Business Briefs

Capitol College Hosts InfraGard Maryland Members Alliance, Sarbanes
Capitol College hosted the Jan. 13 chapter meeting of the InfraGard Maryland Members Alliance, entitled "Protecting America's Infrastructures Critical for Sustaining Human Life: Public Health, Food/Agriculture and Emergency Services." The IMMA welcomed keynote speaker Congressman John Sarbanes to discuss the importance of information assurance in the public health arena.
InfraGard is an information sharing and analysis effort; at its most basic level, InfraGard is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the private sector. It also an association of businesses, academic institutions, state and local law enforcement agencies and other participants dedicated to sharing information and intelligence to prevent hostile acts against the United States.

Colliers Offices Set to
Rebrand as Cassidy Turley
Colliers Pinkard and its related enterprises, including Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers, Colliers ABR, BT Commercial (in Northern California), BRE Commercial in Southern California, BRE Commercial in Arizona and Colliers Houston & Co. of New Jersey, are rebranding as Cassidy Turley.
Effective March 1, they will officially launch the new brand, structure, logo and web site. The launch of the new brand is the initial step in communicating the company's comprehensive and enhanced strategy.
Colliers Pinkard, Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers, Colliers Turley Martin Tucker and Colliers ABR merged in August 2008 and will be joined by the three U.S. Western firms. This adds 15 new locations in Northern California and five new locations in Southern California. Since the additional firms joined the partnership, the number of Cassidy Turley shareholders has grown from 200 to 360.

Cera Products Donates Rehydration Drink to Assist Haitian Relief Efforts
Columbia-based Cera Products has donated its signature product, CeraLyte, to the Child Health Foundation for Direct Relief International to send to Haiti for medical help following the Jan. 12 earthquake.
Cera Products donated 10 pallets with 9,000 liters of the rice-based oral electrolyte drink. CeraLyte restores essential electrolytes and fluids lost during vomiting and diarrhea, which often happens during a disaster such as the earthquake in Haiti.
"CeraLyte's formulation of long-chain carbohydrates provides calories and energy as well as the needed electrolytes for reducing the severity of a diarrheal illness and promoting recovery," said Cera Products President Charlene Riikonen. "A healthy adult can die from some diarrheal illnesses, such as cholera, within hours; a weakened child or elderly family member can die in as little as two hours, and just one liter of CeraLyte can save a life."

Pennysaver Acquires Assets of Pennysaver Group
Pennysaver Inc. has purchased substantially all of the assets of Pennysaver Group Inc. in a UCC Article IX asset sale. Pennysaver Group Inc. is a direct mail shopper that has the fourth highest readership rates of any shopper in the U.S., according to Media Audit.
The Pennysaver is distributed through the mail on a weekly basis to approximately 1 million homes in 65 individual editions across 165 zip codes in Maryland. Blackstreet Capital, a Chevy Chase-based private equity firm, provides certain management services to Pennysaver Inc.
"The assets we've purchased, along with the experienced team we've assembled, will allow us to continue to provide this great and useful product to customers and advertisers," said Tamara Christian, chairman of Pennysaver Inc. "We look forward to building on Pennysaver's 30 years of success."
Seeking Howard County Home
Sellers for HGTV Program
Edelman Productions is looking for participants for Season 3 of HGTV's hit show, "Real Estate Intervention," in the Washington and Baltimore metro areas. The show features homeowners trying to sell their home in the current real estate market.
As seen in previous seasons of the program, real estate expert Mike Aubrey will take home sellers inside an active and sold "comp" to help show sellers exactly where their homes stand in the today's residential market.
Edelman is also throwing in a twist for the new season: HGTV star and designer Sabrina Soto will give the owners staging advice and spearhead a mini-home makeover. For more information, contact Amy Johanson at ajohanson@edelmandc.com.

