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Rockville Economic Development, Inc. Publishes New Rockville, MD Guide for Businesses

For Immediate Release:
March 28, 2023

Contact:
Amanda Bosland
Communications Manager
301-355-2213
amanda@rockvilleredi.org

ROCKVILLE, Md., – Today Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI), a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit whose mission is to identify and develop economic opportunities to help the businesses in Rockville prosper, published its new Rockville, MD Guide for Businesses. The Guide for Businesses is a comprehensive resource for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to grow and thrive in Rockville, MD.  

The Rockville Guide for Businesses was created by REDI in consultation with the City of Rockville, and local business organizations and stakeholders. The new guide provides city data, resources and contact information of key partners and stakeholders in Rockville and the wider community.

“Whether you’re just starting up or are looking to take your business to the next level, the Rockville Guide for Businesses is an invaluable resource that can help you easily navigate Rockville’s business community, and help you achieve your goals,” said REDI’s Chief Executive Officer, Cindy Rivarde.

The Rockville Guide for Businesses is online, mobile-friendly can be accessed by visiting https://rockvilleredi.org/rockville-md-guide-for-businesses-2023/

 

About REDI

Rockville Economic Development, Inc. (REDI) is a public-private partnership that helps businesses launch, locate, and expand in the City of Rockville, Maryland. Committed to economic development, REDI is proactive in its efforts to support existing industry and attract new businesses with the tools to get started in Rockville, and resources and guidance to existing businesses in the city. To learn more, visit: https://rockvilleredi.org/

Business Spotlight: BETAH Associates, Inc.

Michelle Taylor - President and CEO, BETAH Associates, Inc.

BETAH Associates is celebrating 35 years of award-winning communications and professional services to government, corporate and nonprofit clients

What services does BETAH Associates, Inc. offer?

BETAH Associates is an award-winning communications and professional services firm with a 35-year record of success providing exceptional client experiences to government clients, as well as those in the private and nonprofit sectors. Our core competencies are communications and creative services, event management (for in-person, virtual, and hybrid gatherings), training and technical assistance, peer review services, and other kinds of professional support. BETAH combines decades of expertise as strategists and implementors to bring a solutions-driven approach that helps our clients achieve their missions, reach their audiences, and create stories and experiences that inform and inspire.

What is BETAH Associates’ origin story?

My journey to business ownership is different from the typical path. I’m not the original founder, and leading BETAH Associates is not a role I was groomed or prepared for. In fact, I never envisioned a role in government contracting – it wasn’t in my life plan. My background is in television and film production. I wanted to use my skills and creativity to raise awareness and to educate and affect change in communities. My mother, the founder and original CEO of BETAH, was a dynamic force in business with a stellar reputation with staff, partners, and clients. She was the previous leader and the leader I admired most. I worked in the company as a communications director and watched her wheel and deal with the best of them yet move with immense grace and integrity. Early on, she and I agreed that I would not take over the business. I enjoyed the creative role I held and had no desire to run a government contracting firm.

When my mother passed away after a long-fought battle with cancer, I felt compelled to keep the doors open – I believed in the business, mission, vision, and the clients and communities we impacted. So, I accepted the challenge and stepped into my mother’s position – a post I’ve been delighted to hold for 15 years as I developed my vision and shepherded the company through a period of healthy growth.

What makes BETAH Associates unique?

Our name says a lot about our business: BETAH means “trust and confidence,” which we build and maintain through client experiences that truly surpass expectations. We are proud to be a minority and woman-owned small business that has been twice-recognized on Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest-growing companies in the nation. GrowthLab ranked BETAH #18 out of 100 of the top marketing communications firms in government contracting, based on FY2022 data for prime, unclassified contracts awarded across all US federal agencies. 

