ANNOUNCER: Major funding for "Made in Maryland" is provided by... Offering big bank capabilities and boutique bank care, CFG Bank supports businesses of all sizes and industries, including manufacturing across Maryland.

We are CFG Bank.

Your success is our business.

This program is in part made possible through a partnership with Kaiser Permanente, which has been serving the Maryland community with high-quality healthcare for over 35 years.

The Maryland Marketing Partnership amplifies all that makes Maryland a great place to live, work, and do business in, including our bright minds, diverse population, and connectivity.

Learn more at business.maryland.gov.

Chesapeake Employers Insurance.

Proud to support "Made in Maryland" and the exciting future for manufacturing in Maryland.

And by... NARRATOR: Maryland is home to bold flavors and beloved culinary traditions like aromatic crab seasoning, rich fudge-covered cookies, and refreshing frozen treats.

CHARLIE DeBAUFRE: The taste of a Berger Cookie is heavenly.

NARRATOR: Weaving pride and passion into a delicious tapestry that connects the vibrant streets of Baltimore with the natural bounty of the Chesapeake Bay.

RASHEED AZIZ: Frozen Desert Sorbet is our push cart program to include a private label brand in partnership with the Baltimore Orioles.

NARRATOR: From family farms to briny bays, Maryland's food scene blends home and heritage, ensuring its place at America's kitchen table.

GINGER PORTS: It makes me proud to be a family business that is bringing the flavor to Maryland crabs.

NARRATOR: Homegrown fare, like J.O.

Spice, Berger's Cookies, and Seventh Inning Sorbet, aren't just carrying on traditions, they're preserving the flavor of Maryland for generations to come.

The rich scent of spice drifts through the air in Halethorpe, Maryland, home to J.O.

Spice and its signature blend J.O.

#2, the classic seasoning that gives Maryland crabs their distinct flavor.

GINGER: When you think of Maryland, you think of crabs, like, it's synonymous.

Well, it makes me proud to be a family business that is bringing the flavor to Maryland crabs.

What a boring world it would be without any spice.

Can you imagine?

I look at it as J.O.

is the spice of life.

How do you look at it?

TYLER PORTS: Maryland is known for their seafood, and J.O.

Spice is a big part of that.

It's a flavor that's been around for four generations now, since 1945.

So, if you're eating crabs in a restaurant, they're steaming with J.O.

Spice #2, or it's a custom blend that we make for them.

But of course, you can also catch your own crabs.

You're adding the beer, you're adding the vinegar, you're adding the J.O.

seasoning.

GINGER: It's not just seafood seasoning and crab seasoning; it's anything that you're making, from Peruvian chicken to pizza.

TYLER: There's a lot that goes into making these great blends.

The top three ingredients that we use probably salt, a lot of pepper, and I'd say probably thyme as well.

There are a lot of ingredients that you wouldn't think would be in a spice blend.

You wouldn't expect cinnamon or brown sugar to be in a crab seasoning blend.

Our blends can vary from 300 pounds all the way up to 12,000 pounds.

It can get pretty large-scale around here.

GINGER: You know, the crab houses; they're getting thousands of pounds at a time.

TYLER: It's a lot of spice, and there's 12,000-pound batches that are getting done every hour in the summertime.

J.O.

#2, for example, it's a blend that we have to keep the racks filled, or we won't be able to keep up with production.

NARRATOR: J.O.

's research and development team brings new blends to life, refines classic recipes, and ensures every bite remains reliably delicious.

TYLER: This is one of our research and development labs where the magic happens.

Shaun is one of our R&D guys.

He can just look at the blend, smell the blend, and be able to nail it on the first sample.

NARRATOR: The production process starts with a recipe.

TYLER: Right now, our guys are putting together a blend.

All the raw ingredients are staged on this pallet.

The more weight the blend, the bigger the bulk ingredients are gonna be, so we have super sacks.

If we only need a pound of this, a pound of that, they're gonna grab it off the rack here and just scoop it in as needed.

And we're using a blue scoop.

Blue represents non-allergen products.

You work here long enough, when you're dumping in ingredients, you're not hit with the overwhelming smell of the pepper and the ground thyme.

I can't even smell it anymore.

Now that we're done piecing the ingredients together, he's gonna take this over to the mixing room.

