2015 Record Year for BWI Marshall, Southwest Flight Added

A total of 23,823,532 commercial passengers flew through BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport in 2015, which set a new annual record. Passenger traffic for the year grew 6.8% from 2014 figures, and BWI Marshall finished the year with six straight monthly passenger records.

2015 also marked the first year in the history of BWI Marshall where more than 23 million passengers used the facility. The record year for BWI Marshall was driven, in part, by growing international passenger traffic. New international airlines and new global routes increased international passenger traffic by 31.9% for the year. Total international passengers reached 1,140,144, marking the first time that BWI Marshall recorded more than 1 million international passengers in a year.

Also, Southwest Airlines has announced its August 2016 schedule update, including a new transcontinental flight addition for BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. Starting Aug. 7, Southwest will begin year-round, nonstop service between BWI Marshall and California’s Sacramento International Airport.

QAI Lands $5M Task Order Contract From the OMHA

Fulton-based Quality Associates Inc. (QAI) has won a $5 million task order contract from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA). Awarded under the Government Publishing Office (GPO) 951-M contract, this task order authorizes QAI to provide scanning, digitization and records management services to help OMHA preserve and manage paper files.

Since OMHA began processing Medicare appeals in 2005, it has accumulated millions of pages of written hearing requests. QAI will lead efforts to scan the backlog of documents and convert them into a PDF format, allowing OMHA to more easily search for, retrieve and view appeal files and the data they contain. As a result, OMHA will more efficiently manage its records, reduce paper processes and ensure the long-term preservation and security of all documentation.

In addition to providing the labor, materials, hardware, software, and secure and reliable transportation of documents, the QAI team will provide project management, administrative support and quality control to ensure a successful implementation.

AUA, Chesapeake Urology Expand Partnership With Foundation

The American Urological Association, the Urology Care Foundation and Chesapeake Urology Associates have strengthened their commitment to securing the future of prostate cancer care through an enhanced $1 million partnership designed to advance prostate cancer research and improve the care for men with or at risk for the disease.

Through the partnership, a new initiative, the Community-Based Research to Advance Prostate Cancer Care program, will be established. It is designed to bring together the expertise and resources of community urologists; physician-scientists and researchers in academic institutions; and industry partners vested in prostate cancer research, to conduct studies dedicated to advancing prostate cancer care.

With an estimated 220,800 cases expected to be diagnosed in 2015, prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States. With 27,540 deaths expected this year, it remains the second leading cause of cancer death among men.

Visit Annapolis Selected as Official Visitors Bureau for UMBC’s Retriever Athletics

Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (VAAAC) has teamed up with the University of Maryland Baltimore County’s (UMBC) Athletics Department to make it easier for visiting teams, fans and visitors to book rooms for on-campus events. As the Official Visitors Bureau for Retriever Athletics through 2016, VAAAC has enhanced its www.TheHotelsAtBWI.com website to include a new UMBCHotels.com landing page that lists preferred hotel partners for the university’s 19 varsity teams and other visitors to the Catonsville campus.

“UMBC Athletics’ BWI-based partner hotels have created overnight rates and offers exclusive to UMBC guests, alumni, their families, friends, event attendees and conference guests. VAAAC is providing greater exposure for the university’s partner properties even as it simplifies the planning process for UMBC visitors,” said UMBC Assistant Director of Athletics Mike D’Archangelo.

Washington Capitol Partners Signs 16-Year Lease With W.B. Mason

Washington Capitol Partners LLC, a privately-held real estate investment firm, has announced that it has reached a 16-year lease with W.B. Mason for 100% of its office and warehouse building located at 9420 Gerwig Lane, in Guilford Industrial Park, Columbia. Washington Capitol Partners acquired the primarily vacant, 186,916-square-foot building in May 2015.

“The typical lease is 10 years, but W.B. Mason required a long-term distribution facility that has the ability to service its growing business in the Washington metropolitan areas,” said Peter Minshall, managing partner, Washington Capitol Partners. In addition to occupying the warehouse, W.B. Mason will offer its “Whatta Bargain Store” on the first floor, where it will sell new, used, discontinued and overstocked furniture and office supplies at discounted prices.

DATUM Announces Technology Partnership for Metadata Integration

DATUM, of Annapolis, has announced a technology partnership with Silwood Technology Limited. The partnership will extend the metadata management capabilities of DATUM’s Information Value Management solution through integration with Silwood Technology’s Safyr software. This partnership will deliver an information governance core to Fortune 500 Enterprises through crowd-powered business value definition, accelerated data automation and the ability to support multiple cloud and ERP platforms.

“The similarities in the customers we serve and the certified integration Silwood delivers makes this partnership a natural fit for our solution offering,” said Cameron Ogden, vice president of Solution Management for DATUM. “This extension of our capabilities delivers additional opportunity for customers to reduce manual work and establish a clear lifecycle of data asset discovery, data valuation and data governance.”

JPB Buys Majority Interest in Florida Restaurant Chain

Columbia-based JPB Capital Partners, a strategic equity investor in lower-middle market consumer-related brands and services, has announced a majority investment in Mulligan’s Beach House Bar and Grill, a full-service, family-oriented seafood restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in six locations throughout Florida. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1997 by George Hart, a 30-year restaurant industry veteran, the Mulligan’s chain includes six Florida locations — all with water views — in Sebastian, Vero Beach, Stuart, Jensen Beach, Lauderdale by the Sea and Lake Worth. Hart will continue with the company as president and CEO, and will lead the execution of its strategic growth plan as it looks to continue its expansion in Florida and the Southeast.

City of Annapolis Awards Parking Contract

SP+ Municipal Services has been chosen to manage the comprehensive parking initiative in the city of Annapolis. Under a 10-year contract, all city parking services will be managed by SP+ and will offer modern options benefiting city residents, local businesses and visitors, while bringing all services under one roof, rather than depending on several city departments to oversee day-to-day operations.

The scope of services includes mobile apps to locate and pay for parking, operating and managing all the municipal garage facilities and two surface lots, on-street metered parking collection services, parking enforcement, residential parking permit issuance and management, parking utilization analysis (allowing people to see how many spaces are available in each garage upon entering) and garage shuttle services.

Artists’ Gallery Ready for Howard High School Art Teacher Invitational

Artists’ Gallery, in Columbia, has invited a number of secondary school art educators to participate in a show to give visitors an opportunity to appreciate their varied work. The Howard County High School Art Teachers Invitational will run through March 25, with an opening reception on Friday, March 4, from 6–8 p.m., at Artists’ Gallery, American City Building, 10227 Wincopin Circle, Columbia.

The Artists’ Gallery is a member-owned gallery representing media that include oil, watercolor, collage, acrylic and pastel, among many others. Hours are Monday–Friday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Saturday from 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. For more information, call 410-740-8249 during gallery hours or visit www.artistsgallerycolumbia.com.

Quantum Communications Opens Annapolis Office

Quantum Communications, a mid-Atlantic strategic communications firm that provides strategy, advocacy and media services to businesses, trade associations and political campaigns, has opened an Annapolis office.

David Reel, former president and CEO of the Maryland Hotel & Lodging Association who worked at Quantum from 2003–04, will manage Quantum’s Annapolis office and serve Quantum clients in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Virginia; and Delaware.