The South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council works with existing companies and new prospects interested in establishing regional facilities. Council Executive Director Carter Hendricks appeared on WHOP on Friday to provide a recap on economic developments in 2024.
Hendricks calls 2024 a strong year for economic development and says the council worked to secure $302 million in capital investments which will create over 1,300 new jobs.
Hendricks says the investments from those announcements will start to impact the local economy in the years to come as companies start construction and hiring employees. He says the investments also show a positive economic momentum.
Construction continued on Ascend Elements’ Apex 1 Facility at Commerce Park II, but toward the end of 2024, construction paused as the company revised its construction contracts. Hendricks says he expects construction to continue by February or March.
In 2025, Hendricks says industries such as Cinis Fertilizer and Kitchen Food Co. will begin establishing facilities in Hopkinsville and he expects Toyota Boshoku at Hopkinsville South Park to start their full operations once they hire more employees.