Home » National magazine honors GE, Amazon, Berry Plastics for investment, community impact

National magazine honors GE, Amazon, Berry Plastics for investment, community impact

Three Ky. companies among 30 recipients of Trade & Industry Development’s 2013 CiCi Awards

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 14, 2013) – Trade & Industry Development, a leading magazine dedicated to site selection, has included three Kentucky companies, General Electric (GE), Berry Plastics and Amazon, in its 8th Annual CiCi (Corporate Investment & Community Impact) Awards. The projects are among the top 30 economic development projects in 2012 and were selected from hundreds submitted from across the country.

Jonathan Crosby was part of the team that designed the water filtration system for the new line of GE French Door refrigerators, which are produced at GE’s Appliance Park in Louisville.
Jonathan Crosby was part of the team that designed the water filtration system for the new line of GE French Door refrigerators, which are produced at GE’s Appliance Park in Louisville.

“These awards not only recognize the growth and success of these companies, but they also honor the Commonwealth and our ongoing commitment to economic development,” said Gov. Beshear. “With Berry Plastics in Madisonville, GE in Louisville and Amazon in Winchester, these three distinct regions in Kentucky are showing their ability to earn national and international recognition.”

The CiCi Awards, created in 2006, are a dual-awards program highlighting the largest corporate investments, as well as recognizing projects that may not involve large investments but make the most notable impact on communities. Numerous criteria are considered for the “Impact” division, including new jobs created, current jobs retained, unemployment figures, income level of the region and plant closings.

“It is with great pleasure that Trade & Industry Development magazine is able to bestow three CiCi Awards this year to companies that have announced major and impactful development projects in Kentucky during the year 2012,” said Scott Swoger, publisher of Trade & Industry Development magazine. “It speaks volumes about the business climate in Kentucky that a leader of GE’s stature has chosen the commonwealth to make one of the top 15 largest capital investments of the year in the state. And it is equally gratifying to recognize that two more high-profile companies, Amazon.com and Berry Plastics, have also chosen to invest in areas that will benefit from the jobs and state revenue they will generate.”

GE continued its initiative to reverse decades of outsourcing, launching several new product lines at its Louisville Appliance Park in 2012, including the GeoSpring hybrid water heater and French door refrigerator. The projects are part of GE’s commitment to invest $800 million in Louisville by 2014. The company has already created about 3,000 new jobs.

Berry Plastics Corporation reopened its Madisonville operation in 2012, investing $96 million in the plant and creating more than 400 full-time jobs. Earlier in the year, Berry had shuttered the facility, which had approximately 140 employees, due to a redistribution of production at its other manufacturing facilities. The company has more than 950 current employees in Kentucky at facilities in Franklin, Danville, Louisville and Bowling Green and reconfigured its Madisonville operation to increase the company’s production capacity.

“Berry Plastics’ decision to reopen its Madisonville, Kentucky, facility is a testament of the positive impact that can result by companies working as a team with their local communities,” said Jon Rich, chairman and CEO of Berry Plastics. “We are extremely appreciative of the commonwealth of Kentucky, Hopkins County officials and the city of Madisonville for their joint support, which allowed us to reopen the facility, creating the opportunity for new jobs within the region and specifically the Madisonville community.”

In May 2012, Amazon announced its decision to build a new 70,000-square-foot customer service facility in Winchester, creating more than 550 full-time and 600 seasonal and part-time jobs in the state by 2017. Amazon subsidiaries currently operate fulfillment centers in Louisville, Lexington, Campbellsville and Hebron, but the Winchester facility is Amazon’s first customer service center in Kentucky.

“We are excited to be a member of the Winchester community,” said Alex Krueger Amazon’s site leader at the Winchester Customer Service Center. “Also, we’re grateful to the elected officials and community leaders who have worked with us to make this site a reality.”

For more on Trade & Industry Development’s CiCi Awards, visit www.tradeandindustrydev.com.

Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at www.ThinkKentucky.com.