Leopold to Sign Legislation That Will Add STEM Labs at AACC
Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold joined members of the county council, Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) President Dr. Martha Smith and Trustee James Johnson, Jr., to sign a bill into law funding three new research labs for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program at the college.
This program has received national attention because it targets instruction toward jobs in growing sectors, such as the defense industry and alternative energy. Leopold secured county council support two years ago to initiate the program at AACC's West County campus. As the home of Fort Meade and several defense contractors, the county is able to train local students so they can compete in the global economy or train to become STEM teachers in the public school system.

CACI to Acquire SystemWare
CACI International has signed a definitive agreement to acquire SystemWare Inc. SystemWare designs, manufactures and provides state-of-the-art signals acquisition and analysis systems that enable users to monitor and detect cybersecurity and physical security vulnerabilities and enhance operational security.
Founded in 1988, SystemWare is headquartered in Camarillo, Calif., near CACI's Oxnard facility, with East Coast operations directed from Elkridge, where CACI also has a strong presence. More than half of the company's employees hold secret-level security clearances and above, and its clientele includes the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, federal civilian agencies and U.S. allies.

USMC Funds $8 Million to Procure TCS WPPL Systems, Services
Annapolis-based TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) has been awarded an additional $8 million in funding from the U.S. Marine Corps for the TCS Wireless Point-to-Point Link (WPPL) systems.
Under this award, TCS will provide field support representatives and extended maintenance warranty support. In addition, TCS will supply spare parts for the RF and network packages of the WPPL systems, including sector and directional antennas, modems, routers, router cards and router modules.

ARINC, Vizada Launch Voice and Data Services Over New I-4 Satellites
Annapolis-based ARINC Incorporated and Vizada Americas recently announced the availability of Inmarsat Classic Aeronautical voice and data services using the next-generation Inmarsat I-4 satellite constellation.
The companies will provide Inmarsat Aero H, Aero H+, Aero I, and Aero L packet data services, and Aero H+ voice services, over Inmarsat's I-4 satellite network, as well as over the previous generation Inmarsat I-3 satellites. Inmarsat's Classic Aero services are used on more than 8,000 commercial air transport aircraft, business jets and military aircraft for operational and safety-critical applications.

Micros Acquires TIG Global, Expands Web Services for Hospitality Industry
Columbia-based Micros Systems has acquired TIG Global, an interactive marketing company in the hospitality and travel industries worldwide. TIG, which is headquartered in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, serves the online needs of a diverse portfolio of clients.
"With travel being the most widely consummated transaction on the Internet today, and with most consumers conducting their own travel purchases, our products and solutions have become critical to the hospitality industry," Frederic Malek, CEO and co-founder of TIG Global. "With Micros's worldwide platform and presence ... we can accelerate our growth globally and together provide a superior value proposition with a comprehensive end-to-end solution with increased localized service for our clients."

LinguaLISTek Changes
Name to LG-TEK
Columbia-based Lingual Information System Technologies has changed its "doing business as" (or DBA) name from LinguaLISTek to LG-TEK. The change became effective in mid-January.
"The decision to change the name came after much thought about what we do at Lingual Information System Technologies, our growth, and our capabilities to support various markets through the years and into the future," said President and CEO Elizabeth Rend—n-Sherman. "We are very excited about this change, which will make it easier for our employees, our vendors and our customers to contact us with less confusion."

PalmettoNet Deploys
Ciena's CN 4200 ROADM
Linthicum-based Ciena Corp. has announced that PalmettoNet, a provider of point-to-point, metro access and collocation services across digital fiber optic networks in the southern U.S., has deployed the CN 4200 RS FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform, along with other products in Ciena's CN 4200 family.
PalmettoNet is using Ciena's CN 4200 platform to increase its network capacity and create a more agile optical service infrastructure. With more than 3,100 fiber route miles, PalmettoNet leases capacity to prominent telecommunications carriers providing interstate, intrastate and interchange services in the Carolinas and Georgia.

