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FAST LANE - January
2006
Tarter has purchased a 237,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Liberty that was previously owned by Oshkosh B’Gosh, an apparel manufacturer. Company officials said the new facility is an important part of Tarter’s overall strategic growth plan. “This is the largest single structure owned by the company, and its location in downtown Liberty is excellent for our needs,” said Josh Tarter, Tarter’s vice president of manufacturing. The new acquisition is the company’s second facility in Liberty: Tarter’s Liberty Water Tank Division is located there as well. Tarter also has a manufacturing facility in Clementsville, in addition to its Dunnville plant. Tarter is expanding outside of Kentucky as well, with the construction of a new 98,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Corrine, Utah. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of April and will employ up to 50 people during the first year of operation. “While Tarter Gate has long been the leader in farm gates and animal management equipment in the eastern half of the United Sates, distance has made it difficult for us to be competitive in the west,” said Tarter Gate General Manager Travis Cox. “Our ability to provide our fast and reliable service at very competitive prices to our western markets is what makes this investment so critical for the future of Tarter Gate.” Tarter has been in business for 60 years, producing lines such as American Farmland, Billy Goat Gruff, Equestrian World and SecureEstate that are sold in more than 6,200 farm and ranch stores nationwide. WESTERN KENTUCKY The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a grant of more than $3 million to train workers in Kentucky for mining careers in the coal industry. The grant is part of the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, a strategic plan to prepare workers for jobs in expanding industries. Grants similar to that awarded to Kentucky have also been announced for West Virginia and Pennsylvania. “Demand for Kentucky coal is creating job opportunities for Kentuckians who possess the skills the coal industry needs,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “This grant will help Kentucky workers get training for these jobs through the Appalachian community college system and provide a boost to the regional economy as well.” The grant, awarded to the Pennyrile Area Development District, will equip the community and technical college system with expedited training so students can use mining simulators and take advantage of distance learning and mobile classrooms. “The community college system has the capacity to provide advanced training to individuals in the coal industry,” explained Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. “By working with local employers, this training will target specific industry needs and provide student workers with applicable skills that will lead to successful careers.” The Pennyrile Area Development District is the statutory regional planning and development organization for the nine counties of the Pennyrile region in western Kentucky. The region includes the counties of Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Muhlenberg, Todd and Trigg. SOMERSET A host of local, state and national dignitaries were on hand to celebrate the recent ground-breaking ceremony for the Southern Kentucky Intermodal Park in Pulaski County. “Instead of driving to similar facilities in places like Cincinnati, Louisville or Knoxville, our businesses will be able to receive supplies and ship local products from right here in Southern Kentucky,” said keynote speaker Congressman Hal Rogers, who has secured $8 million in funding for the project from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. In addition to Pulaski County, the new intermodal park will serve Casey, Clay, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, Lincoln, McCreary, Rockcastle, Russell, Wayne, and Whitley counties. A study by Wilbur Smith Associates determined that rail services are under utilized in the south-central region because of the lack of access to other intermodal facilities. The new center will be marketed to businesses in these counties, promoting the cost-saving benefits of intermodal transportation. The new facility is being built on a 34-acre site and will be operated by Norfolk Southern Corporation. Partners in the park project include the Appalachian Regional Commission, Federal Highway Administration, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Mayes Sudderth & Etheredge, Somerset- Pulaski County Development Foundation, SKED, TransDevelopment Group and Wilbur Smith Associates. Construction is slated to be complete by December 2006. STATE Despite weather problems and other challenges, 2005 proved to be another good year for Kentucky farmers. University of Kentucky economists estimate that Kentucky will have farm cash receipts of just more than $4 billion in 2005, just slightly below 2004’s record level. Cash receipts for 2006 could reach $4.14 billion. Kentucky’s farm economy, once nearly a 50-50 split between crops and livestock, today relies more on livestock. The year 2005 saw a strong livestock sector, and economists don’t foresee a downturn in 2006, said Craig Infanger, a