70 Acme Paper
Edward and Mildred Attman founded Acme Paper & Supply Company in 1946 in a 1,500-square-foot rented garage in Baltimore. Today, three generations of the Attman family continue the tradition, with a warehouse/headquarters complex in the Baltimore-Washington Industrial Park in Savage and a regional distribution center in Richmond, Va.
20 Altman & Associates
This estate planning law firm was started by Gary Altman in 1996. It has expanded from a simple, two-person firm to having 10 employees with three office locations, in Rockville, Columbia and Tysons Corner.
55 Anne Arundel Community College
On Jan. 2, 1961, the county Board of Education established Anne Arundel Community College, a comprehensive community center of higher learning. The college opened in September that year for 270 students with late-afternoon and evening classes in temporary quarters at Severna Park High School.
45 Arundel Cooling & Heating
Started in 1971 and still operated by Jack Van Horne, Sr., Arundel Cooling and Heating provides commercial and residential HVAC installation and repair services. The company is located in Linthicum Heights.
50 Atholton High School
Built in 1966 alongside Harriet Tubman High School, which originally had been named Atholton Colored School, Atholton High School accommodated newly-integrated high school classes. It was the fourth high school built in Howard County.
200 Baltimore Gas & Electric
On June 11, 1816, artist Rembrandt Peale lit the first gas lamps in Baltimore at his museum on Holliday Street. Then, along with William Gwynn, William Lorman and two other partners, Peale incorporated the Gas Light Company of Baltimore on June 17. It was the first gas utility in North America.
10 Breasia Productions
Founder Jamal Lee named Breasia, pronounced “Bree-Asia,” in honor of two little girls, Brianna and his daughter Dasia. The Laurel production company offers state-of-the-art services in special events and concerts, audio, lighting, video production, online streaming and installations. It also offers professional recording space in its fully digital recording studio.
40 Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr LLP
Formerly known as Reese and Carney, this law firm adopted its current moniker in 2008 in recognition of the contributions of its partners. Its four Maryland offices provide legal services to businesses, individuals and families throughout the state.
20 Columbia Creative Services
Started by Esen Paradiso in 1996, Columbia Creative Services provides high-impact advertising, marketing and promotional materials to the central Maryland region.
35 Columbia Pregnancy Center
Opened in 1981, the mission of the nonprofit center is to aid individuals facing an unplanned pregnancy and those struggling with a past abortion decision. It provides its services for free to anyone who may be in need of them.
25 Far Corner
Expert Trading Limited, the oldest of the Far Corner companies, was founded in 1991 by Chris Myers. Now greatly expanded and named Far Corner Media, the Columbia company’s mission continues to be providing high quality books and educational products directly to high level investors and traders.
50 Harkins Builders
In 2002, Harkins Builders, founded by Thomas P. Harkins, became an employee-owned company through the creation of an Employee Stock Ownership Program. It recently moved its headquarters to Columbia from Marriottsville.
60 Gov. Larry Hogan
Born May 25, 1956, in Washington, D.C., Larry Hogan, currently serving as Maryland’s 62nd governor, is the son of a U.S. Congressman. He served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in the 1970s and ’80s, and first ran for office in the 1981 special election to fill the vacancy in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District.
35 Howard County Arts Council
The Howard County Arts Council was created in 1981 to serve the citizens of Howard County by fostering the arts via nurturing local artists and arts organizations, furthering the public’s appreciation of the arts and ensuring that the arts are accessible — regardless of age, ability or economic status.
50 Howard Community College
Founded in 1966 as the 14th of Maryland’s 16 community colleges, the college was built on a prehistoric Native American settlement that later became farmland. It first opened its doors to students in October 1970 with 10 full-time faculty and just over 600 full-time students.
30 Howard County Public School System Educational Partnerships
Thirty years ago, HCPSS launched a partnerships program aimed at working with the community to help prepare Howard County students for productive lives and careers. Today, more than 1,000 community and business partners donate countless human, financial and other resources each year in a joint commitment to educational excellence.
35 Howard County Tourism
Founded in 1981, the Howard County Office of Tourism and Promotion is the official destination marketing organization for Howard County. Primarily funded through a grant from Howard County government, the nonprofit is an advocate for the tourism industry and promotes “all that is wonderful and unique about visiting and living in Howard County, Maryland.”
20 Laurel Museum
The Laurel Museum opened its doors to the public in May 1996, but efforts to establish a facility to display items related to the history of Laurel extended back more than 10 years. Its first exhibit, “From Mill House to Museum,” documented the history of the museum and of its building, which started life as housing for workers at the Laurel Cotton Mill.
100 National Park Service
The National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior, was created on Aug. 25, 1916, by Congress through the National Park Service Organic Act. It manages all U.S. national parks, many American national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties.
50 Pennoni
Headquartered in Philadelphia, with a branch in Columbia, design consulting and engineering firm Pennoni Associates specializes in the creation of civil infrastructure projects. The employee-owned company was established by chairman Celestino “Chuck” Pennoni in 1966.
80 Princeton Sports
Samuel and Lucille Davis’s love of cycling led them to open the first Princeton Sports in Baltimore City in 1936, and their second shop, in Columbia, has been an established fixture for decades. Providing sporting goods and services, the business is still owned and operated by family members. Samuel and Lucille originally hailed from Princeton, N.J.; hence, the name.
10 Souza LLC/Attorneys
Souza’s managing principal, Dominic J. Souza, founded the business representation law firm in Annapolis in 2006. Its clients range from local, regional, national and international companies to small and emerging companies in industries such as banking, construction, leasing, real estate, retail, technology, nonprofit and franchise.
25 Tecore Networks
On Dec. 2, 1991, Jay Salkini and a small team of professionals founded Tecore Networks to develop and deliver flexible and scalable software solutions keyed for wireless applications. The company is headquartered in Hanover.
50 University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The first classes at UMBC began on Sept. 19, 1966, with 750 students, 45 faculty members and 500 parking spaces. Today it is an Honors University with its fall enrollment totaling 13,640, with 11,142 undergraduate students and 2,498 graduate students.
25 Wilhelm Commercial Builders
Wilhelm Commercial Builders Inc., headquartered in Annapolis Junction, is a general contractor specializing in interior tenant office and secured work environments. The company was founded in 1991 by Wayne Wilhelm, and became an Employee Owned Company (ESOP) in 2014.
10 Yoga Salutes Non-Violence
Yoga Salutes Non-Violence, a charity event that benefits HopeWorks, Howard County’s rape crisis and domestic violence center, originally began at the Yoga Center of Columbia. Individuals who are sponsored by family and friends gather to do 108 Sun Salutations in an event that highlights the yogic practice of Ahimsa, a Sanskrit term meaning “not to injure” and “compassion.” This year, four locations participated in the event, which was held on Nov. 12.