CONTENTS

6 WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT

12 ECONOMIC INDICATORS

16 2026 CHAMBER SUPPORTERS

VOICE OF BUSINESS ------------------------------------

18 MAKING THE CONNECTION

22 LEADERSHIP REDEFINED

24 KEEPING BUSINESS INFORMED

CHAMBER ACADEMY ----------------------------------

28 TURNING RELATIONSHIPS INTO REVENUE

30 IN THE SPOTLIGHT

34 FROM OPENERS TO OUTCOMES

36 CHAMBER MEMBER SAVINGS

37 VOLUNTEERS OF THE QUARTER

SEE OUR PREMIER SPONSORS --------

INSIDE FRONT: MARSH MCLENNAN AGENCY

BACK COVER: HOLLYWOOD GAMING

MEMBER SEARCH

WHERE RELATIONSHIPS BECOME RESULTS

Relationships have always played a key role in how business gets done in the Dayton region. That hasn’t changed. What is changing is how we evaluate those relationships. More than ever, businesses are asking a simple question: What is this relationship producing?

This change reflects greater pressures on growth, efficiency, and accountability. Time is limited, resources are focused, and we measure every activity more closely. In this environment, building relationships must go beyond just introductions and focus on outcomes.

Organizations that excel in this area take a more structured approach. They align their relationship-building efforts with specific business goals, such as acquiring new customers, forming partnerships, developing talent, or expanding into new markets. Connections are no longer isolated efforts; they are part of a coordinated strategy.

This also affects how we approach networking. Instead of trying to maximize the number of interactions, successful leaders prioritize quality. They prepare for conversations, identify mutual value, and clarify the next steps. Follow-up becomes essential, as that is where most of the value is realized.

There is a vital balance in this method. While the focus on results is growing, the foundation of any successful relationship remains trust. Trust is built through consistency, credibility, and a genuine interest in creating value for others. Organizations that only focus on short-term gain often find it hard to maintain meaningful connections.

The strength of the Dayton business community lies in its willingness to engage, collaborate, and support one another. This has always been an advantage for the region, and it remains true today. The opportunity now is to combine that strength with more intention.

The Chamber is dedicated to supporting this shift. By creating spaces for meaningful connections and providing opportunities for deeper engagement, the goal is to help members turn relationships into real business outcomes.

Growth comes not from activity alone but from what that activity produces. When we approach relationships with clarity and purpose, they become a direct path to results.

Chris Kershner

President & CEO

Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce

"In this environment, building relationships must go beyond just introductions and focus on outcomes."

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

The chamber’s monthly publication, “Economic Indicators,” is compiled through a partnership with Wright State University’s Applied Policy Research Institute (APRI). The latest indicators are available at DaytonChamber.org. Below is a sampling from the March 2026 report.

In This Edition

Cost of Living Index
Sales Tax Collections
Consumer Price Index
Residential Home Sales
Participation Rates
Unemployment Rates

MAKING THE CONNECTION

Closing the B2B Customer Experience Gap

By Marc Sheforgen

Business-to-business relationships have always been built on performance. But in today’s market, performance alone isn’t enough. Increasingly, B2B buyers are bringing consumer-level expectations to the table, demanding responsiveness, transparency and a personalized experience from the companies they partner with. The organizations that are thriving are the ones that recognized this shift early and built their service models around it.

For Alex Keller, Business Development Manager at APG Office Furnishings, it starts before a single product is selected.

“My job is to set expectations upfront,” Keller said. “You’re putting your listening ears on when you first meet with folks. You’re trying to understand their vision, and then you’re providing a road map to get there in terms that both of you understand.”

That consultative approach is a direct response to the gap between what clients expect and what the process actually requires. Office furnishings, Keller noted, are made to order, not pulled from a warehouse shelf. Project timelines often extend well beyond what buyers accustomed to consumer purchasing anticipate.

“Every salesperson gets in trouble when they over-promise and under-deliver,” Keller said. “You might bank that one sale, but you’re not going to get them to come back.”

His advice: Tailor every client interaction to what that particular buyer already knows. Walk a seasoned facilities manager through a project differently than you’d walk through it with someone furnishing a first office. The communication itself is part of the product.

At LexisNexis, a notable employer in Dayton, Teresa Harmon, Vice President, Legal News, said parameters are even more defined. The company’s clients — law firms, corporate legal teams and government agencies — operate in high-stakes environments where accuracy and reliability are non-negotiable.

