Here comes the bride … and Martha

Photo courtesy of Scott Duncan, photographer and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia

 As part of the agreement, WeddingWire will offer its tools on the wedding section of marthastewart.com and its main Web site will include Martha Stewart Living content.
 “When we started the company, building a consumer Internet brand was a way to get nationwide exposure,” said Chi. “But we were looking for partnerships and Martha Stewart panned out for us which was great because that’s who we wanted.” – Tammi Slater

Peering into space 
    Think of it as a quest to build a better radar.
Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Electronic Systems division in Linthicum and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt have entered a partnership that promises to produce advanced technology, scientific discoveries, business opportunities and even some taxpayer savings.
 Under the terms of the Space Act Agreement, researchers from the two Baltimore-Washington Corridor-based organizations will work together to convert Northrop Grumman’s radar systems into advanced, agile, space-based sensors.
 The sheer size, power needs and operating requirements of current radars make them “extremely challenging and costly to fly to Mars and icy moons such as Europa and Titan,” said James Garvin, Goddard’s chief scientist.
 A smaller, refined sensing system that could be incorporated into space missions would enable NASA scientists to better study the habitability of Mars, the surface of Saturn’s moons and other distant bodies. It would also enable Earth scientists to better understand the forces driving climate change.
 The venture could provide Northrop Grumman with opportunities to supply hardware to NASA and possibly other government agencies and private companies.
 “Sometimes we build sensors that go into space and discover later when the data starts coming back that they have other applications,” said Thomas Delaney, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman. – Linda Strowbridge

HD Radio gets a boost
 iBiquity Digital Corp., the creator of HD Radio, is getting some help from the state and Howard County to fund its expansion.
 The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development has provided a $300,000 loan, in conjunction with a $30,000 loan from Howard County.
 The company, which just leased 18,000 square feet for a new headquarters in Columbia, is expected to add 82 new jobs in Howard County in the next two years.
 Currently, iBiquity has more than 100 employees in Columbia, Basking Ridge, N.J. and Pontiac, Mich.  – Donna De Marco

A call for help
 Acuity Mobile Inc. has also received $50,000 from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) to help the Greenbelt firm grow.
  Acuity, founded in 2000, will use the money for product development, sales and marketing efforts.
 “It will absolutely help put us on the map,” said Gregg Smith, CEO of the 25-person firm. 
 In addition, Acuity has already begun using the money to hire more employees and hopes to triple its staff, said Smith.  – Tammi Slater

Lending a hand — stat!
 Luna’s Day Spa in Ellicott City will be able to expand into med spa services, with a loan from J-ref, a small business financier in Howard County.
 The med spa will use a $220,000 loan for laser equipment and start-up costs, said Sonia Singh, owner and manager of Luna’s Day Spa.
 Med spas provide medical and wellness care in an environment which incorporates spa services.
 “Med spas are trendy but the next level from a day spa,” said Singh. “Clients are looking for more medical treatments and med spas give immediate results.”
 Treatments such as laser hair removal, photo facials to remove sun damage and skin tightening are gaining popularity and Singh wanted to expand her services, she said.
     “There’s no med spa in Ellicott City and J-ref saw the potential for the community and clients,” said Singh. “It’s really hard to get a loan and putting this together was a huge challenge. Buying laser treatment was like buying a house.” – Tammi Slater

Charm City’s red carpet
     Baltimore is hosting the Academy Awards of the tradeshow industry in November.
     Tradeshow Week’s Fastest 50 will be held Nov. 6 to Nov. 9 at the new Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel. Tradeshow Week’s Fastest 50 honors the tradeshows that have experienced the greatest growth in terms of square footage during a three-year period in the United States and Canada.
     The Baltimore event is expected to draw 250 influential attendees including delegates from the winning tradeshows, as well as meeting planners and corporate and association executives who plan tradeshows around the country.
     This is the sixth year for the Tradeshow Week event. Previous host cities included Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, Dallas and Houston. –Donna De Marco