News

By John Bush  –  Senior Reporter, Dayton Business Journal

Dayton landed a big win Monday when a major player in the aerospace and defense industry announced it is bringing a large-scale aviation center to the region.

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), a Nevada-based provider of advanced technology solutions and open architecture integrations, selected a 16-acre site at the Dayton International Airport for two aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities. The project will expand the company’s local footprint, which also includes an office in Beavercreek.

Yet, even more development and jobs may be forthcoming.

The facilities, to be located on the northeast side of the airport, will bring nearly 150 new jobs to the region. Construction will be managed by Signet Real Estate Group, which is SNC’s development partner. Signet will design-build the hangar and lease it to SNC. Shook Construction also has been hired as the project’s general contractor.

Though the new aviation center already is being touted as a massive accomplishment for Dayton, Mark Williams, SNC senior vice president of strategy, said this is just the first of what could be several new facilities the company may decide to build at the Dayton airport site. He noted the property could hold three or four hangars in total.

“This is just the beginning,” Williams told me in an exclusive interview. “We plan to expand this significantly.”

The first hangar currently under construction at the airport will measure around 90,000 square feet, and will be capable of holding the largest aircraft in the Department of Defense. When complete in December 2022, the facility also will become SNC’s largest hangar.

The company recently opened its fifth hangar in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in addition to facilities in Centennial, Colorado.

“This can have the same type of effect in Dayton,” Williams said of the potential economic impact of the new facility at the airport.

The size of the facility provides for greater flexibility, will allow the company to perform larger projects and offers more opportunities than ever before. This could have a ripple effect on the Dayton-area economy, as Sierra Nevada looks to partner with large and small businesses in the region. Williams said they will be seeking multiple partnerships with local firms as the company continues to grow.

After a nationwide search, Williams said they chose Ohio — and specifically Dayton — for several reasons. Among the factors that went into the decision were the region’s supply chain, existing infrastructure at the airport, availability and pipeline of talent, cost, proximity to its customers such as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, superior logistics capabilities and incentives. Williams specifically applauded the state of Ohio, JobsOhio, the Dayton Development Coalition, Montgomery County and the city of Dayton for their ability to beat the competition, which included Colorado and Kansas.

“Dayton offered the best value to us, so it just made business sense,” he said. “You all did the best out of anyone.”