So, now Garrett's gonna be placing the food container on the mixing deck, and then we're gonna go up there.

They're very steep.

So, Garrett's gonna bring the crane over, and then we're gonna take this and drop it into the mixer here.

He's gonna untie the bag where all the ingredients are gonna fall out, and it's gonna look like Christmas going into mixer one and any ingredients that are left on the crate here, we're gonna get a food grade brush and we're gonna brush it back into the mixer, that way all the ingredients get in there and it's a perfect smooth blend.

That last clump, and it's ready to mix.

We're gonna come down and we're gonna start the mixer.

Now this is a tough part.

All you gotta do is push a button, and boom, voila.

Now, we'll walk out here, and we're gonna set the timer for the blend.

Here we have multiple timers because there's gonna be multiple blends typically going at once.

So, he just set the top one for 25 minutes.

Now we have our finished product... Then we're gonna pack it out.

Brody's packing a 50-pound box of seafood seasoning.

Each box is lined with a blue poly bag, which is food-grade.

After we have 50 pounds of product in a box, they're gonna go ahead and tie the bag.

They're gonna tape the box.

And all of our products have to go through metal detectors.

God forbid we have something happen with a piece of equipment here.

We're gonna catch anything before it gets out to the general public.

And people do that 300 times a day.

This is our bottle line.

A bottle will pass through the labeler; it goes through a sensor, and that will shoot a label onto the bottle as well as a best buy and lot number.

They'll then go to get filled, and it'll go through the cap machine, the tamper machine, send it through a metal detector, and that's the finished product.

J.O.

#1 at a retail location near you.

J.O.

Spice was started by my great-grandfather, who was a waterman.

GINGER: J.O.

is the initials of Don's grandfather, James Ozzle Strigle.

So, keeping it simple with the name of the company, just his initials, J.O.S, J.O.

Spice, TYLER: My great-grandfather was a simple man.

Most watermen are.

So, when he was catching his crabs, he came up with a perfect blend, and he sold that blend to seafood markets, restaurants, and then from there it went to my grandmother, Jane McPhaul, and she really brought the business to a different level.

My dad was a Marine.

He left the Marine Corps.

He took over the business, and he grew it to what it is today.

He did an amazing job with the company, and that's where we are today.

GINGER: It's knowing the crab market, the customers, the people out there crabbing.

Not only are we doing the seasoning, we do some decor, crab boxes, crab mallets.

We like to think of ourself as the whole package.

NARRATOR: The secret behind J.O.

Spice is a lot of heart, family magic, and teamwork, fueled by passion and full of personality.

GINGER: I met J.O.

's grandson on the beach in Ocean City, and with my name being Ginger, he said I was destined to be his because I was a spice, and then I became a "Spice Girl."

I mean, it was fitting.

Each generation brings something new to the business.

TYLER: When I was able to work legally, I was working.

My sisters here do a little bit of everything, kind of like I do.

We all started when we were younger in the back in small packing.

GINGER: Tyler and I are a lot alike when it comes to how we run the business.

My passion is contagious, and it comes through my son.

TYLER: I always had the passion for family business.

There was a lot of things that I did in between that actually helped me in my role now.

I had to get that taste of work outside of the family business first.

Being in a manufacturing role, it's rewarding work.

You come home at the end of the day, and you actually feel like you did something.

GINGER: He makes me proud.

TYLER: What makes J.O.

Spice the best is that family feel.

That doesn't just stop at me, my parents, my sisters.

We've had employees who have worked here for 20 plus years, some 30 plus years.

They're family as well.

GINGER: Our team comes together, and we all play the important parts.

NARRATOR: Shaun Dunbar has been a part of the J.O.

Spice family for over 30 years.

SHAUN DUNBAR: Coming outta high school, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do, and getting into this kind of work, doing some R&D, learning how to put blends together, it's been pretty much self-taught.

I kind of thrived at it.

It's a pretty cool job.

GINGER: How many family businesses make it to 80 years?

80 years, four generations, and with the fifth in the background, you don't hear of that.

That is truly a family business success story.

The heartbeat of America.

TYLER: 80 years is big.

It's important for me that my kids will one day take over and keep that family business going.

GINGER: I just think it's phenomenal to work with your family.

