Council honors Frederick tech industry

Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007

Council honors Frederick tech industry

by Chuck Jones | Staff Writer

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David S. Spence⁄Special to The Gazette

Larry O. Arthur (left) of Science Applications International Corp. in Frederick chats with Michael R. Crase of Gilbane Building Co. in Laurel at the Tech Council of Maryland’s Frederick awards dinner Feb. 8 at Dutch’s Daughter restaurant in Frederick.

Frederick County’s burgeoning technology sector was recognized last week by the Tech Council of Maryland, as a growing biotech company was honored as the county’s Firm of the Year.

SuperArray Bioscience Corp. experienced an 85 percent revenue growth from 2005 to 2006, when it posted revenues of $8.7 million. Profits increased 116 percent, Renée Winsky, interim director of the Maryland Technology Development Corp., one of the presenters.

Li Shen, SuperArray’s CEO, accepted the award on behalf of the company, which has 52 employees and occupies 18,000 square feet of office space.

The fifth annual awards dinner was held Feb. 8 at Dutch’s Daughter restaurant in Frederick. The awards were presented to honor ‘‘the very best technology professionals” in the county, said Julie Coons, CEO of the Tech Council.

Award nominations ‘‘came from every corner of technology,” Coons, said, including advanced technology companies, engineering firms, biotechnology companies, nonprofit organizations and federal agencies.

‘‘Our nominations truly reflect the diversity of technology businesses here in Frederick County,” she said.

Peter Spatharis, COO of Acagi Inc. in Frederick, received the Executive of the Year award for being ‘‘a vital part of the war technology industry,” Winsky said.

Acagi developed the Image Acquisition and Exploitation Camera System, which is used by news organizations at NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN, she said.

Spatharis ‘‘has taken his company’s product from drawing board to prototype in just under a year and has the world buzzing about the possibilities,” Winsky said.

Justin M. Hartings, president and CEO of Biaera Technologies LLC, won the inaugural Edge 40 award, which recognizes technology ‘‘innovators and those who contribute to the industry in Frederick County,” she said.

Hartings ‘‘found that conducting tests for the national biodefense infrastructure was critical by using aerosols,” Winsky said. ‘‘He helped create the Automated Inhalation Toxicology Exposure System — a single platform that controls and monitors all aspects of inhalation exposure. This test and the technology it supports were thrust into the spotlight after the anthrax attacks.”

The system ‘‘directly connects with our national safety and has become a vital test instrument in combating bioterrorism,” she said.

The council also honored Marie S. Keegin, who will retire July 1 as executive director of the Frederick County Office of Economic Development. Keegin received the Technology Public Service award for her support of the county’s technology industry through the years.

Among her accomplishments, Coons said, were opening the county’s first technology business incubator, the Frederick Innovative Technology Center at Hood College; opening the Fort Detrick Business Development Office, with the aid of a $1 million congressional earmark; and setting up the Frederick County Small Business Revolving Loan Fund.

‘‘It’s been an absolute pleasure” working with the people in the technology field in Frederick, Keegin said.