Innovation + Job News

While area tech companies aim to score big with an iPad app in Apple's App Store, electronics accessory maker M-Edge is taking a different tack with a line

M-Edge Accessories, has launched a suite of accessories designed specifically for Apple's iPad. Designed to bring protection, innovation, and personalization to the iPad experience, M-Edge's offerings will allow users the freedom to take their device into any environment, from the office to the subway to the beach.

"With the iPad, Apple is putting forth a compelling eReading platform, and we are excited to broaden our focus and develop accessories that will enhance the iPad experience," commented Patrick Mish, CEO at M-Edge Accessories. "Our laser-focus on eReader devices the past four years has offered M-Edge valuable customer insights and allowed us to achieve numerous product successes. I am confident that with this experience under our belt, we are positioned to bring fresh, novel, and industry-leading accessories to the iPad market."

In addition to it's line of protective slevves, M-Edge also offers its FlexStand bookstand for iPad users. The innovative bookstand is compact and portable, and uses flexible legs and adjustable feet to provide an adaptable, hands-free user experience.

M-Edge's Professional Line of iPad jackets is designed for those looking for classic and stylish protection that is suitable for work environments. Available in up to 12 leather colors, the jackets in this comprehensive line are among M-Edge's bestsellers.

 

Source: Patrick Mish, M-Edge Accessories
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The Baltimore Office of Sustainability has released its first annual report. Developed with the input of more than 1,000 residents, the Baltimore Sustainability Plan, was adopted by the Baltimore City Council in March, 2009. The annual report outlines the progress made to date toward achieving Plan goals and highlights the work underway that city leaders hope will benefit the economic, social, and environmental health of Baltimore.

The report identifies the seven major areas that define the goals of the Sustainability Plan: Cleanliness; Pollution Prevention; Resource Conservation; Greening; Transportation; Education and Awareness; and Green Economy. Each section includes a feature story that highlights the accomplishments toward achieving the goal as well as "Steps You Can Take" that provide citizens with suggested actions they can take to move the process forward.

"Sustainability becomes increasingly more important to us as a City, a State and a nation because we recognize that our global resources are finite," says Mayor Rawlings-Blake. "By making smart decisions about how we use resources, and involving residents in the process, we can save money, improve quality of life, and position Baltimore to benefit from growing investment and job creation in the green economy."

The report includes a feature on the city's Green and Healthy Homes Initiative that seeks to improve health outcomes for Baltimore households while saving residents money on their energy bills and reducing their environmental impact. The program, which has roots in Baltimore-based Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, is now being replicated in cities throughout the country.

The benefits of the program exemplify the triple bottom line goals of sustainability; healthier homes lead to families with less asthma and lead paint cases, residents save money on utility bills and find jobs in green trades, while at the same time reducing energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.

Also featured are the Harbor Connector water taxi service and the Charm City Circulator, recent expansions in Baltimore's public transportation system. The water taxi service from Fells Point to Tide Point averaged 200 trips daily during an 8-month period , thereby reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

Launched in January 2010, the Charm City Circulator, hybrid buses that offer free bus service throughout Harbor East and downtown, recently celebrated its 100,000th passenger. Service extends to the west to the B&O Railroad museum and soon will include the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus to the north. These sustainable transportation developments help bolster the local economy by expanding options for employees to reach their jobs and for visitors to explore Baltimore, according to the city.

Source: Baltimore Mayor's Office
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has granted the Walters Art Museum $315,000 for a 2 1/2 year project to digitize, catalog and distribute 105 illuminated medieval manuscripts. Representing diverse Byzantine, Greek, Armenian, Ethiopian, Dutch, English and Central European cultures, this project, entitled Parchment to Pixel: Creating a Digital Resource of Medieval Manuscripts, will allow for the digitization of approximately 38,000 pages of ancient text and 3,500 pages of illumination.

"The aim of this project is to allow access to the museum's collections, free of charge, mirroring in the virtual world what the Walters has achieved at our physical location through free admission," says Walters Director Gary Vikan. "This project further fulfills the museum's mission to bring art and people together."

The resulting digital catalog and library of images will conform to internationally accepted standards and will be distributed to diverse audiences through scholarly and public databases worldwide under a Creative Commons 3.0 license.

