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Letter from President & CEO Jeff Hoagland

We have a simple, straightforward mission at the Dayton Development Coalition: To recruit, expand and retain jobs in the Dayton Region. When the year ends and we look back on our work, those three things show the growth of the region’s economic base.

By those metrics, we had a record year in 2021. As our region continued to emerge from a global pandemic, our sector businesses invested in our region, adding more jobs and more projects than in any of the last 10 JobsOhio network years. We had the second-best year for payroll and capital investment. In the face of adversity, we prevailed.

In 2021, companies committed to create more than 4,264 new jobs and keep more than 3,298 jobs in our region. Many of our projects this year were new companies establishing operations in the region, helping to further diversify our economy. Those  projects will generate more than $165.5 million in new payroll and $854.8 million in capital investment. 

Wright-Patterson AFB continues to have a significant impact on our region. With more than 32,000 employees, it remains the largest single-site employer in the state. A new statewide economic impact analysis showed our local federal and military installations generate $19.4 billion in total economic activity annually and support 103,000 jobs across the region. 

Those results build on decades of hard work by hundreds of local economic development professionals. Since the DDC began in 1994 as the Miami Valley Economic Development Coalition, our region fought back from a major recession, Wright-Patt has nearly doubled in size, and our regional economy has strengthened and diversified. 

2021 transformed our community. The last three years of hardship have reshaped our community, our businesses, and our personal lives. In a year that contained both promise and frustration, our community came together to seize a generational opportunity for growth. 

We began to see companies re-shore essential operations, adapt and incorporate digital technology, and find new ways to leverage the changes in consumer behavior. The Dayton Region stands ready to leverage these transformations in 2022. Supported by new JobsOhio programs, efforts like the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program, and a commitment to attracting and retaining the nation’s best talent are becoming a part of the Dayton Region. 
 
2022 is projected to be another strong year. Our sector pipeline is as strong as it has been with several major announcements to be made in 2022.  We will see a growing Advanced Air Mobility industry take to the skies above Springfield. The collaborations and partnerships that define our community will continue to move us forward. 

We look forward to a bright 2022 with new opportunities. Thank you for your continued support of the DDC and the Dayton Region. 
 

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