One thing is certain — more jobs are on the way, especially for Trigg, Christian and Todd counties. And over the next two years, they need to be filled.
South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council Executive Director Carter Hendricks and West Kentucky Workforce Board Business Liaison Tom Sholar described this ripe economic landscape during Monday’s Pennyrile Area Development District meeting — and noted how west Kentucky, as a whole, can take advantage.
Hendricks stated there are four specific announcements, and many other smaller ones wrapped around them, truly changing the gravity of the region.
In March 2022, an expansion of Novelis in Guthrie was revealed, one that will bring about 150 new jobs and $350 million in fiscal support.
In August 2022, Ascend Elements secured what is now a $1 billion investment and 450 jobs — as the crown jewel for Commerce Park II development in Christian County.
Then, last month, officials from Microvast and Toyota Boshoku tagged in for Commerce Park II, looking to add more than 700 jobs and another $720-plus million in obligations.
Combined, Hendricks said it’s roughly $2 billion through investments and construction, and more than 1,300 jobs. Of those careers, Hendricks added nearly 40-to-50% of them will be filled with workers outside of those three counties — be it northwest Tennessee, Hopkins, Logan, Livingston, Crittenden, Caldwell, Lyon, Muhlenberg, or perhaps further.
Slap on Clarksville and Governor Bill Lee’s most recent revelation of a $3.2 billion cathode manufacturing facility from LG Chem, and Hendricks further iterated there is an immediate need for more than 300 engineers to come and work in these five industries.
Within the next 5-to-10 years, there will be more than $17 billion in electric vehicle jobs inside a 200-mile radius of Hopkinsville.
Sholar said there are three job fairs coming up within the next month that will specifically target graduating seniors from local high schools, and then will turn their attention to adults looking for new lines of work later in the day.
— Thursday, April 20 at The Way in Cadiz. It’s the second annual such affair alongside Trigg County’s Chamber of Commerce. Sholar said it was quite successful last spring.
— Thursday, April 27 at The Sportsplex in Hopkinsville. It, too, is the second annual event sponsored by the SWK EDC, and Sholar added high school students walked away with jobs on the spot, able to graduate immediately into the workforce.
— And another will be held Tuesday, May 2 inside Rocket Arena in Marion for Crittenden County graduates and families.
Sholar said this scheduling was extremely intentional.
Hendricks and Sholar both said these statistics and notes don’t even include some of the other expansions being observed in the tri-county and regional area. A pair of spec buildings, one in Trigg County and one in Hopkinsville, also remain uninhabited, while a relationship with Executive Director Amanda Davenport and the Lake Barkley Partnership for Economic Development continues to bring the Eddyville Riverport and Lyon County well into the mix.
A major natural gas pipeline, planned for the state line and up I-24, was also announced by Gov. Andy Beshear and Todd County officials last fall.
