Names and Notes

The funding completes a May 2006 contract award of $242 million.

DynPort will develop Baxter’s influenza vaccine candidate. The first volunteers in a phase 3 trial were vaccinated Monday.

DynPort has also recently appointed Dr. H. Preston Holley Jr. as its chief medical officer.

Library to host forumon hiring first employees

The Frederick County Small Business Development Center and Frederick County Public Libraries will hold a discussion, ‘‘Hiring Your First Employee,” at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 5 in the community room of C. Burr Artz Library, 120 E. Patrick St., Frederick.

The talk is free. Registration: 301-600-1367. Information: Chris Olson, 301-600-1967.

Reeder is office manager at Frederick Land Co.

Lori Reeder of Frederick has been named office manager at Frederick Land Co., a commercial, development-related and property management real estate services company.

Reeder has been involved with the local real estate industry since 1987 and was a manager for several brokerages.

As office manager at Frederick Land, Reeder’s duties will include property management, listing and contract oversight, in-house bookkeeping, daily supervision and office coordination.

Morgan-Keller receives awards for safety, quality

Morgan-Keller Inc. recently received the Safety Training and Evaluation Program award from the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. for its outstanding safety records and efforts to develop a safety program this year.

One of Maryland’s largest commercial builders, Morgan-Keller has offices in Frederick and Columbia, with more than 250 employees.

The company also recently received three Excellence in Construction awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors:

*First place, Carroll Creek Park project in Frederick for the category of infrastructure, more than $1 million.

*First place for the Fairhaven Retirement Community in Sykesville in the category of health care, more than $1 million.

*An award of merit for the Frederick Brick Works warehouse for pre-engineered buildings, more than $1 million.

New Market man honored for enterprise success

Ricardo Martinez, president of Project Enhancement Corp. in Germantown, was among the Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise Award winners for 2007.

The program, a joint effort of the state, state chamber of commerce and University of Maryland University College, honors outstanding women and minority business owners. A ceremony was held Nov. 7.

BioElectronics namesnew VP of sales

BioElectronics Corp. of Frederick named Michael Seidenman, a pharmacist and expert on electro medicine devices, as vice president of sales.

BioElectronics developed ActiPatch, a healing patch for the skin that stimulates and helps heal soft tissue.

Also this week, the Jordan Food and Drug Administration approved the patch for sale in that nation.

Rock Commercialhires field contractor

Rock Commercial Enterprises of Frederick recently hired Paul Lilley to serve as a field contractor.

Lilley has more than 30 years’ experience in new construction, according to company information.

How valuable arethe arts in Frederick?

The city of Frederick’s Department of Economic Development, Frederick Arts Council and the Downtown Frederick Partnership are delving into a yearlong study on how the arts affect the business community.

Data will be collected through surveys from nonprofit arts organizations and from audience surveys that will be distributed at shows and events over about eight months.

Agency recommendsretail gift cards

Montgomery County’s Office of Consumer Protection recommends 18 of 22 retail gift cards in its fifth annual report released last week.

The recommended cards are from Abercrombie & Fitch, Best Buy, Blockbuster, Circuit City, Crate & Barrel, Gap, J.C. Penney, KB Toys, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Nordstrom, Old Navy, PetSmart, Sears, Sports Authority, Starbucks, Target and Wal-Mart.

The four retail cards not recommended are from Bloomingdale’s, Claire’s, Macy’s and Shell. Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s have expiration dates, while Shell’s and Claire’s may impose monthly “dormancy fees,“ according to the report.

All of the 20 bank gift cards studied impose fees and have expiration dates, the report says.

Maryland law prohibits imposing fees or expiration dates on retail cards sold in the state until the cards are 4 years old.

The report is available online at www.montgomerycountymd.gov⁄consumer.

Names & Notes reports news of startups, new developments, key personnel changes and trends affecting county business. Items may be mailed to Rebecca McClay, The Gazette, 2A N. Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701; faxed to 301-876-2124; or e-mailed to rmcclay@gazette.net.