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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

College Park Businesses Make Second Round of InvestMaryland Challenge

Competition offers grants and services to life science and high tech companies.

Four College Park companies have made it to the second round of the InvestMaryland Challenge, a competition in which start-up companies can win a portion of $300,000 in grants and/or business services. Of the 250 companies that initially applied to the competition, 71 were selected to advance to the second round, with 20 in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. The College Park companies that made the cut are VisiSonics Corporation, IGI Technologies, Remedium Technologies, and Maryland Energy and Sensor Technologies. In the second round, the entrants’ business plans will be reviewed and judged with semi-finalists announced Feb. 19, and the Governor’s Cup Award Ceremony on April 15. Prizes include such things as mentorship programs, …

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Local Flower Shops Suffer with Rise of Internet Florists

Online florists are stiff competition for local shops, including the family owned Wood's Flowers in College Park.

  • BUSINESS
  • Thursday, February 14

By Jeremy Granoff Capital News Service COLLEGE PARK - Local florists are wilting as online flower stores seize a larger portion of the market for bouquets of Valentine’s Day roses and other floral arrangements. The growing dominance of large web-based flower retailers like 1-800-Flowers.com and ProFlowers, combined with discounted “cash-and-carry” supermarket flowers, has contributed to eroding sales at local flower shops. Revenues at local U.S. flower shops have fallen 22 percent over the last decade, according to industry analyst IBISWorld, from $9.79 billion in 2003 to $7.62 billion in 2012. And more local flower shops go out of business every year. “Online retailers have crushed the ‘mom and pop’ florist,” said Tracy Callahan, …

In this Article:

Wood's Flowers and Gifts

Peggy Anne

10:24 am on Friday, February 15, 2013

I loved seeing their shop from US 1. It's a strong childhood memory landmark in my brain.   more ›

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