Our team is solutions-minded, inventive, passionate, and accountable — and we believe in doing well by doing good. Our values are based on what we call “The BETAH WAY,” which drives employee engagement and productivity. The BETAH WAY sparks creativity, curiosity, and completion of a well-done job. We are consistent and committed to being the best at what we do: Persevering with gratitude and uncompromising integrity, treating everyone with dignity and professionalism, and meeting challenges with compassion and wisdom. Great people make our company great, resulting in low turnover and high job satisfaction — a rarity among firms today. We take on an unpredictable tomorrow with the clarity of purpose and bravery of heart, knowing that confidence is in our name – We rise!

Why is Rockville, Maryland BETAH Associates’ headquarters?

Ours is a virtual business structure with employees located throughout Maryland, Virginia, DC, and other remote locations throughout the country. We chose Rockville as our headquarters because of its convenience, affordability, and proximity to many of our clients and partners located in Maryland and the nation’s capital. I’ve lived in Montgomery County for over 40 years and consider Rockville to be a vibrant center for business, entertainment, and families. We’re proud to be part of the Rockville community.

What’s next for BETAH Associates?

This fall [2023], BETAH marks our 35th anniversary! We’re looking forward to celebrating with partners, clients, and friends. I’m also excited that we’ll be debuting an updated branded identity for the business – showcasing that we will grow and excel by transforming communications to meet our clients’ needs and the constituents they serve for our next 35 years. As a leading communications and professional services firm, we will continue to build our strong foundation in government contracting and serve even more corporate and nonprofit clients who want to transform their communications and deliver significant social change.

About BETAH Associates, Inc.

BETAH is a certified small, women-and-minority owned business headquartered at 199 E. Montgomery Avenue, Suite 100, Rockville, MD. Founded in 1988, BETAH Associates provides communications and creative services, event management, training and technical assistance, peer review services, and more. Learn more at www.betah.com

BXP unveils plans for Shady Grove Innovation District in Rockville

Image credit - BXP

The Shady Grove Innovation District is a world-class, amenity-rich, mixed-use district catering to the dynamic life science industry

Article originally published by BioHealth Innovation on March 6, 2023

The Shady Grove Innovation District is a planned mixed-use, transit-served innovation ecosystem of more than 1.3M SF located in Maryland’s premier life sciences cluster.

BXP, formerly Boston Properties, recently unveiled plans at its pre-application community meeting to develop the Shady Grove Innovation District (“SGID”), a world-class, amenity-rich, mixed-use district catering to the dynamic life science industry in the heart of the Shady Grove cluster in Rockville, Maryland. SGID will initially include 150,000 square feet of lab/R&D space in a five-story building and 315 luxury apartments. The district has the potential to grow to more than 1.3M square feet of lab/R&D space across a total of nine buildings. Construction could begin as early as mid-2024.

BXP seeks to create a buzzing community of innovators at SGID in a more urbanized environment than has traditionally been available to life science companies along the I-270 corridor in Montgomery County, Md. The project will be served by a new bus rapid transit line on Shady Grove Road providing a short, two-stop trip to the Shady Grove Metro Station. SGID is surrounded by walkable retail offerings, including a new Amazon Fresh, Mom’s Organic Market, CVS, CAVA, Firehouse Subs, and many others, as well as lifestyle amenities, such as the 24+ acre Mattie J. Stepanek Park and two crosstown routes in the Rockville Bikeway Master Plan. On site, SGID will offer a two-acre central park and plaza space, and a landscaped, activated network of pedestrian paths.

“We have spent a lot of time studying innovation districts and the key ingredients that make for a successful innovation community,” said C.J. Overly, senior project manager at BXP, during the meeting. “One of those ingredients is the physical infrastructure that fosters collaboration and connection.”

The lab buildings at SGID will be built to support BSL Category-2 functions and have an 18-foot slab-to-slab height on the ground floor and 15-foot heights on upper levels. In addition, two of the buildings have been conceptually designed to include a larger ground floor area and a removable second-floor slab to enable greater than 26-foot ceiling heights for a biomanufacturing use. All lab buildings will be targeting a LEED Gold standard for sustainability and be served by convenient adjacent parking.

