LOUISVILLE
Louisville Flying High with UPS Announcement

A decision made more than a decade ago by Louisville civic and airport officials to expand the city's airport facilities has been hailed by Governor Paul Patton as a key factor in Louisville landing a new $860 million United Parcel Service (UPS) project.

The project, dubbed Hub 2000, will involve a 2.7 million-square-foot sorting facility that will replace UPS' main express hub. The new center will nearly double the company's current hub capability and will eventually create up to 6,000 new full- and part-time jobs. UPS currently employs more than 15,000 people in Louisville.

"By embarking upon the airport expansion ... Louisville positioned itself to compete and to be selected for UPS Hub 2000," said Robert Michael, airport general manager for Louisville International Airport.

"Louisville's airports have been the economic engine driving new job generation in this region for several years now. And UPS certainly is the fuel in the engine."

Michael cited a number of factors that contributed to the airport's increased value to UPS. The opening of two parallel runways later this spring will double the airport's capacity by allowing simultaneous take-offs and landings in all weather conditions, thereby enhancing UPS' ability to plan and schedule its operations farther in advance. Also, a new air traffic control tower is expected to be operational by the end of the year, ensuring state-of-the-art safety procedures.

The airport's expansion has encouraged a number of new businesses to locate in the Louisville area, including Gateway 200, Stride Rite and Amgen. Airport officials note that the capabilities of UPS have brought more than two dozen companies to the area, including eight computer repair companies since 1995.

HEBRON
Pomeroy Forges Ahead with Acquisitions

Activity at Pomeroy Computer Resources has been high with the announcement of two acquisitions and the opening of regional locations in Atlanta and Cleveland.

Pomeroy, one of the country's five largest network integrators, has acquired Commercial Business Systems Inc. (CBS) of Richmond, Virginia and has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Global Combined Technologies, Inc. of Oklahoma City.

With its facilities in Richmond as well as Charleston and Morgantown, West Virginia, the acquisition of CBS complements Pomeroy's existing West Virginia location and adds coverage to the state of Virginia, said Stephen Pomeroy, chief financial officer for Pomeroy. Global Combined Technologies, Inc., a computer reseller and network integrator, has facilities in Tulsa and Dallas in addition to its Oklahoma City headquarters.

"This acquisition is consistent with our current strategy of supporting the recent initiatives enacted by Compaq Computer and IBM," added Pomeroy, who noted that the experience base of Global's 120 employees adds to Pomeroy's expertise.

As for the company's new regional locations, Pomeroy noted, "We have been serving the needs of companies in these areas and the demand has grown to the extent that a physical presence is warranted."

BEREA
Alcan Posts Recycling Record

Kentuckians who followed the state legislature's debate over the proposed "bottle bill" may find it interesting to learn of a recent announcement from Alcan Aluminum Corporation. The Ohio-based company, which owns a recycling facility in Berea, Kentucky, recycled a record 18.5 billion aluminum beverage cans in 1997, with volume being up five percent from the 1996 level.

Americans collected a record 66.8 billion aluminum cans in 1997, for an overall recycling rate of 66.5 percent. The industry has set a nationwide recycling goal of 75 percent.

ASHLAND
AEI to Purchase Six Coal Operations

Cyprus Amax Minerals Company of Englewood, Colorado has signed a letter of intent to sell some of its coal properties to AEI Holding Company, Inc. of Ashland.

The properties included in the agreement include Mountain Coals in Kentucky, the Cyprus Kanawha and Cannelton operations in West Virginia, the Chinook and Sycamore mines in Indiana, and the Skyline mine in Tennessee. The operations employ approximately 1,300 employees and produced 16 million tons of coal in 1997.

Milton Ward, chairman, president and CEO of Cyprus Amax, explained that the properties are performing well but did not fit the company's long-term strategy of focusing on its growing production and markets for its Pennsylvania and Western U.S. operations.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY
Bode-Finn Opens New Facility

The Bode-Finn Company, a distributor of material handling equipment, aerial work platforms and waste reduction/recycling equipment and systems, has opened a new 12,00-square-foot facility in Florence. With branch locations in both Lexington and Louisville, the new facility is the third in Kentucky for the Cincinnati-based company.

Bode-Finn employs more than 300 people throughout Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia.

LOUISVILLE
Home Health Company Continues Expansion

Caretenders HealthCorp has opened its second Louisville adult day health center, marking the 22nd such center now operated by the Louisville-based company.

The newest center is the ninth opened or acquired by Caretenders in the past 18 months. During that time frame, the company has opened centers in Louisville; Lexington; Evansville, Indiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Birmingham, Alabama. Caretenders recently acquired centers in West Palm Beach, Florida and Cleveland, Ohio.

Caretenders hopes to continue its growth by adding up to 12 additional adult day care centers per year for the next several years. The company is also continuing to pursue additional acquisitions of home and community-based healthcare operations in existing and new service territories. Within the first five weeks of 1998, the company closed four separate acquisitions that included one adult day care center, one personal care company and two Medicare-certified home health agencies.

Caretenders currently provides healthcare services in Kentucky, Maryland, Alabama, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia and Florida.

WESTERN KENTUCKY
Banc One SeIls 11 Kentucky Branches

Banc One Corp. has signed agreements with Trans Financial Inc. and First Federal Savings Bank to acquire Bank One branches in three Kentucky counties.

Trans Financial Inc., a Bowling Green financial services holding company, has agreed to purchase $154 million in deposits and $27 million in loans as part of an acquisition that includes eight Bank One offices in Hopkins and Christian counties.

First Federal Savings Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Federal Financial Corporation of Kentucky of Elizabethtown, will acquire three Bank One branches in Meade County that hold $72 million in deposits.

Bluegrass Briefs

BOWLING GREEN

• Microsensor Systems, Inc. has been acquired by Sawtek, Inc., a Florida-based company that is a leading supplier of electronic signal processing components based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology. Microsensor conducts research and development and designs and manufactures scientific instruments for the chemical sensor market using polymer-coated SAW devices and other technologies.

CAMPBELLSVILLE

• Joan McKinney has been named director of public relations and marketing for Campbellsville University.

ESTILL COUNTY

• Todd Denham has been hired to head Estill County 21st Century, the county's economic development organization. Denham, 27, previously served as the economic development manager for the Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce.

LOUISVILLE

• Some 7,300 eligible Ford Motor Company employees in Louisville received record profit-sharing checks. The average amount of the checks was $4,400.
• Bobby Sorrells has joined McCafferty and Company Advertising, Inc. as senior art director. For the second consecutive year, Restaurants and Institutions has named Louisville-based Papa John's International, Inc. as the "Best Pizza Chain in America" in its Choice in Chains survey of more than 2,800 U.S. consumers.

RICHMOND

• Robert A. Lilly has joined Madison Bank as vice president of mortgage lending. Lilly has been associated with Great Financial Bank and First Federal Savings Bank of Richmond.

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