FOCUSing on Eastern Kentucky

Economic group helps bring business to rural counties

Story by JEN CALHOUN

Tal Jones worked for about 30 years in the gas and oil industries, mostly in Eastern Kentucky. Along the way, he noticed something about the people of Appalachia — something not everybody outside the region knows.

“A lot of people in this world can be productive,” Jones says. “But coal miners are a different breed entirely. They can be productive while lying on their backs under a 40-inch coal seam a full mile under the mountain in an inch of cold water. All the while, they’re filling quotas on deadline. There’s a can-do work ethic in this workforce you don’t always see in a metropolitan area.”

Jones likes to call it “an unparalleled resiliency” — something he reminds people of when they’re scouting locations for businesses and industry and need a strong, capable workforce at the ready.

Building Connections

As the new executive director of Five Original Counties United for Success, or FOCUS, Jones is tasked with forging relationships and introducing more economic development in Jackson, Owsley, Clay, Lee and Leslie counties. His job is to promote the region and tell business leaders about all the good things going on there.

The list is pretty long, and it’s getting longer by the day. It’s a fact that can be surprising to many people, even those who were born and raised in Eastern Kentucky. Two of the region’s biggest advantages include inexpensive power, like the kind the area gets from Jackson Energy Cooperative, and a strong, reliable fiber broadband connection from PRTC. Both utilities usually top the list for industries looking to relocate or start a business. Companies also look for a laborready workforce, a low cost of living, a good quality of life for their employees and a strong transportation infrastructure.

When it comes to internet connectivity, Jones says he’s excited to remind industry leaders that both Jackson and Owsley counties are 100% gig certified and fiber connected. And, thanks to PRTC, Lee and Clay counties are also on their way. Even much larger cities don’t always have that kind of infrastructure. “Keith Gabbard, the CEO of PRTC, thinks I’m a nut because I’m always telling people he’s done more for economic development in this part of Eastern Kentucky than anybody,” Jones says. “But it’s the truth. It’s just a huge advantage.”

The energy industry in the region is another big component. Jackson Energy, like PRTC, is a cooperative, so it‘s not subject to the implications that come with giant profits distributed to out-of-town shareholders. They work for the people they serve, which means they put communities first. If there are things businesses need in order to relocate, cooperatives are equipped to work with them.

Big Plusses

A big part of Jones’ job is checking out all the buildings and industrial sites in the region and making sure companies know about them. “We have at least eight buildings ready to go right now,” he says. “We have everything from 20,000 square feet on up that is capable of housing virtually anything. They’ve got good connectivity and water, and they can access I-75 for transportation. The recent upgrade to Highway 30, which runs east to west from London to Beattyville, is also an asset.”

But it’s the land and the people that really make Eastern Kentucky great, Jones says. Workers are willing to work hard, and the region’s landscapes tend to surprise visitors who arrive with preconceived notions of Appalachia. “We’ve now got people moving here from much larger cities because they’re starting to understand all we’ve got here in the way of beautiful views, hiking, horseback riding and kayaking,” he says. “Then, they learn how relatively inexpensive it is to live here, and they’re sold.”