 

About Shady Grove Innovation District (SGID)

The Shady Grove Innovation District (“SGID”) will be a world-class, amenity-rich, mixed-use district catering to the dynamic life science industry in the heart of the Shady Grove cluster in Rockville, Maryland. SGID will feature 1.3M SF+ of new lab/office space and 315 luxury apartments set in a new, walkable urban environment. Learn more at  https://www.sgidmd.com/

Rockville ranked as eight most ethnically diverse city in U.S. in 2023

Rockville placed 8 of 501 in WalletHub's 2023 study of cities in America

According to a study of ethnically diverse places in America conducted by WalletHub, Rockville ranks eight overall and fourth among small cities for its ethnic diversity. More than one-third of Rockville’s 67,117 residents were born outside of the U.S.

Four of the top 10 most diverse cities in the country are in Montgomery County, Maryland. The personal finance website placed Germantown, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring and Rockville among its top ten “2023 Most & Least Ethnically Diverse Cities in the U.S.” Rockville has ranked within the top 10 spots of WalletHub’s ethnic diversity study from 2017-2022.

WalletHub compared the most populated U.S. cities across three key metrics:

  1. Ethnoracial Diversity
  2. Linguistic Diversity
  3. Birthplace Diversity

Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the most ethnic diversity. The weighted average across all metrics were determined to calculate the “Ethnic Diversity Score” for cities and the resulting scores to rank-order the sample.

The top 10 most diverse cities in America, in order, were:

  1. Germantown, MD
  2. Jersey City, NJ
  3. Gaithersburg, MD
  4. Silver Spring, MD
  5. New York, NY
  6. Kent, WA
  7. Spring Valley, NV
  8. Rockville, MD
  9. San Jose, CA
  10. Oakland, CA

Learn more about Rockville’s economy, workforce and amenities here

To view the full list of cities in WalletHub’s 2023 report, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/cities-with-the-most-and-least-ethno-racial-and-linguistic-diversity/10264

 

Rockville’s Edge Commercial Real Estate acquired by KLNB

Marc Menick, President and COO of KLNB (left), and Marc Balamaci of Edge Commercial Real Estate. Image credit: KLNB

The deal allows KLNB to establish a greater presence in Montgomery County

Rockville, Md., Feb. 21, 2023 – KLNB, the Mid-Atlantic region’s largest privately held CRE brokerage firm, announced today the acquisition of Edge Commercial Real Estate, the 16-year-old Rockville, Md.-based brokerage with offices in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C..

The deal will increase KLNB’s size by roughly 20%, adding 32 total employees, 18 of which are brokers who specialize in multiple facets of office, industrial, tenant representation, and multi-family investment sales and leasing. Six of the brokers will be immediately installed as principal partners at KLNB. The official financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed, but the transaction includes substantially all of Edge’s assets.

The acquisition of Edge instantly delivers significant advantages for KLNB’s office and industrial tenant rep components, a specialty that is responsible for two-thirds of Edge’s revenue. KLNB has been looking to build this area of its business, and Edge’s six-person team, focused solely on tenant representation, allows KLNB to inject a sizeable team of experts, all at once.

This acquisition also provides KLNB with an immediate opportunity to expand into the multi-family market, another pillar KLNB had been looking to create. Edge is known throughout the DMV as a leader in multi-family real estate with $9.5 billion in Mid-Atlantic sales and a 99% closing ratio on listings. Their multi-family services include seller and buyer representation, office-to-residential conversions, adaptive reuse, and land and development site assessment. With an impressive regional portfolio of over one million square feet of property management and engineering assignments, KLNB’s property management portfolio will also increase, with Edge’s group folding into KLNB Asset Services, a joint venture between KLNB and Divaris Real Estate.

Lastly, the deal allows KLNB to establish a greater presence in Montgomery County, something KLNB has been eager to do. Edge’s Rockville, Md. location makes that possible and gives KLNB its fifth office in the DMV.

