FRANKFORT Ky. (Feb. 26, 2015) – Gov. Steve Beshear today announced Fimco Inc. (dba Ag Spray Equipment) plans to consolidate production into a new facility in Christian County.
Ag Spray Equipment-Hopkinsville will manufacture agricultural sprayers as well as smaller scale equipment for lawn and garden use. The company is expected to create up to 15 jobs and invest $3.5 million into the project.
"Ag Spray's investment and new jobs in Hopkinsville show the company's commitment to achieving success here in the Commonwealth," said Gov. Beshear. "For a company that could have consolidated elsewhere, this expansion shows the high level of value the company places on Kentucky, our strategic location and our top quality workforce."
In addition to Hopkinsville, Ag Spray has operations in 10 other U.S. locations. The company plans to consolidate production from various other locations to a new facility in Christian County.
Ag Spray is purchasing a 98,000-square-foot building on Pembroke Road – twice the size of its current facility. The new operation will be used for sales and product assembly and is slated to open next year.
"Fimco chose Hopkinsville for its proximity to key customers and markets, supply chain access and the quality of the available workforce," said Dave Wipson, chief operating officer and president of the company.
Ag Spray Equipment is a subsidiary of Fimco Inc. Headquartered in South Dakota, Fimco is the largest manufacturer of lawn and garden sprayers in the U.S. and the largest regional manufacturer of large scale agriculture equipment. Clients range from homeowners to farmers.
Fimco purchased the Hopkinsville operation in 2008. The facility currently employs 21 people.
"I am thrilled to have an agri-business like Ag Spray expanding and creating more jobs in Hopkinsville," said Hopkinsville Mayor Carter Hendricks. "With our strong agricultural heritage and economy, we look forward to celebrating the company's success in our market. In addition, with our city's strong workforce, outstanding quality of life and low cost of doing business, we continue to be an ideal choice for new and expanding businesses and industries."
"On behalf of the citizens of Christian County, I congratulate Ag Spray Equipment Inc. on the decision to expand its facility," said Christian County Judge-Executive Steve Tribble. "Not only is this a significant capital investment which will create new jobs, it is a testament to our business-friendly environment and shows our commitment to the growth and success of our industry partners."
To encourage the investment and job growth in Christian County, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $300,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
For more information on Ag Spray Equipment visit www.agspray.com. For more information on Fimco Inc. visit www.fimcoindustries.com.
A detailed community profile for Hopkinsville (Christian County) can be viewed here.
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The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is the primary state agency in Kentucky responsible for creating new jobs and new investment in the state. New business investment in Kentucky in 2012 totaled nearly $2.7 billion with the creation of more than 14,000 new jobs. Information on available development sites, workforce training,incentive programs, community profiles, small business development and other resources is available at www.ThinkKentucky.com.