GOVERNOR O’MALLEY VISITS FREDERICK’S THERMO FISHER, CONTINUES “JOBS ACROSS MARYLAND” TOUR

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Continuing his “Jobs Across Maryland” tour, Governor Martin O’Malley joined Frederick County economic development officials on a visit to Fisher BioServices, part of the world’s largest biorepository storing more than 200 million biological specimens for disease research and drug development. The company is a business of Thermo Fisher Scientific, a Fortune 500 company with more than a dozen sites in Maryland, employing nearly 300 workers. Fisher BioServices is planning to expand its operations in Frederick this year and hire approximately eight additional workers.

Earlier today, Governor O’Malley delivered remarks to the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce and focused his address on the O’Malley-Brown Administration’s efforts to create jobs, save jobs, and improve the conditions for Maryland businesses, large and small, to create and save jobs.

“Maryland is continuing to invest in our biotechnology industry and create a climate where cutting-edge companies like Fisher BioServices can expand and create jobs,” said Governor O’Malley. “The important work that Thermo Fisher Scientific is doing right here in Maryland to cure diseases and develop new drugs can help save the lives of millions around the globe.”

“Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Fisher BioServices business is pleased to employ approximately 250 people in Montgomery and Frederick Counties,” said Dennis Fallen, Vice President and General Manager of Fisher BioServices, which has 11 locations in Maryland. “These are important hubs for our business, since we serve both the federal government and commercial businesses that are in the area. Most of all, I’m proud that the services we provide our customers represent a new standard in biological specimen management.”

Fisher BioServices has contracts with more than a dozen U.S. federal government agencies, including National Institute of Health (NIH), providing exclusive worldwide distribution of anti-retrovirals for NIH’s Division of AIDS for clinical trials; National Cancer Institute (NCI), providing repository services both on Ft. Detrick and off-post with chemotherapeutic distribution for NCI’s clinical trials; and Department of Defense (DOD), providing DOD serum repository services by storing a vial of blood from every U.S. serviceman and woman. The company recently won a contract for the biorepository services of the National Children's study (NCS), which will follow 100,000 children and their parents from preconception through age 21.

“Frederick County is very excited to be home to Fisher BioServices and their new, expanding repository facility,” said Jan Gardner, President of the Frederick County Commissioners. “The interaction, innovation and research between Fisher BioServices, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other corporate stakeholders will not only continue to create jobs but offer solutions and support of all sectors of the clinical research and drug discovery industry.”

Frederick is home to more than 75 bioscience companies including SAIC/NCI; MedImmune, Inc; Lonza Bioscience Walkersville, Inc.; SA biosciences; Charles River Labs; ASRL Pathology; and Akonni Biosystems, Inc.; making Frederick the second largest cluster of bioscience companies in the state.

In the past year, the O’Malley-Brown Administration has implemented an aggressive agenda of new and expanded programs to create jobs, retain jobs and improve the conditions that allow businesses large and small to create and save jobs, including:

Increasing the biotech tax credit to $8 million in fiscal year 2011;
Pioneering the Jobs Creation and Recovery Tax Credit;
Expanding the Small Business Loan Guaranty program to increase access to credit; and
Creating InvestMaryland, an administrative and legislative proposal designed to support the growth of the state’s knowledge based industries by stimulating investment in the Maryland Venture Fund.

Maryland remains one of only eight states to retain a Triple A bond rating, recently reaffirmed by all three rating agencies. With an unemployment rate more than 25 percent below the national average, Maryland created more than 40,200 jobs since January. Over the same period, every job growth sector experienced gains, particularly in those areas of the economy that have struggled during the recession. In June, leisure and hospitality gained more than 5,800 jobs, professional and business services added 2,800 jobs and construction added 1,300 jobs.