Breakfast Briefing: December 2026

Description

The Schiewetz Foundation, CoHatch, the City of Kettering and Kettering City Schools have joined forces to preserve and revitalize the historic D.L. Barnes Building, located at 3750 Far Hills Ave. Once slated for demolition, the former 1929 building served as the Kettering High School, Junior High School and school administration office. It will undergo a $17 million renovation, with private funding by the Schiewetz Foundation and other community foundations and individual donors. The renovated Barnes building is slated to open in late 2027. The new Barnes building will serve as the Co-Hatch location for the Dayton region and will be a suburban multi-use destination for small businesses, co-working, event and meeting space for the entire region.  

About the Speaker:
Richard W. Schwartz is Chairman of the Board of Winsupply Inc. He is an advisor and advocate for the strategic direction of the organization. He assists with ongoing training efforts, is an ambassador, and visits Winsupply local companies. He also helps reinforce the basic principles and philosophy of the company and represents the interests of shareholders. Schwartz began his career with Winsupply’s predecessor, Primus Inc., in 1972 when the organization had 40 locations and sales of $35 million. Today, the organization has grown to more than 15 times that size, reaching $8.4 billion in annual sales at the end of the fiscal year Jan. 31, 2026, and employing approximately 9,500 people nationwide. Schwartz formerly served as chairman of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. He also served on the Dayton Development Coalition Board; the Dayton Foundation Governing Board; and the American Supply Association’s Executive Committee. Schwartz is a graduate of the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering. He is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who served in the Reserve at the U.S. Air Force Academy.


Breakfast Briefing Sponsors:

 altafiber, KeyBank, Pickrel, Schaeffer & Ebeling Co., LPA, and Think Patented