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The University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy has been ranked as the fifth best pharmacy graduate program in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report’s 2009 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools. The current ranking represents a move up from an eighth-place ranking in 2005.

The College of Pharmacy has a current enrollment of 497 students. A new class of 132 students will be admitted in the fall of 2008. A further increase in enrollment is anticipated when the new pharmacy building is completed in 2010. The new building will have three times the space of the current facility and will be equipped with the latest in wireless technology, state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories, classrooms and auditoriums.

UK’s College of Pharmacy shares the No. 5 ranking with Ohio State University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the University of Washington. The University of California at San Francisco placed first, followed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Minnesota and the University of Texas at Austin.

Delta Air Lines officials say the company’s pending merger with Northwest Airlines will not affect the company’s commitment to maintaining a hub at the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Gov. Steve Beshear met with Delta President and Chief Financial Officer Ed Bastian shortly after the merger announcement and said Bastian emphasized that the hub remains an important part of Delta’s plans for the future.

“Most importantly,” said Gov. Beshear, “they assured me there would be no reduction in front line employees.”

The governor also was told by Bastian that Delta foresees no significant reduction of service at the Northern Kentucky airport. In addition, Comair, Delta’s regional carrier based at the airport, will remain an important part of the new Delta business strategy, either as the wholly owned subsidiary as it is today, or as a contracted regional carrier operated by another company.

“Obviously, when you are dealing with a volatile industry such as the airline industry, which is greatly impacted by fuel costs and economic conditions generally, you have to be cautious in your optimism,” said Beshear. “But I feel good about the commitments that Delta is making to the commonwealth of Kentucky and to the airport in Northern Kentucky.”

Delta and Comair’s annual operational economic impact on the commonwealth is projected to be nearly $1 billion. The company’s annual state and local tax benefit to Kentucky is approximately $116 million. Delta employs approximately 1,200 workers at the hub, while Comair has a workforce of about 5,000. Currently, Delta serves 117 domestic destinations and seven international destinations from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky facility.

Six Kentucky lawmakers are among 239 senators and representatives recognized by the United States Chamber of Commerce for their role in supporting the business community.

The Chamber of Commerce presented Sen. Mitch McConnell, Sen. Jim Bunning, Rep. Ed Whitfield (KY-1), Rep. Ron Lewis (KY-2), Rep. Geoff Davis (KY-4) and Rep. Harold Rogers (KY-5) with the Spirit of Enterprise Award for their support of pro-growth legislation during the first session of the 110th Congress.

“The business community depends on solid partnerships on Capitol Hill to help grow the economy and create new jobs for hardworking Americans,” said Tom Donohue, chamber president and CEO. “This award recognizes those lawmakers who have demonstrated leadership on important business issues such as trade, investment, and transportation.”

The chamber presents the award annually. Eligibility is based on how members of Congress vote on key business issues, which the chamber outlines in its annual publication How They Voted. These designated key votes are recorded floor votes on issues established as priorities on which the chamber communicates its position prior to the vote. Those members of Congress who support the chamber’s position on at least 70 percent of those votes receive the Spirit of Enterprise Award.

The chamber key-voted 11 Senate and 20 House votes in 2007, including a trade promotion agreement with Peru, an extension of the Andean Trade Preference Act, an extension of the federal backstop for terrorism risk insurance, revisions to the rules governing direct foreign investment, and critical water resources legislation to facilitate commerce at the nation’s waterways and ports. This year, 201 representatives and 38 senators received the award.

Gov. Steve Beshear has created a task force to augment the state’s measures to prepare for the impact created by the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) plans to realign its military bases.

For Kentucky, the greatest degree of activity regarding the DOD’s mission changes and influx of military and civilian employees will occur at Fort Knox.  However, the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) may also extend into the Fort Campbell area, depending on DOD decisions.

Although exact figures are changeable by the nature of such a massive undertaking, the impact on Kentucky is expected to be enormous. Thousands of military and high-salaried professional positions are expected to move into Kentucky, along with $1 billion in construction. In addition, up to 7,000 family members will move to the commonwealth and millions of dollars annually in new state tax revenues are predicted. The changes will also create opportunities for new businesses in the area.

The governor’s task force has been set up to meet specific needs in categories such as community water and sewer availability, educational demands brought forth by the influx of new residents, area planning, workforce development and other critical segments of BRAC as the transformation progresses. Gov. Steve Beshear will chair the task force.

Officials with Dana Corp. have announced that the company plans to move primary gearing production from Glasgow to one of its Mexico facilities later this year.
The decision will mean the loss of 100 jobs at the Glasgow plant, which is part of Dana’s commercial vehicle unit and currently employs a total of 300-plus workers.
Dana recently emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a 23-month reorganization.  During that time, the company managed to attain more than $440 million in annual cost savings and revenue improvements. According to information on Dana’s Web site, those savings “were achieved primarily from improvements in its manufacturing footprint, reducing labor costs and benefit changes, working with labor and retiree groups.”

