Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development

127 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 after coming online in 2022, more than 70 applications have already been submitted. This is just the latest effort by the commonwealth to boost the number of quality locations available to businesses looking to quickly expand or relocate to Kentucky to keep up with demand. Further investment in the state’s Build-Ready program has also helped continue strong statewide economic growth through increased investment and job creation. With a Build- Ready site, much of the work – aside from construction – has already been completed. That includes control of the land to be developed, completion of archaeological, environmental and geotechnical studies, construction of a building pad, preliminary design work completed, approved site plan permits obtained and necessary infrastructure in place. On a Build- Ready site, construction can begin immediately. The commonwealth is home to nearly 20 Build- Ready sites with multiple other locations across the state currently working toward certification. To date, six former Build-Ready-certified sites, including tracts located in Graves and Laurel counties and four sites in Warren County, have been selected by companies for new location projects, allowing companies to bring their operations online in a cost-efficient manner while creating jobs for local Kentuckians. The Center of Success Kentucky’s central geographic location makes it ideal for manufacturing and distribution of products throughout the United States and around the globe. Kentucky’s central location puts manufacturers within 600 miles – or 1,000 kilometers – of two-thirds of the U.S. population. That centrality enables manufacturers to quickly distribute their products to key markets, while global air cargo hubs operated by UPS, DHL and Amazon provide fast and reliable distribution overnight to anywhere in the world. Industrial employers also benefit from various reliable, air, road, waterway and rail shipping options. Kentucky’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem An economy is only as good as the environment it creates to foster growth. That is the mindset behind KY Innovation, the commonwealth’s catalyst in creating an atmosphere that identifies, develops, retains and attracts talented entrepreneurs to the state.