Maryland

Although Maryland is the wealthiest State in the Nation, Baltimore residents are among the poorest in the State. In order to promote local products, the Industrial Arts Collective (IAC) and the Baltimore City Department of Planning ran a temporary storefront featuring products exclusively made in Baltimore City. The “Made in Baltimore” Pop-Up Shop featured over 80 local vendors with a wide variety of products ranging from furniture to clothing, beauty products, food, and beverages. The shop was replicated during the holiday season at the historic Women’s Exchange in Baltimore’s Mt. Vernon neighborhood; a third iteration took place in May 2016.

In FY 2016, EDA invested $110,650 in Technical Assistance funds to assist the Baltimore City Planning Department in the development of a “Made in Baltimore Campaign Business Certification Program.” The program will create a locally made brand platform for Baltimore-based manufacturers, allowing them to brand their products, businesses, and websites with the “Made in Baltimore” seal and be listed on a central online business directory. This investment elevates the presence of the local manufacturing companies and increases the production of local goods within the market for regional consumers and institutional buyers.

The Made in Baltimore Campaign supports advanced manufacturing in Baltimore City as a pathway to creating jobs. The campaign will specifically target its programs to small manufacturers with the potential to increase production and create more jobs. The jobs created through this effort will span across an array of smaller companies, rather than one or two large manufacturers, thereby building resiliency into Baltimore’s economic ecosystem.