“The economy is such they’re going to have to move their primary production to Mexico,” Stephen Biggers, executive director of the Glasgow-Barren County Industrial Development Authority, told the Glasgow Daily Times. “Their reason for it, and they are very straightforward, is they have to be competitive. You are either competitive or you don’t survive.”

For Glasgow, the news of Dana’s decision has an all-too-familiar ring: In 2005, Johnson Controls moved its operations to Mexico, followed by SKF USA’s announcement to move part of its Glasgow operations to Puebla, Mexico. 

However, at least for now, Dana will continue to have a presence in Glasgow. The company will be working with the United Steel Workers union on a study to identify new work that could help the Glasgow plant continue to operate profitably. If no work is identified, there is the possibility that the Glasgow plant could be closed, Dana officials said, but it would not be before the end of 2010.

Ecofin, a subsidiary of Nicholasville-based Alltech Inc., has been awarded a $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help fund the company’s planned $70 million biorefinery in Springfield, Ky.

The biorefinery will be one of the first in the United States to utilize cellulose – such as switch grass, corn cobs and corn stover – at raw material levels of up to 30 percent. It will then be converted to ethanol and other value-added products.
The biorefinery will also have the capability to produce algae, which can theoretically produce 5,000 gallons of biofuel per acre per year, as compared to corn, which can produce 400 gallons per acre. In addition, algae can absorb up to 450 tons of carbon dioxide per acre when grown commercially.

“The rural community biorefinery is truly a missionary of new technologies,” explained Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “Cellulosic ethanol utilizes raw materials which are readily available and which alleviate the current demand for grain for ethanol production. With commodity prices reaching an all-time high and with ethanol production forecast to account for 30 percent of the U.S. corn harvest by 2010, we must focus our attention on a sustainable path to alternative energies.”

Construction on the facility is expected to begin next month, and it could possibly be producing ethanol within 16 months. The biorefinery will employ approximately 90 people.

The Kentucky Science and Technology Corp. has partnered with a national non-profit organization, National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), to launch a program designed to strengthen math and science education in Kentucky.

Under the new AdvanceKentucky initiative, 12 high schools across the state have been selected to implement a proven model for dramatically growing their math, science and English advanced placement (AP) programs that offer rigorous, college-level coursework in high school.

Research demonstrates that students who have access to strong AP programs are more prepared to do college level work in math, science, and engineering. Over five years, schools with NMSI’s Teacher Training and Incentive Programs for AP and pre-AP courses experienced up to five times more growth in students scoring well on AP exams in math and science than those schools without the program.

The first 12 Kentucky schools selected to participate in the program include: Anderson County High School, Barren County High School, Corbin Independent High School, Henderson County High School, Lone Oak High School, Marion County High School, North Laurel High School, Reidland High School, Scott County High School, Shelby County High School, South Laurel High School, and Warren East High School. More schools will be added to the program each year.

Toyota Boshoku America, an Erlanger-based manufacturer of automotive interior systems, has announced plans to expand its headquarters operations, creating 170 new jobs by next year.

The new jobs will be in addition to the current 100-member workforce in Erlanger.   Total annual payroll after the hiring of all team members is expected to reach nearly $20 million. 

The Toyota Boshoku America office currently occupies 23,000 s.f. in Erlanger’s CirclePort Business Park; the expansion will more than double the company’s space, bringing the total to 48,000 s.f. Construction on the project is already under way and is scheduled for completion by June 1. The company has received preliminary approval for tax benefits up to $1.7 million from the state for the project.

“Toyota Boshoku America is the perfect example of the world-class operations we seek in Kentucky,” said Kentucky Economic Development Cabinet Secretary John Hindman. “We are very optimistic about the future of Toyota Boshoku America in Kentucky and plan to meet with officials from the company in Japan while on an economic development trip to Asia in June.”

Lexington is one of the best places in the country for business and careers according to a recent report published by Forbes magazine.

The magazine’s 10th annual listing of the Best Places for Business and Careers ranked Lexington No. 5 in the country, a leap of 25 places from its No. 30 spot in 2007. Louisville ranked No. 91 on the Forbes list, while Bowling Green ranked No. 12 on the magazine’s listing of Best Small Places for Business and Careers.

The rankings cover the 200 largest metro areas in the nation (those with populations over 240,000) and are based on the following factors: five-year historical job and income growth, migrations trends, business cost index (labor, tax, energy and office space costs), living costs (housing, transportation, food and miscellaneous household expenditures), crime and educational attainment. The study also factored in the presence of four-year colleges as well as cultural and recreational opportunities.