“The acquisition of Edge fits perfectly in our timeline for smart and disciplined progression,” says KLNB President Marc Menick. “Our evolution has always been calculated to ensure it makes sense for our team and our clients. By acquiring Edge, we will be able to do virtually everything we’re already known for, but at an even higher level and a wider reach. And in the case of multi-family, this opportunity brings the KLNB customer experience to a whole new sector that we have wanted to approach for some time.”

But ultimately, it was the seamless cultural fit of the two firms that made the deal most attractive. Menick says that leadership from both teams had discussed the possibility of an acquisition on several occasions since 2018, realizing both brokerages share similar cultural traits and a mutual professional respect. Then, in late 2021, when Edge Founder and Managing Partner Joe Sutton announced he was leaving the firm, the timing became perfect for the two companies to turn mere discussions into reality.

“In many ways KLNB is the firm that Edge was already starting to become,” says current Edge Partner, and future KLNB Partner, Marc Balamaci. “The discussions that we had with Marc [Menick] and his team over the last few years made it clear that KLNB was a natural fit and offered a truly mutual benefit across all of our disciplines.”

The acquisition comes on the heels of both KLNB and Edge having their best years ever in 2022. KLNB reported $1.8 billion in transaction volume and 1,170 total transactions, an increase of 3.3% and 11% over 2021, respectively. This gives KLNB three record-setting years since 2019. For Edge, 2022 saw $492MM in transaction volume and 231 total transactions.

The success of both brokerages showcases two firms that offer steady and impressive patterns of growth, despite challenging economic conditions brought on by the pandemic and rising interest rates. That success, together with the terrific cultural match of the firms, and KLNB’s clear path for professional development and promotion, gave Edge’s leadership team every confidence that being acquired by KLNB was the right decision.

“KLNB’s reputation in the market is outstanding, both as thought leaders in commercial real estate, and for their focus on customer dedication,” says Sutton. “Though I am departing the company, this will be a fantastic opportunity for the Edge team. Joining KLNB will give them a clear new path for professional development, and the ability to work with a firm that offers the same level of service and reach as the largest commercial brokerages but retains the close-knit culture that Edge has also been known for.”

Press release link https://klnb.com/klnb-acquires-edge-commercial-real-estate/

 

New Initiative Promotes Cybersecurity Collaboration in Montgomery County, Maryland

The initiative will launch at a business engagement event on March 6, 2023

Rockville, Md., Feb. 22, 2023 – As the world continues to grapple with the complexities of securing critical IT systems and infrastructure, Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) and partners are stepping up their collaborative approach to cybersecurity innovation.

The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) is launching a new Cybersecurity Connections initiative with a special emphasis on small businesses seeking to provide cybersecurity services or that want to connect with companies, government or academic organizations for cybersecurity support. Some of the effort’s goals are: to better address the cybersecurity-related needs of companies and institutions in the state and county, to help the NCCoE better understand the cybersecurity needs of companies and to expand collaborations with firms that can develop practical solutions, and to spur economic development.

“I am looking forward to the launch of the new Cybersecurity Connections program and the ability for the 5,500 high tech businesses in Montgomery County to use NCCoE expertise as they develop new business and health solutions,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. NCCoE was formed in 2012 as a partnership by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Maryland Department of Commerce and Montgomery County.

Business executives and other industry stakeholders can learn more at a networking event on Monday, March 6. The program will feature remarks by Elrich along with Maryland Secretary of Commerce Kevin Anderson and U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio, as well as a panel discussion highlighting opportunities for collaborative approaches to cybersecurity.

The event will be held at the NCCoE, with support from Montgomery County government and MCEDC, and will include a renewal of the NCCoE partnership and the launch of the Cybersecurity Connections initiative.

“We value our partnership with Maryland and Montgomery County, which helps to make the NCCoE such a valuable resource for organizations of all sizes looking to improve their cybersecurity,” said Under Secretary Locascio. “We want to strengthen our engagement with small businesses and give them the opportunity to learn from our experts — and to lend their own expertise to the development of cybersecurity guidance that can help organizations across the country.”

