ANNUAL REPORT A REGION PREPARING
FOR TOMORROW
Board of directors GREG PAWLEY Chairman MATT HESS Vice Chairman KEITH JOHNSON Secretary/Treasurer JEFF GREGORY Mayor, City of Elizabethtown HARRY BERRY Judge-Executive, Hardin County MIKE BELL MIKE BOWERS SUE FRENCH GREG JENKINS NANNETTE JOHNSTON BEN LARUE CARL LAY JUSTON PATE HEIDI PATTERSON ED POPPE JODY PRATHER DAN ROBBINS D. DEE SHAW
OUR sTAFF
CONTENTS
RICHARD A. GAMES President & COO
TO OUR BOARD
3
CHERRI SPALDING Administrative Assistant
2019 FIGURES
4
A SKILLED WORKFORCE
5
OUR COMMUNITY
6
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE GRANT
8
INDUSTRAIL EXPANSIONS & IMPROVEMENTS
9
ELIZABETHTOWN/HARDIN COUNTY INDUSTRIAL FOUNDATION TRAINING CONSORTIUM
10
2019 Annual Report
Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation
a message to our board
Serving HARDIN co. since 1956
Elizabethtown and Hardin County remain positioned for investments in new business and job growth while continuing to realize exceptional economic success.
from the President & COO At Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation (EHCIF), we have the great honor of representing an economic powerhouse in the Bluegrass State. From manufacturing to defense to health care, Elizabethtown and Hardin County’s strong, diverse economy attracts incredible opportunities to our region. We are thrilled to update you on a number of expansions that took place in 2019. Metalsa, the region’s largest employer in the manufacturing and automotive sectors, completed a major expansion that is expected to bring 250 new jobs to the region by the end of this year. Other companies that completed expansions include Altec, GossHall (Amazon), Phoenix Bearings and Summit Polymers. One of the reasons the Elizabethtown area has experienced such impressive growth over the past year is our talented, motivated and well-trained workforce. Job creation and average income are on the rise. As employers expand their workforce, educators and training providers are rising to the challenge with innovative opportunities for students and adult workers to learn the skills and earn the certifications needed to thrive. In 2019, partners in workforce development and education worked together to launch
AUTOMOTIVE INTERIOR SYSTEMS MANUFACTURED BY SUMMIT POLYMERS
two exciting programs at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC). Students are learning high-demand IT skills through the Greater Knox Coding Academy, and ECTC is now bringing training directly to employers via its new Mobile Training Unit. It is accomplishments like these that position the EHCIF to pursue opportunities like Kentucky’s Product Development Initiative grant. We invite you to learn more about EHCIF’s partnership with the City of Elizabethtown to secure grant funds for accelerated development within the T.J.
Patterson Industrial Park. A new decade brings new opportunities, and we couldn’t be more excited about the future. This is truly a great time to live and work in Elizabethtown and Hardin County. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our community. With Gratitude,
3
2019 figures AMONG the nation’s best in manufacturing SmartAsset, a New York-based personal finance technology company, released its top ten best places to work in manufacturing for 2019 with Elizabethtown-Fort Knox's Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked as No. 3. Using data from the Census Bureau’s Business Patterns Survey, SmartAsset considered 376 metro areas for its study. Findings from the study revealed that manufacturing jobs increased by 27.3% from 2014 through 2017 making Elizabethtown-Fort Knox the ninth-highest increase among all metro areas surveyed.
$421M
9400+
No.3
In earned wages for manufacturing employees
Manufacturing employees working in Hardin County
Best place to work in manufacturing of 376 MSAs
$1139
300+
70+
Average weekly industry wages in Hardin Co.
