Commissioner Dan Foley - Montgomery County, Ohio
Commissioner Dan Foley: Creating Jobs--Implementing Montgomery County's Economic Development Plan
Gov Strickland, Comm. Foley, Cat grand opening
Creating jobs requires a plan. When Commissioner Foley was first elected, he worked with his colleagues and county administration to develop a plan to focus--truly focus-- the County's efforts on job retention and creation. He and his peers started with the basic questions: What are Montgomery County's strengths? What is the county's competitive advantage? While the county has a responsibility to support all economic development activities, regardless of the sector, the county determined that four sectors of the economy in the Dayton region would have strong potential for return on investment of time, attention, and resources:
Aerospace
Logistics & Distribution
Strong Urban Core
I75 Corridor
The underlying goal of Montgomery County's Economic Development Strategy is to expand and retain good paying jobs.
Aerospace
Logistics & Distribution
Strong Urban Core
I75 Corridor
The underlying goal of Montgomery County's Economic Development Strategy is to expand and retain good paying jobs.
The strategy is working: Aerospace
The Dayton region is home to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Research Laboratories, leading sensor and advanced materials companies and, not the least, our aerospace heritage with Wilbur and Orville. With all of these assets, we want the world to begin viewing us as we are--a global leader--in aerospace. For this reason, Montgomery County, through Commissioner Foley's active involvement, has established a trade relationship with the country of Israel. The goal is creating jobs and growing new industries around aerospace with one of the world's leading aerospace economies. Israel has the second highest number of start-up companies per capita, second only to the United States, meaning, the spirit of entrepreneurship is strong and matches up well with the Dayton region. Commissioners Foley and Lieberman led a delegation of more than 25 private and public sector community members to Israel in September of 2008 to forge this relationship. In September 2009, more than 10 Israeli companies along with representives of the Haifa Region, the aerospace hub of Israel, visited Montgomery County and met individually with over 100 Dayton aerospace-related firms. These trade missions resulted in a formal partnership between Dayton/Montgomery County and the municipality of Haifa to partner in growing our respective aerospace economies.
To strengthen this relationship, Commissioner Foley and his peers, along with the City of Dayton, and the Dayton Development Coalition, recently raised over $300,000 of private money to establish an economic development office in Haifa, Israel, with the goal of marrying Dayton and Israeli companies for joint economic development. This initiative began in May of 2010 with the hiring of Mr. Uri Attir, the Director of the Dayton Region Israeli Trade Office.
The Dayton region is home to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Research Laboratories, leading sensor and advanced materials companies and, not the least, our aerospace heritage with Wilbur and Orville. With all of these assets, we want the world to begin viewing us as we are--a global leader--in aerospace. For this reason, Montgomery County, through Commissioner Foley's active involvement, has established a trade relationship with the country of Israel. The goal is creating jobs and growing new industries around aerospace with one of the world's leading aerospace economies. Israel has the second highest number of start-up companies per capita, second only to the United States, meaning, the spirit of entrepreneurship is strong and matches up well with the Dayton region. Commissioners Foley and Lieberman led a delegation of more than 25 private and public sector community members to Israel in September of 2008 to forge this relationship. In September 2009, more than 10 Israeli companies along with representives of the Haifa Region, the aerospace hub of Israel, visited Montgomery County and met individually with over 100 Dayton aerospace-related firms. These trade missions resulted in a formal partnership between Dayton/Montgomery County and the municipality of Haifa to partner in growing our respective aerospace economies.
To strengthen this relationship, Commissioner Foley and his peers, along with the City of Dayton, and the Dayton Development Coalition, recently raised over $300,000 of private money to establish an economic development office in Haifa, Israel, with the goal of marrying Dayton and Israeli companies for joint economic development. This initiative began in May of 2010 with the hiring of Mr. Uri Attir, the Director of the Dayton Region Israeli Trade Office.
Dayton Region Israel Trade Office
The strategy is working: Strong Urban Core
Montgomery County, the City of Dayton, Dayton Development Coalition, and the University of Dayton Research Institute, are proud that Dayton has been named the Aerospace Hub of Innovation and Opportunity by Governor Ted Strickland. The Hub will link aerospace companies and investments from Tech Town in Downtown Dayton on the north, to the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) at the south. This program, designed by the Ohio Department of Development, is meant to lift urban areas by linking high tech assets--in this case, world-class sensors research at Tech Town along with related unmanned aerial vehicle and radio frequency identification technology (RFID), at the north end of the Aerospace Hub, with the robust advanced materials work at the University of Dayton, at the south end. Between the south and north anchors of the Hub lies all of the assets of urban Dayton-- the arts and culture, historic places, and outdoor recreation areas including riverfront and bike paths. Montgomery County, through Commissioner Foley's active participation, was named the first Hub of Innovation and Opportunity in the State of Ohio. This program is just beginning, but it has great potential to create a focal point, in the center of Dayton, of ideas and research among individuals who work for different employers but are focused on the same general technology fields. This can ultimately attract high tech aerospace, sensors, and advanced materials firms who recognize the Aerospace Hub as the place to be in the Dayton region. The Aerospace Hub, coupled with the work of the Downtown Dayton Plan, led by Dr. Mike Ervin, means than downtown Dayton has a strong future as an economic development and cultural center of Montgomery County.