UK College of Agriculture economist. Meanwhile, grain prices have been on a roller coaster in 2005. Livestock cash receipts – which include equine, poultry and cattle – were up 6.3 percent in 2005, while grain receipts declined by 19 percent. Also contributing to the economic good times in Kentucky is the strong agricultural export outlook, Infanger said. “For the past two years, we’ve had record or near record exports up over $60 billion a year and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting that those will continue into 2006,” he said. “Just keep in mind that about $1 billion of Kentucky ag products move into the export market every year, so we need a strong world economy and a strong export market to continue to earn the kind of cash receipts we are earning.” Infanger noted that cash receipts are increasing in western Kentucky while decreasing in eastern Kentucky, a shift that is based on poultry production moving into the west while tobacco production has dropped in the east. High cash receipts, federal farm program payments and tobacco buyout money are helping to ensure net farm income remains relatively strong despite increased costs for farm inputs. Net farm income in Kentucky is expected to be $1 billion for 2005, Infanger said, with government payments constituting about 26 percent of net farm income. HOPKINSVILLE Maintainer Corp., an Iowa-based company that manufactures custom bodies and cranes for trucks, is in the process of building a new plant in Hopkinsville’s Commerce Park that is slated to open in March. The 50,000-square-foot facility, which will employ approximately 60 workers, will be the privately-owned company’s first plant to be built outside of Iowa. Maintainer President Denny Michels noted that with an unemployment rate of only two percent in the area surrounding the company’s Iowa headquarters, expanding operations there simply wasn’t feasible. The company looked at sites in Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana and Kentucky before selecting Hopkinsville. In addition to supplying equipment for clients in the heavy equipment, rail, and mining industries, among others, the facility will also serve as a regional distribution and installation center for Maintainer’s sister company, Link Mfg., Ltd. Link manufactures highly engineered products and systems for the heavy truck and commercial vehicle industries. BOWLING GREEN Western Kentucky University is moving forward with a plan to create a high school for Kentucky students who excel in math and science. The Kentucky Math and Science Academy is slated to open for the 2007-2008 school year. The student population will be made up of 120 high school juniors and seniors from across the state, who will complete their high school education at the academy while also earning college credits. In addition to math, physics and chemistry, the academy will cover other subjects as well. Though students will be integrated with their college counterparts, they will be housed on-campus in a separate dormitory. The university is preparing to begin a $10 million renovation of Florence Schneider Hall in order to have it complete by the time Academy students arrive. The university is also preparing to present a plan to the state legislature in hope of securing funding that will allow students to attend the academy for free. The creators of the program - Western physics professor Charles McGruder and Julia Roberts, director of WKU’s Center for Gifted Studies – hope that the establishment of a math and science academy will boost Kentucky’s efforts to produce and retain more scientists and engineers. The state is currently 47th in the nation in terms of the number of students who enter those professions, Roberts said. HENDERSON Western Kentucky University is moving forward with a plan to create a high school for Kentucky students who excel in math and science. The Kentucky Math and Science Academy is slated to open for the 2007-2008 school year. The student population will be made up of 120 high school juniors and seniors from across the state, who will complete their high school education at the academy while also earning college credits. In addition to math, physics and chemistry, the academy will cover other subjects as well. The university is also preparing to present a plan to the state legislature in hope of securing funding that will allow students to attend the academy for free. The creators of the program - Western physics professor Charles McGruder and Julia Roberts, director of WKU’s Center for Gifted Studies – hope that the establishment of a math and science academy will boost Kentucky’s efforts to produce and retain more scientists and engineers. The state is currently 47th in the nation in terms of the number of students who enter those professions, Roberts said. STATE