MCEDC will continue coordinating the partnership intermediary agreement in conjunction with the County Executive Office.

“This renewed partnership and launch of the Cybersecurity Connections initiative will be instrumental in connecting companies to the wide range of expertise offered by the unmatched National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence,” said Bill Tompkins, President & CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation. “We want to help cyber companies in Montgomery County, in Maryland, and beyond, draw on the capabilities of the NCCoE to ensure cyber safety and security.”

Event Details

Date: Monday, March 6, 2023

Location: National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, 9700 Great Seneca Highway, Rockville, MD

Agenda:
9:30 a.m. Arrival and Registration
10:00 a.m. Partnership Commemoration
10:45 a.m. Networking Break
11:15 a.m. Panel Discussion: Exploring Opportunities for Collaborative Approaches to Cybersecurity
12:00 p.m. Networking Lunch sponsored by MCEDC
1:15 p.m. Adjourn

The event also will be streamed live to the public. To attend in person, register by March 3. To attend virtually, use this link.

“We are excited to work with Montgomery County and the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence on this new program that not only strengthens our current collaboration, but also gives our small businesses an opportunity to connect with a range of new partners,” said Secretary Anderson. “Maryland continues to lead the way in providing world-class cyber solutions thanks to forward-thinking programs like this one that harnesses the power of our cybersecurity industry.”

“The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence has worked on some of the most pressing cyber challenges we face as a nation, and their critical efforts happen right here in Montgomery County,” said Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation Board Chair Kevin Beverly. “This partnership will lead to stronger cybersecurity advances and greater economic opportunities for our local cyber companies.”

About MCEDC

Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) is the official public-private economic development organization representing Montgomery County, Maryland. Created in 2016, MCEDC is led by a Board of Directors of business executives. Its mission is to help businesses start, grow and relocate in Montgomery County by helping them gain access to top talent, business and market intelligence and prime locations. For more information, visit https://thinkmoco.com/

Press release link: https://thinkmoco.com/blog/nccoe-cyber-engagement-event

Rockville Little Theatre’s PRIDE@PREJUDICE advances to Eastern States Festival after Maryland Community Festival win

Left to right: David Gross, President-MCFTA; Teresa Gillcrist, P@P Producer, RLT, Laura W. Andruski, P@P Director, RLT; Scott loom, VP-MCTFA. Photo credit: Vanessa Bisbee Markowitz

Rockville Little Theatre's PRIDE@PREJUDICE garnered multiple accolades including 'Outstanding Production'

Rockville, Md., Feb. 20, 2023 – Rockville Little Theatre performed a 45-minute selection from their recent production of PRIDE@PREJUDICE by Daniel Elihu Kramer at the Maryland Community Theatre Festival (mctfa.org) held in La Plata on February 11 – 12.  PRIDE@PREJUDICE was originally performed at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre in Rockville, MD  from January 28 – February 5.

RLT competed against six other productions: Kentland’s Community Players, Port Tobacco Players, Raging Hag Productions, Newtowne Players, New Direction Community Theatre and The British Players.

PRIDE@PREJUDICE was directed by Laura W. Andrusk and produced by Teresa Gillcrist.  The Assistant Director/Technical Director was Aaron Skolnik. The cast included Niranjali Amerasinghe, Lena Winter, Meghan Williams Elkins, Ian Swank and Joseph Coracle.

PRIDE@PREJUDICE garnered the following accolades:

  • Outstanding Stage Manager to Aaron Skolnik,
  • Outstanding Ensemble Performance,
  • Outstanding Achievement in Acting to John Coracle,
  • Ed-Ro-Char Award for Technical Excellence, and
  • Outstanding Production.

The win for Outstanding Production allows Rockville Little Theatre the opportunity to take their production to the Eastern States Theatre Festival (estafestival.org/) in Wilmington, DE on April 14  –  16.

