Businesses this year committed to creating more than 5,800 jobs and retaining another 11,900 across the local region, according to the regional economic development organization that serves 14 counties in southwest Ohio.
New job commitments have increased for two consecutive years after falling during the first year of the pandemic, when employers put hiring and capital plans on hold, Hoagland said.
2021 was a big bounce back year, with employers making a then-record 4,260 hiring commitments.
But then new job commitments shot up this year by nearly 38%.
Job commitment and retention numbers are based on job promises companies make as part of agreements they sign with JobsOhio to receive incentives like tax credits, grants and loans.
Companies this year pledged to make $5.7 billion in capital investments, which is a higher tally than the last eight years combined, according to coalition data.
Two massive projects were mainly responsible for this.
Semcorp this past spring announced it was investing $916 million into a new plant in Sidney that will make a key component for electric vehicle batteries.
The new facility, located about 35 miles north of Dayton in Shelby County, will create about 1,200 new jobs.
This was the largest foreign commercial investment in Ohio’s history. Semcorp is based in Shanghai, China.
But then last month Honda announced it will team up with LG Energy Solutions to invest about $3.5 billion into constructing a new electric vehicle battery plant in Fayette County, about 50 minutes southeast of Dayton.
The company also plans to spend about $700 million retooling its existing auto assembly factories, and combined these historic investments are expected to result in about 2,500 new jobs.
Other projects
Abbott Liquid Nutrition Manufacturing Plant in Tipp City said this year it plans to complete a $179 million expansion that could create more than 120 new jobs.
Abbott Laboratories has about 315 jobs at the facility, which opened in 2014.
P&THE, the new owner of Ross Aluminum in Sidney, last month announced it plans to invest about $5.4 million into its aluminum-casting facility, creating about 175 jobs.
Apogee Engineering LLC, a national security and defense company, this year announced plans to expand its Fairborn facility.
“As part of this growth, Apogee plans to hire 150 corporate and technical team members by 2025, an estimated $15 million in local payroll,” Amber Scott, Apogee’s vice president of corporate operations, said in a statement.
Defense firm Infinity Labs also announced plans to create a new headquarters in Dayton, creating about 160 new jobs.
Since 2011, nearly 80% of the new regional job growth tracked by the coalition has come from existing companies deciding to expand, Hoagland said.
Big plans
Sierra Nevada Corp is completing a “game-changer” project at the Dayton International Airport, Hoagland said.
The aerospace and defense company plans to create roughly 150 new jobs when it opens new aircraft repair and overhaul hangars at the aviation facility.
This project is the first time since World War II that a private-sector company will do maintenance, repair and modification work on military aircraft in Dayton, J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO, said earlier this year.
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Economic development officials say Sierra Nevada hopefully will build a handful of hangars at the airport and they think other aerospace defense companies will take notice and will consider pursuing similar types of projects.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base remains an economic powerhouse and officials say continued growth at the base means Greene County and surrounding counties will keep seeing new investments and jobs.
Local officials also said there are quite a few projects in the pipeline.
The Dayton Daily News this month reported that Fuyao Glass America plans a major expansion of its Moraine plant that could create 500 new jobs.
This expansion project was not included in the coalition’s job commitment numbers and may not be counted until 2023.
Some of the new jobs coming to Dayton pay very well, such as aircraft mechanic positions that can pay $80,000 to $100,000 annually, said Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr.
Community members have varying work experiences and job skills, and new jobs are being created for people of all skill levels, said Dayton City Commissioner Matt Joseph.
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