Maryland Commerce awards Export MD grants to local companies
The Maryland Department of Commerce is leading a delegation of Maryland companies this week to Arab Health 2019, the world’s second largest healthcare exhibition. Held in Dubai, this is the sixth year Commerce has exhibited at the trade show, promoting the state’s healthcare assets as well as a number of small and mid-size companies to a global audience. The Maryland booth is located in Hall 2, Row A Booth 34.
“Exhibiting at Arab Health is an excellent opportunity to increase Maryland’s visibility in the global market and promote our state’s world-class healthcare assets to international companies looking to expand into the U.S.,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Our administration is also proud to support several Maryland companies by providing grants through our Export MD program to help them attend this show.”
“Arab Health is known for hosting some of the most innovative and advanced healthcare products and equipment in the world,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz. “This year’s event expects more than 84,000 attendees from 160 countries, giving our Maryland companies plenty of opportunities to expand their reach with new international customers and partners.”
The 10 Maryland companies traveling to Arab Health this year include ACell, Inc. (Columbia); Beluga Products (Silver Spring); ClickMedix (Gaithersburg); Health Solutions Research (Rockville); Integrated Pharma Services (Frederick); Man & Machine, Inc. (Landover); mdlogix (Owings Mills); Shreis Scalene Sciences (Gaithersburg); Vivavoya (Bethesda); and 20/20 GeneSystems Inc. (Rockville).
Beluga Products, an all-natural, organic health, wellness, and beauty company in Montgomery County, is attending Arab Health for the first time. The company is looking forward to traveling overseas and introducing its products to a brand new customer base with help from an ExportMD grant.
“We’ve always appreciated the business-friendly environment here in Maryland and we are excited to be a part of the Maryland delegation at Arab Health,” said Dave Jobes, Ph.D., head of business development for Beluga Products. “Our goal is to introduce our all natural, vegan, and Halal nutritional supplements to a new audience in the Middle East, which would not be possible without support from the great team at the Maryland Department of Commerce.”
Commerce recently awarded several ExportMD grants to local companies to help them expand into the global marketplace. Established in 1999, the ExportMD program provides matching grants up to $5,000 from Commerce’s Office of International Investment and Trade. ExportMD is funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, which has awarded multiple State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grants to Maryland Commerce to help fund the program. The next application deadline for the ExportMD program is February 1, 2019 and eligibility requirements can be found on our website.
About Maryland Commerce
The Maryland Department of Commerce stimulates private investment and creates jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department promotes the State's many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development and international investment, trade and tourism. Because they are major economic generators, the Department also supports the Arts, film production, sports and other special events. For more information, visit commerce.maryland.gov.
