Inspiring Offices: Welocalize offers an airy office in a former factory

Inspiring Office Welocalize is located in The Glass Factory in Downtown Frederick. This space blends the old and the new and creates a great work environment for employees. 

In The City of Frederick, business spaces go beyond basics. Here, unique offices allow businesses to cultivate creativity, express their company's culture, and create a work environment that inspires.  From industrial to classic, artsy to funky, historic to high tech, spaces abound to meet a variety of needs. 

Inspiring Offices is a feature that highlights some of the creative and unique office spaces in Frederick.

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes peek inside this month's inspiring office in Frederick - Welocalize. Welocalize's office is located within the Glass Factory, a 17,000-square-foot structure that was built as a cannery in the early 1900s. It was previously a tailor company and also a window factory. Today, the renovated warehouse space is home to a variety of companies in Downtown Frederick. 

Co-Owners Smith and Julia Yewell answered a few questions about what they love about their office space inside of the Glass Factory. 

Why did you choose your current office location and how long has Welocalize been located here?
 
Welocalize has called this location (241 E. 4th Street) home since the fall of 1997 and chose the location for the proximity to our family and charm of old town Frederick. Frederick has a lot to offer to the community and is a great place to work, live and raise a family.

Was it "move in" ready or did you have to design/fit it out?
The office space was wide open, unfinished and inviting, which gave us a great opportunity and ability to mold the space to the way we envisioned for ourselves and staff at Welocalize.

What inspirations did you use to decorate/design the space?
The Glass Factory building is quite unique and has plenty of history within its walls. Together with the owner of the property, we tried to preserve the old look and use the elements of the old factory to create an airy feel of the modern office space.

What are the most unique aspects about your office space?
The materials that are used in the space as well as the decor. The building owner has an interesting taste, to say the least.

What do your employees like best about the office space?
Our employees love the high ceilings and natural light!

Find Your Own Inspiring Office

If you are looking to open or expand a business in Frederick, we can help.  Contact us, and let us help you find your own inspiring office space so you can build your dream. 

 If YOU know of any interesting office spaces, let us know and we will put them on our list to feature.

Development Showcase Highlights Planned Investments Along the Golden Mile

An estimated 200 residents attended The Golden Mile Alliance's Development Showcase at the Frederick Elks Lodge, along with representation from elected officials, City staff, and the Frederick Police Department.  The event was organized to educate the community on the numerous planned investments along the Golden Mile corridor.  Representatives from major commercial and residential projects provided updates and addressed questions from residents and community members in attendance.  

Projects on display included:

• Butterfly Ridge Elementary - Frederick County Public Schools
• Frederick Towne Center & Walmart
• Hargett Farm  
• Summers Farm 
• Townhomes at Willow Bend
• Wawa - Core Development
• West Park Village - Buchanan Partners

The Golden Mile Alliance meets on the third Tuesday of the month at the Municipal Annex Building, located at 140 West Patrick Street.  Please contact the Golden Mile Alliance for details.

For the latest information on planned events and projects along the Golden Mile, check out the Golden Mile Alliance's website and Facebook page.

DED Markets Frederick Beyond City Limits

Marketing The City of Frederick as a location where businesses can thrive is a key objective for the Department of Economic Development (DED). Each year, DED attends and exhibits at numerous conferences and trade shows to reach targeted audiences, including vital industry sectors, elected officials, and partner organizations. At these events, the DED team expands the awareness of the community's amenities, showcases the quality of life in Frederick, and promotes the services the department can offer.  

Below is an overview of the conferences and events DED participates in each year:

Local Business Events

• Chamber Business Expo - Most recently, DED exhibited locally at the 20th Annual Frederick Expo, organized by the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce.  The Business Expo enables the department to network with dozens of existing Frederick employers.  In collaboration with Frederick County's Office of Economic Development, the joint presence aligned with the Expo's "Pop Up Frederick" theme and provided the opportunity to highlight the County's designated Main Streets.
  
• SMART Proc - In support of Frederick's largest employer, Fort Detrick, DED actively participates in the annual SMART Proc conference.  SMART Proc provides area businesses with resources and information related to contract opportunities with Fort Detrick and the National Cancer Institute-Frederick.

Biosciences & Technology

• Entrepreneur Expo - The Entrepreneur Expo is organized annually by the Maryland Technology Development Corporation.  The Expo provides a venue for DED to interact with leading start-ups and entrepreneurs from across Maryland.  DED exhibited for the first time in November 2015 and promoted the many benefits and resources available to start-ups in Frederick.
  
• Atlantic Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics Summit - The AVI Summit is organized by the Tech Council of Maryland and enables the City to highlight Frederick's placement as Northern Anchor of the I-270 Technology Corridor to industry leaders and biosciences firms located in the mid-Atlantic region.
  
• BIO International - Frederick County is home to the second largest concentration of life sciences companies within Maryland.  Nearly half of the County's 85 life sciences companies are located within the City of Frederick.  As a target industry, the City and County economic development offices share a booth space within the larger Maryland Pavilion at the BIO International Convention annually. 
  
• Maryland Regional Biotech Forum- Hosted at the MedImmune campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland, the Maryland Regional Biotech Forum provides networking opportunities with regional players in the biotech industry.  In 2015, DED's own Richard Griffin participated on panel discussing regional collaboration. 