The strategy is working: Logistics & Distribution
Caterpillar Logistics in Clayton. Payless Shoes in Brookville. Synchreon (General Motors) in Trotwood. These three logistics/distribution centers along the I-70 corridor have resulted in approximately $150 million of new investment and the creation of 1200 new jobs to the region---during a recession!
Commissioner Foley has been a strong proponent of new logistics facilities. He traveled to Peoria, Illinois, in the fall of 2008 with officials from the City of Clayton and representatives from the Ohio Department of Development to make the initial presentation to Caterpillar Logistics, resulting in Caterpillar"s decision to locate their second largest distribution facility in the United States right here in Montgomery County, and bringing more than 500 new jobs. Commissioner Foley is also teaming with community partners to pursue funding to establish a rail spur from the north south rail line near the Dayton International Airport to the back end of the airport facility, enabling companies to one day ship by rail, air, and highway. The Dayton region has a strong future in logistics and distribution and Commissioner Foley will continue to promote this strategy!
The strategy is working: The I-75 Corridor
Thursday, July 1st, 2010, marked the opening of the Austin Road interchange. This project creates a strong northern gateway for the Dayton/Cincinnati corridor, helps high tech employers like Lexis/Nexis, TeraData, NewPage,and Webcore Technologies attract employees from all across southwest Ohio. Austin will also support emerging technologies from companies at the Mound facility in Miamisburg and encourage private investments. When development is finished at the Austin Interchange, there will be a sense of place for existing companies and an environment more attractive to potential employers.
The I-75 corridor strategy also targets re-utilization of former automobile manufacturing facilities in other Montgomery County communities like Moraine, the City of Dayton, and Harrison Township. In fact, this year, several of these facilities have been purchased by investment firms for redevelopment. The I-75 corridor strategy entails new construction projects like Austin Road and redevelopment of Brownfields like the Delphi facilities.
These four areas represent Montgomery County's Economic Development Strategy. Commissioner Foley helped to create it. He believes in it. With your vote, he will continue to strongly support these job growth initiatives.
Montgomery County, the City of Dayton, Dayton Development Coalition, and the University of Dayton Research Institute, are proud that Dayton has been named the Aerospace Hub of Innovation and Opportunity by Governor Ted Strickland. The Hub will link aerospace companies and investments from Tech Town in Downtown Dayton on the north, to the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) at the south. This program, designed by the Ohio Department of Development, is meant to lift urban areas by linking high tech assets--in this case, world-class sensors research at Tech Town along with related unmanned aerial vehicle and radio frequency identification technology (RFID), at the north end of the Aerospace Hub, with the robust advanced materials work at the University of Dayton, at the south end. Between the south and north anchors of the Hub lies all of the assets of urban Dayton-- the arts and culture, historic places, and outdoor recreation areas including riverfront and bike paths. Montgomery County, through Commissioner Foley's active participation, was named the first Hub of Innovation and Opportunity in the State of Ohio. This program is just beginning, but it has great potential to create a focal point, in the center of Dayton, of ideas and research among individuals who work for different employers but are focused on the same general technology fields. This can ultimately attract high tech aerospace, sensors, and advanced materials firms who recognize the Aerospace Hub as the place to be in the Dayton region. The Aerospace Hub, coupled with the work of the Downtown Dayton Plan, led by Dr. Mike Ervin, means than downtown Dayton has a strong future as an economic development and cultural center of Montgomery County.
The strategy is working: Logistics & Distribution
Caterpillar Logistics in Clayton. Payless Shoes in Brookville. Synchreon (General Motors) in Trotwood. These three logistics/distribution centers along the I-70 corridor have resulted in approximately $150 million of new investment and the creation of 1200 new jobs to the region---during a recession!
Commissioner Foley has been a strong proponent of new logistics facilities. He traveled to Peoria, Illinois, in the fall of 2008 with officials from the City of Clayton and representatives from the Ohio Department of Development to make the initial presentation to Caterpillar Logistics, resulting in Caterpillar"s decision to locate their second largest distribution facility in the United States right here in Montgomery County, and bringing more than 500 new jobs. Commissioner Foley is also teaming with community partners to pursue funding to establish a rail spur from the north south rail line near the Dayton International Airport to the back end of the airport facility, enabling companies to one day ship by rail, air, and highway. The Dayton region has a strong future in logistics and distribution and Commissioner Foley will continue to promote this strategy!
The strategy is working: The I-75 Corridor
Thursday, July 1st, 2010, marked the opening of the Austin Road interchange. This project creates a strong northern gateway for the Dayton/Cincinnati corridor, helps high tech employers like Lexis/Nexis, TeraData, NewPage,and Webcore Technologies attract employees from all across southwest Ohio. Austin will also support emerging technologies from companies at the Mound facility in Miamisburg and encourage private investments. When development is finished at the Austin Interchange, there will be a sense of place for existing companies and an environment more attractive to potential employers.
The I-75 corridor strategy also targets re-utilization of former automobile manufacturing facilities in other Montgomery County communities like Moraine, the City of Dayton, and Harrison Township. In fact, this year, several of these facilities have been purchased by investment firms for redevelopment. The I-75 corridor strategy entails new construction projects like Austin Road and redevelopment of Brownfields like the Delphi facilities.
These four areas represent Montgomery County's Economic Development Strategy. Commissioner Foley helped to create it. He believes in it. With your vote, he will continue to strongly support these job growth initiatives.