“Customer experience has to be designed as an enterprise discipline, not a support function,” Harmon said. “It comes from the consistency of the product, the quality of content, the understanding of their workflow and the speed and transparency with which we respond when it matters most.”

That philosophy extends to how LexisNexis manages AI integration, a significant opportunity in what the company delivers. Rather than simply rolling out new capabilities, the company has invested in dedicated support teams focused on helping clients incorporate AI into their specific workflows.

“We have to help customers understand not just how to use AI features, but how to use them well in the context of their own environment,” Harmon said.

It carries through to what a successful client relationship looks like in practice.

“They feel known, supported and confident that LexisNexis understands both their immediate needs and their broader business objectives,” Harmon said. “In that kind of relationship, service is seamless and informed.”

Both Keller and Harmon point to the same underlying principle: When a B2B relationship is working, the client feels understood. And in a community like Dayton, that matters more than most.

“You never burn a bridge in Dayton,” Keller said. “It’s a very relational business community.”

“Customer experience has to be designed as an enterprise discipline, not a support function.”

– Teresa Harmon

Vice President of Legal News, LexisNexis

Teresa Harmon
Vice President of Legal News, LexisNexis

Alex Keller
Business Development Manager, APG Office Furnishings

LEADERSHIP REDEFINED

Dayton Executives on What It Takes to Lead Today

By Marc Sheforgen

The rules of leadership have changed.

Not the fundamentals of vision, integrity and accountability, but the expectations layered on top of them. In a business environment shaped by rapid technological change, shifting workforce dynamics and heightened organizational complexity, what it means to lead effectively looks meaningfully different than it did even a decade ago.

Two Dayton-area leaders, each navigating that evolution from distinct vantage points, see it clearly.

Jeff Graley is President of Mile Two, a Dayton-based human-machine teaming company founded in 2015 that builds custom software for clients ranging from startups to the U.S. Department of Defense. Beth Groff is Director of Philanthropy at Ronald McDonald House Charities Dayton, which has provided housing, meals and support to families of critically ill children since 1980.

Their industries couldn’t be more different. Their read on modern leadership has more in common than you might expect.

For Graley, leading an organization built around the intersection of people and technology has sharpened how he thinks about complexity and how leaders have to engage with it.

“It trains you to look at those intersections and boundaries to identify both opportunities and risks in a world that is growing in complexity,” he said.

That complexity, he argued, demands a broader view from everyone in an organization, not just those at the top.

“It’s nearly impossible to exist exclusively in your lane in the road,” Graley said. “You have to do the work to understand the other systems within the organization and how they influence your work and vice versa. Being curious and staying curious are the table stakes in today’s business environment.”

Groff has arrived at similar conclusions from a different direction. Her work through Leadership Dayton reshaped how she thinks about the role itself.

“Leadership today isn’t about having all the answers,” she said. “It is about being willing to listen, adapt and bring people along with you.”

At Ronald McDonald House Dayton, that orientation toward empathy isn’t optional, it’s baked into the mission. Serving families in their most difficult moments requires leaders who model the same compassion they ask of their teams.

“Leadership today requires humility and clarity,” Groff said. “You have to be open to learning while keeping your organization grounded in its purpose.”

Both leaders point to adaptability as the defining quality they’re looking for in the next generation. Graley frames it in terms of data.

“Data driven decisions and recognizing the signals that you and the organization need to adjust in some way” are, in his view, the core competencies that will separate effective leaders from those who fall behind.

Groff puts it in human terms.

“Adaptability does not mean being reactive,” she said. “It means staying grounded in your values while being flexible in how you move forward. That balance is what allows you to lead with both confidence and compassion.”

Different sectors, different languages but the same underlying truth. Effective leadership today demands more range, more curiosity and more willingness to hold strategy and humanity in the same hand.

Leadership today isn’t about having all the answers, it is about being willing to listen, adapt and bring people along with you.”

– Beth Groff

Director of Philanthropy,
Ronald McDonald House Charities Dayton

Beth Groff

Director of Philanthropy,
Ronald McDonald House Charities Dayton

Jeff Graley
President, Mile Two

KEEPING BUSINESS INFORMED

Chamber Monitors Policy Matters and Workforce Issues for Local Corporate Community

By Erin Sauder

Business owners looking to keep up with state and federal issues can look to the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce as a resource.