New manufacturing jobs created in 2019
Postsecondary education and training programs
2018 PER CAPITA PERSONAL INCOME GROWTH ELIZABETHTOWN-fort knox climbs to $42,144
4
Rocky Mount, NC
4.1 %
4.7 % Monroe, MI
1.9 % Hattiesburg, MS
5.8 %
3.2 %
3.6 % Dothan, AL
$10,000
Chambersburg-Waynesbora, PA
$20,000
Alexandria, LA
$30,000
United States
$40,000
1.9 %
$50,000
Albany, GA
3.3 %
$60,000
Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY
$70,000
9.5 %
A look at U.S. and similar Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) in 2018 as compared to 2017 Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Dept. of Commerce (released March 2019)
Skilled Workforce Remains a Top Employer Priority All Elizabethtown employers must recruit and retain a qualified workforce. As a community partner and advocate for local job creation, the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation is engaged in a number of workforce development efforts, from post-secondary training programs, to the regional Workforce Crisis Task Force, to initiatives that reach out to those who face barriers to work such as childcare, transportation and prior incarceration.
regional workforce development training solutions for success
mobile training unit
greater knox coding academy
Way to work
Elizabethtown Community and Technical College is continuing to provide the workforce with the skills it needs to succeed. One such way is through the Workforce Solutions Mobile Training Unit - a bus with up to 16 work stations to provide training when it’s most convenient for businesses.
In light of numerous company expansions, Elizabethtown employers are looking for highly skilled IT workers. Citizens can now gain these skills through the Great Knox Coding Academy, founded by Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. The coding academy provides technology professionals with skills that are in high demand by the Fort Knox area defense contractors.
United Way of Central Kentucky's Way to Work Program, launched in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, provides comprehensive employment and barrier removal services to members. Unlike a placement agency or temporary service, Way to Work is committed to helping its members attain full-time employment with benefits and achieve personal stability. With all Way to Work services offered at no cost, members can expect to receive:
Businesses and employees are benefitting from the mobile unit and its efficient options. Instead of having employees travel to and from a training location, the mobile unit can be outfitted with equipment to provide highquality training right at their facilities. Some of the training available includes technical training for manufacturers, leadership skills and computer skills.
The program was started due to the drought of certified IT talent for critical missions at Fort Knox. People ages 17 and older can apply for this selective and highly competitive program with the opportunity to fill a vacant position at Fort Knox upon completion.
• • • • • •
One-on-One Employment Coaching Educational Resources Job Readiness Training Financial Literacy Services Community Resource Referrals Legal Advocacy
5
OUR COmmunity
ELIZABETHTOWN, KY DELIVERS LOCATION 1,500-Acre Glendale Megasite • Interstate & Rail Access • Established Industrial Parks • Certified Kentucky Work Ready Community • Proximity to an International Airport • Premier Logistics & Distribution Hub • Skilled & Motivated Workforce • Business-Driven Training Programs • World-Class Healthcare & Recreation • Award Winning Community & Technical College • Low cost of Living & Doing Business
Quality of place and economic development EHCIF is proud to assist in commercial development while continuing to promote the high quality of life enjoyed throughout our community. As quality of place improves and attracts new residents to Elizabethtown, we grow a qualified workforce that benefits all industry sectors.
NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FURTHER ENHANCES ELIZABETHTOWN'S QUALITY OF PLACE During 2019, new development further enhanced the Elizabethtown community’s quality of place. This activity, along with the ongoing revitalization of downtown Elizabethtown, is increasingly important to economic development efforts. New amenities include the highly anticipated Bluegrass Sportsplex. The multimillion-dollar indoor sports complex facility boasts a turf field and several multi-use courts to accommodate a multitude of sports. Additional wings of the 103,000 square-foot facility serve as home to CrossFit Elizabethtown, Central Kentucky Athletics and Barre Fitness. The state-of-the-art venue also functions as event space and includes several meeting rooms and party areas. In entertainment, Axe Play opened its doors to patrons in June of 2019. Serving as a safe environment to enjoy the thrill of axe throwing, Axe Play is the first of its kind in Elizabethtown. A new event
venue on Haycraft Street in downtown Elizabethtown also opened to the public in 2019, serving as the ideal site for events such as the Kentucky Craft Beer Festival. Elizabethtown residents and officials also celebrated as the Greenbelt Trails in Elizabethtown were formally added to the Kentucky Trail Town Program – designating Elizabethtown as Kentucky’s first Urban Trail Town. Elizabethtown's Greenbelt Trails network features 16 trails, including Freeman Lake trails. Elizabethtown’s lodging and dining options also grew in 2019 with the addition of SpringHill Suites by Marriott and a stand-alone Starbuck’s Café. Ramp upgrades to Elizabethtown’s Regional Airport were also completed, while construction of a new fire station and Menard’s store began in Elizabethtown.