OpenAmplify Injects Semantics Into Keyword Targeting Systems
Annapolis-based OpenAmplify, a semantic web platform provider, has launched PinPoint, a new service that improves the effectiveness of online advertising by delivering semantic data into keyword targeting for the first time.
PinPoint can be implemented by ad networks, ad exchanges and online publishers to intelligently identify the most relevant and appropriate keyword for ad targeting on a web page, based on sentiments, intentions and advice expressed on that page. Open Amplify maintains that keyword targeting (which uses word frequency as a determinant of topic) is fundamentally unintelligent and often provides inaccurate information.

Conmed Announces New Multi-Year Agreement With Garrett County
Hanover-based Conmed Healthcare Management has signed an agreement with Garrett County (Maryland) for an initial period of 2.5 years to provide health care services. The contract, which includes two one-year extension options, is expected to generate revenues of approximately $1 million during the full 4.5-year term.
The contract includes staffing, laboratory and mobile X-ray and mental health services for Garrett County's inmate population, which currently consists of approximately 50 adults. The county is the 19th of the 22 counties in Maryland that Conmed now serves.

Pangia Technologies Lands
$3.25M NSA Contract
Fulton-based Pangia Technologies has been awarded a five-year prime engineering contract named Chandelier from the National Security Agency (NSA). The $3.25 million contract is a result of the NSA Small Business Set Aside vehicle (NSETS II) which NSA uses to conduct "delivery order" competitions among 34 small business prime contractors.
Under the terms of the new contract, Pangia will provide software engineering and database lifecycle support required to develop and maintain a database system for the Associate Directorate for Education and Training (ADET) Center for Learning Technologies and Strategies at NSA.

GP Strategies Announces
$20M Investment From
Sagard Capital Partners
Elkridge-based GP Strategies Corp. has completed a private placement of 2,857,143 shares of common stock with Sagard Capital Partners at a price of $7 per share, generating gross proceeds to GP Strategies of $20 million. Sagard's equity investment equates to an ownership interest of approximately 15.4% at this time.
"We are extremely pleased that an investor like Sagard Capital Partners shares our vision, and we view their investment as a tangible sign of confidence in the direction GP Strategies is heading," said Scott Greenberg, CEO of GP Strategies. In growing the company's platform in the customer training and performance improvement sector, the company "will continue to look for opportunities to make strategic acquisitions and to fund internal growth ... and this investment by Sagard strengthens our ability to do both."

TFCU Ranked Sixth Largest Mortgage Lending Firm in Area by BBJ
Tower Federal Credit Union (TFCU) was recently ranked the sixth largest mortgage lending firm serving the Baltimore area by the Baltimore Business Journal (BBJ). Tower was the only credit union included in the BBJ list's top 10, ranking above M&T Bank, J.P. Morgan, Provident and Wachovia, and mortgage companies Countrywide Home Loans, Liberty and Prosperity Mortgage.
According to the BBJ list, through August 2009, Tower held 3.43% of the mortgage market share for the Baltimore area, with mortgage volume totaling more than $500,000 and an average mortgage of $198,027. No. 1 on the list, Wells Fargo, held 11.8% of the Baltimore-area mortgage market share, with an average mortgage of $251,297. Companies included on the list were ranked according to data compiled by www.mortgagedataweb.com and public records.

Ciena Receives Investment Canada Act Approval for Nortel Deal
Linthicum-based Ciena Corp. has received regulatory approval under the Investment Canada Act in connection with Ciena's acquisition of the optical networking and carrier Ethernet assets of Nortel's Metro Ethernet Networks (MEN) business.
"Today's regulatory approval confirms that the Minister of Industry is satisfied that our acquisition will be of net benefit to Canada," said Gary Smith, Ciena's CEO and president. "In addition to the positive benefits we expect for stockholders, employees, customers and suppliers, we have always believed that our transaction provided a substantial benefit to Canada and the Canadian marketplace, and we are pleased with today's important milestone."

$36 Million Contributed by EDF to Constellation Energy Group Foundation
Constellation Energy, headquartered in Baltimore, has announced, on the heels of its recently completed $4.5 billion nuclear joint venture with Electricite de France (EDF) Group, that the new joint venture has contributed $36 million to the Constellation Energy Group Foundation.
The contribution is in support of Constellation's efforts to improving the quality of life in communities where it has operations. Additionally, the company intends to join the ranks of companies that give 1% or more of annual operating income to support charitable organizations and causes.

