Dayton area ranked No. 2 in nation for economic development projects

The Dayton region ranked second in the nation among areas its size for the number of economic development projects started in 2018, according to Site Selection Magazine.

It’s the 13th year the region, which has a population between 200,000 and 1 million, has been ranked in the Top 10, according to the magazine.

"We're honored Site Selection Magazine recognized the hard work and dedication of our local partners, DDC staff and JobsOhio in its Governor's Cup rankings," Jeff Hoagland, President and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition, said in a statement. "We anticipate 2019 will be another aggressive year for the DDC and our economic development partners as we focus on attracting new jobs to the region, ensuring we have a ready workforce, and supporting our region's businesses as they continue to grow."

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The magazine said the Dayton region, which includes 12 surrounding counties, had 40 development projects start in 2018. A business has to either invest $1 million, add 20 new jobs or build 20,000 square feet of new space to be considered a project, according to the magazine.

Some major projects announced last year were the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base’s F-35 fighter jet sustainment program, AxoGen Inc. of Alachua, Fla. buying a building in Vandalia for $5 million to start a manufacturing site, and Conagra Brands expanding its Slim Jim production plant in Troy.

Omaha, Neb., ranked in the same population size as Dayton, had the most projects (46) started in the U.S., according to the magazine.

Dayton-area companies committed to add 3,880 jobs in 2018, 1,800 more than the previous year. Companies in the 12-county Dayton region committed to retain 13,363 existing jobs, according to the Dayton Development Coalition.

“The most rewarding part of economic development is seeing the growth and opportunity it brings to our community,” John Landess, chair of the Coalition’s Board of Trustees, said in a release. “The Dayton Region excels at gathering the right team of people around the table to help businesses address their needs. That ability to problem solve and connect businesses to local resources is critical to our economic growth.”

Ohio ranked second among all states for the seventh straight year. Ohio has placed either first or second for more than 10 years, according to the magazine.

The 65-year-old Atlanta-based magazine has awarded the Governor’s Cup annually since 1988, based on new and expanded corporate facilities as tracked by the proprietary Conway Projects Database.

In the Greater Dayton Region, Celina, Sidney, Wapakoneta and Wilmington were among the nation’s top micropolitan cities with populations between 10,000 and 50,000 people.

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In partnership with JobsOhio, the state’s private, non-profit development corporation, the Dayton region has commitments for nearly 22,500 jobs from 2012 to 2018, while helping to project 69,371 existing jobs, according to the coalition.

That represents 206 regional projects in those years.

Looking ahead until 2023, the coalition is projecting three percent growth in Dayton-area logistics jobs, and four percent growth each in jobs tied to the aerospace and data management sectors.

In the bio-sciences, which offer average annual salaries of nearly $59,000, the coalition is projecting job growth of 12 percent.

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