MD's Incubator Company of the Year Awarded to Hagerstown Firm
Technical Innovation Center at Hagerstown Community College Firm Wins Award for Best Technology Services Company in Maryland
Hagerstown, MD - B & D Consulting, Inc., cyber security and network engineering firm located at the Technical Innovation Center at Hagerstown Community College (TIC), was honored during the Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards program held on June 15th in Baltimore. B & D Consulting, Inc. took home the prize for best Technology Services company in Maryland. The tenth annual event was hosted by Saul Ewing LLP, RSM McGladery, Inc., the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) and the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO).
The winning companies were selected based on the organization’s goals and its success in achieving objectives. Judges considered factors such as technology or product development; proprietary intellectual property; increase in employee numbers; growth in revenue or earnings; engagement of significant customers and strategic partners; receipt of awards or grants; attraction of outside investors; innovation; self-sufficiency; impact on the region; and, usage of the incubator’s services.
B & D Consulting, Inc. placed first among hundreds of nominations submitted by incubators around the state of Maryland and firm founder Jefferey Bearden and employees Kim Bearden, Herbert Thompson, Samson Edmond, and Contina Flemmings were on hand to accept the award. B & D Consulting, Inc. is a veteran, SBA certified 8(a) small disadvantaged business founded in 2004. They provide network engineering, business intelligence, cyber security / risk management and information assurance services to government agencies and Fortune 500 firms and are dedicated to becoming the “premier” provider of these services by helping their clients meet mission objectives.
“The finalists and winners of this year’s awards program demonstrate the success that can be achieved through Maryland’s Incubator program,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “I congratulate the winners and thank all participants for playing an integral role in keeping the State of Maryland at the forefront of the U.S. technology marketplace.”
During the award ceremony's opening remarks, DBED Secretary Christian S. Johansson said, “To ensure that incubator companies continue to grow, the Governor has introduced InvestMaryland, a new initiative to promote jobs and spur innovation, and invested in job-creating tools like the Biotech Tax Credit, which has been increased to $8 million this year, created a Hiring Tax Credit to help businesses both large and small put Marylanders back to work, and developed a Small Business Loan Guaranty fund to help push small business lending. These award winners demonstrate the success of those State programs.”
The TIC submitted the nomination on behalf of B & D Consulting, Inc. Finalists were whittled down to the top three in each of the eight technology categories by the 2010 selection committee, comprised of senior executives at Maryland’s research, banking, venture capital, university and government institutions. The selection committee then vetted each nominee through a series of one-on-one interviews. Other finalists in the category include Amethyst Technologies, LLC from University of Maryland Baltimore County’s bwtech incubator, Si Tec Consulting located at Howard County’s Neotech Incubator and Zane Networks, LLC from the Silver Spring Innovation Center in Montgomery County.
Chris Marschner, director of the TIC, says he expected B & D Consulting, Inc. to win the award because of founder Jeffery Bearden's complete focus on the company's core mission and his willingness to develop the skill sets of the firm’s employees. The TIC has had several other firms selected as finalists, but B & D Consulting, Inc. is the first client to take the top prize. “The competition for this award is substantial and very similar to the level of competition for VC funding. Only the elite reach the finalist stage and then the firm must demonstrate that it alone is the best in class. Maryland’s incubators are home to the some of the most technically advanced early-stage firms in Maryland as well as the nation,” Marschner said.
The TIC is a self sustaining economic development effort that fosters the growth of new and expanding businesses by providing access to advanced technologies, business development resources, and collaborative opportunities. An integral part of its mission is creating and retaining high-quality employment opportunities for students and the quad-state community. Visit http://www.technicalinnovationcenter.com/ for more information.
6/17/2010
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