SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 15, 2023) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear joined local officials and UPS Supply Chain Solutions leadership to cut the ribbon on the company’s $79 million state-of-the-art Velocity facility in Bullitt County, a project that is creating 500 new high-quality distribution and logistics jobs.
“It takes serious trust and a belief in Kentucky’s resources and opportunities for a company to commit to locate here,” said Gov. Beshear. “UPS is a prime example of one of the largest companies in the world doing just that, trusting in the commonwealth. UPS has a long history in the state, and I am excited to see them continue to grow and thrive here. I want to thank company leaders for their continued investment in Kentucky and the Bullitt County community and congratulate them on this major milestone.”
The UPS Supply Chain Solutions Velocity facility is a state-of-the-art warehousing and distribution center using intelligent automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence to streamline fulfillment operations. Located in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, Velocity is one of the largest and most technologically advanced distribution facilities in the industry.
“The Velocity facility is a modernized warehouse with a digital ecosystem that optimizes and orchestrates everything from order flow to labor management,” said Kate Gutmann, UPS president of International, Healthcare and Supply Chain Solutions. “With the help of our skilled and diverse team members, the facility can process over 350,000 units per day.”
That capacity makes it one of the most efficient package sorting facilities in the world. Velocity has staffed the facility with the help of UPS’s Languages Across Logistics (LAL) program, which supports the recruiting, hiring, training, coaching, development, promotion and retention of refugees and immigrants for the UPS Supply Chain Solutions workforce.
Today’s event builds on several announcements from UPS over the years, including an over $330 million investment announced in October 2022 that, across two new-location projects in Jefferson and Bullitt counties, is creating 435 high-wage jobs.
“With the support of LAL, community and government partners, we have been able to fill needed roles in Louisville, Hebron and Shepherdsville with diverse candidates,” said Steve Gundlach, president of UPS Supply Chain Solutions Global Logistics and Distribution. “The multi-language technology streamlines training to allow new employees to get right to work, even if the supervisor speaks a completely different language.”
UPS is one of the world’s largest companies, with a 2022 revenue of $100.3 billion, and provides a broad range of integrated logistics solutions for customers in more than 200 countries and territories. Focused on its purpose statement, “Moving our world forward by delivering what matters,” the company’s more than 500,000 employees embrace a strategy that is simply stated and powerfully executed: Customer First. People Led. Innovation Driven.
UPS is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and supporting the communities it serves around the world. UPS also takes an unwavering stance in support of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Bullitt County Judge/Executive Jerry Summers welcomed the company to the community: “It is exciting to have an international company such as UPS join our community. UPS is revered all over the world, country and in Kentucky, and now they have settled in to become a part of Bullitt County. I could not be prouder to welcome them here. I look forward to an extended partnership as they continue to grow within our community.”
Shepherdsville Mayor Jose Cubero showed his excitement for the partnership: “The city of Shepherdsville is honored to have a partner like UPS. We are excited about their facility in our community. They will make an impact in our city, and we look forward to a wonderful relationship. Our future is brighter together!”
Bob Fouts, director of the Bullitt County Economic Development Authority, spoke about UPS’s influence on the county: “It is a great day for Bullitt County to celebrate another UPS announcement that brings quality jobs and investment in Shepherdsville. They have been instrumental in the county’s growth.”
UPS’s investment and job creation builds on recent economic momentum in the commonwealth.
Last week, Gov. Beshear reported that General Fund receipts for October 2023 totaled over $1 billion, marking the 14th straight month with revenues over $1 billion. The Governor also recently announced that his administration secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund, as well as the most jobs filled in state history.
The General Fund budget surplus at the end of fiscal year 2023 was more than $1.55 billion. Nearly all of the $1.55 billion surplus will go into the commonwealth’s Rainy Day Fund, bringing the fund to a record balance of $3.7 billion – a 2,700% increase since Gov. Beshear took office in 2019.
This year, the Governor announced that Kentucky set the record for the longest period with the lowest unemployment rates in state history.
Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced 903 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling nearly $27.8 billion in announced investments, creating approximately 48,700 jobs. This is the highest investment figure for any governor in state history.
The robust job creation has been accompanied by rising wages across the commonwealth. The average incentivized hourly wage in 2022 was $26.78 before benefits, the second-highest mark since 2010 and an 11.5% increase over the previous year.
The Governor also secured the best two-year period in state history for economic growth and announced the two largest economic development projects in state history. In September 2021, Gov. Beshear and leaders from Ford Motor Co. and SK On celebrated a transformative $5.8 billion investment that will create 5,000 jobs in Hardin County. In April 2022, the Governor was joined by leadership at AESC to announce a $2 billion investment that will create 2,000 jobs in Warren County. These announcements solidify Kentucky as the EV battery production capital of the United States.
That position was strengthened even further in May 2023, when the Governor and leaders at Toyota announced a $591 million investment across multiple projects as the company’s largest manufacturing operation in Georgetown introduced its first battery electric vehicle. Growth within the EV sector continued into June as Gov. Beshear joined INFAC North America to break ground on the company’s $53 million investment to support EV-related production in Campbellsville.
Over a two-month period this year, Kentucky secured two credit rating increases from major agencies. On May 12, Gov. Beshear announced that his administration obtained the first state-level credit rating upgrade in 13 years and the first-ever upgrade from Fitch Ratings. On June 29, Gov. Beshear announced the commonwealth received its first-ever rating increase from S&P Global Ratings. Recently, Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Kentucky’s credit outlook from stable to positive.
Site Selection magazine placed Kentucky first in the South Central region and top-5 nationally in its 2023 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects. The publication also placed Kentucky second nationwide and first in the South Central region for its annual Governor’s Cup ranking for 2022, which recognizes state-level economic success based on capital investments.
Gov. Beshear announced a new “Supply Kentucky” initiative with the goal of boosting job growth, reducing costs and providing more security in the supply chains of our Kentucky companies.
For more information on UPS, visit about.UPS.com.
A detailed community profile for Bullitt County can be viewed here.
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