Page 48 - Garrett County 2023/2024 Visitors Guide

efforts are being driven by Garrett Regional Medical Center (part of the WVU Health System), Mountain Laurel Medical Center and various other medical providers and public health services.
Specialty Manufacturing: Garrett County’s natural resources and intellectual capital have attracted more than 30 specialty manufacturers. These employers also benefit from the county’s broadband network and
its convenient location, which allows for overnight trucking to one-third of the United States. The county’s proximity to the Port of Baltimore means manufactured goods can be exported swiftly. Garrett County Airport (garrettcounty.org/airport-2g4) provides small freight and ground support services for commercial and general aviation.
Tourism & Recreation: Tourism has seen steady, record-breaking growth in recent years. The county’s more than 1.4 million annual visitors provide regular opportunities for new tourism-related businesses to open in the area. Annual visitor spending of $314.79 million generates $360.50 million in economic impact.
Major Employers (2022)
Employer
Beitzel Corp./Pillar Innovation Goodwill Retirement Community Garrett Co. Community Action Total Biz Fulfillment
Railey Mountain Vacations Appalachian Parent Association Phenix Technologies
Savage Services
Oakland Nursing & Rehabilitation
Simon Pearce
Agribusiness: There are more than 600 farms in Garrett County, benefiting from the area’s fertile soil as well as the growth of local farmers’ markets. Farmers in the county may apply for annual marketing grants
up to $250. The agricultural community (garrettfarms.org) is further enhanced by Garrett County’s thriving tourism industry.
Energy: Since 1925, the dam at Deep Creek Lake, now owned by Brookfield Renewable, has provided the region with renewable hydroelectric energy. Three Exelon Wind projects in the county — Fourmile Wind Project, Fair Wind Project and Criterion Wind Project — together can generate 140 MWh of clean energy. County government worked with SolarCity (now Tesla) to install three small solar arrays on county-owned properties. Together, the installations
can supply approximately 35 to 40% of Garrett County government’s annual power consumption.
Arts & Culture: The Garrett County Arts Council, our county’s official arts agency, supports all forms of art through grant
Product / Service Employees
Industrial Construction 480 Nursing Care 200 Social Advocacy 185 Order Fulfillment 172 Real Estate Management 156 Services for the Disabled 151 High-Voltage Test Equip. 120 Freight Trucking 75 Nursing Care 67 Hand-blown Glass Manuf. 52
funding and advocacy at the state and local level. The opening of the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College earlier this year marked a major milestone for the arts and culture scene, but arts and crafts have long been celebrated at galleries, shops and venues throughout the county.
Notable Businesses
A few of Garrett County’s more notable businesses include:
ClosetMaid: Established in Ocala, FL in 1965, ClosetMaid opened its Grantsville facility in late 2007 and became operational with 40 employees. Today, the Grantsville facility employs 251 individuals working two shifts and sells its product lines through Amazon, Wayfair, Lowes, Home Depot, Target and other major retailers.
Garrett Container Systems (GCS): GCS is
a major manufacturer of reusable aluminum shipping containers. Its product line includes general-purpose cargo containers, dog kennels for military K-9 units, and welded, air-tight units. The company is also a distributor of high-end tactical equipment used by the U.S. military, law enforcement and other government agencies.
Simon Pearce: One of the last American glassblowing companies in existence,
Simon Pearce is renowned for its beautifully designed, handcrafted glass and pottery pieces. Founded by artisan and master glassblower Simon Pearce in 1971 in Kilkenny, Ireland, the company moved to the United States in 1981 and expanded into Garrett County in 1998.
Pillar Innovations: Headquartered in Grantsville, Pillar Innovations is a wholly- owned subsidiary of Beitzel Corporation. Founded to service coal mines and industrial facilities in Western Maryland, Pillar Innovations now offers products and solutions in the mining, oil and natural gas, aggregate, automotive, engineering, fiber optics, and security/access control sectors for businesses across the country.
Resources and Incentives
for Employers
Garrett College (garrettcollege.edu) offers continuing education and non-credit workforce training in a variety of fields, from welding to health care services, through
its Career Technology Training Center. The school has also partnered with the county’s Department of Business Development on initiatives to promote well-paying jobs and advancement opportunities.
One such initiative is the Garrett Information Enterprise Center (GIEC, business.garrettcounty.org/site-location- opportunities/business-incubator- coworking-space), which was launched as a
Garrett Regional Medical Center
Medical Services
512
ClosetMaid Corporation
Storage Product
252
Arrowhead, Inc.
Cinema/Deli/Rest.
190
First United Corporation
Banking/Financial Services
172
Garrett College*
Higher Education
161
EPT Properties/Wisp Resort**
Four-Season Resort
152
Dennett Road Manor Nursing Home
Nursing Care
122
Garrett Container Systems
Aluminum Shipping Cont.
110
Morningstar
IT Admin & Support
68
Wood Products
Hardwood Lumber
63
GCC Technologies
Technology Solutions
45
*Employment rises when nursing semester starts with more adjunct faculty added. **Employment increases to 600 during winter ski season.
Excludes post offices, state and local governments, national retail and food service; includes higher education Sources: Garrett County Department of Business Development, Maryland Department of Commerce
46 The Deep Creek Experience