Friday, December 10, 2010

DBJ... Montgomery County eyes $1.6 mil for 313 jobs


From Dayton Business Journal…
Montgomery County eyes $1.6M in funding for 313 new jobs
Friday, December 10, 2010

Montgomery County officials have recommended funding eight expansion projects as part of the county’s Economic Development/Government Equity, or ED/GE, funding.
The projects, which would receive a combined $1.6 million and create up to 313 jobs, first must be considered by county commissioners at the Dec. 14 meeting.
The projects recommended for funding are:
Optivus R&D facility in Miami Township ($300,000). The Optivus research and development facility will produce and provide technical support for equipment utilized in proton beam cancer treatment. Optivus will build a 40,000-square-foot research and development facility on 4.7 acres in the southwest quadrant of the new Austin Interchange. Optivus will create 78 full time jobs with an average annual salary of $89,544 per year and total payroll of $7 million. The ED/GE funds will be used for site development;
• DRT Expansion in Dayton ($150,000). DRT Manufacturing Co. will demolish an old portion of its facility and replace it with a new 16,000-square-foot expansion of its manufacturing space at a cost of $2.5 million. The company will then install five new CNC machine tools at an estimated cost of $5 million. The project will retain 204 jobs and create 25 new jobs. The ED/GE funds will help offset the cost of construction;
Delphi in Vandalia ($100,000). Delphi will invest in heating/ventilation and air conditioning mold and assembly manufacturing equipment, as well as facility investments for material delivery, movement of gas throughout the site, overhead crane additions, parking lot upkeep and truck drive entry repairs. This will enable the Vandalia facility to roughly double its hourly employment and unit production, creating 100 new jobs and retaining 130 jobs. The ED/GE funds will be used for facility improvements.
• GAPI USA Inc. in Englewood ($250,000). If Englewood is chosen as the preferred location, GAPI will invest $5.4 million in building and equipment to expand its U.S. production. Phase one includes the construction of a 5,000-square-foot manufacturing building with an anticipated 33,000-square-foot expansion of that building in phase two. The new facility will create 25 jobs with an estimated payroll of $875,000 in phase one, with additional job creation in phase two. The ED/GE funds will help pay for site development;
• Project CP3 in Trotwood ($150,000). CP3’s proposed relocation will require an estimated $950,000 in building acquisition and improvements, more than $2 million in machinery and equipment investment and $60,000 in moving costs. The ED/GE dollars will enable CP3 to offset the cost of improvements. The project will create 45 new full-time jobs at the project site within the first three years of operation. The project will also allow Westwood Fabrication Co. to expand its operations and workforce by leasing 30,000 square feet of space, creating five new full-time jobs and retaining nine jobs;
GE Aviation Episcenter in Dayton ($500,000). GE Aviation, a division of General Electric (NYSE: GE), plans to build a 115,000-square-foot, $51 million center along River Park Drive by mid-2011 and begin operating it by the end of 2012. It will be known as the Electrical Power Integrated Systems Research and Development Center (EPISCENTER) and will focus on developing new electric power systems for aircraft, ships, automobiles and other markets. GE will initially hire 10 to 15 scientists for the center and transfer others in from other GE locations. The headquarters will be relocated from Vandalia; however, most of the company’s current 275 Vandalia employees will remain there. The ED/GE funds will assist with the construction of the new research facility;
Evanhoe & Associates in Riverside ($50,000). Evanhoe & Associates has purchased a building on Normal Boulevard to house 12 of its 20 employees. Remaining employees are stationed at various air bases around the country. Additional renovations need to be done to the building in order to house an additional 10 staff members early in 2011 and the possibility of an additional 10 employees in the future. The ED/GE funds will offset the cost of renovations; and
Stratacache redevelopment in Huber Heights ($100,000). Stratacache has purchased an abandoned 45,000-square-foot former Kroger (NYSE: KR) building in which to operate its light assembly and warehouse operations. The facility needs major renovations and ED/GE dollars will be used for exterior repairs and site improvements. Stratacache will create 15 new jobs with an estimated payroll of $480,000. The project will also enable the company to retain their 37 employees at its Dayton headquarters.

Information about the ED/GE program…

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