Lexington also ranked highly in a study conducted by audit and tax firm KPMG LLP that measured the cost of doing business in cities across the country. KPMG’s 2008 Competitive Alternatives study placed Lexington third in the country for small-sized cities (populations between 100,000 and 500,000). The study measured 27 significant cost components that are most likely to vary by location, including labor, taxes, real estate and utilities as they applied to 17 industries, over a 10-year planning horizon.  Data on a variety of non-cost competitive factors also was compared.  The study enables companies to perform a “quick scan” of jurisdictions to determine which can offer a cost-competitive business environment.

Howa USA has opened a new 80,000-s.f. manufacturing plant in Bowling Green’s Kentucky Tri-Modal Transpark.

The new $10 million plant will produce dash insulators, headliners, sunshade trims and other interior products for clients such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda.
The plant is expected to employ around 60 people within two years.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority has granted preliminary approval to American Howa Kentucky Inc. for tax benefits up to $1 million under the Kentucky Industrial Development Act, an incentive program designed to attract and expand manufacturing operations in the state.

American Howa Kentucky Inc. has also been approved for benefits up to $136,590 under the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act. The program allows approved companies making an investment of $500,000 or more in Kentucky to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on the cost of construction materials, building fixtures and equipment used for research and development.

Sumitomo Electric Wintec America (SEWA) has announced that it will close its plant in Edmonton, where it produces magnet wire.

The shutdown will result in the loss of more than 100 jobs.

SEWA Chair Yukihide Ito said the company, which is a subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., Japan, deeply regretted the decision but that the rising cost of manufacturing its products in the United States have become too high for the company to remain competitive. The Edmonton facility is Wintec’s only U.S. plant.

Company spokeswoman Dana Simmons told the Glasgow Daily Times that the Edmonton operations will be moved to Asia. In addition to Sumitomo Electric’s headquarters and two plants in Japan, the company also has facilities in China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

Manufacturing operations in Edmonton are scheduled to end by June 2009.

Thoroughbred auction company Fasig-Tipton Co. Inc. has been acquired by a Dubai company for an undisclosed price.

Synergy Investments Limited is headed by Abdulla Al Habbai, a close associate of Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, who has long been involved in the Thoroughbred industry.

Officials with Synergy said the company plans to retain Lexington-based Fasig-Tipton’s staff and management.

“Our agreement includes an understanding that Fasig-Tipton will be operated in a manner consistent with the principles of integrity, customer service and industry service, which have been so critical to our success since controlling interest was obtained by the Hettinger family in 1991,” said Fasig-Tipton Chairman D.G. Van Clief Jr. “Those assurances were critical to John and his son Bill Hettinger, and our entire board of directors, in agreeing to this transaction.”

Founded in 1898, Fasig-Tipton is North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auction company. It currently conducts auctions in Lexington; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Timonium, Md.; Miami, Fla.; and Grand Prairie, Texas.

Novelis has announced plans to close its light-gauge converter foil plant in Louisville at the end of June. Approximately 110 employees will be affected by the closure.

The company announced last year that it planned to exit the light gauge converter foil market in North America. At that time, the Louisville facility was put up for sale, but despite concerted efforts to sell the operation over the past six months, no buyer was identified for the plant. 

“Global over-capacity has created very challenging business conditions in the North American market for light gauge converter foil,” said Kevin Greenawalt, president of Novelis North America. “We’ve taken aggressive steps to reduce costs but with ongoing oversupply issues, we have reached the conclusion that we must reduce Novelis’ participation in the North American converter foil market.”

The converter foil product line is used primarily in the manufacture of a variety of flexible packaging products.

In order to fulfill existing customers’ orders, Novelis will maintain operations until June 30. 

Novelis was formed in 2005 as a spin-off from aluminum producer Alcan Inc.  Last year the company was acquired by Hindalco Industries Limited, the flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group of companies, a multinational conglomerate headquartered in India.

Measures taken to extend the lifespan of area code 270 have proven to be effective, allowing another postponement in the starting date for area code 364 in far western Kentucky, according to a recent announcement by the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC).

The optional use of area code 364 will now take effect on Apr. 1, 2010, 15 months later than previously announced. A new deadline for mandatory use of the new area code will be announced at a later date.

Area code 364 will cover the western portion of the current area code 270, which includes the cities of Henderson, Hopkinsville, Madisonville, Murray and Paducah.
On May 31, 2007, the PSC decided to accommodate the rising demand for new telephone numbers in western Kentucky by splitting area code 270, with the eastern portion retaining the current area code. Cities remaining in area code 270 include Bowling Green, Columbia, Glasgow, Elizabethtown and Owensboro.

The delay in implementing the change comes as a result of a change in the way telephone numbers are allocated to telecommunication providers by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator. Prior to number pooling, most numbers in area code 270 were assigned in blocks of 10,000; most numbers are now assigned to providers in blocks of 1,000. The use of the smaller groupings reduces the quantity of numbers that are assigned but unused.