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The Butler County Board of Commissioners awarded ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University $10 million to support the establishment of an advanced manufacturing workforce and innovation hub during its meeting today. With the funding, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú will acquire the property at 101 Knightsbridge Drive in Hamilton to house the new hub. 

Butler County Commissioners Cindy Carpenter, Donald Dixon, and T.C. Rogers announced the approval of the funding, which is made possible through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). They also expressed their support for the hub, which will bolster Butler County and the Southwest Ohio region's strong manufacturing base and serve the needs of industry, residents, and students through training, education, and research.   

Reflecting on the impact to the community, Board President Cindy Carpenter said, “Niles Tool Works, Estate Stove, Champion Paper Mill, Mosler Safe, and Fischer Body were just a few of the industrial giants that drew my ancestors to Butler County seeking better ways to support their families. So many of us share this same story. With the launch of the advanced manufacturing hub, not only are we connecting with our own history, but we are also enriching it and creating limitless possibilities to improve the employment prospects for future generations. Thank you to Butler Tech and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University for making this dream come true,” she said. 

The hub is a collaboration among the Butler County Board of Commissioners, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, Butler Tech, and the City of Hamilton. 

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú President Gregory Crawford, Randi Malcolm Thomas, vice president of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Office of ASPIRE, and Ande Durojaiye, vice president of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Regionals and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science, expressed the university’s excitement for the collaboration, as well as their appreciation for the commissioners’ leadership role and financial commitment. They also thanked Judi Boyko, Butler County administrator. 

“We thank the commissioners for their commitment to promoting economic and social mobility in our communities and for having a transformative vision for our region,” said ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú President Gregory Crawford.

“Through the commissioners strategic vision, Butler Tech and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University are creating a vital access point to Ohio's thriving training, education, and workforce ecosystem,” Durojaiye said. “This project would not be completed without the generous financial support from the Butler County Commissioners.”

Expected to launch in January 2026, the facility provides space for joint Butler Tech and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú programming and for regional manufacturers to locate on site. Initially, industry partners, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, and Butler Tech will occupy 70,000 square feet.

“This project is a perfect example of public-private partnership by advancing meaningful investment for long-term returns. To me, government’s role in economic development should be the final piece of a capital stack to propel a project forward. It’s a good day for Butler County when these three strong entities – the Board of Commissioners, Butler Tech, and of course ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University – unite to establish the advanced manufacturing center,” said Board Vice President Don Dixon.

Since announcing the project in February, 16 organizations have signed a memorandum of understanding to join the hub:

• Alloy Growth Lab
• AMIP
• thyssenKrupp Bilstein of America
• CTL
• Emersion
• General Tool
• JEE Foods
• Juxtom
• MSP
• Nth Cycle
• Standard Aero
• TechSolve
• TRAK Machine Tools
• United Grinding North America
• Veolia
• Yaskawa

Commissioner T.C. Rogers applauds all partners and considers this a significant venture in developing a workforce to learn today to solve tomorrow’s problems. “It is one step closer to my objective of wanting to retain grassroots talent by creating an environment where Butler County’s young talent wants to stay or excitedly return because of all the opportunity.”

Butler Tech, one of the largest career technical schools in Ohio, currently serves 1,700 students on campus and over 17,000 students overall daily. The school plans to enroll an additional 200 students with this additional campus. The courses offered will be geared toward advanced manufacturing with programs in IT, welding, precision machining, engineering, and mechatronics.  

Through the collaboration Butler County residents, Butler Tech and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University students will have access to a variety of distinctive pathways to meet all levels of need in the manufacturing sector — from associate degrees, industry-recognized certificates, to degrees in Smart Manufacturing Engineering, Robotics, and Automation through ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's College of Engineering and Computing.

“The engagement with industry will propel this hub and Ohio forward,” Thomas said. “The students and community members who participate in the programming will benefit from our incredible industry partners and experts that will be on site. Their knowledge and know-how will train and educate our current and future workforce and create an unstoppable talent pipeline in Southwest Ohio.”