Governments going for county grants, 852 jobs
Cities, township apply for $2.3M in Montgomery money.
Nine cities and a township have applied for a total of more than $2.3 million in Montgomery County ED/GE (Economic Development and Government Equity) grants in business expansions that applicants say will create 852 new jobs and protect more than 800 existing jobs.
The biggest batch of new jobs would come from a Florida health company, AxoGen Inc. In August, AxoGen bought a Vandalia industrial building in the Scholz Industrial Park. That project alone could create 228 new jobs, according to the city of Vandalia, which applied for $350,000 in ED/GE money.
AxoGen is not completely new to the Dayton area, having worked with the Community Blood Center for about three years.
In an Aug. 1 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, AxoGen noted that the Vandalia site is close to its leased operation in Dayton, where it processes nerve grafts and soft-tissue membranes, an apparent reference to the Community Blood Center, which is linked to a tissue-processing center in Kettering’s Miami Valley Research Park.
The Vandalia purchase comprises “a 70,000-square-foot building on approximately 8.6 acres of land,” AxoGen said in its SEC filing. “It is expected that renovations will be completed within 24 months of the closing to provide a new processing facility that can be included in the company’s biologics license application for the Avance nerve graft.”
While the county has more than $2.3 million in requests before it, only $1,103,966 is available in this ED/GE funding round. A committee of local decision-makers will weigh the requests in coming weeks and vote on the projects. The County Commission
will make the final decision.
ED/GE grants are awarded twice a year. Thursday was the deadline for area cities and townships to apply for the taxpayer funds on behalf of prospective business expansions within their borders.
Among the other ED/GE applications the county made public Thursday:
The city of Moraine applied for $300,000 in ED/GE funds in a project the city says will allow Tyler Technologies to create 225 new jobs while retaining 160 current jobs.
Wenco Construction wants to create 59 new jobs in Huber Heights, according to that city’s application. Huber seeks $100,000 in ED/GE funds.
In Brookville, the codenamed “Project Nora” could create 80 new jobs if it gets a $500,000 ED/GE grant, according to that city’s application. The cities of Dayton and Union joined that application to boost what they say is a Fortune 500 manufacturer considering multiple locations for a 300,000-square-foot facility.
That project is competitive, and the unnamed manufacturer is also looking outside Montgomery County for a site, the three cities said. Municipalities often shield the identity of companies contemplating a move or expansion, giving them code names.
Among other applications: A Dayton manufacturing business wants to connect three disparate buildings, creating 25 new jobs. A Beavercreek defense contractor seeks to move to Dayton, moving 35 existing jobs to Dayton and creating 65 new ones. And a janitorial company looks to upgrade a Trotwood building.
Techmetals in Dayton wants to build and equip a 12,000-square-foot building to unite a trio of Springfield Street sites. The morethan-$2 million project, for which Dayton seeks $150,000 in ED/GE grants, would help retain 200 existing jobs and create 25 new ones, the city’s application says.
In all, Techmetals, a business that offers metal-coating and finishing services, has about 200 employees working in a 10-building “urban campus.”
A Beavercreek defense IT and projects management company, JJR Solutions LLC, wants to invest about $750,000 to move into a “multi-story,” previously vacant, “historic” building, according to the city of Dayton’s application.
The application does not give the address JJR has in mind. A map accompanying the application shows a location off Main Street south of First Street.
The application says the company will sign a 10-year lease for nearly 14,000 square feet of office space.
Annual payroll for the jobs new to Dayton was put at $9 million, with average salaries at just over $90,000, according to Dayton’s application on behalf of JJR. The move will cost more than $1.5 million, and Dayton seeks $150,000.
And in Trotwood, Robinson Janitorial and Floor Care has applied for $23,000 for ED/GE funds to upgrade a new business location at 5134 Salem Ave. The site needs infrastructure attention.