CANADIAN COMPANY COULD BRING 100 JOBS TO ENGLEWOOD
Canadian manufacturer seeks $400,000 public development funds.
A Canadian company considering opening a new factory in Englewood could add more jobs than it originally expected.
The president of Canadian auto parts manufacturer Hematite flew to Dayton Wednesday to make his case for a requested $400,000 in public development funds from Montgomery County to build a new factory in Englewood, creating more than 100 new jobs at what would be the company’s American headquarters.
“I think that’s a conservative number,” Bill Singer, Englewood’s development director, told the county ED/GE Advisory Committee, referring to the projected number of new jobs.
John Pavanel, Hematite president, told the committee the company’s preferred site on Lau Parkway has room for a second building — one that could process raw material — and he said all of the new jobs, employees and managers, would be local.
“What this site gives is size and room,” Pavanel said.
The committee on Wednesday examined applications for a total of $1.3 million in funds through the county’s Economic Development/Government Equity, or ED/ GE program, which has more than $2.1 million in available funds.
Twice a year, Montgomery County government considers applications from local communities for the funds, which are created through sales tax revenue. Next Friday, the committee will decide which requests are funded and how much they will receive. Montgomery County Commissioners have the final vote later this month.
In total, there are 230 new jobs proposed and 209 existing jobs protected in these latest business proposals.
Among those seeking funds is the city of Miamisburg on behalf of defense contractor Cornerstone Research Group, which wants to move from Beavercreek to that city.
Cornerstone’s 68 jobs — with an annual payroll of $5.3 million — would be new to Miamisburg and Montgomery County.
Cornerstone is eyeing the 510 Earl Blvd. home of United Grinding, which is building a new facility near the Austin interchange.
Pat Hood, Cornerstone president and founder, said the company’s vision is simple: “We want to build aircraft in the Miami Valley.”
“We are on an uptick,” Hood told the committee. “We have had a solid year the last couple of years.”
Besides moving existing jobs, Hood projected that the company could create 35 new jobs in three to five years.
Some of the ED/GE requests were made on behalf of unidentified companies that wish to remain private.
An existing Dayton manufacturer wants to build a third facility, creating 29 new jobs and retaining 39 existing ones, said Keith Klein, a development specialist with the city of Dayton.
“What’s exciting about this project is they really want to create a campus environment,” Klein said.
The company is in talks with property owners on two different sites, he said. Dayton is asking for $150,000 to support a $6.5 million project.
Vandalia is asking for $100,000 to support a more than $1 million expansion there, one that would project some 168 existing jobs. That project is also confidential.