Company Announces Old Bay Partnership
BERLIN — GEORGE’S® MIXES, located in Berlin, is well known for their famous Bloody Mary Mix, which is served in over 3,000 locations within the region and is still growing steadily up and down the east coast. GEORGE’S® is a small local craft cocktail mix and the microbrew of bloody marys.
GEORGE’S® MIXES announced this week it’s launching a first-ever Old Bay Bloody Mary Mix using the classic Maryland seasoning, Old Bay, which will launch in May. The small local Berlin business has collaborated with the large spice company, McCormick, and its Old Bay team.
Web Consultant Added
BERLIN– Local website and graphic design studio Sprout Creatives has announced Stephen G. Barrett has been hired as its regional web consultant.
His superior customer service skills will help business owners who are serious about increasing their revenue through responsive web design, professional branding and Internet marketing services.
Barrett is a Stephen Decatur High School graduate who attended Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va. After leaving college, he worked in the food industry for a few years before going to work at Barrett Chevrolet. There he would ultimately become the vice president.
“Paul Starkey and I went to high school with Stephen. We work hard to create the type of culture we’ve always wanted in a company. An important part of Sprout Creatives’ culture is choosing to work with our friends. Great relationships boil down to respect and admiration. We respect Stephen’s years of customer service in our community and are proud to welcome him aboard.” Vincent Gisriel III, president of Sprout Group Inc.
General Manager Named
BERLIN – Old Bay Gaming & Racing, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture between Churchill Downs Incorporated and Saratoga Casino Holdings, LLC, announced veteran gaming executive Bobbi Sample as general manager of the Casino at Ocean Downs and Ocean Downs Racetrack in Berlin. Sample will oversee the management team and all Ocean Downs gaming and racing operations.
Bobbi Sample
Sample is a veteran operator with more than 20 years of leadership experience in the gaming and entertainment industries. She has been with Ocean Downs for seven years where she most recently served as the assistant general manager.
“Bobbi is a great addition to our team and we look forward to her leadership as we prepare to open our new expansion which includes live table games, more slots, a new restaurant and an outdoor smoking and gaming patio,” CDI Senior Vice President of Gaming Operations Austin Miller said.
Sample said, “I’m very proud of all that we have accomplished here at Ocean Downs and I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the team into the next chapter of development at Ocean Downs.”
Sonia B. Baker
Branch Manager Announced
SALISBURY — The Bank of Delmarva President and CEO Edward M. Thomas recently announced that Sonia B. Baker joined the bank as branch manager and assistant vice president for the North Ocean City location.
Baker is currently attending Maryland Bankers School and will graduate in August. She brings with her several years of experience in retail banking and commercial lending.
Realtor Added
BERLIN — EXIT Realty at The Beach in Berlin announced the addition of Christy Gordon to its team of real estate professionals.
“We’re excited to welcome Christy to EXIT Realty,” said EXIT Realty at The Beach Broker/Owner Bernie Flax. “EXIT is growing and attracting quality business people like Christy each and every day.”
Gordon was born and raised in Baltimore County. In 1999, she moved to the Worcester County area to become a “local” and can’t imagine living anywhere else. She retired form a 31-year career in public education in 2011 and obtained her real estate license the same year.
Brewing Coming To Salisbury
SALIBURY — SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate Advisor Bill Moore has worked closely with Ocean City Brewing Co. to help locate a space in the Salisbury market. Ocean City Brewing Co. has signed a five-year lease at the Salisbury Promenade on Route 13 North.
The 6,500-square-foot space was previously filled by The Greene Turtle, which moved to a stand-alone location in front of the Centre at Salisbury nearly three years ago. The Salisbury location for Ocean City Brewing Co., which will open in May, is the fifth location in Maryland. Joe Schneider of CBRE represented the landlord in this deal.
“This is the second Ocean City Brewing Company location that we have worked on with Bill and SVN,” said Donna Shores, owner of OCBC. “We received the same exemplary commitment and service that helped us launch our flagship location at 56th Street and Coastal Highway in Ocean City. We are excited to bring our restaurant and craft beer brand to the Salisbury community.”
High Ratings Achieved
SALISBURY — Peninsula Home Care, a licensed and certified home health service provider headquartered on the Lower Eastern Shore, announced its Salisbury and Ocean Pines branch offices have achieved deficiency-free ratings upon completion of a major State of Maryland performance survey.
“A deficiency-free rating is equivalent to an entire classroom of students getting an A+ on an exam,” said Nancy Bagwell, Peninsula Home Care area director of operations. “It is a stamp of approval from the state after a thorough inspection process. Peninsula Home Care did not have a single inefficiency which is an accomplishment that very few agencies are able to achieve. We are proud of the entire PHC team for their hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence in patient care and outcomes.”
State surveys are mandated every three years on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS administers compliance procedures of Medicare health and safety standards for continuing care providers including home care agencies, hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Agencies are evaluated on patient rights education, positive patient outcomes, medical error prevention, appropriate staff qualifications, emergency preparation and performance improvement data.
“The four day surveillance period involves close monitoring of our staff and operations,” said Bagwell. “State surveyors review patient records and accompany nurses and therapists on home visits to trace the patient experience, , evaluate the care being provided and examine patient outcomes. In basic terms, they are looking to confirm that the plan of care provided meets the patient’s needs.”
Firm Awarded
SALISBURY — For the second time since joining the company in 2007, Sperry Van Ness-Miller Commercial Real Estate received SVN Firm of the Year Award at the SVN Annual Conference in Tampa, Fla.
“SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate embodies SVN’s values and mission,” said Kevin Maggiacomo, president and CEO of SVN International Corp. “Through their high performance and their dedication to the Eastern Shore, they create truly amazing benefits for their clients, colleagues and community.”
Sperry Van Ness-Miller Commercial Real Estate Managing Director Brent Miller said, “Our 26 advisors are among the highest producing within SVN International, a company that has more than 1,000 Advisors overall. The 300 brokerage signs that we have in our market are just one component of our office having the highest market share at SVN.”
Zach Hall
Client Advisor Hired
WILLARDS — Atlantic/Smith, Cropper & Deeley (ASC&D) has welcomed Zach Hall as a client advisor in the Life & Health Department. Hall is a licensed agent specializing in employee healthcare benefits and executive benefits planning.
Hall received his B.S. degree from Washington College in Chestertown. He has several years of external relations and management expertise from his time as a public affairs officer for the United States Coast Guard.
Utility Recognized
SALISBURY — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy has named Delmarva Power a 2017 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award winner for its continued success in helping customers save energy and money through a variety of energy efficiency programs.
Delmarva Power along with sister Exelon utilities Pepco in Washington D.C., ComEd in Chicago and BGE in Baltimore will be honored at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 26, for their continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements.
“It’s extremely rewarding to receive this award and to see the impact made through our energy efficiency programs that benefit our customers,” said Dave Velazquez, Pepco Holdings president and CEO. “We are committed to continuing to provide tools and programs that help our customers save energy and money, but also help preserve and protect the environment.”
The Sustained Excellence classification recognizes organizations that have received the Partner of the Year award more than three times and continue to surpass previous energy efficiency achievements.
“It is truly an honor to be named a Sustained Excellence partner again this year. Creating industry leading programs to better help our customers manage and control their energy usage is key as we partner with our customer to meet their future energy needs,” said William Ellis, manager of Energy Efficiency Programs, Pepco Holdings.