BALTIMORE – Travelers at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport will discover offerings from the Maryland and D.C. region at five new retail shops. The new local operators are participants in the 2022 Launch Pad program. In its fifth year, small, local and minority businesses have greater opportunities to start an airport retail enterprise through this innovative program.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held with officials on June 2 to celebrate the incoming class: Everything Blings Boutique, Messy Buddha, and Plum Good in Concourse D, WELL TRVLD in the A/B Food Court area, and the return of New Secrets Tea in Concourse B. The shops carry an array of stylish clothing and accessories, hand-crafted candles, exotic spices, custom apparel, and natural herbal teas.
The openings follow a rigorous recruitment and selection process, in-depth training and certification, and onboarding over the past few months. Fraport Maryland enhanced the program for 2022, bringing additional resources, training, mentoring, and ongoing business development, sales and marketing support with area business partners.
“We are delighted to welcome the class of 2022 to our program at BWI Marshall Airport,” said Gary Gilliard, vice president of Fraport Maryland, developer and manager of the concessions program. “Stories about how they got their start and all they have to offer with their unique product lines resonated with the selection committee. We wish them tremendous success with their new airport retail ventures.”
Since its inception in 2017, nine Launch Pad businesses have delighted passengers with diverse offerings that celebrate the region. Five new Launch Pad shops are now open for business at the airport.
About Fraport USA®
Fraport USA is the developer and manager of the retail, food and beverage programs at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Nashville International Airport (BNA) and Newark Liberty International Airport’s (EWR) Terminal B. A leading airport concessions model in North America, Fraport USA’s projects rank among the highest for passenger spending and consistently receive accolades for innovation and customer service. For more information, visit fraport-usa.com. Fraport USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide. Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Fraport AG is active at some 30 airports on four continents around the globe. Visit Fraport AG at fraport.com.