WHY DARKE COUNTY?

Supporting your business
Whether it's agriculture, technology, manufacturing, retail or service based, Darke County provides a unique backdrop for your business to grow and thrive. We believe that you will find that Darke County's rural setting + easy access to urban areas is the perfect mix for your business.
Our participation within regional collaborations that support economic development is yet another reason why Darke County is a great place to be. Please take a few minutes to review our collaborations below and please contact us so we can start a conversation about your development vision today!
PARTNERING FOR PROGRESS
What is Partnering For Progress
A collaborative economic development effort providing comprehensive support to the Darke County business community. This effort consists of a diverse group of public and private entities and individuals from across Darke County.
All partnership goals aim to help foster new opportunity for Darke County businesses and citizens as well as the growth and vibrancy of our communities.
Existing Industry Support
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Ensure that a county-wide business retention and expansion program is successfully maintained
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Partner with the business community to increase the growth of quality jobs and capital investment within Darke County
Resource Development
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Develop new tools and resources for existing business support and the attraction of new opportunity
Marketing/New Business Recruitment
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Aggressively promote Darke County as a viable business location
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Strengthen regional partnerships to aid Darke County's growth through the growth and health of the entire region
Workforce Development
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Strengthen the linkage between education and training providers and the business community to ensure adequate curriculum and skills development for industrial needs
*Expansion of the partnership is an on-going goal.
Unified efforts yield remarkable results.
PARTNERING FOR PROGRESS
BUSINESS FIRST
Business First! At A Glance
Darke County Economic Development proudly participates in the regional Business First! Retention & Expansion initiative. To access the Business First! website directly: www.businessfirstdaytonregion.com
The BusinessFirst! Program uses a customer-focused approach to link businesses with resources that help businesses stay and grow in the community. The BusinessFirst! team is a coordinated group of more than 100 economic, community, workforce development and government agencies who are ready to assist firms in meeting their corporate objectives.
The program gives a business owner a single point of contact for a wide range of assistance that is available from local, county, regional, state and federal agencies. Highly trained and motivated outreach specialists meet with individual business owners to learn more about each business and identify resources to assist the firm in succeeding in today's competitive environment.
Business First! Facts
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Business First!membership includes 29 jurisdictions in the Greater Dayton Region from Montgomery, Greene, Miami and Darke Counties, as well as the City of Springboro, which lies in Montgomery and Warren Counties, and the City of Eaton in Preble County.
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Business First! Regional Resource Partner membership has grown from 34 members to approximately 100 Regional Resource Partners to serve regional businesses.
Results
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Approximately 2,000 business visitations have occurred since the inception of Business First!
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Businesses have received assistance in workforce training and recruitment, exporting, strategic and business planning, e-commerce, financing and more.
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The BusinessFirst! Team has been instrumental in helping the following Montgomery County companies to stay and grow in the region: Eurand Pharmaceutical, IMI Norgren, Smiths Aerospace, GE Consumer Finance, SK Tech, Paxar, Dayton-Phoenix, Inc., Moto Photo, ConSpan Bridge Systems, Appleton, LORD Corporation and more...
Partial Listing of Regional Resource Partners
and Support Agencies
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Advanced Integrated Manufacturing (AIM) Center
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Antioch University - McGregor School
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City Wide Development Corp
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COUNTY CORP
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Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce
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Dayton Development Coalition
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Dayton Power & Light
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Dayton Tooling & Machining Association
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Downtown Dayton Partnership
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Edison Materials Technology Center
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Greater Dayton Foreign Trade Zone, Inc.
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Greater Dayton IT Alliance
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Miami Valley Career Technology Center
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Miami Valley International Trade Association
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Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority
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Minority Contractors & Business Assistance Program Center Montgomery County
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Dayton-Montgomery County Port Authority
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Ohio Department of Development
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Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation
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SBC/Ameritech
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Service Corps of Retired Executives
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Sinclair Community College
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South Central Ohio Minority Business Council
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South Metro Chamber of Commerce
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Southern Area Manufacturing SAM/SBDC
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TechSolve
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The Entrepreneurs Center
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The Job Center
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Time Warner Cable
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U.S. Small Business Administration
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University of Dayton
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US Department of Commerce
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Wright State University
For more information, or if you would like to meet with a Business First! Specialist, contact:
Erik Collins - Economic Development Manager - 937-225-4642 or e-mail collinse@mcohio.org.
LOCATION | PROXIMITY
Darke County sits near the I-70 and I-75 interchange, providing access to one of the most highly traveled crossroads in the United States. In fact, Darke County, as a part of the larger Dayton Region, is within 600 miles of 53% of the U.S. population and 60% of workers currently employed in the manufacturing industry, providing short commutes to major markets.
TRANSPORTATION
Although rural in nature, Darke County is located within a 30 to 90 minute drive of several major midwestern metropolitan communities including Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Because of its geographic location, Darke County is within a 90-minute air market for 55% of the population in the United States.

UTILITIES
Our Darke County communities offer a variety of Utility Service options for your business location.
Please contact our office if you need any additional information regarding service options for your proposed facility.
HIGH QUALITY WATER
The Dayton Region offers a sustainable source for the world's most important resource-WATER.
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1.5 trillion gallons of groundwater
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2,000+ gallons of water per minute routinely achieved
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EPA award-winning source water protection programs
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Groundwater that maintains a constant 56F° and provides a valuable source of geothermal energy

With aquifers yielding more than 13,900 gallons per minute, the Dayton Region, located in southwest Ohio, excels in the ability to obtain high quality water and in the quantity needed. And with award winning source water protection programs, the Region has a large, replenishing and pure aquifer system that is less vulnerable to water shortages than most of the U.S. In fact, the Region has so much excess capacity that it is able to tap the aquifer for geothermal systems to cost-effectively heat and cool buildings.
During times when many areas across the nation are struggling with drought conditions, the Dayton Region is drought-free and welcomes water- intensive business and industry to share its abundant water resources.
QUICK LINKS
ELECTRIC SERVICE:
CABLE & INTERNET:
NATURAL GAS: