The additive metals manufacturing company and defense contractor has outgrown its space at the Russ Research Center in Beavercreek. The expansion could potentially add about 100 jobs in the next 10 years, said Eric Henry, director of Greene County’s development department.
“We’re trying to roll out that Greene County red carpet, so to speak,” Henry said of the grant.
MRL was founded in 2009 by Ayman Salem and employs 38 people. Salem said the company integrates artificial intelligence, manufacturing, computer science, mechanical engineering and mathematics. MRL 3-D prints metals, like steel and titanium..
The jobs added will be highly-skilled scientists or engineers, Salem said.
Last spring, MRL found itself quickly making face shields and open-sourcing the shield design so people could make their own.
MRL Medical, an offshoot of Material Resources, quickly designed a prototype face shield on a Sunday evening last April. By the next morning, the first prototype was manufactured and revealed to company employees.
The EDIP program’s goal is to encourage companies to expand into Greene County or relocate into Greene County, Henry said.
The EDIP program will no longer have grant cycles, so eligible businesses can now apply for this program any time. Henry said this change will allow the county development department to move faster in assisting businesses with expansion or relocation.
Greene County started the EDIP program in 2015, Henry said. Since then, the county has assisted businesses with about $885,000. The projects the county has awarded funds to were obligated to create or retain about 7,000 jobs, so far they have created or retained over one thousand jobs, Henry said.
“This project (MRL) is the picture perfect project for this grant,” Henry said.
Salem said Greene County has done an “amazing job” of supporting small businesses.
“They have been key in helping us grow,” Salem said.
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