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Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > June > 07 > Entry
Guest Column: How Dayton can keep jobs, attract more
David Gasper, of Beavercreek, is a software entrepreneur. Formerly with NCR Corp, he sold his start-up company that serviced automated teller machines to NCR in 1999. His start-up, PicsMatch, is a consumer software product that uses facial recognition to organize photographs.
In the wake of NCR Corp. leaving Dayton, many of us are asking how Dayton can hang on to the jobs it has — and grow more.
Here are concrete ideas for keeping our local information technology businesses healthier and more connected to Dayton.
Let’s target the major IT companies that we want to be more vested in Dayton. In information technology, the logical and obvious candidates are:
• Lexis Nexis
• Teradata
• Reynolds and Reynolds
• Standard Register
Let’s also develop an IT outreach strategy modeled after how the community went after jobs during the Base Realignment and Closure Commission process. That elements of that strategy should be:
• Uniting the region and speaking with one voice. One organization needs to own the effort to retain jobs, and all communities and stakeholders need to participate. A single municipality or chamber of commerce is too small to act alone. In the BRAC campaign, collectively we achieved success because we leveraged each other’s energy, knowledge and contacts.
• Developing deep relationships with executives and board members of the targeted companies even if they do not live or work in Dayton. The BRAC team spent a great deal of time in Washington and other communities building relationships.
• Developing strategic plans to counteract the competition from other cities and competing economic entities.
• Including political leaders at the state and federal level.
• Creating a partnership climate for our local businesses. Officials, community leaders and citizens need to understand businesses’ problems and how we eliminate roadblocks — in exchange for more jobs.
•Creating incentives for the targeted companies above and beyond standard tax breaks.
Some examples of might be:
•Start an executive recruitment program in which the Dayton community participates in attracting executives to the area. Create a welcoming and sale committee to help sway executives to live in Dayton.
• Creating specialized tailored management programs that would develop top local talent. This would be more specialized than a standard generic MBA program.
• Enlist business faculty to help businesses. Some educators already participate in the community, but we need still more.
• Convert Dayton to a “tier 1” broadband communications city by turning on the underground fiber network system that has been place but is not being used. Make this high-speed network available to locally vested companies. We have an information super highway lying under our streets, yet we are unable to drive on it. Let’s open it.
• Create more applied research programs for our local universities that could directly benefit local companies. Use Third Frontier Funds to make the research more affordable for our local partner companies.
• Link our local IT companies to state and federal sales opportunities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and in Columbus.
Finally, let’s focus on our small- and medium-sized business. Small businesses have created far more IT jobs in Dayton than NCR did. Yet, they don’t receive multi-million dollar incentive packages. Rather, we face many more obstacles than large companies, yet we are the engine for future job growth.
Warren Buffett compares our economic crisis to a war. While this might not be an appropriate analogy, his point is that we have to respond as if we’re in a fight. We need plans and a strategy; focus and sacrifice; unity and a sense of purpose.
I’m disappointed that NCR no longer believes in Dayton. But we have a lot to offer many other companies. Let’s do it.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Economy, Guest Columns, Local Business
Comments
By Dave Coleman
June 7, 2009 10:40 AM | Link to this
This is exactly what we need - concrete ideas for specific actions to address specific issues in our community. Generalizations about Dayton can provide interesting starting points for discussion, but unless that discussion leads to real actions with observable, quantifiable, results….it’s just so much talk (or blogging, emailing, facebooking, etc)By BOROMAN
June 7, 2009 11:00 AM | Link to this
The handling of BRAC was a mess. Tony Hall was delusional from his hunger strike. DESC is now in it’s 13th year out of Dayton!By Tony
June 7, 2009 12:51 PM | Link to this
I can only pray that our local political leaders read this and are smart enough to accept and implement these ideas. These ideas are exactly what Dayton and the Dayton area need.By nyc
June 7, 2009 1:41 PM | Link to this
WILL THE LAST PERSON TO LEAVE DAYTON….PLEASE TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!!!!!…….THANK YOUBy Former SS
June 7, 2009 3:31 PM | Link to this
Darn…Dave…Where have you been????!!!! We need your expertise in revitalizing the “Daytonian” inventive spirit!!!! Did you know that the inventions and patents patented by Daytonians runs into the thousands???!!! Yours will be added to the list! You’ll make millions! (eventually). Your invention seems to be able to identify people by “how ugly they are”… (HAAA…just a joke, Dave!) I’m sure that the ever increasing totalitarian need for information, photo I.D., and human factor identification, will make you the “godchild” of “those who want to know”. Do you care who you sell this technology to? Didn’t think so. If you find yourself on a photo data page, wanting to be questioned by those who you sold the technology to….remember…you were warned of their intentions. Do you think it might have been better to have invented leaded gasoline (anti-knock properties) or the electric starter for the car…as Charles F. Kettering did…instead of hastening 1984? Naaaaa! Dave sez he likes his “porsh”, house in the woods in Oakwood, sunsets at Hilton Head…and knowing his invention couldn’t possibly be abused. Good job…Dave (Dave….Dave….didn’t the computer “HAL” in the movie 2001 say “Dave” alot???By Brian
June 7, 2009 7:41 PM | Link to this
As the others have said, those are all good ideas. At the same time, lets look at reality — being that those ideas have to be paid for up front. To think that just shouting “Kumbaya” is going to get these municipalities to unite and speak with one voice is naive. We couldn’t even all agree on a simple 911 dispatch center! We’re going to need something that has a remote chance of selling.By TJ
June 7, 2009 11:08 PM | Link to this
Thank goodness there is someone out here who still believes in this town! I hope that the leaders in our community will listen to your ideas and act upon them. The themthem.hop Also, the citizensBy mike
June 7, 2009 11:11 PM | Link to this
Unfortunately we are barking up the same tree as every other city in the country. Face it, if it can be digitized, it be done anywhere…and Dayton just isn’t where very many people care to be. You want to cater to the elite. I say we cater to the youth of this community who need a better education than our school system can provide. You educate the people in this town, and companies will come…without our begging. Or giving them corporate welfare. That’s exactly what Georgia has done.By Johnny Reb
June 8, 2009 6:34 AM | Link to this
Hey nyc, If you live in NYC then you probably don’t own much. You probably rent a small flat for to much MONEY, ride the nasty subways. Rat Race; you can have that crap.By Bill M
June 8, 2009 8:51 AM | Link to this
Thanks David! Please forward your excellent ideas to the mayor, city council, governor and house members. Let us know how we can help! Start a web page where we can participate!By McGee
June 8, 2009 12:42 PM | Link to this
Lexis Nexis has been laying people off for some time now, Teradata hires many virtual (outside of Dayton) employees so thats no help. Reynolds & Reynolds is one of the most oppressive, underpaying, and all around terrible places to work at. I don’t have any contacts at Standard Register but I rarely hear anything about them…By Mark R
June 8, 2009 4:36 PM | Link to this
Good article Dave. All the bad news makes it hard to tell what is a pretty good story. We have offices here and Atlanta and we find it much easier to recruit technology resources here. There is the Wright-Patterson AFB effect, a large number of high technology companies and a superb network of colleges and universities. One thing we are seeing a lot is people who have left the area and decided to come back. It is hard to beat the cost of living, easy commute and access to big city amenities.By Zac W
June 14, 2009 10:18 PM | Link to this
I had to get out of Dayton. I miss the people and the atmosphere the city has, however anyone who can face reality ends up somewhere else.