Due to Butler County and Ohio manufacturers' current and predicted future workforce and applied research needs, Butler Tech and Miami University are leading a unique effort to establish Butler County as the advanced manufacturing hub for the state of Ohio. The hub — a collaboration among Miami University, Butler Tech, the Butler County Board of Commissioners, and the City of Hamilton — will bolster the region's strong manufacturing base and serve the needs of industry and students through education, training, and research.
The Butler County Board of Commissioners has allocated $8 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to establish the hub, and an additional $2.5 million comes from the city of Hamilton. With this funding, Miami University will acquire Vora Technology Park to house the new hub, subject to the approval of Ohio’s Controlling Board. Butler Tech will sign a 40-year lease on the space.
The hub is expected to launch in January 2026. Butler Tech and Miami will initially
occupy 70,000 square feet each, with room to grow in the 300,000-square-foot facility.
The facility also provides space for joint Butler Tech and Miami programming and additional space for regional manufacturers to co-locate on-site.
“Butler Tech and Miami University are creating a vital access point to Ohio's thriving education, training, and workforce ecosystem,” said Ande Durojaiye, vice president and dean of Miami University Regionals. “This project could not be completed without the generous financial support from the Butler County Commissioners and the City of Hamilton. We thank them for their commitment to promoting economic and social mobility in our communities and for having a transformative vision for our region.”
The project has received significant interest from many area manufacturers. Since announcing the project in February, 16 manufacturers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to join the Advanced Manufacturing Center.
Those manufacturers are 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, and Yaskawa. Thirteen of these companies are from outside Butler County, and Nth Cycle is currently located in Massachusetts.
Vora Technology Park in Hamilton is between Cincinnati and Dayton and minutes off the I-75 corridor. This location makes it easily accessible to students, community members, and businesses alike.
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 with Miami, students also will have access to a variety of distinctive pathways to meet all levels of need in the manufacturing sector — from industry-recognized certificates to degrees in Smart Manufacturing Engineering, Robotics, and Automation through Miami's College of Engineering and Computing.
“TechSolve, Inc. and Juxtum are beyond thrilled to be a part of this incredible convergence of industry, education, innovation, and advanced technology,” said Traci Spencer, director of government programs at TechSolve, Inc. “The benefit of Ohio's industry-led certification, upskilling, and education/training is the optimization and improvement of our manufacturing community, which is second to none.”
Innovation and technology advances will place Hamilton on the map as the hub of excellence in manufacturing. The work and commitment of the city of Hamilton and Butler County officials, along with Miami University and Butler Tech, are paving the way for a dynamic future.
“Through strategic initiatives and shared expertise, this partnership propels us toward a future of economic growth, technological advancement, and enhanced opportunities for our community,” Hamilton City Manager Joshua Smith said.