About Rockville Little Theatre

Rockville Little Theater (RLT) was founded in 1948 and is the oldest continuously operating 501(c)3 nonprofit live theatre in the Rockville area. RLT provides high quality performances at reasonable prices. We strive to entertain, enlighten and educate all who attend our theatrical events. RLT offers an opportunity for community members to step out of their everyday lives and to assume new roles as playwrights, actors, directors, costume designers, set designers, and audiences. Learn more at http://www.rlt-online.org/

The Shops at Congressional Village poised for revitalization under new owners

The Shops at Congressional Village - Image copyright: Loopnet/Costar

The retail center was acquired by Beltsville-based IVEA Restaurant Group

Article originally published by Washington Business Journal on February 16, 2023

A joint venture that includes Beltsville-based IVEA Restaurant Group has closed on its $44 million acquisition of the Shops at Congressional Village with plans to bring a host of new tenants to the Rockville Pike retail center.

IVEA teamed up with Windfall Group USA, Caspian Group and Pacifica Square USA to cast the winning bid for the Shops after its prior owner, an affiliate of Ronald Cohen Management Co., defaulted on a 2019 loan backed by the property. The sale was recorded with the Montgomery County Circuit Court on February 8.

The center was a little more than 60% leased at the time of the auction to a mix of tenants including 84 Lumber, MyEyeDr and a Verizon store, but its new owners say they’ve inked a half-dozen leases combining for around 30,000 square feet in the 99,463-square-foot center at 1701 Rockville Pike. It’s too soon to disclose tenant names, said Judy Ni, director of real estate for Aurora, Illinois-based Windfall, but expect there to be a heavy focus on food and beverage.

“There are a lot of different uses already in the shopping center, a lot of different activities and shops, so with the restaurant mix, it will really tie the shopping center together nicely,” she said.

IVEA, led by founder and CEO Edward Wong, partners with restaurant groups including those at The Spot, an Asian food hall at Rockville Town Center, and it hopes the Shops will serve as the landing point for overseas restaurant chains looking to expand into the U.S., per Marshall Nguyen, a commercial real estate broker at Caspian and a partner at Aurora-based Pacifica Square.

Nguyen is involved in a growing number of properties across the U.S., including the re-tenanting of a former Gander Mountain store in the St. Paul-Minneapolis area and, with Windfall, the redevelopment of a vacant Sam’s Club in the Chicago area.

Longer term, Nguyen said the team may look to redevelop the Shops, but that’s several years out. For now, the owners are just focusing on bringing in new tenants and helping them navigate the approval process.

“When coming to a new property, we want to bring in concepts that are not there, to excite the community, excite customers, so it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “Our long term vision is to do a lifestyle center, or maybe mixed-use, with retail on the bottom and apartments on top. That would be the highest and best use for the corner, long term. But the most important thing for us since we bought the property was to stabilize it with new tenants.”

 

 

 

 

Business Spotlight: Èkó House

Francis Odiase (left) and Yomi Ajao (right) - Co-owners of Eko House

"Èkó House goes beyond being just a location you eat in to become a hub. A hub for music, entertainment, connections, beauty, art and inspiration."

What does Èkó House offer?

We are a Nigerian restaurant in the DMV, that offers authentic Nigerian food, as well as an array of Nigerian/American fusion meals. With a seating capacity of 250, we’re able to host large events and large groups of people (of 15 or more parties). We cater to events including wedding after parties,
pre-wedding parties, bridal showers, birthday parties, office get togethers, retreats, and private events.

What motivated you to start your business?

My business partner and I have lived in the United States for almost three decades. We noticed a gap in the availability of a combination of authentic Nigerian meals, visually appealing presentations and aesthetically pleasing environments. What we had become accustomed to was that brands that offered authentic Nigerian foods were either lacking in aesthetics and presentation or had a somewhat higher focus on the fusion selections in a way that sort of compromised on the authenticity of Nigerian tastes.