"This unparalleled access to little-seen treasures will enable close collaborative study of the materials from locations around the world and across disciplines as well as reduce wear and tear on the codices," says Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books Will Noel. "The NEH has provided another extraordinary opportunity for the Walters to share its resources."

This grant allows the museum to continue its ambitious initiative to create, preserve and make accessible fully cataloged digital surrogates of its manuscripts, an initiative that began in 2008 with an NEH Preservation and Access Grant to digitize its Islamic manuscripts. The museum is digitizing the entire collection of Islamic manuscripts and single pages, which amounts to approximately 53,000 images to be available for public access.

In the western hemisphere, the Walters' holdings of illuminated manuscripts are second in number only to the Morgan Library and Museum and are of a level of quality matched only by the Morgan and a smaller collection at the J. Paul Getty Museum. At the time of his death in 1931, the museum's founder, Henry Walters, left to the city of Baltimore his entire collection of art, including a legendary collection of illuminated medieval manuscripts that is a major national treasure. Between 1895 and 1931, Walters collected around 730 codices. Today, the collection includes some 850 illuminated and illustrated manuscripts and 150 single leaves, ranging in date from the ninth to the 19th century and constituting one of the most significant collections of its kind in the country.


Source: The Walters Art Museum
Writer: Walaika Haskins

ITT Corporation has announced plans to locate its Information Technology Global Center of Excellence at Arundel Mills Corporate Park in Hanover, Maryland.

The 23,000 square foot center will create 90 new jobs over the next four years, operating as the information technology (IT) center of excellence and training center for ITT offices worldwide. The facility will be supported by the airline services at BWI-TM Airport and the array of hotels and hospitality services near the Arundel Mills location.
 

The Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP) has received a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service to establish Regional Extension Centers that will help doctors, hospitals and private practices implement health information technology.

CRISP is a private, non-profit organization whose mission is to provide safer, timelier, efficient, effective, equitable, patient-centered health care to all Marylanders through the use of health information technology. With support from a broad coalition of stakeholders in State government as well as health and technology sectors, CRISP is working to implement a statewide health information exchange.

"We commend the Department of Health and Human Services and sincerely thank Secretary Sebelius for ensuring that Maryland receives federal support to develop the necessary regional extension centers that will improve the implementation of health information technology. The Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients � CRISP � will provide Marylanders with the best access to care and a coordinated system to provide doctors and providers with secure and efficient access to their patients' records," both Gov. Martin O'Malley and Lt. Gov Anthony Brown said in a joint statement.

"Patients and doctors need better access to information technology and a more robust platform to share important information. This Federal support will go a long way to build on the successful programs many hospitals and practices have already implemented and will, in the long run, save patients, insurers and taxpayers money," the two added.

Late last month, following President Obama's signing of the Working Families and Small Business Health Coverage Act, Governor O'Malley signed an executive order creating the Maryland Health Reform Coordinating Council, co-chaired by Lt. Governor Brown and Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary John M. Colmers. The Council will advise the administration on policies and procedures to implement the recent and future federal health care reform legislation as efficiently and effectively as possible. As states assume the critical role of implementing multiple aspects of health care reform, the Council will make policy recommendations and offer implementation strategies to keep Maryland among the leading states in expanding quality, affordable health care while reducing waste and controlling costs.

Source: Office of Gov. O'Malley
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Storyfarm New Media, a Baltimore-based video production company, has launched a new all video professional services directory. A long-time dream for partners John Sherman, John Brosman and Beau Kershaw, the service is intended to provide people a way to find a real estate agent, doctor or lawyer that goes beyond just picking them from a static list.

"We started out looking at About Us pages and doctors and real estate agents listings -- just text and a picture -- and thought this isn't really doing anything all. You don't get to know anything about the people, and thought how great it would be if you had a really nice video that would be sort of a personal introduction that would give you all the intangibles you get when you're meeting somebody. If we make a really good video for a website, then why not make a second distribution point for it, collect all the videos together," says Sherman.

Storyfarm's first directory, MeetLocalAgents.com, launched with about 30 local real estate agents. Two other directories, MeetLocalDoctors.com and MeetLocalLawyers.com, are also up but have limited listings. Users can search the directories by area or several other criteria.

"There's really no way to quantify the success of a doctor, lawyer or real estate agent. It's all about personality, especially for doctors. I think it's crazy how we pick our doctors. Are they close to me? Do they take my insurance? Okay, you're my doctor. What we're really doing is empowering consumers to make better choices," says Sherman.

