Maryland Invests in Its Entrepreneurs

By Sharon H. Fitzgerald
“Everybody seems to win,” says Dominick Murray, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. Murray is describing InvestMaryland, a new initiative that’s putting cash into the pockets of startup and early-stage companies.
Gov. Martin O’Malley signed InvestMaryland into law in…

Oregon: Manufacturing and Economy Thriving

By Sharon H. Fitzgerald
After serving as Oregon’s governor for two terms in the 1990s, John Kitzhaber ran for governor again in 2010 and won. Since he took office in 2011, Oregon’s unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level in three years, the state passed a balanced…

Utah Banks on Extremely High Technology

By Sharon H. Fitzgerald
While another state boasts Silicon Valley, Utah believes it’s one-upped the West Coast with its version of a high-technology hub it calls Silicon Slopes, a combination of vital industry sectors and renowned snow skiing.
“You can land at Salt Lake International Airport in…

Arkansas’ Manufacturing Remains a Powerhouse

By Sharon H. Fitzgerald
When a state lands a big economic development project, that’s always cause for celebration. But what about when the announcement is for the biggest project in the state’s history? In Arkansas, the word “transformative” keeps popping up.
Big River Steel announced in January its…

Choose New Jersey: A Business Port after the Storm

By Sharon H. Fitzgerald

New Jersey’s message is clear: Not even a storm of historic proportions will keep the state down.

“As soon as Superstorm Sandy was over, immediately we put on our website the header, ‘New Jersey: Still Open for Business,’ ” recalls Tracye McDaniel, president and CEO of…