Dayton ‘Checks All the Boxes’
It could be said that Dayton, Ohio, has “good genes.” The patent capital of the United States, innovation and Dayton have long gone hand in hand. Home to several fine universities, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Fortune 500 and 100 companies, the region is a dynamic hub of research and service that has, as city leaders put it, “provided the world with a staggering number of life-changing technological advancements.”
In addition to the attraction to the city’s history of “firsts,” companies considering putting down roots in Greater Dayton weigh four critical factors: Proximity, Connectivity, Property Costs, and Labor.
Proximity: Geographically, the region’s proximity to major markets puts it within a one day’s drive of 60 percent of the U.S. and Canadian population and within a one day’s drive of 70 percent of the nation’s manufacturing capacity.
Connectivity: Companies need to know how easily they can get their supplies in and their goods and services out to market. Our region’s lack of congestion compared to the country’s eastern corridor makes ease of movement a big plus. Dayton’s “good bones”—its excellent inter-modal connectivity—make it one of the most accessible cities in the nation:
- To major markets: Sitting at the crossroads of Interstates 70 and 75, five interstates serve our region
- To railways: The region hosts the fourth highest rail freight traffic in the country
- To airports: Five international airports are within a two-hour radius as well as some of the world’s largest public and private airports dedicated solely to cargo shipment
- To waterways: 25 ports and terminals are within a 12-hour drive, with the Ohio River just an hour away
Property Costs: Compared to other areas of the country, what will real estate cost to rent, buy or build in the Greater Dayton area?
- Acquisition prices and rental rates are below most competing markets
- Land is plentiful and reasonably priced
- Costs of construction rank below the national average of similar markets
Labor: Greater Dayton is attracting companies in search of a community offering a high-quality work/life balance. Business-friendly and culturally diverse, for employers and their employees, this is an “easy place for companies to land”:
- Our lower cost of living (housing, food, healthcare, taxes), especially compared to the coasts, makes this region one of the lowest cost business locations in the United States
- Because of this, our cost of labor is at or below national averages
- We have a high concentration of quality public and private high schools, colleges and universities focused on educating students for emerging industry needs
- And our labor force includes a higher blue collar-employment concentration than the U.S. average
A Winning Formula
What do suppliers to the advanced manufacturing, automotive industry; aerospace, distribution of wholesale goods; and manufacturers of bioscience, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, power quality and voltage control technologies and semiconductor components have in common? Dayton.
When applied to our region’s offerings, the Proximity + Connectivity + Property Costs + Labor formula continues to attract multiple new U.S. and international companies to Greater Dayton—Canadian-based Hematite Inc., Japan’s Fuyao Glass Industry Group and Topre Corporation, California-based NuVasive Inc., Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories, Excelitas, Victory Wholesale Group, Spectrum Brands, Staco Energy Products Company, United Grinding North America, Silfex Inc. and MidMark Corporation among them.
New business is the lifeblood of Greater Dayton. For our common good, we are a community in which government, businesses and citizens work together to nurture a healthy work/life environment, one that has created the kind of institutionalized flexibility that adapts to evolving market needs. And that bodes well for our future.
For more information, contact Dave Dickerson, 937.293.0900.
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