Made In Maryland Premieres October 2 On MPT

Maryland Public Television (MPT) will air its special presentation of Made in Maryland on MPT-HD at 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 2. The half-hour program, produced in collaboration with the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland (RMI), introduces viewers to some of the Free State’s most inventive 21st-century businesses and looks at manufacturing’s importance to Maryland’s economy. The show will also be available for viewing on the MPT livestream at mpt.org/anywhere/live-stream-mpt/.

With the Baltimore Museum of Industry as a backdrop, Made in Maryland host Andrew Michaels takes viewers on a fast-paced journey to shine the spotlight on five manufacturers among the more than 4,000 such businesses that call Maryland home. A short preview of the show is available at https://bit.ly/3CWqmtt.

“MPT’s high-quality programming and storytelling give new meaning to the phrase ‘Made in Maryland,’” said Dr. Michael Galiazzo, president, RMI. “Viewers will be fascinated to discover the local people, places, and products that represent Maryland manufacturing and help make our lives better each day.”

Made in Maryland profiles the following companies whose dedicated workforces apply a wide range of technologies, cutting-edge precision, and skilled craftsmanship to the manufacturing of products for local, national, and international customers:

• Lion Brothers (Owings Mills in Baltimore County). One of the nation’s first embroidery companies, Lion Brothers focuses on integrating design with scientific and technological advancements to create innovations for the most notable apparel brands, corporations, and not-for-profit organizations. “The world’s finest stitching still comes from Maryland,” said CEO Suzy Ganz. Among its high-profile projects are making emblems for NASA’s Apollo moon missions, producing Girl Scouts of America badges and insignias for nearly 100 years, and creating the patch for the first Super Bowl game.
• Wave Engine Corporation (Hyattsville in Prince George’s County). This fast-growing company develops next-generation aircraft and propulsion systems, among them a jet engine without moving parts that uses pressure waves to move air through the engine. Viewers witness the engine manufacturing process and hear from CEO Daanish Maqbool, who earned his Ph.D. at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering, about making the company’s engine technology practical for real-world consumer aviation applications.
• SSI Custom Plastics (Hollywood in St. Mary’s County). During the “Made in a Minute” segment, viewers learn about how this agile company’s vacuum thermoforming manufacturing process is used to take plastic sheets and mold them into custom tables used on popular Boston Whaler boats.
• Food Opportunity/DC Sweet Potato Cake (Baltimore City). Food Opportunity operates DC Sweet Potato Cake and Baked in Baltimore along with a growing food manufacturing facility. Viewers meet CEO April Richardson and her business partner Derek Lowry, whose family recipe sweet potato cake has become popular throughout the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. region. Richardson has taken the small bakery operation and grown its scale. It now produces upwards of 50,000 cakes per month and has significantly increased product distribution into retail outlets including Safeway, Starbucks, and Wegmans.
• PRS Guitars (Stevensville in Queen Anne’s County). During the “Master Maker’ segment, viewers get a look inside one of the world’s premier guitar and amplifier manufacturers, located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Founder and CEO Paul Reed Smith talks about the three elements that make an outstanding guitar and COO Jack Higginbotham gives a tour of the manufacturing facility, showing a process that’s both high-tech and high-touch. Among PRS Guitars’ customers are many renowned musicians, including Carlos Santana, John Mayer, Mark Tremonti, Jo De Messina, and Joe Walsh.

Encore broadcasts of Made in Maryland will air later that evening at 11 p.m. on MPT-HD, as well as 9 p.m. on Wednesday, October 6, and 11 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12 on MPT2/Create. Check MPT’s program schedule at mpt.org/schedule/ for additional airdates in October and November.

Major funding for Made in Maryland is provided by CFG Bank and Kaiser Permanente. Additional support for the program comes from the Maryland Department of Commerce and the Maryland Economic Development Corporation.