Ohio's lieutenant governor and three companies honored by Dayton Development Coalition

Feb. 9—The Dayton Development Coalition announced its annual awards on Wednesday, honoring Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and three companies.

The announcements were made at the coalition's annual meeting held at Carillon Historical Park's Winsupply Center of Leadership in Dayton.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted received the Maureen Patterson Regional Leader Award.

"Today's honoree is one of the Dayton region's most important allies in economic development. He has spent decades dedicated to strengthening our state's economic foundation and diversifying our economy," Jeff Hoagland, coalition president and CEO, said in a news release.

Patterson spent years working in economic development, serving at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and as a vice president at the coalition, before retiring.

The annual award honors a leader who advocates for the community's economic health and growth. Last year's recipient was Deborah Feldman, president and CEO of Dayton Children's Hospital and former, long-time Montgomery County administrator.

Patterson and her husband, former Kettering Mayor Don Patterson, were in the audience on Wednesday and Husted and his wife, Tina Husted, presented Maureen Patterson with a bouquet of flowers.

"It's my great honor to receive the Maureen Patterson Regional Leader Award," Husted said in a news release issued before the meeting. "I got my start in economic development here in the Dayton region working alongside Maureen (at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce), so this award holds a special place in my heart. There's never been a better time to live, work and raise a family in Ohio than right now, and I'm proud of the work we have accomplished and look forward to many more years of economic success for our state."

The 2022 Research & Development Project of the Year went to Plastilene Group for its plan to establish a sustainable food packaging initiative and facility in Washington Court House.

"Plastilene's facility will conduct research as well as produce food packaging," according to the news release. "The company will work with partners including SugarCreek Packing and Wingate Packaging in Washington Court House, Center for Innovative Food Technology and The Ohio State University's Alternative Materials lab, among others."

The $47 million facility is the company's first U.S. operation. It will create 58 new jobs and $3.8 million in new payroll, according to the coalition.

The 2022 Aerospace & Defense Project of the Year went to Sierra Nevada Corporation for the aircraft maintenance and repair facility it built on 16 acres at the Dayton International Airport.

"The new SNC Dayton aviation facility will be capable of supporting some of the largest aviation projects in the world. The project will create approximately 150 new jobs in the Dayton Region," according to the news release.

After the annual meeting officials participated in the grand opening of the new Sierra Nevada facility.

The 2022 Project of the year award went to Honda for its electric vehicle and battery production projects.

"Honda and LG Energy Solution announced they will build a battery plant in Fayette County 45 years to the day after Honda announced its first production facility in Ohio. Their combined investments of at least $4.2 billion will create a total of 2,527 new jobs in Ohio between the establishment of a new EV battery plant in Fayette County and the retooling of existing Honda plants in Union, Logan, and Shelby counties for electric vehicle production," according to the news release.

"This project is truly transformational. It will bring additional investment to our region, and highlight Fayette County and Ohio as a place where people can build a fulfilling, innovative career," according to the coalition news release. "The project had the largest job creation and capital investment in the Dayton region since JobsOhio began in 2011."

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