Economic team tours Washington County businesses
Herald-Mail, Hagerstown, Maryland
While visiting d’Vinci Interactive on Thursday, a few business leaders learned that the firm works with some nationally known organizations and that it would welcome more workforce training opportunities.
Thirty-four similar conversations were scheduled at other businesses on Thursday and today.
“We are celebrating Economic Development Week in the state of Maryland as well as here in Washington County” said Julie Rohm, chairwoman of the Washington County Economic Development Commission and general manager of the Valley Mall. “We’re visiting 35 businesses in two days. We have five teams that are going out to find out all about what they do here in Washington County and how we can help them grow.”
During the visits, the companies also will receive certificates to thank them for doing business in Washington County and employing area residents, she said.
At d’Vinci, Chief Operating Officer Mason Scuderi met with Rohm, Washington County Commissioner Wayne Keefer and other commission representatives. He told them the business was founded by Vince Hellane and grew from the business incubator in the Technical Innovation Center at Hagerstown Community College.
The company designs and builds what it calls “custom eLearning solutions” for educational, governmental, corporate and medical markets. Its partners range from Hershey and National Geographic to the Penn State College of Medicine.
Scuderi said he attended HCC and started with the company as an intern. Since then, the company has grown and become a part of JPL Creative, a marketing agency based in Harrisburg, Pa.
D’Vinci is housed on the fourth floor of 28 S. Potomac St. and employs about two dozen people.
Scuderi told the group that workforce training and recruitment remains a challenge. He said training funds and programs would be welcome.
That’s a common theme, Rohm said after the session.
“Training seems to be such a key in a lot of area businesses, so we want to make sure we know what those (needs) are, meet with the commissioners and then look at ways that we can come up with a way to help them get to those needs,” she said.
“It might not be a quick solution, but if we can all work together as a team, I’m sure we can come together and make Washington County a better place to work, live and play.”
From d’Vinci, Rohm’s group headed to Potomac Edison. The other teams also were out Thursday, visiting businesses that range from Hub Labels and Antietam Brewery to Callas Contractors and Houser’s Produce Farm.
Another round of visits at other companies were scheduled for this morning.
