May 4, 2016
The MIDC will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2017! Founded in 1992 as a “public private partnership between Maryland’s Department of Commerce, Israel’s Ministry of Economy and The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, its mission is to promote bi-lateral trade and investment between Maryland and Israel to help create jobs in both communities. Throughout the year the MIDC will share features like the one below. Alvin Katz, Co-Founder and Director, KatzAbosch, CPA’s, is chairing the 25th Anniversary Celebration Committee.
In late April, the Maryland/Israel Development Center (MIDC) hosted a delegation of Israeli companies attending the SPIE trade show in Baltimore. One of the Israeli companies attending the delegation reception was the recipient of an MIDC-Associated Incubator grant close to 25 years ago when Baltimore’s sister city was Kiryat Gat. The company is called Acktar. The MIDC remembers the company as a mother-daughter team of entrepreneurs. The daughter, Dina Katzir, is now the CEO and recognized Barry Bogage, Executive Director of the MIDC when she attended the reception hosted by the MIDC and Offit| Kurman. Dina was 24 years old at the time, remembers the generous support of the MIDC-Associated grant, which helped launch the company.
The late Andy Conn was very active in the MIDC in the 1990’s and he was responsible for evaluating Acktar for the incubator/grant. The late Marvin Schapiro was the co-chairman of the Incubator and, Marty Waxman, the then Vice-President of the Associated was instrumental in launching the entire economic development initiative with Kiryat Gat and the MIDC.
Based on Andy Conn’s evaluation, Acktar was given a $25,000 grant. Fast forward almost 25 years later the MIDC has learned that Acktar now employs 50 people in Kiryat Gat! That was the goal of the MIDC then and now, job creation in Israel! Now the MIDC is going to try to get them to open their first US office in Maryland for job creation here. Truly a marvelous story of how the MIDC and the Associated has been instrumental in creating jobs and business for a quarter of a century.