Business View Magazine - Dec 2023

consumption, but to support innovative industries focused on producing clean, renewable energy. Governor Moore has set the ambitious goal for Maryland to produce 100 percent clean energy by 2035 and committed to a major increase in the state’s offshore wind energy production from 2 gigawatts to 8.5 gigawatts – enough to power nearly three million households. Moore also instructed state agencies to double their energy conservation goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by the year 2031. Maryland is also fast-becoming a hub for offshore wind production, thanks to two companies with an expanding presence at the Tradepoint Atlantic multi-modal logistics hub in Baltimore County. Both Orsted and U.S. Wind have established a manufacturing presence at the site. U.S. Wind established its own steel production facility, known as Sparrows Point Steel, while Orsted is using materials produced by Crystal Steel, a local company located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Those two offshore wind-focused partnerships are expected to create nearly 15,000 jobs in total. MARYLAND’S STRATEGIC LOCATION FUELS GROWTH In recent years, Maryland’s strategic location at the heart of the Mid-Atlantic region has fueled the growth not only of Tradepoint Atlantic, but of several major logistics and distribution centers around the state. Maryland is within an overnight drive of one-third of the U.S. population, and numerous locations around the state offer easy access to interstate highways, rail lines, airports, and the Port of Baltimore. Tradepoint Atlantic is a 3,300-acre development located at the site of a former Bethlehem Steel plant which, in its prime, was one of the largest employers in the greater Baltimore region. The new development offers warehouse space, road and rail access, and deepwater berths to accommodate large cargo vessels. Major tenants include Amazon, BMW, Under Armour,Home Depot, McCormick and FedEx. Floor & Decor announced this year that it would open its second distribution facility at Tradepoint, creating 165 new jobs; other recently announced tenants include Niagara Bottling and United Safety Technology. Further north along I-95 is the Principio Business Park, a development spanning more than 1,600 acres that is home to warehousing and distribution facilities for tenants such as Amazon, Lidl, MedLine, Smithfield Hams. Regent Cabinet Solutions recently announced an expansion of its footprint at Principio, noting that the move would “allow us to continue to enhance delivering exceptional projects, while reducing operating costs and expediting project turnaround for our customers.” Western Maryland is home to its own growing distribution hub, the Hagerstown Logistics Center. With more than 2.2 million square feet spread across four buildings, the center is already home to distribution facilities for Amazon and Herbalife Nutrition. Elsewhere in Hagerstown, Conair is building a new, 2.1 million square-foot distribution center – the largest in the state – and bringing 700 new jobs to Maryland. “By locating in Washington County, the company 215 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 12 MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE