Here are five ways Dayton industry is changing the region:
1. Manufacturers and logistics companies serving them are demanding space
Companies are drawn to the Dayton area and Southwestern Ohio by low costs, the confluence of interstates 70 and 75, and being only a day's drive away from 70 percent of the nation's manufacturing capacity — companies representing automotive assembly, advanced manufacturing, plastics and more. READ MORE
2. Local manufacturers are focused on the future
An array of local companies are focused on materials science, including at least one university institution, the University of Dayton Research Institute.
Global Graphene Group — also known as “G3” — is the Dayton-based holding company for Angstron Materials, Honeycomb Battery and Nanotek Instruments. Together with a new division, Angstron Energy Co., the companies work on commercializing uses for its material called “graphene.”
In particular, global companies are exploring how graphene may prevent cell phone battery fires. READ MORE
Concerned about your cell phone battery catching on fire? This #Dayton company believes it has the answer. https://t.co/AFta4oLWsS
— Thomas Gnau (@ThomasGnau) May 29, 2018
3. Dayton manufacturers are starting to pay more
Manufacturing once was a surefire path to a middle-class life, even for workers without college degrees. That path in some ways is less certain today due to automation, global trade, weakening unions and more.
But manufacturing still yields a pay “premium” compared to other industries that draw from the same pool of workers — retail, restaurants and hospitality — and starting pay in the region has increased in recent years.
"It's true," said Steve Staub, co-owner of Staub's Manufacturing Solutions in Harrison Twp. "We pay more than we used to." READ MORE
4. Manufacturers are in hiring mode.
Not all manufacturing lost jobs have come back, but a lot of them have and companies like Rack Processing in Moraine say they no longer have a shortage of jobs. They have a shortage of qualified workers.
The need is acutely felt and widespread: The Dayton area and West Central Ohio are home to about 2,500 manufacturers trying to fill some 3,400 new positions every year, said Jon Foley, a trustee of the Dayton Region Manufacturers Association, which has members in 14 counties. READ MORE
Nationally and in Ohio, the growth of industry is making itself felt. READ MORE
About the Author
