GAITHERSBURG, MD-Emergent Biosolutions, the maker of the only FDA-licensed anthrax vaccine, is expanding its footprint in Montgomery County, with a little bit of financial help from the state and county. Emergent is taking 50,000-square feet (the precise number was reported by the Washington Business Journal earlier this month) at 400 Professional Dr., a 129,360-square foot, five-story building here, owned by Corporate Office Properties Trust. It will be moving 112 of its current employees to the building in early 2015. Emergent plans to purchase building, which is adjacent to its current research and development facility located at 300 Professional Dr.

What is interesting about the deal is the rare glimpse it reveals about the type of state and county incentives available for such transactions: the State of Maryland contributed $2 million, Montgomery County $750,000 and the City of Gaithersburg $250,000.

While such incentives are commonplace—especially when nearby jurisdictions can offer similar facilities—they are not often publicized so pointedly. Robert G. Kramer, Emergent's CFO, says in a prepared statement that the company continues to expand "thanks to the support of the City, County, and State."

To be sure, the company is an important player in the FDA-life science ecosystem in Gaithersburg. As Kramer also notes Emergent BioSolutions has grown its presence in Maryland from 30 to 300 employees to three locations, including capital investment of over $115 million over the years.

Also the outer suburban markets are still struggling with pockets of vacancy, a state of affairs that tends to inspire government incentives. As one example, there is Casey Health Institute's vacant 31,150 square feet of medical-office space at 800 S. Frederick Ave., a 72,395-square-foot property in Gaithersburg. It has tapped Scheer Partners SVP Nate Crowe and Kevin Rosenberg to market the space.