Updated: WilmerHale picks Kettering for site of business services center
By PAUL COLLINS Special Writer
Kettering is welcoming a new law firm to its business community; on Monday, Apr. 26, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale), a law firm that is recognized as the 23rd largest in the world, announced that it will be opening a business services center in Kettering.
Approximately 187 new jobs will be created when the facility opens its doors.
The firms decision came "after an exhaustive search," said Scott Green, the executive director of WilmerHale. Kettering faced a lot of competition during the selection process; WilmerHale looked at different communities worldwide, including 31 locations east of the Mississippi.
"In the final analysis, this is the place that can help us succeed," said WilmerHale Assistant Managing Partner Jay Westcott,
A collaborative effort was responsible for bringing the Washington D.C. and Boston-based firm to the area; the State of Ohio, the City of Kettering, and the Dayton Development Coalition were all involved in the process. For Kettering Mayor Don Patterson, the cooperation helped make the difference.
"This is not just a big day for the City of Kettering," said Patterson. "This is an example of how when we come together and work together, we can do good things for the community. Our best days are ahead of us."
With the new business services center comes the prospects of new jobs for the area; WilmerHale expects the new facility to create 187 jobs for Dayton and the surrounding communities. According to Green, new jobs will include financial, technology, and engineering positions. For Montgomery County Commission President Dan Foley, the firm is becoming a community partner that will add to the appeal of the Dayton area.
"We're starting to several internationally known companies choose the Dayton area," said Foley. "They're looking at quality of life issues, house affordability, and the available workforce. All of the assets we have in the area are starting to take root."
WilmerHale hopes to be in its new Kettering home by September of this year. The firm expects its presence to generate approximately $10-15 million per year for the local and state economy.
Reader Comments Posted: Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Comments
T. Pitt
Very good story. Here's hoping!
Posted: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Comments
Paul J.
This BIG DEAL sounds like chicken man~eh~ure to me!!! The state is just about BANK-RUPTURED and they bring in a couple million buck!!! HORSE~HOCKEY!!!!!!