America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth is an organization founded by retired General Colin Powell that works to ensure the well-being of children and youth. The Kentucky communities of Lexington, Louisville, Mt. Sterling, Murray/Calloway County and Ohio County were among the communities recognized in the organization’s first competition to identify the 100 Best Communities for Young People. The winners were selected by a panel of civic, business and nonprofit leaders that included United Way of America President Brian Gallagher; U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue; NBC Washington Bureau Chief and moderator of “Meet the Press” Tim Russert; former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala; baseball great Cal Ripken Jr.; and former Denver mayor, Wellington Webb. The selection panel’s decisions were based upon detailed information provided in their applications about each community’s efforts in five areas: caring adults who are actively involved in their lives, safe places in which to learn and grow, a healthy start toward adulthood, an effective education that builds marketable skills, and opportunities to help others. STATE The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is encouraging companies throughout the state to exhibit at the Kentucky Agricultural and Commercial Trade Office’s booth during the Expo Manufactura 2006, scheduled to be held March 7-9 in Monterrey, Mexico. The exposition incorporates the entire supply chain of manufacturing and will bring together more than 5,000 top-level manufacturing professionals for the exchange of ideas and the discussion of key industry topics. The Kentucky Agricultural and Commercial Trade Office will be able to provide assistance in arranging meetings with foreign buyers tailored to fit their specific objectives. “Additionally,” said Economic Development Cabinet Secretary Gene Strong, “our staff will be available once the trade show is over to follow-up on specific issues and provide guidance on needed issues.” Kentucky companies will have the opportunity to participate in the event at a reduced cost by choosing from a selection of packages. To learn more about how your company can participate, contact the Cabinet’s International Trade Division at (502) 564-7140 or email Stephanie.Wheeler@ky.gov. Interested companies can also find more information about the event by visiting www.expomanufactura.com.mx or www.kentucky.org.mx. Event registration must be completed by Jan. 13, 2006. LOUISA
The 6,630-yard, par 71-course, which is carved out of the Eastern Kentucky mountains, ranked third on the magazine’s annual list. A nationwide panel of more than 800 golfers selected the winners based on shot values, design variety, resistance to scoring, memorability and aesthetics. “It’s terrific to receive this kind of recognition and we’re hopeful golfers from all over the state - as well as surrounding states - will want to see why this course is so highly regarded,” said Deputy Parks Director John Kington. Eagle Ridge is the fourth golf course operated by the Kentucky State Parks to receive accolades from Golf Digest. Hidden Cove at Grayson Lake State Park and Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park course were both ranked among the nation’s best new affordable public courses in 2004, at fourth and six respectively. Wasioto Winds at Pine Mountain State Resort Park was ranked fourth in the same category in 2002. LOUISVILLE
The cells, drawn from adult bone marrow, look like embryonic stem cells and appear to mimic their ability to multiply and develop into other kinds of cells, said Mariusz Ratajczak, director of the stem cell biology program at UofL’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center, who led the research project. The use of embryonic stem cells, which can evolve into any type of cell in the body, has been surrounded by controversy. A study by Ratajczak’s team was the first to identify a type of stem cell in adult bone marrow that acts differently than other marrow stem cells. The newly-identified cells, called “very small embryonic-like” (VSEL) stem cells, have the same structure and protein markers as embryonic stem cells. Ratajczak’s team also has grown VSEL cells in a lab and has stimulated them to change into nerve, heart and pancreas cells. If other scientists can duplicate the process on a larger scale, it could reduce the need for embryonic stem cells in research and eliminate rejection problems associated with using stem cells from an outside donor. “We are very excited about the tremendous implications of this discovery,” Ratajczak said. “Our preliminary success in growing and differentiating these cells is very encouraging.” Researchers worldwide have said that various types of stem cells hold great promise for understanding and treating a wide variety of diseases. They also could become a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues that could be used to treat such illnesses, conditions and disabilities as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, burns, spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and arthritis. The use of embryonic stem cells, which can evolve into any type of cell in the body, has been surrounded by controversy. LOUISVILLE Humana Inc. has acquired Corphealth, Inc., a behavioral health care management company based in Fort Worth, Texas for approximately $54 million. “The acquisition of Corphealth allows Humana to seamlessly integrate coverage of medical and behavioral health benefits,” said Thomas J. Liston, senior vice president for strategy and corporate development for Humana. “Corphealth’s focus on the integration of behavioral and medical care management fits well with Humana’s strategy to improve the well-being of its members. The integration of these elements