Local development, workforce leaders discuss economic development

A panel of local development and workforce leaders discussed regional economic advancement and growth obstacles at Thursday’s Economic Eye Opener Breakfast hosted by the Christian County Chamber of Commerce at the Silo Event Center.

The panel included Pennyrile Rural Electric President Alan Gates, Community Development Services Executive Director Tom Britton and White Drive Motors and Steering Human Resources Manager Jerry Walker. South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council Chair Lee Conrad asked the trio about housing, talent attraction and supporting population growth.

Nationwide, communities are dealing with a lack of available and affordable housing, which impacts economic development. Britton says Christian County has plenty of land where housing can be constructed, but as a result of the county’s agricultural roots, some of that land comes with a hefty price tag.

Economic development is also limited by the reliability of the community’s infrastructure and utilities. With housing projects underway and manufacturers moving to town, Gates says they have been working with the Tennessee Valley Authority to expand their power capacity. He says they are currently preparing for a $50 million project focused on increasing the cooperative’s power capacity.

A reliable workforce is another key factor of economic development, and Walker says younger workers are struggling to fill the shoes of older workers who are nearing retirement. The COVID-19 pandemic also had long-lasting impacts on workforces, Walker says his company’s staff numbers are just now returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Walker says Christian County’s cost of living has attracted workers to the area. He says the county has a lower cost of living and a suburban environment, but is not far away from bigger cities.

At the breakfast, Rob Bacon from Exxon Mobil also spotlighted the company’s graphite operations in Hopkinsville. In September, Exxon Mobil acquired Superior Graphite’s production plant to produce graphite for electric vehicle batteries.