Cheaper than a commercial, the service is available for a monthly subscription fee of $59, $99, $149, and $199 for 30, 60, 90 or 120 second video, respectively. There are no upfront video production costs and the service is available for an inital 30-day trial.

Source: John Sherman, Storyfarm New Media
Writer: Walaika Haskins

It was a good night, a very good night last Wednesday when Fastspot, a Baltimore-based interactive design firm, learned Jumbalaya, a word game designed for Apple's new iPad device, would be one of about a thousand apps available for the iPad's launch on Saturday, April 3.

"There's a big advantage to being in at the ground level on something like this. The marketplace will get more and more flooded over time and we think it will be a pretty revolutionary device and we wanted to have something for it when it came out," says Tracey Halverson, Fastspot's creative director and principal.

Available on Apple's App site, Jumbalaya is a word scramble game that takes advantage of the iPad's multi-touch technology. "You can really use all your fingers to move the Scrabble-like blocks around to create as many words as you can," Halverson says.

The game offers players two distinct gameplay modes -- Survival and Quick Play. Survival pits players against the clock, making words to stay alive. In Quick Play gamers are challenged to get as many points as as possible in two minutes. Players can choose between three -- Wood, Earth and Ice.

It took the design team at Fastspot about one month to create the game, submit it and get accepted by Apple. The big challenge was creating the game on a simulator because the iPad was not available until last Saturday. "We have experience developing for the iPhone, so our lead developer was able to tap into that experience. Apple has been very good about providing feedback on the app along the way, so we just followed their deadline," Halverson explains.

Now that the team has experience designing for the iPad, Halverson hopes that they will be able to use that to create iPad apps for Fastspot's clients.

"I think this device will really become quite popular and we want to do more of it for our clients as well. So it was really great to dive in and get our feet wet," says Halverson.

Source: Tracey Halverson, Fastspot
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Even while the economy struggled to recover from the steepest economic decline since the great depression, personal income in Maryland was on the rise, accordng to recently released report from the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). Maryland was one of only six states -- including Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, West Virginia and Virginia -- to witness a personal income gain last year.

For Marylanders, 2009 saw personal income increase by $2.7 billion, increasing from $272.5 billion in 2008 to $275.2 billion in 2009. The  increase was the largest dollar increase in the country.  The State's personal income rose by 1%, the second highest growth rate. This comes during a year when personal income and net earnings declined in most states across the nation by an average of 1.7%.

According to the BEA, the gains  in Maryland and Virginia were most likely attributable to "earnings inflows associated with commuters who work in the District of Columbia; wages and salaries paid by employers located in Maryland and Virginia fell 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent respectively."

At $48,285, Maryland's per capita income is 123% of the national average. Per capita income increased $121 from 2008, propelling Maryland from 6th to 4th among states in per capita personal income. Maryland's per capita income moved in front of New York and Wyoming in the national rankings, just below Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Across the U.S., per capita income decreased by an average of $1,028

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Even as the record-setting snowstorms resulted in slower hiring in several industries, a few sectors weathered the disruptions and added jobs, including professional scientific and technical services, which added 1,300 jobs, 0.6 percent increase. Health care and social assistance  also made some gains, increasing by 800 jobs, or 0.2 percent, and accommodation and food services, which added 700 jobs, an increase of roughly 0.4 percent.

Maryland lost 13,800 nonfarm payroll jobs in February largely as a result of the severe snowstorms that disrupted the economy. During the month, Maryland's unemployment rate rose from 7.5 percent in January to 7.7 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent.

Weather-sensitive sectors experienced the biggest declines including construction, which lost 8,000 jobs, a 5.4 percent decline, as well as arts, entertainment and recreation, which saw a 6 percent decline, losing 2,100, jobs. Job counts in these sectors will probably bounce back in March, a month likely to reflect more normal weather and labor market conditions.

Bad weather also disrupted the not seasonally adjusted jobs count. The state lost 65,500 jobs, a 2.6 percent loss, compared to 2.5 percent for the nation. Sectors that grew faster in Maryland than the rest of the nation include management, scientific and technical consulting, which added 4,500 jobs for 14.6 percent growth, health care/social assistance that added 4,100 jobs for 1.3 percent increase and computer systems design/support services, which gained 500 jobs for 0.8 percent growth.


