The 8th Annual Talbot County Business Appreciation Breakfast was held on Friday, April 22 at the Elks Lodge in Easton with approximately 225 representatives from the business community.
The Business Appreciation Breakfast celebrated people working in Talbot County, with “Our People Make It Work,” as a tribute to the talent and hard work of individuals that make Talbot County a special community.
The Talbot County Economic Development Commission hosted the event with the Talbot County Office of Economic Development to recognize projects completed in the preceding year, which represent extraordinary contributions to the economic base of the county.
The program included an official welcome by the Economic Development Commission Chair, Timothy G. Jones and an update on the status of county activity by Talbot County Council President, Corey W. Pack.
The keynote address for the breakfast was provided by Congressman Andrew P. Harris, M.D., who has served as the first Congressional District’s representative since 2011. Congressman Harris provided comments and updates on national legislation and trends impacting the economy.
Awards were presented to 11 individuals and businesses for excellence in Innovation, Expansion, Investment, Tourism and Agriculture. Award winners included:
Talbot County Innovator Award recognized Richard Bernstein, President, CEO, REMCO, for his creation of REMCO Properties and investment in Waterside Village, a mixed use project that includes professional office space, retail, dining, and large retailers in its 4 phases of development.
Talbot County Award for Investment recognized Evans Analytical Group (EAG), the world's leading, fully integrated, independent laboratory network, headquartered in Santa Clara, California who completed a $6 Million expansion to the Wildlife International facility in Easton in 2015.
Talbot County Award for Expansion was received by Konsyl Pharmaceuticals, Inc., privately held by ICC Industries and located at the Clifton Industrial Park, who completed a major expansion under the leadership of Frank Gunsallus.
Talbot County Award for Innovation was presented to the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) for the pledged $6 million for adaptive reuse of the McCord Building, an Easton landmark located at 114 South Washington Street and constructed in 1925. Now known as The Eastern Shore Conservation Commission Hosts 8 h Annual Business Appreciation Breakfast April 22 Center, the facility serves as the ESLC Headquarters, and includes tenants Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Town Creek Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and others.
Talbot County Award for Agriculture Investment recognized Nagel Farm Service, Inc, who completed the first phase of a multi-year, multimillion dollar expansion and added 800,000 bushels of storage capacity to their Wye Mills facility. Talbot County Tourism Investment Award recognized the Pascal Family Group who purchased Michener’s, a destination for visitors and hunters in Trappe, and the iconic Mason’s restaurant in Easton and reopened them under the Pascal brand as the Talbot Smokehouse and Pascal’s Chop House, respectively, with a new menu created by Executive Chef David Hayes.
Town of Easton recognized Rise Up Coffee Roasters, an Eastern Shore original founded in 2005 by Owner/Operator Timothy Cureton who has developed a thriving online and wholesale division and now employs 50 local people.
Town of Oxford recognized Campbell’s Boatyards, owned and operated by Tom and Susan Campbell since 1991 and now overseeing three marina complexes (Bachelors Point, Jack’s Point, and Town Creek) for the importance of the maritime trades and the number of visitors who come to the historic sailing town of Oxford by boat as an economic base vital to their town.
Town of St. Michaels recognized Brad Fout of Calico Gallery and Ilene Morgan from The Shops at Sea Captain’s Cottage for their creation and success of Midnight Madness in St. Michaels which kicks off the Christmas season with a hallmark celebration. Midnight Madness is a reminder of how important the small business sector is to our economy and why it is so important to “Shop Local” all year round to help support locally owned small businesses and the people they hire.
Town of Trappe recognized Jim Dawson, owner of The Unicorn Bookshop, located on Route 50 and featuring approximately 30,000 volumes specializing in Maryland and Eastern Shore history, maps, and the writings of Gilbert Byron.
The Annual Business Appreciation Breakfast provided each award recipient with an engraved pewter tray, handcrafted in Easton by Salisbury Pewter. The awards were made possible by sponsors including: 1880 Bank; Easton Airport; The Henker Group; M&T Bank; and The Star Democrat.
The Breakfast sponsors included: Atlantic Financial Group, LLC.; Avon Dixon Insurance and The Talbot Bank; Chesapeake Utilities; Easton Utilities; Pixel Print & Post; Provident State Bank; Quality Health Strategies; University of Maryland Shore Regional Health; Wells Fargo Advisors; Willow Construction. The Talbot County Economic Report, "Talbot County, Maryland, Our People Make It Work." may be viewed and downloaded on the County’s website at www.talbotcountymd.gov.
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