FT. MITCHELL, Ky. — The Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corporation (Tri-ED) announced the launch of the Build + Elevate NKY investor campaign at New Riff Distilling in Newport. The five-year $4.5 million campaign will fund four initiatives and make Tri-ED a private/public-funded company.
“The Tri-ED board of directors set the company on a new path three years ago,” said Tom Banta, Chair of the Tri-ED Board and Chief Real Estate Officer at Corporex Companies. “A prosperous Northern Kentucky of the future requires that Tri-ED looks beyond business as usual to what is coming around the corner. Build + Elevate NKY does that through four initiatives that were built with private and public sector input in 2021.”
In 2022, with funding from the Build + Elevate NKY campaign, Tri-ED will undertake four key initiatives in addition to its core economic development work.
- Data-Informed Community Decision-Making
- Activate the Northern Kentucky Port Authority
- Deliver Customized Workforce Solutions
- Targeted Business Growth
Campaign co-chairs Tom Banta and Bob Heil, CEO of KLH Engineers, lead an eight-person Honorary Campaign Cabinet with private and public sector leaders who will assist Tri-ED in approaching additional companies to achieve the $4.5 million goals.
Even with the disruption of COVID-19, Tri-ED exceeded its 2021 and 2020 targets for projects, jobs and capital investment. In 2021, Tri-ED supported 27 companies with expansions or new location announcements with 1,851 jobs and $255M in capital investment in Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties. Advanced manufacturing-led growth across all targets in both 2021 and 2020.
In January, a Target Industry Analysis by EY found that Northern Kentucky led job creation in Kentucky from 2015 – 2020. The analysis showed significant employment growth in four target sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Information Technology, Life Sciences, and Supply Chain Management & Support Services. The jobs and capital expenditures announced in 2021 complement the employment growth that the region experienced from 2015 – 2019.
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