The organization is currently monitoring several policy discussions and infrastructure projects to help local companies stay informed about the potential impact.

One issue the organization is paying attention to is the discussions happening across the state regarding property taxes and the potential impact of a ballot issue that would abolish them entirely.

Stephanie Keinath, executive vice president of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce (DACC), said the chamber is following these conversations closely.

“We are hearing from our members concerns about rising property taxes,” Keinath said. “However, at the same time, we’re also hearing concerns that abolishing property tax outright will only shift the tax and potentially negatively impact our businesses in other areas.”

Another issue sparking conversations across Ohio is the influx of data centers. Keinath said the state is working to balance these new investments with the high energy and infrastructure demands they place on existing systems.

The chamber is also focusing on some of the barriers that keep people from taking jobs, such as the lack of affordable childcare, transportation and housing.

“We understand how some of these challenges are constraining Ohio’s workforce and we’ve been working with partners across the region and state to begin to address those barriers in a systematic way. For example, when it comes to child care, we know that our advocacy for the expansion of publicly funded childcare will enable thousands of working parents in the state to return to work or work more hours.” Keinath said.

Another area of focus for DACC workforce advocacy is the expansion of career pathways and work-based learning opportunities, such as internships and apprenticeships, for in-demand careers. This effort is intended to help re-align K-12 through higher education systems to make sure what students learn in the classroom matches what local employers need.

While Keinath monitors those long-term policy discussions, the region is also seeing the impact of immediate infrastructure investments.

The Ohio Department of Transportation recently announced $55 million in funding for projects such as the Northeast Logistics Project and the Millikin Road interchange.

Amanda Byers, the Chamber’s senior director of talent and policy, said these projects provide a real-world benefit to local shop and factory owners by making it faster, cheaper and more reliable to move goods, directly lowering costs for local businesses.

“They also open up new development and attract employers, which means more customers, contracts and growth opportunities for suppliers,” Byers said. “Bottom line: they strengthen the region’s competitiveness in a way that helps businesses operate more efficiently today and expand tomorrow.”

For the Dayton region, these investments enhance connectivity to key assets like the airport and the interstate system.

Byers said this positions the 14-county region to compete for new jobs and capital investment, ensuring local companies have the access and infrastructure they need to succeed.

The chamber's role also includes helping members navigate federal regulations, particularly regarding immigration.

“The federal policy landscape around immigration is complex and constantly evolving,” Byers said.

To that end, the organization co-hosts a series called New American Employer Roundtables to help businesses deal with the practical side of working with the local immigrant and refugee workforce.

“As employers work to engage a more diverse talent pipeline, many have questions about work authorization, credential recognition, onboarding practices and legal compliance issues that we strive to address in these peer learning forums,” Byers said.

“We understand how some of these challenges are constraining Ohio’s workforce and we’ve been working with partners across the region and state to begin to address those barriers in a systematic way.”

– Stephanie Keinath

Executive Vice President,

Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce

Turning Relationships into Revenue

Networking Can Open Doors to Business Success

By Erin Sauder

In the world of startups and venture capital, it is easy to focus only on the numbers. Days can often be spent looking at spreadsheets and tracking things such as revenue, profits and capital raised.

But Mike McCann, Vice President of Innovation and Engagement at the Entrepreneurs’ Center, said focusing only on those figures means missing the foundation of a company’s growth.

“A common misconception about high-growth startups and venture capital is that it’s only about the numbers,” McCann said. “Yes, these are important factors, but they are table stakes. In a world where there is competition for new technologies, solutions and deals, the real currency is often overlooked: relationships.”

For McCann, these connections don’t just fill a contact list. They are the foundation of mentorship and trust. While business relationships can last decades, he said they all start somewhere, whether it’s over a cup of coffee, connecting at a conference or a warm referral.

Building these relationships requires a specific strategy. McCann said that for a startup founder, there is no such thing as casual networking. Instead, it should be done with a clear purpose.

“You need to know what you’re looking for: customers, talent, investors, etc.,” he said. “When you’re networking, you should find yourself mentally organizing those you meet.”

McCann finds it helpful to mentally group new connections. He looks for people he can mentor or someone who might provide a bridge to a new customer.

“It doesn’t need to be transactional,” McCann said. “There is an art to asking questions to get to know what makes someone tick.”

