FRANKFORT, Ky. — Carter Lumber Co., one of the nation’s largest lumberyard businesses, announced it would expand its presence in Bowling Green with an $8.1 million investment creating 86 quality jobs. The new construction is part of the company’s rebuilding efforts following the devasting tornadoes that impacted much of Western Kentucky in December 2021.
The new facility will feature state-of-the-art technology and equipment that will allow Carter Lumber to serve better customers who rely on the services provided at the lumberyard in northern Warren County.
The location will allow for added manufacturing capabilities of the roof and floor trusses and wall panels and carry engineered wood products. The company’s door and mill building will be upgraded with a larger, 1,200-amp electrical service and an additional 22-foot-wide warehouse door with an added concrete approach driveway. At the truss building, 16,800 square feet of additional concrete will be added along with two new 18-foot warehouse doors and openings for exit and feed rollers for improved truss production. The new facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2023 and will be located in the Kentucky Transpark.
“We are proud to be a part of the Bowling Green community and are committed to helping it recover and thrive,” said Jeff Donley, president of Carter Lumber. “This new facility is just one way we can contribute to the rebuilding efforts and ensure the growth of our Carter Lumber operations and the many builders we service in the area to rebuild stronger and better than before.”
Founded in 1932 in Akron, Ohio, private and family-owned Carter Lumber is the United States’ fourth largest professionally focused lumber and building material supplier. The company primarily services professional builders through its more than 170 locations across 13 states. Carter Lumber operates under four uniquely branded divisions: Carter Lumber, Holmes Lumber Co., Kight Home Center and Kempsville Building Materials.
Carter Lumber’s investment adds to Kentucky’s impressive manufacturing presence, which includes 5,000 facilities that employ around 250,000 residents. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, over 13% of the commonwealth’s workforce is in manufacturing, well above the national average of 8.5%.
To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) on Thursday preliminarily approved a 10-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $750,000 in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $8.1 million and annual targets of:
- Creation and maintenance of 86 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years; and
- Paying an average hourly wage of $33 including benefits across those jobs.
By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.
In addition, Carter Lumber can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.
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