These projects are expected to generate more than $73.3 million in new payroll and $1.7 billion in capital investment.
Jeff Hoagland, president and chief executive of the coalition, pointed to projects and investments by Westrafo, Joby Aviation, Sierra Nevada, United Alloy and others, saying the organization’s strategy of recruiting, attracting, expanding and retaining is paying off for the region.
“2025 was truly a historic year in the Dayton community,” Hoagland said.
For the standing-room-only session at the Dayton Convention Center, coalition leaders brought in executives of IBM, reminding an audience of more than 600 attendees that in November, leaders of the University of Dayton and IBM announced they would work together on developing next-generation semiconductors.
The partnership will see IBM invest in a semiconductor nanofabrication lab on the UD campus by early 2027, a facility intended to serve as a hub for research and education, as well as a IBM pipeline to Dayton talent, both students and faculty.
The planned total investment will exceed $20 million, UD Provost Darlene Weaver said in November.
The Dayton-IBM connection really isn’t new, James Kavanaugh, IBM senior vice president and chief financial officer, reminded listeners. Famed IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Thomas Watson got his start in business working for NCR boss and “father of Dayton” John Patterson.
When Patterson and Watson failed to see eye-to-eye on a global NCR expansion — Watson was in favor of one; Patterson was not — Patterson fired Watson, removing his office furniture and burning it on a company lawn, as Kavanaugh told the tale.
Nevertheless, an IBM-Dayton connection endures. IBM has worked with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and when Kavanaugh graduated from UD, he said he “walked across the street” to start his career at IBM (in a building UD now owns). And today, Kavanaugh’s son attends UD.
“One of the most talented workforces is right here in this area,” Kavanaugh said.
The coalition also presented community advocate Sharon White with its Maureen Patterson Regional Leader Award.
“Like Maureen, Sharon knows how to build partnerships and turn a shared interest into a productive collaboration,” Hoagland said. “She understands you can have a stronger impact by elevating others. She speaks her mind and tells hard truths. She sees Dayton’s potential and pushes us all to do better.”
White has been a strategic communication advisor with Premier Health for more than a decade. She has also worked for the coalition and WDTN-TV.
She also helped bring the “Big Hoopla” events to Dayton, helping to create community events around the NCAA Men’s Basketball First Four games at UD Arena.
Dayton region new jobs created since 2011
2011-2015
13,660 new jobs
2016-2020
13,867 new jobs, a 2% increase
2021-2025
18,964 new jobs, a 37% increase.
Source: Dayton Development Coalition
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