutions' (EIS) tracker enables the collection of data on road conditions, and the GPS location of snow removal trucks, to be transmitted wirelessly to http://snow2.co.ho.md.us/Index.asp via the Verizon Wireless 3G mobile broadband network. The site provides real-time information so the user can check to see if a given road has been plowed, salted or is still awaiting treatment.

Hostetter Construction Changes Name to Holland Construction
Hanover-based Hostetter Construction, a Pennsylvania-based construction contracting firm, has changed its corporate name to Holland Construction. Founded more than a century ago, the company also operates division offices in Sarasota, Fla., and Columbia.
Company president Joe Holland said that the change better reflects the Holland family ownership that has guided and expanded the firm for more than 30 years, as well as providing a long-term and consistent identity for its future operations. Holland's father, Roger, acquired the company in the early 1980s and has operated the firm under the Hostetter Construction flag throughout the past three decades.

Five Guys Selects Micros RES for Rapid Expansion Plans
Columbia-based Micros Systems has announced that Five Guys Enterprises has designated its Micros Restaurant Enterprise Solution (RES) for its corporate stores and franchisees on a national level.
Five Guys also will deploy Micro's mymicros.net, myinventory and mylabor as its enterprise back-office solution. The burger restaurant requires technology that will complement its focus on simple operations, and Micros RES provides a secure system that focuses on data integrity, easy software deployment and real-time business intelligence.

GenderStrategy Attains Certification as a Women's Business Enterprise
West Friendship-based GenderStrategy is now a Certified Women's Business Enterprise by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). WBENC provides and manages the development, enforcement and implementation of its gold standard of certification.
"The certification affords us priority business opportunities to work with WBENC corporate members in the Washington, D.C., area that track best practices and supplier diversity," said Joan Athen, one of GenderStrategy's founding partners. The council's members include Washington Gas, Bank of America, Capital One, Citi and Major League Baseball.

New Book Focuses on Project Management in Government
Management Concepts has announced the publication of Achieving Project Management Success in the Federal Government, by Jonathan Weinstein and Timothy Jaques. The new book concerns best practices is based on research and interviews conducted by the authors on officials working for government entities who are involved in various projects.
Although project management is not new to the federal government, the discipline has taken on renewed importance in the face of the ever-increasing size, complexity and number of mission-critical projects being undertaken by every branch and agency. The authors are founding partners of Line of Sight, a program management, process design, and organizational change management services organization.

Long & Foster's Northrop Team Announces New Service Division
The Creig Northrop Team of Long & Foster Real Estate has expanded into a new division, Corporate & Military Relations. Northrop associate Karla Pinato will serve as director of the entity.
Pinato will focus on meeting the needs of government agencies like the Cyber Command and Defense Information Systems Agency, the National Security Agency, and military families moving to the area around Fort Meade as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure effort. She has built strong relationships with many government agencies and corporations like W.R. Grace.

Neighbor Ride Adds Saturday
Office Hours
Beginning March 6, Neighbor Ride will offer office hours from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, in addition to the usual hours on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., for requesting and scheduling rides.
Neighbor Ride is a volunteer-based nonprofit committed to helping Howard County seniors maintain their independence by providing friendly and reliable transportation for medical appointments, social outings, religious services and other errands. Howard County residents age 60 and older may register as passengers by calling 410-884-7433 or by visiting www.neighborride.org.

Zen and the Art of Negotiation
Now in Book Stores
During the past five years, Phil Marcus, Columbia-based attorney and owner of The Negotiation Pro, has given seminars on negotiation skills to professional and chamber of commerce groups and at MIT. Now, he has compiled those experiences and his knowledge in Zen and the Art of Negotiation: Successful Negotiation for People who Hate to Negotiate.
This book provides practical techniques to negotiate without fear. It also introduces new negotiation ideas found in no other book: Your Zen Space, the Sustainable Agreement, cross-generation and cross-personality type negotiating, and negotiating with clients or constituents. It's available at http://sillowaypress.com/ and from online booksellers.

Senior Care Company Records Record Growth Amid Tough Economy
Through the tough economic climate of 2009, most businesses found it challenging to grow and prosper - but Senior Helpers, a national provider of in-home care for seniors that also operated in Howard and Anne Arundel counties, was an exception.
Last year was a banner year for Senior Helpers, as the company saw revenue swell more than 225% and its number of total franchises increase by more than 25%, for a total of 280 individual locations in 39 states at year's end.
That growth and expansion helped Senior Helpers climb Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 list for the third consecutive year - landing at No. 2 on the magazine's "Top New Franchise List" for 2010, up from No. 7 the year before; and ranking No. 27 on the "Fastest Growing Franchise List," up from No. 33 at the beginning of 2009.

Space Operations Institute at Capitol College Backs Up NASA WISE Mission
At Capitol College's Space Operations Institute (SOI), astronautical engineering students can serve as part of the Backup Mission Operations Center (BMOC) for NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite mission.
SOI students are trained to work as the backup WISE Flight Operations Team, working in cooperation with John Hughes, the WISE east coast systems engineer. The students monitor the BMOC computers and ensure that the SOI's systems will be ready to take over primary operations functions, should problems occur with the primary missions operations center. The center is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

SECU Continues Hiring, Even as
Other Companies Contemplate Layoffs, Hiring Freezes
Despite the lingering effects of the recession, the Linthicum-based State Employees Credit Union (SECU), the largest state-chartered credit union in Maryland, is continuing to hire new employees. According to new statistics, SECU hired 127 new employees in 2009, including 21 in the fourth quarter.
"Approximately 75% of our openings are retail positions in our branches and call center," said SECU President and CEO Rod Staatz. For 2010, Staatz said SECU will focus on retention, engagement and development. "In the near term, SECU plans to concentrate on managing our potential and existing employee pool to attract and retain top talent."

Axiom Receives MDOT's
MBE/DBE Certification
Columbia-based Axiom Engineering Design, a woman-owned, full service civil engineering firm, recently received its Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Minority and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MBE/DBE) Certification.
"We are delighted to receive this certification as it now enables us to participate in public projects which we may not have had an opportunity to be a part of in the past," said Peggy White, principal and owner of Axiom.

GoBeyondIT Announces Availability of the Hosted Hourly Desktop
Columbia-based GoBeyondIT, a provider of IT solutions for small and medium businesses, has announced the availability of the Hosted Hourly Desktop. The offering provides clients with a fully-hosted and secure Microsoft Desktop solution at tiered pricing based on usage.
The Hosted Hourly Desktop provides a way to completely outsource IT so that employees only need an Internet connection to access a secure, Microsoft Office desktop with all the applications and support they need. "The best salespeople are in the field 75% of the time, so there is no reason to spend money on technology as if they sit at their desks 100% of the time," said GoBeyondIT CEO Rick Crane. "After six months of research, we determined that 50% of system time is idle. That means there's waste. And where there's waste, there's room to save money."