Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett today recognized the 10th anniversary of the County’s highly successful Business Innovation Network (BIN) incubator system at the Shady Grove Innovation Center (SGIC), the County’s first incubator facility (formerly known as the Maryland Technology Development Center). Since its opening in 1999, more than 90 companies have graduated from BIN, creating 1,800 jobs and occupying about 625,000 square feet of commercial space. Joining Leggett at the celebration were Department of Economic Development (DED) Director Steve Silverman, County Councilmember George Leventhal, businesses from the County’s five incubator facilities and the private-sector, local and state partners, and community and academic representatives.

“The County’s Business Innovation Network is a key component in promoting our local small business community and supporting a vibrant environment for entrepreneurs throughout Montgomery County,” said Leggett. “The initiative has proven to be a success, generating business growth and job creation in the County. Today’s event recognizes those who were instrumental in bringing the County’s incubator system into existence and celebrates the more than 90 graduates over the past decade.”

With locations in Shady Grove, downtown Silver Spring, Wheaton, Rockville and Germantown, the network’s five facilities occupy more than 150,000 square feet of office and lab space, house more than 150 companies and support nearly 500 county-based jobs.
“It is so rewarding to see how far this initiative has come in a relatively short period of time,” said Silverman. “Our department is poised to help continue and expand the business support and job growth the network has made possible throughout the county.” 

Today’s program recognized five recent network graduates -- Biofactura, InterSpace, PlantVax, and Opgen, all SGIC graduates and Translate TV, a Wheaton Business Innovation Center graduate.

“The County’s incubator program is truly a valuable resource for start-up businesses like mine that need only a small lab space, which can be very hard to find in the commercial office market,” said Dr. Yvonne Rosenberg, CEO of PlantVax. “Montgomery County’s Department of Economic Development and, in particular, the Business Innovation Network team, were instrumental in offering me the support, resources and business guidance I needed to help PlantVax succeed, and today we are in our own commercial space right here in Rockville.”

The program also recognized individuals instrumental in the creation of the County’s incubator program, including Hans Mayer, former executive director of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, David Edgerley, former director of the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, Henry Bernstein, former DED chief of staff, Dyan Brasington, former president of the Tech Council of Maryland, and Duc Duong, former DED assistant director.