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Pratt Paper Pledges to Create 321 High-Paying
Jobs in Henderson
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Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman joined executives from Pratt Paper LLC and local officials in Henderson on July 29 to announce the company’s new $400 million paper mill, a project committed to creating 321 well-paying jobs over the next five years.
Pratt’s investment stands as the largest in the state in nearly two years and third largest
job-creation announcement of 2021. The project further propels Kentucky’s recent wave of economic growth toward a sustainable future with quality job opportunities for residents across the state.
The Henderson site selected by Pratt also represents a success for Kentucky’s Product Development Initiative (PDI). The site was among those to receive funding during the program’s first round in 2019. Established through a partnership between the Cabinet for Economic Development and the Kentucky Association for Economic Development, PDI aims to create jobs and corporate investment by enhancing the quality and quantity of Kentucky’s available sites and buildings.
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BSSC to Support Skills Training for Nearly
4,200 Kentuckians
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As Kentucky’s economy surges ahead, workforce development remains a vital part of positioning Kentucky for long term success.
To maintain and develop the state’s
world-class workforce, the Cabinet for Economic Development last week connected companies with financial assistance to several thousand Kentucky workers through the Bluegrass State Skills Corp. (BSSC).
On Wednesday, the BSSC Board of Directors approved more than $1.8 million in training funds and credits for nearly 4,200 trainees across 19 Kentucky facilities. Cabinet staff and BSSC board members put considerable work into each project, benefiting employees and
private-sector employers across the state through BSSC’s Grant-in-Aid (GIA) and Skills Training Investment Credit (STIC) programs. GIA provides cash reimbursements for occupational and skills upgrade training at Kentucky businesses, while STIC offers state income tax credits for companies to offset the costs for approved training programs.
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Economic Development Announcements Pour in from Across the Commonwealth
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Kentucky’s economic surge spurred multiple significant events and announcements throughout the past several weeks:
Aug. 4 – The Governor announced WellCare of Kentucky, a Medicaid and Medicare services provider, is adding 18 full-time jobs at its national call center in Hazard, nearly doubling employment at the facility.
Aug. 4 – R.A. Jones & Co., a designer and manufacturer of packaging equipment, announced plans to upgrade its Kenton County facility and create 20 high-wage jobs.
Aug. 2 – Firestone Industrial Products Co. LLC broke ground on a 250-job expansion in Williamsburg, a $51 million project to increase production of automotive air springs in support of the burgeoning electric vehicle market.
July 29 – Bowling Green-based Fruit of the Loom unveiled plans to expand its existing distribution center in Warren County and create 50 full-time job opportunities.
July 21 – Gov. Beshear joined Fidelity Investment leaders celebrating the company’s plans to hire nearly 600 people in Covington, adding to hundreds of hires at the financial services company’s Kenton County campus since the beginning of 2020.
July 20 – While celebrating the opening of a Dollar General distribution center and the 300 jobs it will bring to the Northern Kentucky city of Walton, Gov. Beshear, company leaders and local officials noted a long history and bright future shared by the commonwealth and the company.
July 19 – GE Appliances celebrated the completion of its $60 million expansion at its global headquarters in Louisville to add 4-door refrigerator production, a project creating more than 245 full-time jobs.
July 16 – Brough Brothers Distillery – the first African American-owned and -operated facility to join the Kentucky Distillers’ Association since KDA’s founding in 1880 – officially opened its Louisville operation, a project creating eight jobs with plans for future growth.
July 14 – Lens producer Zeiss Vision Care cut the ribbon for the company’s new U.S. headquarters in Hebron, capping a multi-year, $20 million construction project that will create about 75 full-time jobs.
July 13 – Gov. Beshear congratulated Angel’s Envy, the Louisville-based craft distiller that produces small batch, finished whiskeys, on plans to expand its downtown Louisville distillery, doubling its annual guest capacity.
July 8 – Porter Road Butcher Meat Co. held a grand opening for its new USDA-approved meat processing facility in Princeton, which will create more than 80 jobs in
Caldwell County.
July 1 – Gov. Beshear announced nine high-tech Kentucky companies will receive a total $900,000 in state matching grants to support high-paying jobs and technology development in the commonwealth.
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Several Infrastructure Projects to Boost Development
in Kentucky Communities
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The commonwealth continues pouring millions of dollars into upgrading its infrastructure, a key component of Kentucky’s economic success. These upgrades are vital to ensure the state maintains its strong economic momentum and positions itself for future growth in the years to come.
Among recent awards announced by Gov. Andy Beshear to improve Kentucky’s communities is a $300,000 grant to form a much-needed second access road at Henderson Interstate Industrial Park in Franklin. The award will cover more than half the costs of the project at the fast-growing park, setting the stage for further job creation in Simpson County.
Gov. Beshear on Aug. 3 announced a $616,900 grant for improvements at a building in the Metcalfe County Industrial Park that will house Pennington Stave & Cooperage and help the company create 60 jobs.
Industrial Park.
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Innovators Invited to Pitch Uses for Kentucky Bourbon Industry’s Surplus Stillage
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Kentucky’s signature bourbon industry is booming, and while its rapid rise continues creating opportunity throughout the state, that growth also led to an increase in distilling byproduct known as stillage.
Now, innovators and entrepreneurs can submit creative ideas, technologies and solutions for expanded uses of distilling byproduct. The top submitted ideas will enter a reverse pitch competition Oct. 25 during the 25th Distillers Grains Symposium in Louisville to an audience of distillers and industry stakeholders.
Individuals are invited to submit proposals by Aug. 30, when five winners will be selected to present their ideas at the reverse pitch competition during the symposium. Among other prizes, the pitch competition winner will get the opportunity to work alongside distilleries and stakeholders across the state to implement their ideas for surplus stillage usage.
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