Why Pitch Days and Ohio’s Military Installations are Important to Business Growth

J.P. Nauseef
JobsOhio

On November 13 and 14, JobsOhio was honored to partner with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) and the Dayton Development Coalition to hold AFLCMC Pitch Days at Carillon Historical Park in the Dayton region. The two-day event connected industry, venture capital and the U.S. Air Force together to facilitate support for cutting-edge technologies. These were the first Pitch Days held in Dayton, but we anticipate they will not be the last.

Leveraging the success of previous Air Force Pitch Day events, AFLCMC Pitch Days provided an opportunity to drive investment and potentially attract innovative companies to Ohio. Twenty-three companies presented projects related to airborne communication, cyber-related commercial innovations, maintenance and manufacturing technologies, and intelligence and surveillance for special forces. We are excited that all 23 companies walked away with contracts and checks, totaling up to $1 million each. In total, $15 million in contracts was awarded, $3 million more than expected.

Although the participating companies were not from Ohio, they now have reason to grow in the state. JobsOhio introduced them to grants and other ongoing services to incentivize and entice these companies currently operating out-of-state to invest and locate closer to their customer, the U.S. Air Force.

The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a huge asset to the Air Force and Ohio. The base employs more than 30,000 people as the state’s largest single-site employer. If the AFLCMC — headquartered at Wright-Patterson — were a private company, it would rank No. 3 on the Fortune 500. Similarly, the Air Force Materiel Command — also based at Wright-Patterson — would be among the Top 40 of Fortune 500 companies.

The Pitch Days showcased the importance of supporting Ohio’s federal and military installations and the potential they have to attract opportunities to the state. For this reason, we are exploring adding federal and military installations as a focus in the new JobsOhio strategy.

We look forward to partnering with all of you to facilitate and support these and other initiatives that draw attention to Ohio, bringing the potential for investment and job creation across the state and in our communities.