EDC Director reflects on growth, developments in 2025

It might be hard to imagine, but 2026 is just around the corner, and the South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council is full-steam ahead, while reflecting on the past year.

Speaking with WHOP Friday morning, EDC Executive Director Carter Hendricks says it was a year that had both challenges and success—and he thinks there’s mostly been great things to celebrate, including the opening of Toyota Boshoku, which is brought millions of dollars in investments and hundreds of new jobs to the region.

He says right on their heels will be Kitchen Food Company, which is currently moving into the spec building and making it perfect for their operations, and they’re bringing 900 new jobs with them.

A lot of news has come out about BlueOval SK in Kentucky laying off roughly 1,500 or so employees, which has brought out questions concerning investments into electric vehicles and electric vehicle batteries. BlueOval SK is intended to make lithium-ion batteries for Ford and Lincoln brand electric vehicles.

Hendricks says he doesn’t expect that news to have any impact in our area, as the EV productions here are owned by different companies and have different plans.

One of those companies is Ascend Elements, and Hendricks says they had a meeting with the leadership of Ascend recently and they say they’re moving forward in the arbitration process, and they feel confident construction will ramp back up sometime next year. The hope is to begin the hiring process again in early 2027.