I love what we do.

TYLER: Make the magic happen.

SHAUN: Awesome.

NARRATOR: Family-owned businesses thrive on a personal touch, pride, and attention to detail.

All qualities that elevate them from good to unforgettable.

Just like the DeBaufre Bakery's famous Berger cookies and cakes.

Berger's Cookies are a beloved classic baked in Baltimore.

Simple, yet legendary.

Its soft, buttery shortbread base is topped with a generous layer of rich fudgy chocolate that's delighted Baltimoreans for generations.

CHARLIE: The taste of a Berger Cookie is heavenly.

If you like chocolate, you're gonna like this cookie.

If you don't like chocolate, don't even touch it because it's a lot of chocolate.

NARRATOR: As a true Maryland gem, Berger's Cookies legacy is upheld by Charlie DeBaufre, the owner and president of DeBaufre Bakeries, who continues the tradition that has defined this confection for nearly 200 years.

CHARLIE: Berger Cookies are iconic to Baltimore, and I think the biggest thing about that is the people of Baltimore are fiercely loyal to what's theirs.

The Orioles, the Ravens, my cookie.

You know it means a lot because we're both loyal to each other.

NARRATOR: Each bite offers a delicious taste of home.

CHARLIE: It's unusual.

You're not gonna get this cookie anywhere else.

NARRATOR: Berger cookies are unique among supermarket treats.

CHARLIE: This is very labor-intense.

Other than putting the cookies on the sheet, everything else is done by hand.

Mario.

MARIO: Huh CHARLIE: Get ready to make one.

MARIO: Yea.

CHARLIE: All right.

Every batch of dough is about 80 pounds.

Sugar, margarine, flour, milk, salt.

And you let it mix in.

It's, it's just a way to do it.

Pretty good.

Now he's finished mixing.

He's gonna break it down so that we can run it through the machine.

(mixer squeaks) And at some point, he's going to grease that so it doesn't squeak.

There's 1,600 cookies in each batch, and normally we run eight to ten batches a day.

Right now, he's getting ready to empty this bowl into that one because the amount of dough in this bowl is too low to run through the machine.

And then when the machine runs, it deposits into the cookie hopper.

We're getting ready to unload the oven, and in the oven is probably 3,000 cookies.

We'll pull that one out and put this one in and it takes about 20 minutes.

They came outta the oven and they'll start dumping them.

It's a two-man job dumping, and then you scrape the pan to get the crumbs off so you can use it again.

This is the chocolatier.

This is the man.

He'll tell you that, too.

NARRATOR: Each batch of fudgy chocolate is freshly crafted using margarine, sugar, and chocolate.

CHARLIE: This batch makes one rack, which is 20 pans, which is 1,000 cookies.

You have to adjust your recipe because of humidity.

Gotta get the water consistency.

Now you finished the mixing.

It's taken it up to be used for the topping of the cookie.

So, that's good because it's not too thin, but yet it's not too thick.

This is an important stage.

There's a upper part and a flat part.

You wanna try and get the chocolate on the flat part, and they do a pretty good job.

Once they fill the racks, they sit overnight.

Chocolate dries out when we pack 'em.

So, this is Olivia.

She's doing snack packs, so there's only two cookies.

Angelica's doing regular packs, and there's eight or nine cookies.

Okay, now this is the final stage before they hit the store.

The cookies that you saw being made and then packed are now being wrapped.

It'll wrap one every second.

NARRATOR: Charlie DeBaufre's high standards are baked into every Berger Cookie.

CHARLIE: I am hands-on.

I get outta my office and I walk back, and I have a cookie a day.

Make sure the cookie's baked right.

Make sure the chocolate's right.

Make sure the cookie has enough chocolate on it.

If it tastes right, it's gotta be right.

NARRATOR: So, what's the right way to enjoy a Berger Cookie?

CHARLIE: Now, me, personally, I like the cookie as it is.

Take a whole bite right through the chocolate and the cookie, keep it together.

But I'm not saying your way's wrong.

You eat the way you want.

Whatever makes you happy, just keep buying them.

NARRATOR: The Berger Cookie story begins with German immigrants who brought their baking expertise and cookie recipe to East Baltimore.

