Business will adapt; economy will recover
We’re in this together. As we face the COVID19 pandemic, I’m inspired by the unity and strength shown throughout our community as we care for one another, provide support for those in need, and work to keep our economy going. In the Dayton region, our strength has always been our ability to collaborate, our willingness to innovate and our drive to get things done. In the last two months, we’ve seen local companies and individuals step forward to produce personal protective equipment and adapt new technology to fight the virus.
Many of our businesses have taken extreme measures to slow the spread of the virus and protect the health of our most vulnerable citizens. Your sacrifice has saved lives.
As an economic development organization, our goal is to help companies get what they need to rebound as quickly as possible, and make sure we retain the jobs we have. Our economic partners, local and state officials, and JobsOhio are working together to maintain the Dayton Region’s economic growth during this difficult time.
As our economy restarts, businesses will face new challenges. We want to make sure they are well-positioned to emerge from this crisis.
In Ohio, we’re lucky that JobsOhio’s independent structure allowed it to quickly adapt its programs to help Ohio companies maintain their growth and draw on additional resources.
Since March 15, JobsOhio
has made available more than $250 million to fund 10 new economic development programs and up to an additional $250 million for procurement of over 50 million units of life-saving PPE.
The DDC and our partners have spent the last two months listening to businesses and studying the data. Here’s what we’ve learned:
■ Our economy will move forward, but our workplaces may not look the same. Businesses that find a way to continue their operations while making their employees and customers feel safe have the best chance of survival.
■ We are better prepared. Our economy is more diverse than it was 20 years ago and is ready to restart. Companies are hiring, exploring ways they can grow, and searching for new opportunities.
■ Wright-Patterson Air Force Base continues to be a steadying economic force. It remains the state’s largest single-site employer with an annual economic impact of over $15 billion. The military cannot stop fighting our adversaries during a recession or pandemic. The Department of Defense continues to award contracts to our local and state-wide businesses, and
Wright-Patt remains operational. Wright-Patt continues to advance technologies to combat the pandemic and deploy medical professionals to areas hard-hit by the virus.
■ Ohio is doing what is right, not what is easy. Gov. Mike DeWine’s deliberate plan for re-opening the economy gives us a structure for moving forward while protecting our community from the virus.
When businesses reopen, bringing their employees safely back to work and re-engaging their customers and clients — that will be a major indicator we are on the road to recovery. We will face these challenges together, using every bit of Dayton’s innovation, passion and collaborative spirit to help our community recover.
Many of our businesses have taken extreme measures to slow the spread of the virus and protect the health of our most vulnerable citizens. Your sacrifice has saved lives.
Hoagland is president and CEO of the Dayton Development Coalition, a private, nonprofit economic development organization with the mission to recruit, expand and retain jobs in the Dayton Region.