Unique Duo Creates B2B Niche in Prince Frederick, Md.

Opera Singer and Astrophysicist Combine Forces to Bring New Marketing Opportunity to Calvert County Businesses

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md., -- July 28, 2005 -- Like most great ideas, Steven Brown and Vernon Goertz hatched theirs in response to a problem that needed solving. In a rapidly growing and changing County, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find helpful information about local hotels, restaurants and fun places to visit. “I frequently have friends and international guests visit me and found I was unable to recommend places for them to dine or shop simply because I didn’t know what was out there,” said Brown. “Phone books aren’t much help and Internet search engines usually spit back way too many irrelevant or incorrect Web sites to be of any use.”

That’s when he and co-founder Goertz started tossing around the idea of creating a localized online search engine and directory geared toward serving individual counties and the state of Maryland. The goal of MDLocations.com is to provide users with a system of intertwined search engines that can locate all businesses, non-profit organizations, schools and parks in the State and provide useful information on each organization including descriptions, directions, hours of operation, contact information, e-mail and Web site links, photos, virtual tours, and downloadable coupons, menus or schedules.

“With MDLocations.com, we create an online portal to each business,” said Goertz. “Customers love it because they can actually tour the business before they visit; our clients love it because it provides them with an economical, dynamic and interactive way to market their business.” MDLocations.com clients are also able to update their own listings, view their Web statistics and add new features to their listings at any time.

But, while the business model for MDLocations.com is unique, it is Brown and Goertz who make the company extraordinary – neither of whom hails from the typical technology background one would expect. Both have extensive experience and training in computer applications, but Brown graduated from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ with a degree in Music and became a professional opera singer. Once a member of the Washington National Opera, he traveled through Europe and completed additional voice training in Austria at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. Goertz, a graduate of the Washington College School of Business in Chestertown, Md., worked for the Smithsonian’s Center for Astrophysics at Harvard, through the Universidad de Valencia in Spain, and also worked at Apple Computer in Latin America.

The young men met while working at a computer store during college break. “We’re both very creative and high-energy people,” said Goertz. “We knew we wanted to own our businesses one day and the more we talked about this micro search engine idea, the more we began to recognize it as a ‘better mousetrap’ concept.”

MDLocations.com has just finished its first year of operations consisting of research, development, acquisition of a customer base of both for-profit and not-for-profit businesses and an official product launch. Goertz is especially proud of the fact that they have successfully moved the business so far, so fast. “In one year, with just the two of us, we’ve been able to get this business up and running with more than 300 listings and all with private funding.” He attributes this success to MDLocations.com’s two core abilities: (1) the ability to attract Internet users to an effective, community-based search engine; and (2) the ability to provide businesses with an affordable method of creating or growing their online presence both locally and globally.

In addition to the online listings, the company also provides video interviews and tours of their customer’s sites that air on a public-access television show created for Channel 6. In the program, Brown and Goertz visit with local merchants to tour their locations and ask questions about the products and services they provide. “It’s something like a ‘Where’s Waldo’ television show in Calvert County,” said Brown. “The show provides our customers with yet another opportunity to market themselves to the local community, and have some fun doing it.”

While MDLocations.com is still a relatively new company, Brown and Goertz have big plans for its continued growth. “We’d like for Calvert County to become the first virtual city in the world,” says Goertz. “Imagine being able to visit every business, school, park or organization in the County online from anywhere in the world, anytime of day. Wouldn’t that be great?”

For more information, call 301.977.7051, send an e-mail to vernon@mdlocations.com or visit online at www.mdlocations.com. To join MDLocations, call 443.992.4487 or send an e-mail to steven@mdlocations.com.

For more information on the Calvert County, Maryland Department of Economic Development, our visitor sites and attractions and the services available to assist County businesses, call 410.535.4583, 800.331.9771 or 301.855.1880; or send an e-mail to info@ecalvert.com