(street car bell dings) CHARLIE: In 1835, two brothers, George and Henry Berger, each had their own bakery.

And with the advent of the car, they combined, and they were able to distribute to all the markets.

After that, it was Russell Baking Company, but it went through three generations of Russell before my father, his brother, and his brother-in-law purchased the company and it became the DeBaufre Bakeries Inc. NARRATOR: Charlie began his journey at the bakery cleaning bathrooms and eventually became the sole owner.

A role he's held for 26 years.

CHARLIE: When I first took it over, the cookie wasn't the main factor.

It was the cakes.

We have to make 'em to order.

NARRATOR: The dedicated team of 21 includes seasoned Berger's Cookies, veterans like Glen Geater and Olivia Spence.

CHARLIE: I have good employees.

Glen's been with me 45 years.

People say he's my son.

Now, Glen is critiquing him.

I think Glen's looking for camera time.

He's got pride in what he does, and it shows.

GLEN GEATER: I am one of the floor managers, and my job is to make sure that your products are made correctly.

It's a challenge for me.

I've been here since 1979, so I've been here for 46 years.

I love it.

Love Charles and his, his crew.

Practically live here.

I make cakes over the weekend, doing something extra.

I'm always doing something extra.

The people love the cookies, and I like making the cookies.

CHARLIE: Olivia's been with me 35 years or so.

She's very good at what she does, and I can trust them.

NARRATOR: Berger's Cookies are a beloved symbol of Baltimore's culinary heritage and their timeless appeal continues.

CHARLIE: I love the fact that I make the Berger Cookie.

I love it.

I love what I do.

I'm happy that I'm located in Baltimore because that's where we started, and it feels good.

When people say Baltimore, they also think of Berger Cookies.

That is the best.

NARRATOR: Businesses depend on strong connections formed by family ties and dedicated teams.

While community organizations like Citywide Youth Development foster similar bonds through a sense of belonging.

Snowballs... finely shaved ice flakes drenched in flavored syrup have been a Baltimore favorite since the 1800s.

Today, carts of frozen treats serve as a springboard for kids in West Baltimore, learning the skills needed to become community leaders.

Seventh Inning Sorbet combines Baltimore's culinary traditions with educational opportunities created by Citywide Youth Development, this frozen dessert isn't just a tasty treat, it represents a path to a brighter future.

RASHEED: Manufacturing is the foundation, and that creates vertically integrated opportunities to build sustainable economic development.

So, to operate in this centralized area of the city is absolutely awesome.

The reason why it's uplifting is because there's never before been an economic development center built in West Baltimore.

All the kids can walk here for opportunity.

The E.M.A.G.E Center creates an oasis in the desert of a multitude of resources.

NARRATOR: Citywide's youth-run social enterprises meet local needs like sewing apparel and making sorbet while teaching practical job skills.

RASHEED: Our social enterprises blossomed.

So, "Made In B'More" is a social enterprise that we created as a way to market to young adults, is now into a brand of clothing, a string of retail popup shops in our facility, and the Students of Style program, which is our school uniform initiative.

Frozen Desert Sorbet is our push cart program.

Where a lot of programs do great jobs, I think where we separate ourselves is because we were the guys that were selling drinks in the city and learned how to manufacture a sorbet to bring in healthy product to this food desert where we can bring them fresh fruit and package it in a way that they love it, and at the same time give them an opportunity to distribute it.

And it has expanded to include a private label brand in partnership with the Baltimore Orioles called Seventh Inning Sorbet.

NARRATOR: The simple steps behind making Seventh Inning Sorbet might look straightforward on the surface, but they're part of a meaningful journey.

Every scoop is about progress and empowerment in action.

SIDDEEQ ABDULMATEEN: The main ingredient of the sorbet is fruit, sugar, water, and stabilizer.

So, the flavor we're doing today is island mix, which consists of pineapple, mango, coconut, banana, and peaches.

We add fruit chunks to the sorbet, so we actually put four pounds of fruit in our sorbet.

We're gonna add the sugar to the sorbet, about three cups just to add a little punch to the flavor.

The stabilizer gives it a nice texture.

Next, we're gonna add the water so we can give it some body.

Here we have an immersion blender, which you see in many commercial kitchens just to have a little more control over your mixing.

