FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 28, 2024) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted continued site and building development as two Kentucky Product Development Initiative (KPDI) projects in Breckinridge and Pike counties were approved for over $2.3 million in state funding.
“Site development is crucial in setting up future economic success for the commonwealth,” said Gov. Beshear. “The funding provided through the KPDI program gives communities across the state the opportunities and resources they need to ensure they have the quality sites and buildings it takes to accommodate growing industry. I’m excited to announce this new wave of projects in Round 2 of the program, and I can’t wait to see what quality companies will build and locate in these communities.”
The initiative, overseen by the Cabinet for Economic Development, provides funding for local communities to further invest in site and building upgrades to support future, well-paying jobs and economic growth across Kentucky.
The Breckinridge County Fiscal Court and the city of Hardinsburg will extend sewer and waterlines in the Breckinridge County Commerce Park. The state funds will provide nearly $332,000 for the project, with the full scope of the project totaling almost $664,000. The infrastructure project will provide Breckinridge County with new business opportunities that encourage significant job creation and capital investment.
One East Kentucky, along with the City of Pikeville, will improve property at the Kentucky Enterprise Industrial Park. The site will be prepped and compacted, creating a site that is ready for industrial development. The project, totaling approximately $4 million, was approved for $2 million in state funding through the KPDI program.
Round 1 of the program concluded in December 2023, with 53 projects statewide approved for $31.2 million in funding. Including local contributions, these projects are generating over $123 million in investments in Kentucky’s sites and buildings portfolio.
In December, Gov. Beshear announced 46 site and building development projects in 45 counties advanced to the due diligence stage of round two for further review, with $68.8 million available to support the projects.
In January, Gov. Beshear announced the first location to receive approval in the second round of the program, with nearly $2 million allocated to support site development in Campbell County.
And in February, Gov. Beshear highlighted site and building development projects across 13 counties. Over $15 million in state funding was awarded to support projects in Clark, Clinton, Graves, Green, LaRue, Laurel, Logan, Montgomery, Nelson, Pulaski, Scott, Wayne and Webster counties.
During the 2022 legislative session, Gov. Beshear and the Kentucky General Assembly approved $100 million in funding for the initiative.
Site and building development projects are first evaluated by an independent consultant based upon all facets a prospective company would consider, such as workforce availability, access to all infrastructure and detailed information on costs associated with development. In turn, these projects will generate increased economic development opportunities and job creation for Kentucky residents. The initiative furthers the efforts of the pilot PDI program, which provided nearly $7 million in state funding for 20 site development projects statewide. Companies have announced economic development projects at 10 of the locations funded during the pilot PDI program, projecting $4 billion of capital investment and 3,500 new, full-time jobs.
Investment in site development throughout Kentucky builds on the best four-year period for economic growth in state history.
Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,000 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $30.5 billion in announced investments, creating more than 52,500 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history.
The robust job creation has been accompanied by rising wages across the commonwealth. The average incentivized hourly wage in 2022 and 2023 topped $26 in consecutive years for the first time.
Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky as the electric vehicle battery production capital of the United States: Ford Motor Co. and SK On’s transformative $5.8 billion, 5,000-job BlueOval SK Battery Park in Hardin County; AESC’s $2 billion, 2,000-job gigafactory project in Warren County; Toyota’s $1.3 billion investment in Scott County; and INFAC North America’s $53 million investment in Taylor County, among others.
The Governor’s administration also secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund, as well as the most jobs filled in state history. Last year, Kentucky set the record for the longest period with the lowest unemployment rates in state history.
Kentucky also secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings, and Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Kentucky’s credit outlook from stable to positive.
This month, Site Selection magazine ranked Kentucky third nationally and first in the South Central economic development projects per capita in its 2023 Governor’s Cup rankings. Previously, Site Selection 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.
Gov. Beshear announced a “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 the Kentucky Product Development Initiative, visit KPDI.ky.gov.
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