The world's largest ribbonmaker is moving one of it subsidiaries to Maryland.

Different Looks, the 5-year-old upscale ribbon and packaging division of Berwick Industries Inc., will open its corporate headquarters in White Marsh today.

And company officials said yesterday that they planned to shift the division's import and export operations from the New York harbor to Baltimore's port and open a warehouse at Point Breeze in Southeast Baltimore next month.

Frank Ryan, chief operating officer of Different Looks, said the division's headquarters is being separated from Berwick Industries' in order to create an identity separate from its mass-market parent. Different Looks, which has about 15 percent of the wrapping market, sells in party stores and upscale stores.

Different Looks will have 39 employees when its Maryland operations are up and running, he said. The White Marsh headquarters will be at Campbell Corporate Center, 4940 Campbell Blvd.

The company decided to move its trade operations out of New York because it wanted to cut its shipping costs, Mr. Ryan said. Different Looks imports and exports high-quality ribbons, gift bags and wrapping paper. The company chose Baltimore because it is only four hours from the parent company's Berwick, Pa., headquarters.

"And besides, I am a native of Baltimore," Mr. Ryan added.

The company was also enticed by help from the state. Maryland's Department of Economic and Employment Development gave Different Looks a $10,000 grant to help pay for employee training.