Source: Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development
Writer: Walaika Haskins

In the most recent Monster Employment Index, a snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide, Maryland ranked 6th among the 50 U.S. states for per capita online job availability in February. Alaska, Deleware, Montana Virginia, and Rhode Island earned the top five spots for online job availability.

Nationally, the index reported the long-term growth rate turned positive for the first time since December 2007. Information Services led all industries with a 13-point gain in February, driven primarily by telecommunications and media distribution.

During March, demand rose in four U.S. Census Bureau regions while two remained flat. Pacific and Mid Atlantic registered the largest gains, climbing three points each. West South Central remained unchanged in March, but displays the largest three-month rise among all divisions. On an annual basis, Mid-Atlantic exhibited the most improvement, according to the online job site.

Among the 50 states and the District, 18 registered increased online job opportunities in March, led by Delaware and North Carolina.

Source: Monster.com
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Maryland's congressional delegation presented the Maryland Food Bank with a check for $492,000 to help the non-profit organization feed the growing number of Marylanders seeking its services. The funding for the Maryland Food Bank was included in the omnibus appropriations bill that was enacted into law in December 2009.

The Maryland Food Bank provides meals to approximately 44,600 Marylanders a week and 261,000 people a year. Since the economic downturn began in 2008, the Maryland Food Bank has reported a 30 to 50 percent increase in the demand for food. Many of its clients work fulltime and were considered middle class before the recession.

"In this recession, too many Marylanders have been faced with the difficult decision of whether to buy food or pay other bills such as rent, heat or health care," says Senator Ben Cardin, a member of the Senate Budget Committee. "The Maryland Food Bank provides a valuable service in helping to feed our state's hungry, and I am committed to ensuring they have the resources they need to carry out their mission."

The Maryland Food Bank, an affiliate of Feeding America, was founded in 1979 to coordinate the procurement and distribution of food donations from manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and government agencies to organizations providing free food to the state's hungry. It provides nearly 14 million pounds of food annually to 1,000 Network Partners -- including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, low-income day care centers, after-school programs, senior centers, rehabilitation centers, and other feeding programs.

"This funding couldn't have come at a better time � when the fastest-growing segment of those in need is people who work fulltime and were considered middle-class before the economic recession," Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger says. "The Maryland Food Bank has been helping Maryland families get back on their feet for decades and this funding will now help them put a new roof over their own heads. I am proud to be a part of Team Maryland and will continue to fight to ensure Marylanders have the resources they need to weather this financial storm."

The Maryland Food Bank will use the funds to make improvements to its office spaces, install a new roof at the food bank's 87,000-square-foot distribution center in Baltimore, and other capital needs.

"The mission of the Maryland Food Bank is one of mercy," says Congressman Elijah Cummings. "That our land of plenty has citizens who go hungry is a national embarrassment. The Maryland Food Bank has done incredible work to fix this problem, and I am proud to help it continue that mission, in the words of its motto, until hunger ends."

Over the last 18 months, the Maryland Food Bank and its network of soup kitchens, food pantries and feeding programs have seen an increase in the demand for food of 30 � 50 percent. There has been an 11 percent increase in those accessing feeding programs serviced by the Maryland Food Bank over the last four years.

"In these difficult economic times, the Maryland Food Bank is playing a critical role providing food for the hungry," says Congressman John Sarbanes. "The Maryland Food Bank has been a lifeline for struggling families who didn't know where their next meal was going to come from."

"Because of the efforts of Senators Cardin and Mikulski and Representatives Sarbanes, Ruppersberger and Cummings, the Maryland Food Bank secured critical funding that will help us improve our operations so that we can get more food to more people in need," says Deborah Flateman, Maryland Food Bank CEO.

"We are building a movement to end hunger in Maryland while building a strong, effective organization that can meet the needs of those we serve," Flateman adds.

Source: Maryland Food Bank
Writer: Walaika Haskins 

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) has updated its new incentive program for mid-sized solar energy systems. Made possible through funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the two-year program will provide a total of up to $1.45 million to lower the cost of rooftop solar energy systems for commercial buildings, allowing more Maryland businesses to receive the benefits of clean renewable energy from the sun.

