Companies To Be Honored By Smart CEO Magazine

CONTACT:
Deborah Shapiro
Marketing Manager
410-455-1509
dshapiro@umbc.edu

December 15, 2008

Two companies located at bwtech@UMBC, Next Breath, LLC, and Solvern Innovations, have been selected by Baltimore’s SmartCEO magazine for this year’s Future 50 companies. Companies are chosen based on their growth in staffing and revenue. They will be honored at an awards ceremony on January 8.

Next Breath, a graduate of bwtech@UMBC’s incubator program, is a contract services provider to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies that bring new inhalation and nasal products to market. It provides services ranging from pre-clinical formulation development to analytical testing in support of submissions made to regulatory agencies. The company, now in bwtech@UMBC’s accelerator program, was founded in 2001 and currently employs 21 people.

“Next Breath has achieved steady growth and success since its founding,” said Julie Suman, the company’s president. “We are honored to be recognized by SmartCEO for our achievements and our future potential.”

Solvern Innovations, located at bwtech@UMBC’s Research Park, was founded in 2003 by UMBC graduate Andre Gudger and two business partners. It provides innovative comprehensive research and development products and solutions, acquisition and business management services, and training and technology development to clients in both the public and private sectors. The federal government makes up the majority of Solvern’s client base. Currently, the company has 120 employees, most of them based at client sites around the country.

“Solvern Innovations has always strived to be an industry leader and provide our clients with innovative solutions through our great staff. We are proud of this recognition by SmartCEO and look forward to continuing our growth,” said founder and CEO Gudger.

“Our companies have contributed a great deal to our region’s economy and Next Breath and Solvern Innovations are perfect examples of that,” said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director, bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park. “We congratulate them on this latest recognition and wish them continued growth and success.”

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About bwtech@UMBC:
bwtech@UMBC (http://www.bwtechumbc.com) is a 71-acre research and technology community at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). It comprises the technology business Incubator and Accelerator, home to over 30 early-stage high-tech and life science companies, and the Research and Technology Park, with a capacity of 350,000 square feet of office and laboratory space. bwtech@UMBC offers collaboration with university faculty and students, and enjoys a strategic and convenient location, close to downtown Baltimore, BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, and Washington, D.C. bwtech’s annual economic impact on the state is estimated to be over $300 million.