“We’re extremely committed to Dayton,” Watson said, adding that he “can’t emphasize enough what a terrific value to our business and our customers what our Dayton employees are.”
Watson called the Miami Twp. site the company’s most important single location.
LexisNexis offers computer-assisted research services. It got its start in Dayton in the 1970s as LEXIS from Mead Data Central, a subsidiary of the former Mead Corp. Dayton-based Mead sold the company to Anglo-Dutch publisher Reed Elsevier in 1994.
Mead subsequently merged with Westvaco Corp. in 2002. The combined MeadWestvaco Corp. ultimately converged headquarters operations in Richmond, Va., depleting the Dayton area of hundreds of workers.
Other major employers that have left the area in recent years include NCR Corp. and General Motors.
But for LexisNexis, the Dayton area has been and remains a key part of the company’s evolution. Watson and Clemens Ceipek, LexisNexis global product officer, called the local campus the “most critical” for the company.
“That’s great news,” said Joe Tuss, Montgomery County assistant administrator. The company is “a very important economic hub for the region.”
“That’s wonderful to hear,” said Chris Kershner, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce vice president, public policy and economic development.
At 3,400 local jobs, LexisNexis has a larger local payroll than AK Steel, Sinclair Community College, Wright State University and Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. LexisNexis employs more than 30,000 worldwide.
Watson and Ceipek answered questions about the Miami Twp. campus’ future following news that LexisNexis had opened a customer service center in Manila, Philippines. The Manila center has about 320 employees, Watson said.
Some local positions will be lost to Manila, he said, but he also said he expects the company’s Dayton workforce of about 3,400 employees and contractors to remain “similar” to what it is today.
Watson resisted questions about exactly how many local positions will be affected by the Manilla center, but he said he expected no more than “over a period of two years, 2 percent” of employees to be affected.
He added that “2 percent” will not be a net result, given normal employee hiring and resignations, addition of new product lines and more.
“Our overall employment level is going to remain the same,” Watson said.
LexisNexis also plans to add 350 jobs over the next five years at its site in Cary, N.C. The company now employs more than 300 people in Cary and Charlotte, N.C.
Still, the local LexisNexis campus remains extremely important, Watson and Ceipek said.
“Dayton is a key, key location for us,” Watson said. “It’s probably the most critical location operationally and technologically. We’re very committed to it. Our employment level is at a record high for us here.
“This is basically the technology hub for LexisNexis, and the vast majority of what we’re driving is from this location,” Watson added.
“It would be safe to say that the majority of the investments in technology areas are led and delivered from Dayton,” Ceipek said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDaily News.com.
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