is expected to enhance results from existing disease management and population health initiatives while providing simplicity for our members – a key element in furthering consumerism in health care.” Louisville-based Humana is one of the nation’s largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately seven million members. The company announced this past June that it planned to expand operations in Louisville and Northern Kentucky creating more than 1,100 new jobs and boosting the company’s Louisville employment to 6,900. Approximately 300 Humana associates will be housed in the company’s newly expanded office space at Waterfront Plaza in downtown Louisville. LOUISVILLE ResCare, a Louisville company that provides services for people with special needs, has acquired two companies as part of its strategy to expand its offerings. The company has purchased the assets of Paragon Senior Care, which provides non-medical personal home care in Fort Worth, Texas and three nearby counties. The acquisition is expected to generate approximately $3 million in annual revenues. ResCare has also purchased EVCS, Inc., which offers personal care, housekeeping, transportation and other in-home services to residents in the greater Phoenix, Ariz., area. The acquisition is expected to provide approximately $800,000 in private pay revenue annually. Financial details of the acquisitions were not released. In announcing the purchases, ResCare Chairman, president and CEO Ronald Geary noted that part of the company’s overall growth strategy includes adding to its private-pay home care services in areas where it already has a strong presence. LOUISVILLE Following the recommendation of the Louisville Arena Task Force, Gov. Ernie Fletcher has created the Louisville Arena Authority, Inc., a panel of members who will oversee the design, construction and operation of the proposed Louisville Arena complex. The panel will consist of 10 members appointed by the governor and another five members appointed by Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. The governor’s appointees include Larry Bisig, Todd Blue, Alice Houston, Jim Patterson, Zev Buffman, Dan Ulmer, Bob Woolery, Junior Bridgeman, and Cissy Musselman. Mayor Abramson’s recommendations include Larry Hayes, Reba Doutrick, Neville Blakemore III, William Summers, and Lindy Street. The Arena Authority will be a non-profit entity able to buy and hold property, negotiate and sign contracts. It will also sell bonds to pay for the arena complex and hire a corporation to manage day-to-day operations of the arena complex. “This is the next step of many in providing an economic catalyst to Kentucky’s economic engine,” said Host, adding that the development of a sports arena in Louisville will create thousands of jobs and millions in new taxes for the state, as well as hundreds of millions in public and private investment in downtown Louisville. The Arena Authority will be administratively attached to the Commerce Cabinet’s Office of the Sports Authority and will be dissolved upon final payment on the debt for the complex. LEXINGTON
The one-of-a-kind mural, which was painted by renowned artist Eric Henn and completed last spring, stretches over a 30 x 800-foot retaining wall and features a compilation of traditional Kentucky scenes, such as Thoroughbreds grazing in a rolling green pasture and a Federal-style house reminiscent of My Old Kentucky Home in Bardstown. Blue Grass Airport Executive Director Michael Gobb and Director of Planning Development John Slone were recognized for their role in bringing the mural project to fruition. The mural is one component of a comprehensive four-phase runway safety area improvement project that began under Gobb’s and Slone’s leadership in October 2003. Scheduled to be completed in 2007, the project provides 600 feet of safety area for each end of the airport’s primary commercial service runway. The mural design and retaining wall were the result of the combined efforts of Tetra Tech, Inc., Central Rock, Inc., the Landplan Group and Blue Grass Airport. “What a great idea to take a retaining wall, normally seen as a scar to the landscape, and to use it to reflect the beauty of the surroundings,” said Susan Schalk, president of Aerofinity, Inc., an Indianapolis-based airport consulting firm. “It took vision, lots of time at meetings, a commitment to aesthetics and hard work to make this concept a reality.” LEXINGTON The NASD Investor Education Foundation has awarded a grant of more than $189,000 to the University of Kentucky to develop an education program that will teach teens involved with 4-H about investing. The program will aim to provide practical, hands-on experience through a national network of investment clubs. The project, called Future 4-H Millionaires Club, will establish a network of 4-H investment clubs with a curriculum and companion Web site geared toward members aged 16-18. Once the pilot project is tested in 4-H Clubs in Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia, it will be implemented nationwide. “Taking part in these investment clubs will give teens valuable hands-on experience, which will help change their attitudes about investing and retirement planning early in life,” said Robert R. Glauber, chairman and CEO of NASD, who also serves as chairman of the NASD Investor