Chamber Hosts DBED’s Gill
More than 200 members, friends and colleagues gathered on April 9 to welcome Michael Gill, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED), to the Howard County Chamber of Commerce (HCCC) luncheon. The event was held at the Sheraton Columbia.
Gill discussed his vision and current developments and activities presently underway in his office and across Maryland. When asked about how he plans to retain companies in Maryland, Gill stated that DBED developing a “team approach” to keeping the largest firms in all 24 jurisdictions. Their plan is to get in front of these businesses on a quarterly basis and talk with them, rather than waiting until they threaten to leave before devoting time and effort into keeping these companies in Maryland.
“Businesses don’t leave because of money, but because of something else,” he said, adding that he also plans to put more people in “customer-facing” positions in order to have more contact and interaction with businesses and their needs.
When asked how his department is promoting international trade, he mentioned several trade missions planned for the coming months to promote international investment.