So, now that we have all of our ingredients mixed, and in the buckets, we're ready to fill up the machine and start making some sorbet.

All right, Jamaal, let's get this in the machine so we can have sorbet for the game.

JAMAAL KRADOLLI: I've been involved with Citywide Youth for three, four years.

I think it has taught me to stay educated, stay focused, and has helped me learn many topics.

I love learning about making sorbet and sewing.

My favorite part of going to Camden Yards.

I'm at every game.

So, our 40 minutes are up.

The sorbet is ready.

We're ready to take it out the machine and put it in cold storage for the game tonight.

NARRATOR: On a crisp September evening at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Citywide Youth team prepared to put their training to use while soaking in the excitement of the game.

SIDDEEQ: The most exciting thing is just it's the Orioles.

Seeing a product that didn't exist at one point in time, and now we're on year five and we see fans who have been buying from us since we started.

The exposure, as far as the kids goes, gives them a different perspective on life, where they can control their own destiny, control their own future, and kind of change their life.

JENNIFER GRONDAHL: When we can use this jewel, that is Camden Yards, to create opportunity for others, it's huge for us.

TRUE BAYLOR: Free samples!

Today my first day.

I'm just excited to have a job, like I was nervous, but we did it pretty quick.

But I can't wait till like the people come in.

It's gonna be fun.

BRADEN WHITAKER: This is my first job that I've had.

It's pretty fun.

I've come to realize more of a program than a job.

I enjoy interacting with the customers.

It's a great experience.

At first, I wanted to go to the Army after I got outta high school because I felt like I didn't have a lot of other options.

But I wanna be a chef.

I cook a lot at home, and I enjoy cooking, and I enjoy the positivity it brings to other people when they enjoy my cooking.

TRUE: I'm gonna go to trade school for cosmetology, so I also wanna open up a beauty supply store.

I'll be a business owner while I'm doing hair and nails.

That's the whole package.

NARRATOR: Seventh Inning Sorbet taps into Baltimore's beloved snowball heritage, channels the Orioles' hometown spirit, and uplifts the community.

JENNIFER: Citywide Youth Development gives us the opportunity to work with local individuals to make our community better.

That's who we are at the Orioles.

And to think that 10, 15, 20 years from now, we're gonna be hearing about some of the kids that have been right here in our ballpark, making our great state even better.

It really makes us feel great.

RASHEED: And what it means here in Baltimore City for guys that started in a row house that now have a multimillion-dollar facility to be one of the only minority organizations that have a stand here, that we own and operate, and profit share is amazing.

NARRATOR: Here in Maryland.

Youth empowerment organizations and family-run businesses both contribute to community development, support local economies, and create enduring opportunities for future generations.

CRYSTAL RIVERA: At Puerto Rico Distillery, we specialize exclusively in a style rum that's Puerto Rico's version of moonshine.

On the island, it's known by many names.

Pitorro is probably the most common.

You can taste and smell the nature of the sugar cane molasses.

The fermentation process typically takes about seven to ten days.

Then we move on to distillation, which takes a full day to strip one wash.

But then you're gonna wanna collect enough to do a second distillation run, to do a more refined cut of heads, hearts, and tails.

Capturing the flavor in Pitorro is really where all the fun begins.

It's really important that we accentuate the flavors of everything that we're trying to highlight.

That is the tradition.

Similar to how there's a home-brewing culture here in the States.

On the Island, there's a home-infusing culture where everyone has their own family recipe.

When they bring it over to a party, they're bringing it in the hopes that when you try it, that you say that it's the best that you've ever had.

ANNOUNCER: Major funding for "Made in Maryland" is provided by... Offering big bank capabilities and boutique bank care, CFG Bank supports businesses of all sizes and industries, including manufacturing across Maryland.

We are CFG Bank.

Your success is our business.

This program is in part made possible through a partnership with Kaiser Permanente, which has been serving the Maryland community with high-quality healthcare for over 35 years.

The Maryland Marketing Partnership amplifies all that makes Maryland a great place to live, work, and do business in, including our bright minds, diverse population, and connectivity.

Learn more at business.maryland.gov.

Chesapeake Employers Insurance.

Proud to support "Made in Maryland" and the exciting future for manufacturing in Maryland.

And by... ♪ ♪