But getting past the usual small talk is key.

“Curiosity isn’t just about a nice ice-breaker, it is approaching a new connection from the standpoint of getting to know how someone views the world and what drives them,” McCann said.

Instead of asking “where do you work?” McCann suggests asking what someone is excited to be working on, or the biggest threat their company faces.

“These can be provocative, but that is the point,” he said. “Starting here creates an opportunity to learn what they think about when they wake up in the morning, and can kick off a discussion that is deeper than the typical small talk.”

For McCann, that trust is the foundation for every stage of growth. Customers have to trust that a new company can deliver value, early hires have to trust the vision enough to pass up higher-paying jobs and investors must trust the founder can scale the business.

McCann saw the impact of this approach firsthand during Startup Week in 2025, an annual event that brings founders and investors together to engage with the regional business ecosystem.

A West Coast founder joined a fireside chat with one of the area’s largest enterprises, which turned into a follow-up talk that went much deeper than the usual surface-level business chat. By early 2026, those connections led to the founder relocating to Ohio and securing an anchor seed investor.

“Networking is more than saying ‘hi’ and making small talk,” McCann said. “When it is done with intention and curiosity, it can open doors that move a business forward.”

“There is an art to asking questions to get to know what makes someone tick.”

– Mike McCann

Vice President of Innovation and Engagement,

Entrepreneurs' Center

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Visibility and Marketing Success Helps Businesses Stay On Top

By Erin Sauder

When it comes to talking about a company’s success, some business leaders might feel a bit uneasy about stepping into the spotlight.

But Andrew Banks, CEO of Performance Wraps, a vehicle branding and graphics company, said that publicly sharing local awards and other “wins” is a highly effective way to stay on the radar, especially when there isn’t a big marketing budget to work with.

“Shout it from the rooftops,” Banks said. “Yes, it feels braggy and weird, but people like doing business with winners.”

Because his job involves helping other businesses get noticed through vehicle graphics, Banks is used to thinking about how a brand stays in front of the public.

For owners looking to get their name out there without spending a fortune, Banks said to focus on four key areas: networking, social media, strategic volunteering and applying for local awards.

He treats these milestones as the perfect excuse to post a celebratory update online, refresh a LinkedIn page or share a win with colleagues. The public celebrations give people an excuse to start a conversation, while giving current customers a reason to feel confident in their choice.

The visibility also plays a role in recruitment and culture.

“Employees want to work somewhere they can be proud of, where they feel that they are contributing and helping grow the company, and achieve those new awards,” Banks said.

But external awards must be backed by internal standards like competitive pay, benefits, PTO and strong communication, he said.

“When the total compensation package is equal, it’s the awards and company vision that win,” Banks said.

He views these wins as a long-term investment. Even though it’s been several years since he and Performance Wraps won the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Winsupply Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence, it is still paying off. The award was launched in 2021 to spotlight emerging leaders in the Dayton region.

According to the chamber, the honor is reserved for those who exemplify the “American entrepreneurial spirit.” This is defined as identifying a specific market need and assuming the majority of the risks required to build a business that addresses it. Awardees are selected by a panel of business experts, entrepreneurs and regional leaders.

For Banks, being the inaugural recipient served as a public recognition of the work required to turn a startup idea into a sustainable operation. And that visibility recently paid off when a local entrepreneur who is not currently a customer reached out to congratulate him on that 2021 win.

“He told me that once his current provider retires, they will be moving their business over to mine,” Banks said.

“Employees want to work somewhere they can be proud of, where they feel that they are contributing and helping grow the company, and achieve those new awards.”

– Andrew Banks

CEO of Performance Wraps

FROM OPENERS TO OUTCOMES

A Smarter Approach to Networking

By Chuck Edmonson, Director of Marketing & Member Engagement, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce

Networking gets a lot of credit as a business driver, but most professionals don’t treat it that way. It’s often squeezed between meetings, approached without a plan, and measured by how many people you met, not what actually came from it.

If you want better results, treat networking like any other strategic activity.

Start with clarity. Know why you’re in the room.

What are you looking for right now? Talent? Business referrals or partnerships? Market insights? Your answer should shape how you spend your time at networking events. Without that clarity, it’s easy to default to surface-level conversations that don’t go anywhere. Taking a few minutes before an event to define your objective sharpens how you engage, who you prioritize, and helps you decide which events are worth your time.

