Sixth generation business among those honored with Harford Awards

Jack McLaughlin
HBL Editor
9/25/09

One of the county’s oldest businesses was among the five recipients of the Harford  Awards, presented Sept. 23 at the Richlin Ballroom in Edgewood. More than 380 business people, community leaders and elected officials attended annual dinner and awards ceremony.

The awards are sponsored by the Harford County Office of Economic Development, the Harford County Chamber of Commerce and Harford Community College.  They are presented in five categories: industrial, non-profit, retail, service and research and development/technology.

Nominees are evaluated on criteria that include business growth, increased employment, community service, environmental sensitivity, use of technology, support of education, creative business strategies and enhancement of the county’s business climate.
Comcast is the events corporate sponsor, preparing video vignettes of the winners and broadcasting the awards ceremony on HCN at 7 p.m. Saturdays during October 0n Comcast Channel 21, Armstrong  Channel 7 and Verizon Fios channel 31.

The 2009 Harford Award winners are:

Service
McComas Funeral Home, Inc., was started in Abingdon in 1808 by a cabinetmaker that fought in the Revolutionary War. Family owned and operated for six generations, the business, one of the county’s oldest, has locations in Abingdon and Bel Air.

The U.S. Small Business Administration recognized McComas as the Maryland Small Business Administration Family Owned Small Business of the Year in 2008. McComas employs more than 40 people, some of whom have been with the business for many years. At a time when many small businesses are reducing their payrolls, McComas has added a licensed funeral director, an apprentice funeral director and an embalmer.

Among the organizations McComas has supported are Harford United Charities, Inc., Harford Christian School, the Maryland Agricultural Foundation, the Abingdon Volunteer Fire Company, YMCA and Harford Community College. The Harford County Fuel Fund and the Special Olympics of Harford County.
In celebrating its 200th year, McComas held a golf outing that raised $11,000 for Harford Hospice.

McComas has an after care program providing for follow up with families in the days after a funeral. The funeral home also has an annual remembrance service, open to the public, for those who wish to gather to remember loved ones. There also are other programs, like one remembering veterans and a bus trip for widows and widowers. Howard K. McComas IV and Holly McComas Pennington accepted the award.

Retail
Dr. Richard P. Streett, Jr. DVM founded the Churchville Veterinary Clinic in 1971. For the first five years he was in practice, Dr. Streett and his family lived next door to the clinic so he could be on call around the clock. At first, half his business involved treating large animals, such as horses, cows, sheep, pigs and goats and even an ailing elephant with a traveling circus.  The practice evolved into small animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbit and other pets reflecting the county growth and changes.

The business has grown to include boarding, grooming and the sales of supplies and food. In addition to the Churchville location, there are the Greenbrier and Swan Creek Veterinary Clinic, Churchville Pet Resort (formerly Churchville Kennels) and the 4 Footed Friends grooming salon.

The practice has links to veterinary school private laboratories for sharing medical information. Accepting the award ofr the practice were, from left, Dr. Richard P. Streett, Jr., Dr. Paula Winters and Dr. Richard Streett III.

Non-profit
Harford Habitat for Humanity (HHH), headquartered in Bel Air, was incorporated in 1993. Land for the first two homes was donated by the City of Aberdeen. By 2003, HHH has built 16 homes in Aberdeen and Edgewood. Since then, an additional 24 homes have been built. In 2002 the organization’s budget was $250,000. It is currently $850,000.

Last year HHH started a repair program, FIXIT UP, which completed 25 rep projects in its first year. They include emergency repairs to roofs, HVAC systems, and hot water heaters, construction of access ramps for the disabilities and general maintenance work such as fixing gutters and downspouts.
artnering with churches, foundations, community groups and others, HHH uses volunteer labor and donated money and materials to build and repair with the help of homeowner families. The houses are sold to partner families at no profit, with no interest loans. In addition to a down payment and monthly mortgage payments, homeowners must invest their own labor, “sweat equity,” in the construction of their homes or other HHH projects. Habitat Board President Scott Walker and Executive Director Joann Blewett accepted the award.

Technology
Chesapeake Environmental Management, Inc., (CEM) also was founded in 1993.  The independently owned environmental consulting firm provides scientific assessment, assists with permitting and prepares remediation designs for land and water resources projects for government and private sector clients. The firm’s client list includes the Maryland State Highway Administration, the Maryland Port Authority, the Maryland Transit Authority, the Montgomery County Revenue Authority, the Baltimore County Revenue Authority and county governments in Harford, Baltimore, and Howard counties and Baltimore City.

CEM, which has offices in Bel Air, was chosen by the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs as one of the Top 100 Minority or Woman-owned Businesses in Maryland in 2006 and 2008. The firm, an active member of the Harford County Chamber of Commerce and the alumni group of the Harford Leadership Academy, out sources work to Harford County companies and looks first to hiring county residents when possible. CEM founders Joe Hau and Stephanie Novak Hau accepted the award on behalf of their company.

Industrial
Comer Construction, Inc., began operating in 1982 with four employees, generating more than $1 million contract revenues. Now the company’s annual sales exceed $30 million. Comer has had as many as 180 employees, 90 percent of them Harford residents, and still has more than 120 workers despite current economic conditions. Comer’s three owner/officers and families were born and raised in Harford County and continue to live here.

The Forest Hill firm has donated mulch for playgrounds, trucks and trailers for parades and four wheel drive vehicles for snow emergencies and transporting medical patients. Comer has provided personnel and financial support for the Harford Hospice Center, Fallston Recreation Center, Harford United Charities, Harford County Contractors’ scholarship, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Extreme Home Makeover, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Boys Scouts of America and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Representatives of the firm are on a number of boards and committee in the county and the company uses local suppliers and vendors for materials and services when possible. Comer Construction President Susie Comer accepted the award.

Jim Mason, a member of the English faculty at Harford Community College, again served as MC and co-award presenter with Betsy Campion, chair of the Harford Award Committee. Also serving on the committee are Denise Carnaggio and Kathleen Wajer of the Harford County Office of Economic Development, Marlene Lieb of Harford Community College, Harford County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO William Seccurro and Barry Hebb of Tidewater Incentives Group, Ltd. Richardson Flowers & Gifts prvided centerpieces and Skylight Crative Ideas, Inc. assisted with awards given the winners.

For more about the Harford Awards or to make a nomination for the 2010 awards, contact the Harford County Office of Economic Development at 410-638-3059 or go to www.harfordbusiness.org.