But Kettering is “our front-runner for sure. This is our preference,” Two Six Labs Vice President of Corporate Development David Leach told the Dayton Daily News.
“We’re still working through it, but this is our first priority,” he added.
Two Six Labs serves “U.S. customers, the department of defense and the intelligence community. And we have new growth opportunities with the base out in Dayton,” Leach said.
These would be six-figure-salary jobs involving software development, engineering systems, data analytics and cyber security located in the Sixth River development of the research park, he said.
“Those are the fields of expertise with us,” Leach added. “The jobs are aligned for that.”
Leach said Two Six Labs will likely make a decision in the next month or two, definitely by the second quarter of the year.
Kettering and Montgomery County have each agreed to provide $225,000 for Two Six Labs as part of a $3 million company investment that would lead to a $10 million annual payroll, according to city records.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in December announced the approval of a 2.211%, nine-year Job Creation Tax Credit for the project.
And last month, JobsOhio agreed to provide a $250,000 grant, state records show.
The incentives give “us a lot of support to bring jobs to the area. We’re planning to do it. But nothing’s done yet,” Leach said.
If it agrees to expand in Kettering, the Arlington, Va.-based business would like to occupy space by the end of this year with the target date to have all 80 jobs filled by the end of 2025, he said.
Two Six Labs would be adding 20,000 to 25,000 square feet at 3139 Research Blvd., according to a measure approved Tuesday night by Kettering City Council. The site is off Research Boulevard, between Woodman Drive and County Line Road.
Council’s action this week allows the city to contract both with the county and Two Six Labs.
Kettering is prepared to have the agreements in place shortly after the company confirms it is moving forward, according to city Economic Development Manager Amy Schrimpf.
The agreement with the county is in final review and is expected to be completed early next week, she added.
The Sixth River project is being developed by Industrial Commercial Properties, which owns more than 65 acres at MVRP. Two Six Labs is working with ICP on a leasing agreement, Schrimpf said.
“The company will occupy the location previously vacated by WilmerHale,” a law firm that moved to Miami Twp., according to Kettering’s application for county Economic Development/Government Equity funds, which has been approved.
“The company does not currently have operations in the Dayton region, other than two remote workers,” the ED/GE document states. “This project would create 80 well-paying jobs” with average annual salaries of $125,000.
The county ED/GE application sought $300,000 in an effort that has involved the Dayton Development Coalition.
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