Retail

• ICSC Mid-Atlantic - The International Council of Shopping Center's Mid-Atlantic Conference promotes The City of Frederick to prospective shopping center developers, retailers, and restaurant operators.

Growing Frederick's Future

• MML - The annual Maryland Municipal League Conference provides forum for cities and towns across Maryland to learn about the major projects planned within the City.  Additionally, the City highlights the attractions, events, and amenities offered in Frederick.
• City of Frederick Day in Annapolis - Each year, the City updates legislators and state leaders on select City projects and reports on the key infrastructure and growth projects underway.

City and County Economic Development partners joined together for the annual Chamber Expo in October 2015. The booth followed the Pop Up Community theme. 

The City's Economic Development Advisory Council Begins Second Year

Appointed and ex-officio members of the Ad Hoc Economic Development Advisory Council and staff stand for a photo at the September 2015 EDAC meeting.

Approximately one year ago, a newly established group, the Ad Hoc Economic Development Advisory Council (EDAC), met to review plans for Frederick's economic future. Over the last year, the group focused on three specific topics to ensure The City of Frederick continues to attract private business investment, jobs, and economic opportunity. 
EDAC subcommittees addressed the following topics:

• Land Management Code Revisions - The group evaluated the land management code and made recommendations to improve efficiency. At the September 2015 meeting, Deputy Director of Planning Joe Adkins, AICP reported that The City has retained a consultant to focus on making changes to improve the code.  The process will engage members of the community to assess current needs, and updates will be recommended to the Mayor and Board of Alderman for implementation. 
• Business Personal Property Tax - With EDAC support, the Board of Alderman voted to eliminate Business Personal Property Tax in April 2015. Manufacturers are exempt from paying business personal property tax on new investments immediately, and the tax will be completely phased out for all businesses over a 10 year period. Learn more.
• Small Business Tool Kit - Evaluate tools for businesses and make recommendations for additional programs to support businesses in The City of Frederick.

EDAC was tasked with providing guidance on:

• Sound regulatory policies affecting business & industry
• Annual economic development work program & budget
• Business development incentives
• Evaluation methodology to determine efficiency of economic development programs
• Special issues/projects assigned by the Mayor & Board of Aldermen
• Community education on economic & business development topics

For more information, review past EDAC agendas and meeting minutes. 

This Week on Carroll Creek - October 12, 2015

Changes and improvements continue along Carroll Creek Park, between East Street and East Patrick Street. Several new walls are nearing completion with brick, stone and cap stone work. Retaining walls running along the creek's edge and the edge of the park are just a small but integral part to the final project.

Access across the creek is the Wisner Street pedestrian bridge (below). The second photo shows the south end abutment. The recesses in the brick are accents to the wall. The high stone wall to the right of the brick is the handicap ramp access to the pedestrian bridge.

Union Mills, which fronts East Patrick Street and is adjacent to the Creek, is under renovation and will welcome its first tenant in early 2016.

About the Next Phase of Carroll Creek Park
This next phase of park improvements include new and widened multi-use paths, landscape planters, lighting, water features and crosswalk improvements. The work is complete between Bentz Street and S. Market Street and continues between East Street and East Patrick Street. More than $100M in new and renovated private construction is planned along the new park/path sections, which will eventually result in hundreds of new jobs and increased state and local tax revenues.

News: Tenth Ward Distilling Company Announces Plans to Open New Distillery in Downtown Frederick

Press release provided courtesy of Monica Pearce, 301-608-8645

monica@tenthwarddistilling.com 

Frederick, MD (September 2015) - A pair of local spirit enthusiasts are well on their way to opening a new distillery in downtown Frederick, MD. Tenth Ward Distilling Company will focus their products mainly on whiskey but will also be producing some brandies and other barrel aged spirits. They aim to be progressive and a little offbeat by experimenting with unconventional ingredients, recipes and aging techniques.

The distillery is on schedule to open in the spring of 2016 at 508 East Church Street. In the late 19th century the area was known as Frederick’s Tenth Ward and served as the inspiration for the company’s name. As part of the industrial area of Frederick, there’s a strong tradition of hard work and grit that the owners hope to carry through their products and the distillery as they begin construction on the space.

The founders have started Frederick’s distillery network group, are members of the Maryland Distillers Guild and are excited to be one of Frederick City’s first distilleries in decades. 

“Our area is already known for its craft breweries and wineries. The growing craft distillery industry is a perfect fit for Frederick,” said Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development for The City of Frederick.   

“A vibrant craft distilling industry brings skilled jobs, visitors and an enhanced focus on locally-produced products." said Kevin Atticks, Executive Director of the Maryland Distillers Guild.

Tenth Ward’s equipment is being built by Anthony Zaca out of Washington state. The 2 custom made stills will forge unique small batch spirits, including some limited edition products.

The distillery will feature a tasting room and tours and special events will be available for adventurous tasters.

Interested parties can sign up to receive email updates on the company’s website, www.tenthwarddistilling.com.

twitter.com/tenthwardco

instagram.com/tenthwardco

facebook.com/Tenth-Ward-Distilling-Company-438307099710706/timeline/?ref=ts


NOTE: City code was amended in December of 2014, which permitted small craft distilleries in the Downtown Frederick area. For more information on the legislation, read the related post, "Are small distilleries the next big thing for Frederick?"