DAYTON — What was once an old, rundown warehouse in downtown Dayton that sat vacant for decades has now been renewed into ‘The Manhattan,’ nicknamed after its role in the Manhattan Project. The project has roots in technology that has been restored and now serves as a technological corridor in Dayton.
Inside the newly renovated walls of the Manhattan, you will find two up-and-coming businesses — Mile 2 and Battle Sight Technologies.
Mile 2 is a software development company that’s quickly growing. In the basement of the building, you will find Battle Sight’s front lines.
That’s where you’ll find Salvatore Sparaco. He’s an Army Veteran who served as a diesel mechanic for three and a half years in Germany. But when his contract was up, he was uncertain of where his path would lead.
“I was lost before I came back to the states,” Sparaco said. “I was thinking what am I going to do.”
Sparaco luckily linked up with Battle Sight Technologies President Nick Ripplinger, a veteran as well who wanted to hire more veterans.
“It’s so important for us to keep that culture,” Ripplinger said. “As of right now everyone’s either a veteran or comes from a military family or somehow is affiliated with the military.”
So the fit was perfect for Sparaco to be hired as one of the first employees of the company that specializes in manufacturing Cray-Tac devices, a glowing writing instrument that enhances communication in the dark and can be invisible to the enemy.
This has allowed Battle Sight to secure contracts with the Air Force across the U.S.
“Rapidly commercializing these infrared technologies and getting them into the hands of the warfighter as quickly as possible is really what drives us,” Ripplinger said.
A grand opening ceremony was held Friday for The Manhattan. Developers, city officials and the tenants were all present.
In total, the project cost around $8 million to finish in a year.
Dayton City Commissioner Jeffery J. Mims Jr. said it’s exciting to see it all come together.
“So proud of all of the progress we’ve made over the past eight years then with some of these building projects in the last five years,” Mims Jr. said.
Ripplinger said being located in the new Manhattan complex is also a great recruiting tool.
“There’s so many cool companies that are all like-hearted here,” Ripplinger said. “And they all just want to do cool things and support our customers to the best of our abilities. This downtown location, especially The Manhattan, in particular, is really helping facilitate the collaboration.”
The project connects Battle Sight with vets like Sparaco, who are eager to contribute to the mission.
“It really does mean a lot to be able to help the Dayton community but the warfighter as well,” Sparaco said.
For Ripplinger, that’s the cherry on top.
“I really think the sky is the limit over the next few years,” he said.