Education Foundation. The University of Kentucky will develop and implement the program in conjunction with Virginia Tech, Michigan State University and the University of Tennessee. The investment clubs will teach members to maximize their savings through investing using experimental learning techniques. “The University of Kentucky believes strongly in its land-grant mission and we continue to look to our Extension program, including 4-H, for ways to strengthen our commonwealth and benefit the lives of its citizens,” said UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. The NASD Investor Education Foundation, established in 2003, supports research and educational projects that give investors the tools to better understand the markets and the basic principles of financial planning. The Foundation has awarded more than $2.4 million in total to organizations for educational programs and research projects targeting the underserved segments of the population. LEXINGTON American Founders Bank, Inc. of Frankfort has signed a definitive agreement to purchase First Security Bancorp of Lexington for $38.5 million in cash. First Security shareholders will receive $24 per share. Following the completion of the merger, which is expected to be completed within the next six months, the two banks will have combined assets of approximately $500 million and will operate offices in Fayette, Franklin, and Shelby counties. Company officials with each of the banks noted that both American Founders and First Security are locally owned community banks committed to local decision-making and jobs, customer service, and economic growth. The combined organization will have seven banking locations with additional offices planned for Anderson and Jefferson counties. Tim Wesley is president of American Founders Bank. LEXINGTON
The course begins March 1 and runs five day a week through August 25. Students spend part of the day in lectures and the remainder in caring for and learning hands-on skills with horses. As a work/study program, students assume responsibility for the daily care of some of the park’s horses. With the program being offered over the course of six months, students are exposed to the seasonal variations involved in the equine business. Late winter and spring involve breeding and foaling of the park’s mares, providing lessons in both normal and emergency birth situations. During the summer, students continue training the foals and assist with the daily Mare and Foal Show. In addition to lectures and working with horses, trips to area equine facilities such as veterinary clinics, breeding sheds and training stables provide a look at other aspects of the horse industry. More information on the equine management program is available by calling Education Director Margi Stickney at (859) 259-4206 or 259-4263, e-mail education@kentuckyhorsepark.com or at www.kyhorsepark.com/kyp/education/equinemngt.asp.
TENNESSEE
The plant will be built in Lewisburg, approximately 50 miles southeast of Nashville. Agri Energy has purchased, optioned and tied up 41.35 acres in Lewisburg Industrial Park. The company will begin with one plant, but plans to eventually have 20 facilities at full production. The project has the potential to directly create 80 new jobs, with another 60 jobs created indirectly through supplier relationships. AEM, which specializes in renewable energy, is expected to produce five million gallons worth of biodiesel fuel per year once the new facility is complete. In addition, the initial start-up plans for the company will eventually allow them to increase its capability and produce upwards of seven million gallons of biodiesel annually per plant. Biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative fuel produced from domestic renewable resources such as soybean oil, animal fats and recycled restaurant grease. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. INDIANA The Colgate-Palmolive Co. has informed employees at its Clarksville, Ind., plant that it has decided against building a new plant there to replace the aging 80-year facility currently in use. Instead, the company will build a more modern facility elsewhere and relocate the plant’s operations there. The Clarksville plant produces toothpaste, shaving cream, cleansers and glycerine. Company officials have not yet released a decision as to where the new plant will be located, but have informed Indiana officials that it will not be the Hoosier State. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has been quoted as saying that the state’s lack of right-to-work legislation hindered its chances of keeping Colgate there. Twenty-two states currently have right-to-work laws, which prohibit union membership as a condition of employment. Colgate employees and state officials were shocked by the company’s announcement in October that it would close the Clarksville facility by Jan. 1, 2008. Still, they held out hope that Colgate would decide to build its new facility nearby; city and state incentives of $6.5 to $8 million were offered to entice the company to build on 35 acres at the Clark Maritime Center. Unfortunately, even with those incentives, Colgate officials said the cost of property at the Maritime Center would make it one of the most expensive of the 60 sites being considered for the plant.