New Web Site Offers
Granite at Deep Discounts
Hanover-based Save On Granite has launched its new web site, SaveOnGranite.com. The site offers quick, easy access to high-end granite countertops, all priced at $35 per square foot.
By purchasing quality granite at lower prices through close-out and warehouse sales, the company is able to pass the savings along to the consumer. "SaveOnGranite.com features eight types of granite for a standard rate of $35 per square foot. This price includes custom cutting, finishing and installation," said Mike Dahan, president and founder of Save On Granite, adding that these are "items that are often add-ons with other granite installers."

Oil Tank Cleanup
Completed at Fort Meade
Fort Meade has successfully completed all corrective action to an environmental cleanup site on the installation, according to a report filed by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE).
The MDE officially closed its case relating to oil tanks stored at the site of a former troop boiler plant, off Simonds Street, declaring full remediation of the site has been accomplished. The former boiler plant had used above- and below-ground oil storage tanks when it was in operation in the early '50s.

BSU, EPA Partner
Bowie State University's (BSU) College of Business has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Grants and Debarment to collaborate in areas of mutual interest that enable the university to expand the institution's educational capacity.
"Through this partnership with the EPA, we will be able to provide our students with more opportunities to develop their leadership potential and gain professional experience," said Mickey Burnim, president of BSU. "In addition, we look forward to creating a pipeline of talented future employees for EPA, which is an outstanding federal agency."

Sidus Group Recognized by
Arundel Board of Ed
Sidus Group LLC was recently recognized by the Anne Arundel County Board of Education for their substantial commitment to and support of the county's school system.
The company, in addition to sponsoring computer science competitions and offering internships to students, has designed, developed and hosted the web site for the 21st Century Education Foundation. The organization matches available resources in the business community with the educational needs of students under its philanthropic program, Sidus Shares.

Capitol College Leadership Meets
Reps of China's Shandong University
Representatives from Shandong University of Science & Technology were recently welcomed to the Capitol College campus with the intention of meeting with leadership to foster international cooperation and exchange in education and research.
During the visit, the first of many more that are planned, all representatives signed an agreement that begins the process of negotiation for a future partnership. During the term of the agreement, professors, executives and student scholars will meet to discuss and finalize the terms of a final contract to host and exchange students between the two institutions.

MMS Wins Big for Outstanding Marketing, Advertising
The Property Management Association (PMA) recently held its PMA Marketing & Advertising Excellence Awards and Annapolis Junction-based Millennium Marketing Solutions (MMS) received several awards.
MMS came up big in the categories of Associate Member - Portfolio Campaign with the submission of its April Expo campaign and Associate Member - Outreach Marketing with the submission of a designed and printed self-promotional "Supreme Marketing" pizza box. A number of the company's clients also won, notably Polinger, Shannon & Luchs for several brochures and web sites.

Harkins Starts Six Projects
Within 45 Days
Harkins Builders announced loan closings and subsequent construction starts for six projects between Dec. 1, 2009, and Jan. 15, 2010. These projects, located in Pennsylvania and Maryland, are funded by a variety of programs, including the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, and the Tax Credit Assistance Program and Section 1602 Exchange funds that are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The one local project, Sierra Woods, is a 160-unit, $6 million rehab of a garden community in Columbia. Harkins expects to start another project in Columbia when Guilford Gardens closes in the near future. The 269-unit revitalization of a 1970s community will include the demolition and reconstruction of multiple buildings that will be geared for the senior and rental markets.

Hopkins Engineering for Professionals Offers Master's in IA
A new master of science degree in information assurance is now available through The Johns Hopkins University's Engineering for Professionals (EP), the part-time graduate program of the university's Whiting School of Engineering.
Information Assurance (IA) refers to the protection of information systems against unauthorized access or modification of data while it is being stored, processed or transmitted. It also applies to protection against system attacks, such as those that result in a denial of service to authorized users.

