by J.D. Davidson
Ohio can receive a $5 million grant to improve manufacturing and train workers after the U.S. Department of Defense designated the state as a Defense Manufacturing Community, Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced in a news release.
The designation is meant to support long-term community investments and enhance national security innovation, while expanding the capabilities of defense manufacturing, according to the release from the Ohio Development Services Agency.
The state, with help from the Department of Defense, must now apply for the grant.”
“The agility, speed and resilience of Ohio’s manufacturing base offers a vital resource to the Department of Defense in its efforts to broaden and deepen the domestic defense supply chain,” DeWine said. “The same model that realigned the entire Ohio manufacturing base to fight COVID-19 can be realigned to re-shore, innovate to solve defense department challenges and produce equipment at scale.”
Ohio expects to use the money to help businesses adopt new processes and technology in an effort to bolster the state as a defense supplier, according to the Development Services Agency. The grant should help workers prepare for new, high-tech jobs and to bring more people to the manufacturing workforce.
“Ohio will create the nation’s premier defense manufacturing community,” Lydia Mihalik, director of the Development Services Agency, said. “Becoming an official Ohio Defense Manufacturing Community will accelerate and scale manufacturing initiatives and thereby strengthen the defense supply chain. Ohio is committed to building an inclusive, skilled manufacturing workforce to support the project.”
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J.D. Davidson is a regional editor for The Center Square.
