Four Kentucky economic development organizations were recognized today as a Top U.S. Economic Development Organizations for 2021 by Site Selection magazine, the leading economic development publication in the U.S. Only 20 awards were presented.
Site Selection’s 2022 Mac Conway Awards for Excellence in Economic Development recognize the top local and regional economic development agencies in the U.S. The awards “recognize the efforts of those who worked tirelessly to bring projects large and small to their communities. They succeeded in differentiating their cities and towns from others that may have landed the capital investment projects, especially in a challenging economic climate,” Site Selection said.
The Kentucky honorees were: Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, Elizabethtown Hardin County Industrial Foundation, Louisville Forward/Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI), and REDI Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Tri-ED.
The honorees were determined by an index that examines 2021 corporate facility investment as tracked by Site Selection’s proprietary Conway Projects database. Scores are awarded based on six criteria: total projects, total investment associated with those projects and jobs associated with those projects. The remaining three criteria represent a per capita calculation of those same metrics.
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce was recognized for the second consecutive year.
“Through the efforts of our city, county, and community leaders, we have invested in the infrastructure and developed the product which has enabled the region’s success,” said John Dix, chamber chairman and president of Warren County Water District. “These investments resulted in the creation of 1,999 new jobs last year. The Mac Conway Award reflects the success of those collaborative efforts.”
In 2021, the Bowling Green Chamber announced 20 projects that created 1,999 new jobs thanks to $860M in capital investment. These announcements will have an economic impact over the next 10 years exceeding $4.6 billion, will support 2,912 new jobs, and will create $108 million in new annual spending in the community. This capped off a 10-year stretch that saw the creation of over 9,000 new jobs and over $4.1 billion in capital investments.
Louisville was recognized for the eighth-consecutive year.
“We are thrilled that Site Selection magazine has once again recognized GLI’s collaboration with our 15 regional partners to grow the entire Greater Louisville region,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of GLI. “This award is a testament to the value that a regional approach to economic development brings our economy. Last year, GLI worked with regional partners to bring more than $7 billion of new investment to the region and create more than 9,000 new jobs, and I am confident this trend will continue in the months ahead.”
In 2021, Louisville Forward’s economic development team competed for and won business attraction and expansion projects with commitments to create nearly 4,000 new jobs and invest more than $946 million in the city of Louisville.
Lee Crume, president and CEO of Northern Kentucky Tri-ED, said his company is grateful the community’s economic development successes and its contributions to the growth of the Cincinnati region has been recognized. It is the eighth-consecutive year that Tri-ED and REDI Cincinnati received the award.
“We are expanding our work, adding four new initiatives in the Build + Elevate NKY economic growth plan, to make Northern Kentucky an even better location decision for companies,” Crume said. “We appreciate our partnership with REDI Cincinnati and the accolade from Site Selection magazine.”
The honor demonstrates the vibrancy and vitality of the Cincinnati area, said Kimm Lauterbach, REDI Cincinnati president and CEO, “and it is further testament to the booming business in our region,” she said.
“It is also a testament to the incredible effort put in by our team at REDI as well as all our local and regional partners, including NKY Tri-ED, which combined to bring over 7,000 new jobs with $358 million in new payroll and more than $755 million in capital investment to the region last year alone,” she said.
Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce
Significant projects: Tyson Foods, Ball Corp., Holley Performance Products, Fruit of the Loom, Fruehauf Trailer Corp., Trade Dei Cast, Harbor Steel and Supply, Material Handling Systems, Delta Faucet Co., Bilstein Cold Rolled Steel
Elizabethtown Hardin County Industrial Foundation
Significant projects: Ford Motor Co./SK Innovation Co., Kruger Packaging, Fischbach USA, W.L. Plastics Corp., Metalsa, S.A. De C.V.
Louisville Forward/Greater Louisville Inc.
Significant projects: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Global Brass and Copper, House Foods America Corp., Brown-Forman Corp., Kentuckiana Curb Co., R.C. Bigelow, Paccar Parts, Republic National Distributing, Northwest Ordinance Distilling, Global Rollforming Corp.
REDI Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Tri-ED
Significant projects: GE Aviation Systems, Koch Foods, Nucor Tubular Products, Diversey Holdings, Global Mail, SHAPE CORP., Magnode, General Mills, Freestore Foodbank, Carl Zeiss Vision
“We salute these agencies — specifically their leadership and staff — for their professionalism and commitment to job creation in their communities,” Site Selection magazine said.
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