Even though we did not have a problem with prioritizing the fusion selections, we just desperately craved an environment that reminded us of home, not just in the food offerings but also in the feel of the environment. We craved an environment that mimicked the warmth and buzzing of Lagos, the vibe, the excitement and the feeling of community all in one, so we decided to bring that feeling here, to the United States of America. Through Èkó House, our aim is to bridge that gap, to introduce our culture to people in the DMV through our food, music, and expressions of art. We want them to see and fall in love with the “Naija spirit”. We want to give them a first-hand experience of all the best things of Nigeria.

 

What makes Èkó House unique?

Èkó House goes beyond being just a location you eat in to become a hub. A hub for music, entertainment, connections, beauty, art and inspiration. A hub for all things that celebrate life, love and community. We want everyone who walks into Èkó House to feel the love that Nigerians as a people have to give. We want people to walk into our establishment and be filled with peace and joy, those feelings of comfort and familiarity associated with their homes.

Why did you choose to run your business in Rockville?

My business partner and I have lived and been coming to Rockville for a few years now and we’ve been drawn to how community inclined it is.

The first thing you notice when you visit Rockville is how family friendly it is, with a healthy blend of young and middle-aged people. We noticed the variety of food brands around and could not help but feel like there was something missing. We finally determined what was missing, and that’s when we got the idea to establish a Nigerian brand here. We knew that was the flavor the community was missing. Starting Èkó House, we are bringing an additional variety to the collection of amazing restaurants in Rockville.

Where do you see Èkó House 5 years from now?

As a new business, we’re happy to say that we’re doing very well. Since our grand opening in July 2022, we’ve had an interesting few months. We’ve experimented, failed at some things, learned and grown. In the next 5 years, we hope to learn even more. We may be thinking about expanding into new territories soon. Plans are still underway.

 

About Èkó House

Èkó House opened in July 2022 at 150 Gibbs Street, Rockville, MD 20850 in Rockville Town Square. Learn more about Èkó House at www.ekohousedmv.com

Business Spotlight: ACB Precision Focus Photography

Marcia and Paul Cole, owners of ACB Precision Focus Photography

"We believe in creating images that tell a story, make a lasting impact, and create memories that last a lifetime"

What does ACB Precision Focus Photography offer?

ACB Precision Focus Photography is a multimedia agency and studio. We offer photography and videography services to individuals, couples, families, and corporations.

What motivated you to start your business?

Building a legacy and generational wealth motivated us to start ACB. Our company’s name was inspired by our three children: Amaya, Charles and Bryce.  We strive to lead the way showing our future generations anything is possible with hard work, dedication, believe in yourself and use the talents you naturally have.

What makes ACB Precision Focus Photography unique?

It would have to be us. We make our business unique be we strive to provide the same high-quality service to all our clients regardless of how big or small the job. We want to make the client feel at ease and have 100% confidence we will exceed their expectations. We believe in adding so much value to our clients that our price becomes irrelevant in comparison.

We strive to give every client an enjoyable experience while creating beautiful, captivating images that serves their needs.  We believe in creating images that tell a story, make a lasting impact and create memories that last a lifetime.

Why did you choose to run your business in Rockville?

Montgomery County is our home, it’s where we started our family and continue to raise our children. Rockville provided us with the opportunity to open our first studio location.

Where do you see ACB Precision Focus Photography 5 years from now?

We envision expansion and the ability to provide jobs in our community. In 5 years, ACB will be a preferred vendor in the DMV photography and videography services.  We will open our second studio. We will have a team of associate photographers and videographers. ACB will be running a mentorship program helping young men and women enter the photography world and eventually run their own business.

About ACB Precision Focus Photography

Founded in 2020, ACB Precision Focus Photography is located at 15209 Frederick Road, Suite 209, Rockville, MD 20850. Learn more about ACB Precision Focus Photography at www.acbprecisionfocus.com