The region is feeling the effects of recent economic development announcements, the electric vehicle battery industry, and the ongoing United Auto Works strike.
Southwestern Kentucky Economic Development Council Executive Director Carter Hendricks appeared on WHOP Friday and talked all things economic development and how local industries and developments are affected by things on a national scale. With the UAW strike continuing, Hendricks says the impacts of that will continue to be felt, but the region has been fortunate enough that it has been fairly limited so far.
Hendricks says people often ask him with the ever-growing electric vehicle industry is negatively impact the region, and he says it’s just the opposite—as all vehicles require things that are made in this region.
With the arrival of Ascend Elements in Hopkinsville, there have been numerous additional announcements since, including Toyota Bushoku to the South Park industrial complex and a battery recycling facility in Commerce Park II. Hendricks says an investment of the magnitude of Ascend Elements will certainly have ripple effects, especially since this region is perfectly located geographically.
Hendricks says all of those new expansion and developments come with new jobs, and they’re always looking to hire on employees—as are existing industries, with information on what jobs are available and whose hiring available on the individual industries’ websites.