"Maryland's mid-sized solar grant program is a true 'win' for local businesses and workers. By taking advantage of this new resource, not only will businesses see a reduction in energy usage and operational costs in the long term, but they will also become a part of a Maryland that is Smart, Green and Growing, by taking this step to reduce their carbon footprint, " says Governor Martin O'Malley. "I encourage local businesses to take advantage of this opportunity."

The incentive program covers two technologies, solar photovoltaic which converts light into electricity, and solar water heating, which converts light into heat energy to supplement natural gas or electric water heating. Both of these technologies have reached a level of technology maturity and reliability that makes them great long term investments for commercial buildings, according to the MEA.

Through the MEA's grant program, Marylanders now can qualify for a rebate of $500 per kilowatt of photovoltaic capacity installed for systems between 20 and 100 KW, up to $50,000 per grant, and 15 percent of the system cost for a solar hot water system up to $25,000 per grant at this time.

"The challenge for many businesses is that the costs for solar energy systems are all up-front, while the benefits accrue over many years of use," says Malcolm Woolf, MEA director . "The mid-sized incentive program, combined with the federal investment tax credit of 30 percent, is designed to help lower the upfront cost of these renewable energy systems so that businesses can continue to invest in clean renewable energy despite the difficult economy. We are thrilled to be able to serve the business community with this much-needed clean energy program."

Source: Maryland Energy Administration
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods has launched a new biweekly e-newsletter to help keep Baltimore's community leaders and citizens interested in the City's official goings in the know. The Neighborhood News will be sent to community leaders and will be available on a subscription basis to all City residents.

The Neighborhood News will include features to help citizens more easily access City services, from how to get a building permit to the proper disposal of trash and recycling. The newsletter encourages citizen participation in political and civic life by listing City of Baltimore public meetings, as well as citywide and neighborhood-sponsored events.

The newsletter's  Focus On section will highlight a City department or service that community leaders or citizens routinely have questions or concerns about. It could also be used to explain a newly-introduced bill in City Council or in Annapolis that affects City residents. Examples: The 2010 Census, the City budget process, or zoning issues.

The Neighborhood Spotlight section will feature the efforts by city neighborhoods or groups of neighborhoods who work together to launch initiatives like beautification projects, block parties, or crime awareness campaigns. Communities will be encouraged to share their success stories and submit stories and photos for this feature.

The City will use the Call to Action section as a soliciting tool to request assistance from neighborhood leaders and citizens on grassroots issues, correcting misinformation, spreading the word on important time-sensitive policies/initiatives. Example: Carbon monoxide detectors are now mandatory in Baltimore.

"Baltimore has outstanding neighborhoods," says Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. "The launch of The Neighborhood News is a great first step to keeping our citizens informed and building safe, strong and healthy neighborhoods."

Source: The Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, UMBC President Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, and Maryland Clean Energy Center Executive Director Kathy Magruder officially opened Maryland's first Clean Energy Technology Incubator (CETI) at UMBC.

" By growing our own companies, we'll add new green jobs to our economy, while supporting the discovery of new technologies that will further our commitment to a sustainable environment," said Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith

The Clean Energy Technology Incubator at UMBC is the first in a statewide network of clean energy incubators. It promotes entrepreneurship and job creation in industries that will impact the use of alternative energy sources in areas of interest including renewable energy, biofuels, smart grid technologies, electric vehicles, cybersecurity, and energy policy. Baltimore County is providing a $75,000 grant over two years through its Department of Economic Development to partially fund an Entrepreneur in Residence at the incubator.

Six companies were announced as the first tenants in the incubator, which is located in the Biotech Building on UMBC's South Campus. The incubator contains approximately 18,000 square feet of combined office and wet laboratory space.

Clean Green Chesapeake, LLC which focuses on using algae to simultaneously generate clean water, sequestration of CO2 and biofuels.

Plant Sensory Systems, LLC that develops technologies to improve crop performance, alleviate negative environmental impact, and increase levels of sugar, oil, and cellulose in plants so they can convert into biofuels.

Amethyst Technologies, LLC that consults on FDA guidelines and regulations and offers "green" services for design and creation of environmentally sustainable solutions.

COLUMBIA Technologies, LLC that provides 3D maps of underground pollution to lower the cost and risk of real estate redevelopment and contaminated site cleanup. The same software can be used in energy efficiency applications.

Amidus, LLC that works with clients to help them formulate and realize their strategies in the energy market.