Focus on positioning. Create value in real time.

The most effective networkers are not the ones who talk the most, they’re the ones who create value in the moment. That can be sharing a relevant perspective, making a connection, or offering a quick idea that helps someone think differently. This shifts your role from participant to resource. Do this consistently and people will remember and trust you.

Move past small talk. Get to what matters faster.

There’s often hesitation to go beyond surface conversation. The reality is most people in the room are also looking for something more meaningful. A simple question, such as “What’s a priority for your business right now?” moves things forward quickly. You don’t need a perfect pitch, you just need genuine curiosity.

Commit to consistency. Relationships are built over time.

One event may not change your network or the trajectory of your organization. Repeated, intentional participation will. When people see you regularly and begin to associate you with a perspective or expertise, trust builds. For busy leaders, this doesn’t mean attending everything, it means choosing the right events and showing up consistently.

Measure what matters. Outcomes over activity.

Did you gain insight that shapes your strategy? Identify a potential hire or partner? Set up a follow-up conversation? Those are the metrics that matter. A few meaningful interactions will outperform a high volume of forgettable ones every time.

The Dayton region’s business community is highly connected, and the chamber plays a central role in bringing that community together. The return you get depends on how you approach it. Be clear, be useful, stay consistent, and follow through.

That’s how networking starts delivering real results.

"If you want better results, treat networking like any other strategic activity."

– Chuck Edmonson

Director of Marketing & Member Engagement Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce

Chamber Member Savings

Your chamber membership could pay for itself – and then some. Take advantage of the buying power afforded to you as a chamber member with these valuable offers! Find more information at DaytonChamber.org.

Health Insurance for Small and Mid-Size Businesses;
Sole Proprietors

The chamber and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield have combined efforts to offer health, dental and disability insurance coverage to small and mid-sized businesses. These offerings come with competitive rates and comprehensive services from a large network of providers.

Office Supplies

Chamber members see significant savings on frequently used office supplies at Office Depot AND free next day delivery. Employees of member businesses can also get the same great discount when they shop at Office Depot, using their chamber discount card.

Workers’ Compensation Discounts & Medical Management Solutions

Did you know that many alternative discounts are available to help reduce your annual Ohio workers’ compensation costs? Through the chamber’s workers’ compensation program, your organization can significantly reduce your workers’ compensation costs through a variety of alternative rating programs. Our program, administered by Sedgwick, offers you quality service and stability through the complex workers’ compensation environment.

Energy Savings Program

Chamber members receive an exclusive discount offer from IGS Energy. Member businesses benefit from custom pricing that could save them hundreds on their energy bills. Member employees are also eligible for custom pricing at home.

Advertiser Index

A1 Mechanical 10

Accu-Tool, Inc. 16

Ace Hardware Home Services 20

All Spark Electric, LLC 20

Brady Ware 32

Brentwood Builders, Inc. 17

Butler Tech 14

Cleveland Clinic 26

Dahm Brothers Co., Inc. 16

Dayton Business Traveler 25

EBEB Solutions, LLC 32

Fibre Glast Developments Corp. 21

Fidelity Health Care 7

Good Neighbor House 21

Graceworks Lutheran Services 5

HD Lyons, LLC 20

Hollywood Gaming At Dayton Raceway Back Cover

Innovative Plastic Molders 38

JYG Innovations LLC 26

Larricks 26

Marsh McLennan Agency LLC Inside Front Cover

McKinley Carter Wealth Services 8

Miami Conservancy District 33

Mideast Machinery Movers, Inc. 32

Montgomery County Alcohol, Drug Addiction &
Mental Health Services (MCADAMHS) 37

Montgomery County Solid Waste District 32

OpenbooQ 38

Orion Sports Medicine 25

Parallax Advanced Research 27

Pella of Dayton 10

Pickrel, Schaeffer & Ebeling Co., LPA 38

Rodriguez Financial Strategies, LLC 26

Sanderson Insurance 20

Sandy's Towing 11

St. Vincent DePaul Society-Dayton District Inside Back Cover

Stony Hollow Landfill 20

Strategic Ohio Council For Higher Education 38

The Dayton Foundation 33

TJ Chumps, Inc. 26

United Direct Solutions 32

United Wheels 3

Winsupply, Inc. 37

Wright Dunbar Historic District 27

Wright State University Inside Back Cover