BALTIMORE — The Baltimore region can sometimes feel a little divided - from suburban to urban perspectives, from low-key waterfront communities to high-rise buildings, from new immigrants to longtime locals.
To Southerners, Baltimore feels like a "Northern city," while to Northerners, we're definitely "the South." (And maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle.)
One thing that might unite the region is that it's a place where people can try something different.
That's the idea behind a new region-wide brand just created by the Greater Baltimore Committee, a longtime regional economic-development group.
Local leaders in business, government, and more joined 250 stakeholders nationwide to come up with the "Bold Moves" brand.
They're hoping the new brand - which is accompanied by a new online "investment scorecard" - can help bring new capital and economic muscle to greater Baltimore.
The research found that there's a major "perception of Baltimore as a region with a progressive business climate – one that empowers entrepreneurs and companies to take risks that may not be possible in other metropolitan markets," according to GBC's press release.
The scorecard highlights big wins, like $4.4 billion in investment in 2024 (driven by the huge $1 billion Sparrows Point Container Terminal project).
Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly said the Bold Moves brand "brings a unified focus to regional attraction and retention efforts."
Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier, meanwhile, noted:
...Now we have a coordinated, data-informed way to highlight our assets and tell the world our story.
GBC Chief Economic Officer Lakey Boyd said the region's economic growth has been driven by manufacturing - taking advantage of "national trends in construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing..."