7
product development initiative grant Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation (EHCIF) in partnership with the City of Elizabethtown previously submitted an application for a $500,000 Product Development Initiative (PDI) grant, available through the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development (KCED) and the Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED). Recommended as one of nine communities for grant-funded enhancements, EHCIF will use funds to accelerate site development projects, improvements to stormwater detention basins, and utility extensions at T.J. Patterson Industrial Park.
Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) board for funding consideration. According to KAED, communities that present an aggressive plan to develop and attract new business have the best opportunity to benefit from PDI. “We want decision makers to know that Elizabethtown is a prime location for corporate investment,” said EHCIF President and COO Rick Games, “We have some of the top real estate and industrial sites in the state, and if awarded this grant, we can expedite our planned investments in infrastructure.”
Next steps in the PDI process require each community to bring its project before the Kentucky Economic
Application for $500K Product Development Initiative Grant
8
Elizabethtown-hardin county INDUSTRIAL EXPANSIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS
1
Metalsa Metalsa’s Elizabethtown plant, a tier 1 supplier to top automotive manufacturers and suppliers, recently completed its expansion. The work was intensive, including moving utility lines and installing a pedestrian tunnel under North Black Branch Road, connecting the new parking lot to the existing building. Metalsa has provided 2,000 jobs to people in Elizabethtown and beyond. This expansion will increase that number to well over 2,250. Over the past seven years, Metalsa has transformed this location to be a focal point of the Elizabethtown community and economy.
2
Altec
3
Phoenix Bearings
4
GossHall
5
Summit Polymers
Altec experienced an exciting year, completing its main building expansion of 65,000 sq. ft. as well as the stand-alone service center expansion. The company also added additional employees to support the growing business.
The family-owned and operated company began an expansion in 2019 and recently completed it. The company’s 25+ years of experience has allowed them to gain clients and expand their warehouse as well.
Delivery services provider GossHall Systems LLC began building a new headquarters facility in Elizabethtown in 2019. This new 10,000 sq. ft. office will create 20 jobs and continue to provide delivery services for a large corporate partner in the years to come.
Summit Polymers expanded in multiple ways during 2019. They completed a 30,000 sq. ft. expansion to their main facility while adding additional employees to their growing operations.
9
investing in workforce training & DEVELOPMENT Elizabethtown/Hardin County Industrial Foundation Training Consortium The Elizabethtown/Hardin County Industrial Foundation Training Consortium (EIFTC), formed in 1987, is a partnership dedicated to workforce excellence and includes representatives from business, industry, the Industrial Foundation, and Elizabethtown Community & Technical College (ECTC). The primary purpose of this organization is to develop and implement various training programs for local industry, to upgrade skills of current employees, and to provide continuity of educational development for students who may be considered for employment after graduation. Although initial course
$25K Investment in ECTC's Workforce Solutions Mobile Training Unit
offerings were in the maintenance area, the selection has broadened to include computer applications, regulatory activities and management training. Several thousand participants from over 50 businesses, industries, governmental agencies, and the general public have completed EIFTC courses. In 2019, EIFTC proudly invested in ECTC’s Workforce Solutions Mobile Training Unit and awarded a number of scholarships to qualified student applicants – all as part of the organization’s commitment to workforce training and development.
233 Ring Rd #150 Elizabethtown, KY 42701 Phone: 270 737 0300 eifky.org
