Beauty company to bring distribution center, 700 jobs to Md.; Orioles out

Good morning Baltimore.

I don't have much to say this morning.

Instead of adding filler, let's jump into the news like climate protestors jumped on stage to disrupt Pete Buttigieg yesterday in Baltimore.

Sports wagering nears $1B in Maryland FY24

Marylanders placed $442 million of sports wagers in September, a new high for the state, Maryland Lottery and Gaming announced Tuesday. Mobile wagering continued its surge, accounting for 95% or $420 million of those bets. The big month brings the state’s sports wagering total to $954 million for fiscal 2024, which accounts for just July through September. By next month, Marylanders will have placed well over $1 billion in sports wagers since the summer. Something to keep an eye on.

Orioles swept, eliminated from playoffs

Well, it's over, folks. After a stunning 101-win season, the Orioles have been swept by the Texas Rangers and will be headed to the golf course for some time off. There's a lot you can read about the historic season elsewhere, but let's keep it negative here: the Orioles pitching did not look sharp, so that could (or should) be a big offseason priority for the team. On the bright side, the youngsters on the team did not seem overwhelmed by the bright lights. See you for opening day against the Angels on March 28!

Conair to open distribution center, bring jobs to Hagerstown

Gov. Wes Moore announced yesterday that Conair LLC, famed manufacturer of hotel hair dryers (among other beauty products and appliances), plans to open a distribution center in Washington County. The company will lease roughly 2.1 million square feet a 10440 Downsville Pike and 17250 Sterling Road in Hagerstown at a facility that has not been built yet, according to a press release from the governor's office. The move is expected to create 700 new full-time jobs in the state over the next decade. The state Commerce Department and Washington County are working on loans and other incentives for the project. A timeline for the facility was not released, but the president of the board of county commissioners said there will be $75 million invested into the property.

Historic Fells Point property hits the market for over $3M

A historic Fells Point restaurant property is on the market for over $3 million, BBJ's Morgan Simpson reports. The property on Thames Street, which houses Mezze and Fells Point Tavern, was listed for $3.29 million on Sept. 28. Axios Real Estate Group, the owner of the property, decided to put the entire space up for sale but is also open to the possibility of finding a new tenant to lease the restaurant space. Continue reading for more details on the sale and what could be next for the space once it has a new owner.

Chesapeake hits new oyster planting record in restoration efforts

Something only Marylanders know: oysters can be planted. Like trees. Anywho, 1.7 billion oysters were planted in the Chesapeake Bay this year, marking a new annual record for oyster restoration. The state announced yesterday that the new high mark puts the total number of oysters planted at almost 7 billion since the strategy was drawn up in 2014. According to a press release, 1 billion of this year's oysters were planted in sanctuaries the state identified for intensive restoration, while the rest were planted in smaller sanctuaries and beds throughout the state.

BBJ honors financial executives in 2023 CFO Awards

Every other year, the Baltimore Business Journal honors financial executives from around the region who are making an impact on and off their companies' balance sheets. This year's honorees from higher education, energy, tech and more fit that description and then some. We celebrated their achievements at the Center Club last night, but if you missed the event, check out the full list and read more about this class of CFO Award honorees.

Maryland Supreme Court OKs first new font for briefs in decades

In a move that is certain to turn the legal industry on its head, Maryland's high court has approved a new font for appellate briefs, the Daily Record reports. It's the first such approval in 26 years, and comes after a lawyer asked the court for a more modern font list. The new list, per the Record, includes Times New Roman, Century Schoolbook (SCOTUS' font of choice), Helvetica, Georgia and Lexend, among others. Old fonts such as Century Gothic were dropped from the list. I have yet to hear back from the court on whether they chose to include my suggestion of "Instagram story neon pink cursive."

Under Armour, Notre Dame coach launch coach-inspired collection

Ever wanted to look like your favorite college football coach? Poorly fitting khakis, a visor, maybe a shirt or sweatshirt with the sleeves cut to an awkward length? You're in luck: Under Armour has teamed up with Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman to launch the Coach's Collection, a limited edition line of crew necks, sweatshirts and other school apparel Freeman wears on the sidelines. Preliminary research shows Notre Dame Coach's Collection items ranging from $75-$110. It is unclear whether Notre Dame's on-field woes will rub off on the new items.

This newsletter was written by Joe Ilardi, digital producer for the Baltimore Business Journal. I can be reached at [email protected].