Business Briefs BEVERLY
BOWLING GREEN
BRANDENBURG
DANVILLE
FRANKFORT
GEORGETOWN
GRANT COUNTY
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS
HILLVIEW
MAYVILLE
NORTHERN KENTUCKY
OWENSBORO
PADUCAH
STANFORD
STATE
LOUISVILLE
LEXINGTON
INDIANA
OHIO
TENNESSEE
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Copyright 1996-2006, by Kentucky Business Online. All rights reserved. Editorial content
is copyright 2006, Lane Communications Group The Lane Report is a trademark of Lane Communications Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
Tarter Gate, a family-owned Dunnville company that is the nation’s largest manufacturer of farm gates and animal management equipment, is expanding its operations with the acquisition of a new facility in Kentucky and the construction of a new plant in Utah.
Though students will be integrated with their college counterparts, they will be housed on-campus in a separate dormitory. The university is preparing to begin a $10 million renovation of Florence Schneider Hall in order to have it complete by the time Academy students arrive.
Five Kentucky communities have been recognized by a national organization as being among the best in the country for their efforts to help young people succeed.
Golf Digest magazine has named Eagle Ridge Golf Course at Yatesville Lake State Park in Louisa as one of the nation’s “Best New Affordable Public Golf Courses” for 2005.
In a discovery that has the potential to change the face of stem cell research, a University of Louisville scientist has identified cells in the adult body that seem to behave like embryonic stem cells. 
Corphealth encompasses a nationwide network of 22,000 behavior health providers and currently serves some two million members. 
Lexington businessman and former Kentucky commerce secretary Jim Host has been appointed chairman of the authority’s board of directors for a four-year term. 
Blue Grass Airport executives have been selected by a group of national aeronautical organizations to receive the 2006 Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award, in recognition of their involvement in the landscape mural that was recently completed at Blue Grass Airport. 
The national award, co-sponsored by the American Association of Airport Executives, the Airports Consultants Council, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is presented to the person or persons judged to have contributed most outstandingly towards achieving compatible relations between the airport and the adjacent landscape.
The Kentucky Horse Park is offering an equine management program for people interested in pursuing a career in the horse business.
Agri Energy Management, Inc. (AEM) has announced plans to build and operate the Southeast’s first 20,000-gallon-per-day stand-alone biodiesel plant. 
Western Kentucky University conferred degrees to the first graduates of its construction management program at the university’s Dec. 17 commencement ceremony. The program includes classes in construction management, architectural and manufacturing sciences, civil engineering, accounting and management. Since its inception four years ago, the program has grown to 60 students. 
Just days after completing the acquisition of Silec Cable, General Cable Corporation announced the purchase of Beru S.A. de C.V., a Mexican company that operates an automotive aftermarket assembly and distribution operation. Beru is a wholly owned subsidiary of BERU AG, a German company that is a leading manufacturer of diesel cold start systems and ignition technology. 
The 2006 Kentucky Crafted: The Market is scheduled for March 4-5 at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville. Nearly 300 exhibitors of traditional, folk and contemporary crafts, two-visual art, musical recordings, books, and food products are expected to participate in the Market, which has been named by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the top 20 events in the Southeast for 11 years. Kentucky’s craft industry plays a significant role in the state’s economy, contributing $252 million in-state; an additional $147 million is realized through sales made outside of Kentucky. 
Transylvania University has launched a $32 million fund-raising campaign, the largest in the history of the 225-year-old institution. The university has already raised $17 million over the past year, during the campaign’s “silent phase.” Projects that have been earmarked to receive funding include: $7.2 million for the construction of two residence halls that will each house 70 students and be connected by a common lobby, $7 million to renovate laboratories in the Brown Science Center, $6 million in endowed scholarships, and $3 million for three fully endowed chairs for outstanding faculty. Another $2.8 million will be utilized for improving student services, such as the career development center, language and writing labs, and study abroad programs.