Local artisans and entrepreneurs soon will be able to brag more boldly about the origin of their products.
As early as next month, Baltimore City's Department of Planning will begin certifying "Made in Baltimore" businesses — companies that make products in the city and local stores that sell them. Certified companies will be included in online directory and will be allowed to display a "Made in Baltimore" seal on their products, websites and store windows.
"Baltimore is not the first city to do this, but we need it here," said Andy Cook, Made in Baltimore's program coordinator.
The program's goal is to boost small, local businesses by encouraging people to buy from them and increase the number of living wage jobs available, he said.
"I'm under no illusion Made in Baltimore will do that alone," Cook added. "But I think it's a piece of the puzzle and I'm excited to see it."
The program, run through the Planning Department's Office of Sustainability, is funded by a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and matching funds from Baltimore Arts Realty Corp., Abell Foundation, Baltimore Development Corp. and the Planning Department, for a total budget of about $220,000.
Certified businesses will receive a digital copy of the "Made in Baltimore" seal, a black circular logo with white writing, to apply to their product packaging, marketing materials and websites. Storefront window stickers also will be available — once Cook orders them.
The free certification program builds on Cook's work to rally the city around a growing community of artisans and makers.
There have been five Made in Baltimore pop-up shops since 2015, including one in Hampden this past holiday season. Cook said pop-up shops will be an ongoing part of the program.
Made in Baltimore already has kicked off a business development series, called Workshop Wednesday, which focuses on topics such as marketing and access to capital. The series is a partnership with Open Works, a co-working and makerspace in Baltimore's Station North neighborhood.
Baltimore Arts Realty Corp.'s Open Works is opening its doors Tuesday in Greenmount West, making it the most recent initiative in the city aimed at reviving small-scale manufacturing and stimulating growth among creative businesses.
BARCO spent $11.5 million to convert the 34,000-square-foot former...
Baltimore Arts Realty Corp.'s Open Works is opening its doors Tuesday in Greenmount West, making it the most recent initiative in the city aimed at reviving small-scale manufacturing and stimulating growth among creative businesses.
BARCO spent $11.5 million to convert the 34,000-square-foot former...
In March, Made in Baltimore will work with the University of Baltimore and the Urban Manufacturing Alliance, a national organization that promotes urban manufacturing, on an economic impact survey on the maker and light manufacturing sector, Cook said. Baltimore will be one of several cities studied.
Beyond supporting local businesses, the initiative is intended to spur job growth.
Cook is working with local makerspaces, such as OpenWorks, to develop a job training program that would focus on skills for light manufacturing jobs.
That program, still early in development, likely would not start until 2018, Cook said.
sarah.gantz@baltsun.com
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