TFCU Opens New
Branch in Clarksville
Laurel-based Tower Federal Credit Union (TFCU) has opened new branch in the River Hill Village Center in Clarksville, the institution's third in Howard County. It features the latest in banking technology with state-of-the-art, interactive Remote Teller Stations that facilitate faster, more efficient service in a secure environment.
TFCU continues to expand its presence throughout the state. It operates nine branches spanning four counties including Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard and Prince George's counties for its more than 118,000 members and has $2 billion in assets.

Tai Sophia Now Enrolling for New Health and Wellness-based
Graduate Programs
Tai Sophia Institute, of Laurel, is doubling its health and wellness-based graduate programs in 2010 following the Maryland Higher Education Commission's (MHEC) approval of the following five new graduate certificate programs. Those programs are Health Coaching, Herbal Studies, Medical Herbalism, Transformative Leadership and Wellness Coaching.
"The steps our nation is taking in updating how we approach health care are changes that Tai Sophia has advocated since its founding in 1974," said President and Co-founder Robert Duggan. "The current sick-care/disease-focused health care system isn't sustainable and growing numbers of people are dissatisfied and longing to learn how to live well."

BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Reports Six Straight Months of Growth
Statistics released by BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport show that total commercial passenger traffic has increased at the airport for the sixth straight month. The numbers for November 2009 came to 1.7 million, a 13% increase from November 2008.
Southwest Airlines was the leading carrier at BWI Marshall in November 2009 with more than 896,000 passengers, an increase of 17% from a year earlier. Dating back to April 2009, seven of the past eight months have shown an increase in passenger traffic.
"With low airline fares, more flights and new airline partners, BWI Marshall Airport has continued to experience an increase in passenger traffic," said Paul Wiedefeld, executive director of the Maryland Aviation Administration. "We remain committed to customer service and to safely meeting the needs of travelers throughout Maryland and the National Capital region."

Ascend One Is Future 50 Winner
Columbia-based Ascend One Corp./CareOne Services has been named a Future 50 winner by SmartCEO magazine.
The magazine's Future 50 companies represent the top 50 local growth companies, based on employee and revenue growth, during the last three years. To qualify, a business must be at least three years old and typically not older than 10 years.
Ascend One Corp. and its family of businesses, including CareOne Services, is committed to helping consumers break the cycle of credit card debt by giving them the confidence to manage their money successfully. It provides solutions that rely on sound financial fitness education and emphasizes the importance of making smart budgeting decisions.

ShadowLand Laser Adventures Awarded the 'Adventure Webby Award'
The Adventure Web Productions has announced that ShadowLand Laser Adventures has won its 2009-10 Adventure Webby Award for custom design.
ShadowLand is a chain of family entertainment centers in Maryland and Virginia that provides laser tag laser adventures to individuals, families, youth groups and business teams. The award is given annually and honors excellence in custom web development from one of Maryland's largest web developers for the past 12 years.

XPERTECHS Designs New IT Proactive Support Plan for BIGWAHA
Ellicott City-based XPERTECHS recently announced Bignell Watkins Hasser (BIGWAHA) Architects P.C. as its newest client. XPERTECHS will be managing all of Bignell's IT needs through their Proactive Managed Service solution, XperCARE.
BIGWAHA is in the process of replacing its existing IT structure in order to increase productivity, provide ease of administration and save money. Once the system is fully implemented, XPERTECHS will be able to monitor BIGWAHA's network remotely 24/7 and provide key IT functions such as help desk, problem remediation and remote backup, among others.

Gilchrist Named New
Provider for UMMC
Gilchrist Hospice Care has entered an agreement to be a care provider of choice for patients of the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore.
With the new agreement, Gilchrist will have clinical experts on-site at UMMC to explain the clinical, social, spiritual and volunteer services it provides for patients and to help them and their families with decision-making. Once they are under the care of Gilchrist, UMMC patients can choose to maintain their relationships with the doctors who have been overseeing their care and treatment.