Warren County is splitting off from the Dayton Development Coalition and Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber by organizing the trip. Previously, Warren County leaders traveled with the Cincinnati and Dayton groups every year, said Martin Russell, economic development director and port authority executive director for Warren County.
Instead, this year about 35 people will go to promote issues important specifically to Warren County, said Matt Schnipke, development specialist for the county’s economic development department. While some issues are important regionwide such as public transportation, it’s an opportunity to also talk about local development such as rural Internet connectivity and small business funding, Schnipke said.
“It’s important for us to be in front of (the growth),” Schnipke said.
The fly-in is the latest effort in a series of changes made to unify northern and southern Warren County, which is physically located in the middle area between downtown Cincinnati and downtown Dayton. The area in between, including Butler County, is seeing more development such as the mixed-used retail and office centers, Liberty Center in Liberty Twp., and Austin Landing in Miami Twp.
The Warren County Port Authority was started in 2007 to provide special financing for larger business projects.
A small business development alliance was started in 2013, and that group helped open the same year a small business development center at Warren County Career Center.
Members of the chamber alliance, formed in 2013, include: Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce, Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce, Little Miami Area Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Springboro Chamber of Commerce and Waynesville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Then last year, Warren County local governments asked development agency REDI Cincinnati to represent them in attracting new business development and retention through JobsOhio. Previously, the county was split along Ohio 63 with REDI and Dayton Development Coalition.
“We want to be regional, but for us, we had to look inside our four walls first,” Russell said during a panel at the Think Regional conference held April 16 in West Chester Twp. to promote cross Cincinnati-Dayton collaboration.
The D.C. trip is being funded by sponsors and fees paid by those attending, Schnipke said.
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