Shopping small is a wonderful way to support Allegany County’s vibrant community and explore the unique businesses that call it home this holiday season.Among the many local gems, two exciting new businesses have recently opened their doors: the Mountain Maryland Trading Post in Cumberland and Frostburg Fitness. These establishments not only offer unique products and services but also embody the entrepreneurial spirit that makes Allegany County special.

Allegany County is set to become the home of Kingspan Roofing + Waterproofing’s first manufacturing facility on the East Coast. This venture underscores Allegany County’s capacity to support large-scale manufacturing initiatives and highlights the essential collaborations that facilitated Kingspan’s decision to invest in Western Maryland.Kingspan Roofing + Waterproofing, a newly formed division of the Ireland-based Kingspan Group, specializes in energy-efficient roofing solutions. While the parent company is well-established worldwide, its new roofing division sought an East Coast location to launch its United States manufacturing operations. The search led Kingspan to the 348,000-square-foot former Hunter Douglas facility in Allegany County, which had closed only eighteen months prior. The building's broker, Binswanger, facilitated initial discussions with Kingspan's site selection consultant and business broker, Deloitte, drawing in the Maryland Department of Commerce for additional support.The Department of Commerce engaged Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ACECD) to provide key insights on the county and help facilitate communication between stakeholders.ACECD Director Jeffrey Barclay shares, “Just a week after our first call about the project in February 2023, Deloitte requested a tour of the building at One Hunter Douglas Drive.” Barclay and ACECD’s Senior Project Manager Nathan Price hosted the visit, showcasing the site’s potential and discussing critical requirements like electricity, solar power, natural gas, and rail access.“That information was crucial,” said Barclay. “It helped us identify potential challenges with the site and collaboratively workshop solutions to make Allegany County the best fit for Kingspan.” Despite considering other locations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, Allegany’s combination of available skilled labor and advantageous rail connections played a crucial role in Kingspan’s decision.

A strategic initiative is underway in Cumberland to accelerate blight removal and transform underutilized spaces into market-rate housing. Through the Infill Development Incentive Program, jointly established by the City of Cumberland and Allegany County, the City is poised to welcome over twenty much-needed housing units.“For decades, the declining population has led to a lot of unlivable, blighted properties in Cumberland,” shares Ken Tressler, Director of Administrative Services for the City of Cumberland. The City implemented a Nuisance Property Removal Program in 2014, which was renamed the Neighborhood Revitalization Program in July 2021. Since the program's initiation, the City has acquired over one hundred unlivable properties through tax foreclosure, donations, or acquisition. 

Geocycle officially opened its pre-processing facility in Cumberland on May 16, 2024, marking the company’s 197th location worldwide. The new facility will convert unusable waste products into viable fuels, creating local jobs and providing an environmentally sound waste removal option for local and regional manufacturing businesses.“Geocycle’s investment in Allegany County is a big deal,” shares Jeffrey Barclay, director of Allegany County Economic and Community Development (ACECD). “They are a multi-billion dollar company with a global presence. Not only does Geocycle bring jobs and living wages to our community, but their status as a key industry player brings attention to Allegany County’s growing notoriety in the circular economy.”

Committed to creating meaningful impact, Runners’ Wings has become a champion for fitness, inclusivity, and community spirit in greater Western Maryland. The downtown Frostburg store, owned by Laura Byrnes, offers a range of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories for patrons with all mobility and fitness levels.Driven by her personal passion for running, Byrnes shared her enthusiasm for the sport with her daughters, Maddie and Molly Offstein. In 2023, she opened Runners’ Wings as a way for her daughter, Molly, to reconnect with the running community after a near-fatal accident left her unable to pursue the sport further. The store's ethos is deeply rooted in Molly's resilience and the family’s love of the sport.

Clym Environmental Services, a leading player in the field of waste management, is at the forefront of a groundbreaking approach to handling regulated medical waste. The company is well-known for its expertise in three core service areas: safety consulting, life science and healthcare waste management, and facility decommissioning. Clym's forthcoming Allegany facility is poised to become the home of its newly developed technology, which promises to revolutionize the treatment of regulated medical waste, offering a more sustainable and eco-friendly solution. 

After years of vacancy, 118 Baltimore Street is now the focus of a transformative renovation in downtown Cumberland. Now known as “The Rosenbaum,” this former department store is being renovated by CG Enterprises into a mixed-use commercial and residential space. The aim is to draw businesses, create jobs, and provide residential living options. Given its central location, The Rosenbaum will serve as a hub where residents, businesses, and tourists intersect, fostering connections and providing a chance to explore and engage with the distinct offerings of Allegany County.The five-story building, built in 1899, was home to the Rosenbaum Brothers Department store. Owned by Jewish-German immigrants, the store employed 200 people at its peak. Even after its closure in 1971, the site left a lasting impression on Cumberland residents. CG Enterprises’ principal team members, Garrett Eagan and Chris Hendershot, remember the building from their childhood in Cumberland. Eagan shares, “My family knows local Cumberland history. Between their stories and seeing the building in paintings of old downtown, Chris and I were aware of the Rosenbaums even though the department store had closed before our time. The building’s facade remains a focal point of Baltimore Street.”

Entering 2024, the Allegany County Economic and Community Development Department is set to continue its initiatives aimed at regional growth and progress. This year, residents, business owners, and partners can expect to see critical long-term investments materialize, along with the commencement of various additional projects. A major focus for Allegany County Economic and Community Development is to make the area a more livable community through accessible housing, diverse quality-of-life services, robust business attraction efforts, and ample job and career opportunities.“All parts of the economic and community ecosystem need to improve to move Allegany County forward,” impresses Jeffrey Barclay, Director of Economic and Community Development. “Businesses can thrive here if housing is available for employees. Residents can work if childcare services are accessible. Added amenities in the area make it more enjoyable to live here. We have improvements to make, and all areas of our community are strengthening in 2024.” 

In a bid to answer accelerating sewage waste issues and provide support to local agriculture, Nexus W2V, LLC (Nexus W2V), a developer of waste-to-value infrastructure assets, plans to make Allegany County the site of a plant for nutrient- and carbon-rich biochar. The company joins a growing community of circular economy-focused businesses (enterprises dedicated to reusing and recycling materials to reduce waste and conserve resources) in the Cumberland North Branch Industrial Park.Formed two years ago by Nexus Program Management Group, LLC (an investment and consulting company for sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, and waste-to-value), Nexus W2V expands the company beyond the boardroom and into a larger, actionable role in sustainability initiatives. Nexus W2V’s Allegany project is a solution to Maryland’s rising sewer sludge waste issue and plans to transform waste into biochar. When applied to farmland, biochar encourages fertile crops, promotes water retention, and improves agricultural sustainability. Until recently, sewer sludge products required little treatment before being processed for farmland soil. The growing presence of contaminants such as pharmaceutical residue, microplastics, per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), and other impurities has forced more stringent “cleaning” procedures to make the material safe for application on farm fields. 

After recently receiving operations approval from the Maryland Cannabis Administration in June, staff and stakeholders with cannabis processor Organic Remedies Maryland say they are optimistic about the company’s potential in their new Cumberland location. Organic Remedies operates multiple dispensary locations throughout Pennsylvania and a well-established laboratory. However, their Allegany County processing center marks their inaugural expansion into Maryland. The Cumberland facility's Laboratory Director, Jordan Medeiros, affirms the company's commitment to offering high-quality and cost-effective cannabis products to medical and recreational consumers.