Howard County “Stands on Business,” County Executive Calvin Ball Declares, Highlighting Strong State of Business in Howard County

ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball recently delivered his annual State of Business address during the Business Outlook Luncheon hosted by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce. During his address, Ball declared the state of business “strong” in Howard County, as the County once again earned a AAA bond rating from all three credit rating agencies. Photos from the event can be found on Howard County Government’s Flickr website and full text of Ball’s speech can be found on the County’s website. 

During his address, Ball highlighted the efforts his administration has undertaken since he took office in December 2018, reflecting how Howard County “stands on business” in crisis, by investing in people, by backing businesses, through strategic investment, and by preparing for the future:

• Standing on Business in Crisis:
  • Organized food drives, suspended water disconnections, and connected residents with needed resources during the second longest federal government shutdown from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019.
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic, stood up emergency relief programs for local businesses, distributing more than $11 million in grants.
  • When the Department of Government Efficiency led layoffs began in early 2025, Ball’s team hosted career fairs, increased workforce training, and enhanced the County’s foreclosure prevention programs for local federal workers and contractors.
  • Allocated $2.5 million in his Fiscal Year 2026 budget to address federal challenges and emerging economic needs.
  • Launched his Economic Competitiveness and Opportunity Now, or ECON, Task Force in March 2025 to recommend solutions for Howard County’s most pressing economic challenges.
• Standing on Business by Investing in People: 
  • As of May 6th, Howard County’s unemployment rate stands at just a little more than three percent, which is lower than both the state and national averages.
  • Opening brand-new Opportunity and Economic Mobility Center on June 4th, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., will serve as a one-stop shop to meet the needs of the county’s workforce, including access to jobs, housing stability, and childcare support.
  • Have helped more than 1,200 transitioning service members, spouses of active-duty personnel, and veterans receive career counseling and employment support through an agreement with Anne Arundel County and Fort George G. Meade.
  • $11 million investment in Howard Community College’s (HCC) Cathy and Danny Bell Workforce and Trades Center, a world-class, state-of-the-art facility set to open this year where students will be trained in key industries.
  • Through a $3.5 million investment in HCC’s Complete4Success program in 2022, the program has helped countless students get the certifications and degrees they need to succeed.
  • Since 2024, the County’s Office of Workforce Development’s (OWD) Apprenticeship Opportunity Program has helped 34 businesses host more than 70 new Howard County apprentices. Today, more than 1,580 apprentices are being trained by Howard County businesses, up from approximately 1,100 in 2018.
  • Launched the Skilled Pathways for Apprenticeship Readiness and Knowledge (SPARK) program in partnership with local businesses, bridging the gap between classroom learning and the high-demand industries by providing young people with the skills, credentials, and hands-on experience they need to succeed.
  • Grown OWD’s Summer Youth Employment Program from just 13 participants in 2018 to 360 this summer, an increase of more than 2,500 percent since Ball took office.
• Standing on Business by Backing Local Businesses:
  • Announced expansion of Tradepoint Atlantic to Howard County in April 2025. The company’s first expansion outside its flagship campus at Sparrow’s Point, Tradepoint Atlantic’s $100 million investment in Howard County will generate an estimated 500 new family-supporting supply chain and logistics jobs at its 500,000-square-foot flex warehousing and industrial facilities and will help the County’s goal of revitalizing the Route 1 Corridor through targeted redevelopment opportunities.
  • Unveiled the county’s transformative, first-ever Eastern Howard County Enterprise Zone, encompassing more than 2,000 total acres of commercial and industrial properties along the Route 1 corridor and Columbia Gateway.
    • Six businesses are moving into the zone, including two retention projects and four new attraction projects. Together, these projects account for 453,600 square feet of commercial and industrial space, 502 retained jobs, 565 newly created jobs, and $87.6 million in capital investment.
  • Continued helping Route 1 Corridor commercial property owners improve their business facades through the County’s Route 1 Tax Credit Program.
  • One of the largest fresh food producers in the United States, Taylor Farms’ $120 million expansion to Howard County with the opening of its new warehouse in Jessup will be the company’s single largest North American facility expansion in its 30-year history
  • Announced Feast & Fettle, one of New England’s fastest-growing meal delivery companies, officially expanded into Howard County and will bring 250 full-time jobs to Elkridge across the next three years.
• Standing on Business through Strategic Investment:
  • Signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in 2019 with the Howard County Economic Development Authority to create the Gateway Innovation Center in Columbia. This MOU: 
    • Helped create a nexus of innovation and a catalyst for small, minority, woman, and veteran-owned businesses.
    • Has become a bustling entrepreneurial epicenter where entrepreneurs are supported and investors are connected. 
  • Launched the MIC-Global program in 2024, assisting international companies in exploring the U.S. Market before choosing to expand their business here. Through direct economic outreach to Germany, Ireland, England, and Canada, Ball and his team have attracted nearly 10 companies to the MIC.
  • Launched the HoCo Higher Program in partnership with the Howard County Economic Development Authority (HCEDA) in 2019, to help local entrepreneurs learn more about business planning, operations, credit building, and more.
  • HCEDA’s Leveraging Investment for Future Transformation (LIFT) Fund and Catalyst Fund programs have helped businesses leverage millions of dollars to bolster their businesses and foster long-term growth and sustainability.
  • Launched HCEDA’s new FLEX Credit Line to help local businesses access short-term working capital and bridge financial gaps.
  • Since Fiscal Year 2019, the County has increased its spending on local businesses by more than 500 percent through the Office of Procurement and Contract Administration’s Local Business Initiative.
  • Released my final proposed Capital Budget and Operating Budget last month for Fiscal Year 2027. These balanced budgets ensure the County continues to invest in what matters most: our school, our public safety, and our nonprofits.
• Standing on Business by Preparing for the Future:
  • Recognize that a diversified economy is vital for a resilient and versatile economic future and that we must continue to invest in the drivers of our economy, from technology, logistics, and agriculture to tourism, hospitality, and retail.
  • The seven major infrastructure projects of Ball’s comprehensive Ellicott City Safe and Sound flood mitigation plan are designed to reduce flooding in historic Ellicott City, helping residents and businesses build back stronger and creating the foundation for a thriving community. Today, historic Ellicott City is thriving with a vacancy rate of just 1.6 percent in the last quarter.
  • Launched OEC Bucks program in December 2018 to support business recovery after the Ellicott City floods to encourage visitors to shop local, dine local, and invest directly in the small businesses that define Historic Ellicott City. Continued with the OEC Summer Bucks and the Savage Mill Bucks program to boost local summer sales.
    • In the last two years, the County has invested more than $50,000 to support the Bucks programs in Ellicott City and Savage. 
    • Data from these programs shows that for every $10 invested, shoppers spend more than $20 of their own money.
  • Opened The Market at Caplan’s in partnership with HCEDA in October 2025. Since its opening, the space has hosted 45 small business vendors based in Howard County through a mix of permanent retail and pop-up programming.
  • Transforming the Gateway area into a center for business growth, innovation, and regional connectivity with the Gateway Master Plan. The plan positions this 1,100-acre business center into a catalyst for new jobs, new businesses, new housing, and new opportunities.