UMBC Training Centers Offers high quality training and certification to individuals and organizations in the Baltimore region, including courses on CyberSecurity for the electric grid.Maryland Clean Energy Center Technology Incubator Network Opens First Site at bwtech@UMBC*

The Maryland Clean Energy Center has partnered with bwtech@UMBC to support early stage companies working with clean energy technologies and advance green job creation in our state.

"The Maryland Clean Energy Center is striving to partner with energy experts throughout the state in order to fulfill its mission of growing Maryland's clean energy economy through related economic development and job creation. Because bwtech@UMBC has a proven track record of success our Board elected to work with their team to establish our first Clean Energy Incubator Network site at UMBC," Katherine Magruder, executive director of MCEC says.

According to Magruder, "The intention is to draw from the depth and variety of the research presence in the state, and use the incubator network to move discoveries from the bench to the bank in the commercialization pipeline." She added, "The program seeks to provide affordable space as well as assistance with business plans, marketing, and management of intellectual property for start-up companies that are focused on a clean or renewable energy product, service or technology."

CETI is a natural fit with UMBC's strengths in environmental sciences and bwtech@UMBC's interest in and support of environmental science companies. bwtech@UMBC already hosts the headquarters of the U.S.

"bwtech@UMBC is delighted to establish this groundbreaking incubator," says Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park. "Maryland is positioned to become a leader in bioscience and environmental technologies, and we are excited to be a part of it."

Initial funding for the CETI will be provided by MCEC, bwtech@UMBC, and a grant from the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development to support the Entrepreneur-in-Residence.

"bwtech@UMBC has been a leader in nurturing entrepreneurship, fostering new ideas and generating jobs in Baltimore County for nearly two decades," says David S. Iannucci, executive director of Baltimore County Economic Development. "The Clean Energy Technology Incubator will increase its economic impact on the region."

In the long term MCEC is hoping to replicate this model in partnership with other jurisdictions and their economic development agencies.

Source: Baltimore County
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Maryland-based E-Structors, a company specializing in the secure destruction and recycling of computers, electronics and documents,  has achieved Responsible Recycling (R2) and ISO 14001:2004 certifications. Earning these certifications places E-Structors among the first electronics recyclers in the country � and the first in the Mid-Atlantic region � to be recognized for maintaining the highest environmental standards for processing and recycling electronic waste.

Introduced in 2009 and endorsed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices for Electronics Recyclers establish how electronic waste should best be safely handled, responsibly re-used and legally exported. As an R2-certified recycler, E-Structors can guarantee that it maintains a state-of-the-art environmental management system (EMS) that soundly controls and regulates the entire "downstream" of the 18-20 million pounds of material it processes annually.

"Achieving our R2 and ISO 14001:2004 certification is a major accomplishment that solidifies E-Structors as a world-class company in our industry," says Mike Keough, president, E-Structors. "Our clients now have assurance that E-Structors is committed to maintaining the integrity of our recycling practices and the safety of our workers as we provide the highest level of environmental compliance and data security."

ISO 14001:2004 is a globally-accepted set of requirements for environmental management systems established by the International Organizations for Standardization (ISO). To achieve certification, E-Structors worked with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and University of Maryland Manufacturing Assistance Program to implement an EMS that effectively controls its environmental impact and continually improves its environmental performance by achieving certain objectives, such as reducing the company's energy consumption and waste production.

"Businesses today have come to realize that they need to go beyond basic regulatory compliance to take advantage of the cost saving opportunities, liability prevention and customer benefits that come with a more proactive approach to environmental management," says Laura Armstrong, pollution prevention and sustainability coordinator, MDE. "Environmental management systems offer a way to instill this approach by building capability among staff and establishing procedures that ensure continuous improvement in managing and reducing environmental impacts."

Once its new EMS was put into effect, E-Structors underwent a rigorous audit by an accredited third party to earn its ISO 14001:2004 registration. Curt Bluefeld was the program manager who worked closely with E-Structors throughout the development of its EMS.

"E-Structors' implementation and subsequent ISO 14001:2004 registration of its environmental management system reflects the highly-professional attitude and thoroughness evident throughout the company's operation," he said. "The staff was a pure joy to work with I suspect the E-Structors EMS will become the standard all other electronics recyclers will want to meet."

Source: E-Structors
Writer: Walaika Haskins