Roca doesn’t believe in lost causes. And they never call off the search. Roca holds firm to the belief that no individual is beyond redemption. Their mission? To seek out those many deem unreachable. In just a few years since its 2018 introduction to Baltimore, this...

“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” That’s what Jim Ries’ father used to say. Carey Ries likely had a solid handle on what building an empire requires. Before his passing in 2020 at the age of 90, he had spearheaded his family’s national shoe distribution business D. Myers...

Kimberly Prescott was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, home to the lauded Masters golf tournament. Only she didn’t know that. Not initially. “To be honest, I didn’t realize that everyone knew about the Masters until I left Augusta. I thought it was just something...

Time flies when you’re having fun. And, it seems, when you have the opportunity to consult with clients about their businesses and financial results. Just ask Mark Cissell, who joined Maryland accounting firm KatzAbosch back in 1985. Over the next 37 years, the...

Few can pinpoint the exact moment the trajectory of their life changed forever. Tami Watkins has a framed photo of the occasion in her office at Pepco. “It’s a picture of me and my dad on Capitol Hill,” Watkins says. “When I was 9 years old, my father took us all on a...

Paul Clary is the co-founder of MD Energy Advisors, an energy solutions company that provides management, procurement, and efficiency services to commercial, residential, and government clients throughout the state. But growing up in the suburbs outside of Washington,...

For Mike Toomey, the most important lesson about being a security integrator came while he was cutting his teeth in the restaurant industry right out of college: customer service is everything. Today, as the president of Secom, LLC – one of Maryland’s highest-rated...

Kelly Benefits CEO Frank Kelly III Discusses Faith and 45 Years of Success According to Kelly Benefits CEO, Frank Kelly III, there are two things that his family loves dearly: lacrosse and the Lord God Almighty. The Kellys’ faith serves as the heart and soul of their...

Want to know what the most important word in technology is? Dave Hartman will tell you: “It’s ‘people.’” Surprise. “It’s not ‘system,’ it’s not ‘technology,’ it’s not ‘information,’ even,” says Dave, the president of Hartman Executive Advisors. The most important word...

As the regional director of external affairs for AT&T in the Mid-Atlantic, LaTara Harris focuses on local legislative and regulatory matters in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Legislative work – strong legislative work, she says – is equal parts education, community...

A Chat with Barcoding, Inc. Founder Jay Steinmetz The first thing you notice when getting on a call with Jay Steinmetz, founder of Maryland supply chain management company Barcoding, Inc., is the unmistakable, unmitigated passion that undoubtedly helped to earn him...

An Interview with Owner and Entrepreneur Christina Ensley   Vend Central, Inc. owner Christina Ensley can empathize with anyone standing in front of a fully stocked vending machine, agonizing over what to choose. Several years ago, she also had a big decision to...

What to Know About the Recent and Upcoming Legislative Sessions A contribution to I-195 Business Journal by Maryland Free

July 04, 2020 - I95 Business Article: Do Baltimore Residents Have a Right to Work?

April 7, 2020 - I95 Business Article: The "Free State" is Not So Free

February 10, 2020 - I95 Business Article: 5 Bad-for-Business Bills from Other States, Coming Soon to a Legislature Near You!

Are Your State Lawmakers Helping Or Hurting Your Business? Maryland Free Can Help You Decide