Secretary Gill: We are Commerce

10/01/2015| Mike Gill

Secretary Gill: We are Commerce

10/01/2015 | Mike Gill

October2015

Business Pulse: We are Commerce

Mike Gill is Secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce.

"We are Commerce."

You're going to see those three simple words from us a lot in the coming weeks. We are Commerce.

We are marking our transition to the Department of Commerce from the Department of Business and Economic Development today, but this isn't just about some fresh letterhead and a new logo. (Check it out, it's really sharp.) This is a cause for some excitement. Our move to Commerce is rooted in a sentiment that has long been pervasive through Maryland's business community we can be better. We should be better. We'd better be better if we're going to compete in the 21st Century.

The Department of Commerce is here to ensure that we do.

The new name and the logo aren't the only changes happening here. Everything we do at Commerce will serve our three main functions making sure Maryland businesses stay here, supporting them as they grow, and attracting the best of the rest from around the country to join us in our great State. To those ends, we are actively engaged in putting more of our staff in customer-facing positions. "Customer service is #1" has been our motto since I started here little more than nine months ago. This is us putting our money where our mouth is, us walking our talk. We are staffing up our teams of industry experts detailed to the dynamic sectors at the heart of our economy, including the life sciences, cybersecurity, aerospace and defense, and manufacturing. We are putting more resources into our regional team, adding staff tasked with keeping their fingers on the pulse of business needs in every county of the State.

Our quality of life attractions, like our arts scene, cultural and heritage institutions and tourism destinations, remain world-class, and our commitment to them will not wane. We are going to be working closer with our partners in higher education their research and graduates are the fuel that make our economy really hum and we're putting together new ways to market our State to companies in the U.S. and abroad. Maryland is headed in a new direction the right direction and we're going to make sure everyone knows it.

So don't be surprised when you hear us answer the phone "Department of Commerce, how can I help you?" And don't be surprised as the business climate grows more positive and more companies start looking seriously at Maryland. "Economic development" may not be in our name any longer but it will always be part of our DNA.

Read the official Maryland Department of Commerce announcement here.

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