Check out the ‘Moving Forward’ Podcast Series to Learn the Secret of Montgomery County’s Successes

Montgomery County Economic Development is always looking for new tools to build and maintain a strong economy for our residents, and help companies remain competitive in the global environment. To this end, we have collaborated with The Dayton Business Journal podcast, A Greater Dayton with Dan Edwards, to produce the three-part series, Moving Forward, covering six of our projects and initiatives.

“We’re talking about all of the great things that have been happening in the Dayton Region of Ohio over the past couple of years,” said Erik Collins, Director of Community & Economic Development for Montgomery County. “It’s an exciting way to tell our stories. The Midwest is humble and modest, and sometimes we don’t share our successes enough.”

Moving Forward Part 1 (Episode 66), Montgomery County Economic Development Partners! This episode focuses on some of the region's most dynamic partners: the Dayton/Montgomery County Port Authority and the Transportation Improvement District (TID). The Port Authority is a public body created to facilitate economic and community development in the Dayton region with 20+ years of financing transactions for projects. The TID is a special purpose local government created by the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners in 2001 to finance and expedite high-priority transportation improvement projects that support significant economic development in Montgomery County and its region.

Dan Edwards spoke with Port Authority Executive Director Joseph M. Geraghty, who is responsible for keeping many projects afloat by finding financial partners eager to invest in the Dayton Region's revitalized market.

Plus, Crystal L. Corbin, Executive Director of the TID, talks about how county-wide collaboration has helped the region fast-track projects, reduce risk, lower costs, and increase speeds to market to give the Dayton region a competitive advantage, particularly around the Dayton International Airport.

“We make things happen in the Dayton Region through collaboration,” said Collins. “We are the sum of our parts. That’s how we get things done: resource partners working together.”

Moving Forward Part 2 (Episode 68), Montgomery County Economic Development Partners DRITA & DIA. Through the Dayton Region Israel Trade Alliance (DRITA), the Dayton region is uniquely positioned to  collaborate with Israeli companies. DRITA is the gateway for access to a local team, representatives in Israel, and matchmaking funding through Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation. 

The partnership has exposed American companies to Israel's high-tech markets and has been an enormous success returning millions of dollars in business opportunities. Hadas Bar-Or, the DRITA's representative in Israel, gives fascinating insight into how this partnership is a win-win for both countries and the backstory for how it developed. 

Edwards also talked to Gil Turner, Director of Aviation for the City of Dayton, Ohio, about the future of the Dayton International Airport and the airport's impact on regional growth as a major economic generator. The airport is a keystone of the logistics sector in Montgomery County because of its high-quality air service and ample properties totaling more than 600 acres. 

Moving Forward Part 3 (Episode 70) Montgomery County Economic Development Partners: UAS and The Hub. In the wrap-up of the podcast series, Edwards talked with Dr. Andrew Shepherd, Executive Director and Chief Scientist for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) at Sinclair College. Find out why the Dayton Region is the ”new Silicon Valley” for UAS Certification and Technologies. 

Also, in this episode, learn the details of why Tesla calls Dayton home and check-in to see how the Entrepreneur’s Center (EC) at The Hub in The Dayton Arcade has grown. The EC is a 100,000 square-foot space that houses co-working space, dedicated desks, shared offices, education and incubation areas and is the result of a partnership between The Entrepreneurs Center and the L. William Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership at the University of Dayton.

In the Dayton region, our economic partners are the key to our collective success. Additionally, Montgomery County offers speed-to-market, risk-mitigation, and greater affordability than other potential sites. For more information on our resources and initiatives, visit selectmcohio.com. Follow Montgomery County on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.