CAR Announces Open House Weekend
BERLIN — In honor of the Nationwide Open House Weekend, the Coastal Association of Realtors® will offer opportunities for both buyers and sellers to have an open dialogue between realtors and consumers about the housing issues that matter most to them.
“Open houses open doors to buying opportunities,” said Sheila Dodson, CAR Association Executive. “CAR members have planned a weekend full of open houses to encourage people to tour homes and learn about the benefits of home ownership. This opportunity offers buyers a stress-free way to visit homes for sale in different neighborhoods where they may want to live. For sellers, the weekend provides a high-visibility effort to promote traffic and drive home sales.”
For a full list of properties that will host open houses the weekend of April 20-21, visit www.dpol.com.
Business Awards Presented
SALISBURY — Two Eastern Shore residents are among the winners of the 2013 Maryland Small Business Awards, presented by the Small Business Administration’s Baltimore district office.
Kimberly Scott, CEO of The Great Gourmet, Inc. of Federalsburg, Md., was named Minority Small Business Champion of the Year. Kevin Hill, owner of Hill-Kimmell Contracting of Cambridge, was named Maryland Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
In May 2009, Scott contacted Richard Loeffler at the Eastern Region Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBDTC) at Salisbury University to seek advice about a small business loan that would help her with her fast-growing business. She had started The Great Gourmet, a seafood company, in 2003. In 2008, it was included among Inc. magazine’s Top 500 fastest growing company in the United States.
By February 2010, sales revenue reached over $4 million and was expected to keep growing. The need for a building with more freezer space became critically important. At the time, Scott was renting the building, but was considering purchasing the structure. Loeffler assisted her with loan applications and compiling the necessary documentation. By 2012, the business had grown to 39 employees and was in need of a structured and well-defined employee handbook. Loeffler arranged for a team of SU students from the Franklin P. Perdue School of Business to work with Scott and help her formalize employee procedures and regulations.
In early 2010, Hill moved to Cambridge after accepting a position with a residential and light commercial general contracting company. That year, he opened new construction opportunities for the business with SU and began pursuing plans to purchase the company. After multiple consultations with Loeffler, he negotiated a structured buy-out of assets from his employer.
Last spring, Hill adopted Hill-Kimmel contracting as the company’s official trade name. With several additional large contracts pending, Hill-Kimmel is expected to triple its sales in 2013, and Hill anticipates having nearly 10 employees on its payroll by year’s end.
Events Super Appointed
OCEAN CITY — After conducting a national search, which resulted in dozens of qualified candidates, the Town of Ocean City has welcomed Frank Miller to the position of Special Events Superintendent for the Town of Ocean City.
Miller will manage countless events in the resort town, including Sundaes in the Park, Concerts on the Beach, Arts Alive, Springfest, Sunfest and Winterfest. While his formal responsibilities include planning, coordinating and executing the town’s various special events, he is also responsible for managing hundreds of private events within Ocean City.
Miller has spent the last 18 years of his professional career in event production and management, including the annual OC Air Show. His portfolio includes public, corporate, and private events and conferences with notable undertakings such as the Year 2000 New Year’s Eve event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics’ Annual Product Line Show introducing DLP technology and the 2007 World Space Expo at Kennedy Space Center celebrating 50 years of space exploration.
“We are very excited to have Frank join our exceptional Special Events team,” said Susan Petito, Assistant Director of Recreation and Parks. “I believe his expertise will compliment that of our veteran staff’s, and he will be able to bring a fresh perspective to our award-winning and nationally ranked events.”
Miller, a native of Elizabethtown, Pa., and a graduate of Elizabethtown College, brings with him to the Eastern Shore his wife of 19 years, Jennifer and two children, Andrew and Matthew. When Miller is not working with the Ocean City Special Events Division team or attending his sons’ lacrosse games, he enjoys visiting local car shows and camping with his family.