Friday December 5, 2025
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The surest way to create more and better jobs in Greater Louisville is for those of us who live and work here to buy locally whenever possible. To be clear, Louisville (like every region) is at its best when its local businesses are thriving and providing good jobs. The impact of local people patronizing locally-owned businesses simply can’t be overstated.
Studies indicate that independent and locally owned retailers and restaurants return about 55 percent of all their revenue to the local economy. Research by business data company Civic Economics suggests the large big-box chain stores recirculate only about 13 percent of their revenue within the local markets that host its stores. While local independent businesses are usually easy to identify, it is important to remember that many of the smaller nationally-branded chains are actually operated by locally-based franchisees and appreciate your support.
Of course, most of our locally owned businesses are also small businesses. There are about 57,000 businesses in the Louisville MSA with the vast majority locally-owned small businesses and proprietorships. These local small business owners and their employees are our neighbors, community volunteers and youth league coaches.
Though a shopper may occasionally save money by purchasing from big national chains, there are tradeoffs to consider. Consider the added cost placed on the environment when we purchase items that are produced faraway, then transported to this area. Food shipped cross-country carries a much greater environmental impact than food grown on a nearby farm. And who could ever argue against the taste of locally grown farm products when compared to canned goods or produce shipped in from the coasts? Continue reading
Declaration waives certain commercial motor carrier regulations for operators providing relief to affected areas
In anticipation of Hurricane Florence and its potential to cause damage to the southeastern United States, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Greg Thomas has waived certain regulations on commercial motor carriers involved in the relief effort.
Secretary Thomas issued the emergency declaration that provides temporary regulatory relief for crews heading to the affected areas to deliver goods, restore utilities and remove debris.
“Lifting these restrictions allows crews to assist with the relief effort as quickly as possible,” Secretary Thomas
said.
The order exempts a driver’s hours of service limitation and weigh station stoppage, suspends registration requirements and waives permit fees for overweight/over-dimensional vehicles. All other safety requirements will remain in effect for drivers.
The declaration expires on Oct. 11.
Additional information is available here http://transportation.ky.gov/
Louisville Metro Government’s Office of Resilience and Community Services is inviting the public to participate in a meeting to kick off Phase II of the Louisville Resilience initiative on Monday, Sept. 10.
The meeting will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Louisville Free Public Library’s Main Branch, 301 York Street, and will include the Louisville Resilience team, business leaders, educators, non-profit organizations, members of the faith community, and residents.
Louisville was chosen in May 2016 to join the 100 Resilient Cities initiative pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation to help cities around the world become more resilient to the growing social, economic, and physical challenges in the 21st Century. Participating cities are provided with resources that include funding to hire a Chief Resilience Officer, expert support, access to a partner platform and a peer-to-peer network.
Louisville’s Chief Resilience Officer Eric Friedlander is overseeing the city’s development and implementation of a comprehensive Resilience Strategy to help prepare for, withstand, and bounce back from chronic stresses and acute shocks.
At the Phase II kickoff, participants will divide into working groups focused around four Discovery Areas identified in Phase I by residents and subject matter experts through community meetings, focus groups, interviews and an online survey.
The areas are: compassion and trust; resilience to trauma; financial capacity and economic opportunity; and the built and natural infrastructure to promote health and well-being. The working groups will identify specific actions recommended as a part of Louisville’s Resilience Strategy. View the Phase II flyer for meeting details and other pertinent information.
“Public input has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of developing Louisville’s Resilience strategy,” said Friedlander. “I’m excited to expand the number of individuals, partners and perspectives involved in this process that will help our community better address many of our biggest challenges and identify solutions.”
For more information about Louisville Resilience or on how to get involved, visit www.louisvilleky.gov/Resilience or call 574-8132. To learn more about 100 Resilient Cities, visit www.100resilientcities.org.
Celebrating the organization’s 5th anniversary, U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers and Governor Matt Bevin welcomed more than 1,100 attendees to the annual summit at the East Kentucky Exposition Center in Pikeville, applauding federal, state and local leaders for overcoming early challenges to drive successful efforts inspired by Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR).
“Five years ago, the future of Kentucky’s Appalachian region seemed daunting. However, with approximately 12,000 coal miners left without jobs in the wake of the war on coal, more than 1,200 people from across Eastern Kentucky rallied together under the united mission of SOAR to reimagine our future, improve quality of life and diversify our struggling economy,” said Rogers. “Progress may seem slow at times, but we have made great strides against the heavy burden of the war on coal and we won’t stop pulling together federal, state and local resources to overcome our challenges and recruit new innovative opportunties to our region. The horizon is brighter than ever before with hundreds of new jobs opening soon, a new federal prison approved for construction and broadband access on the way to every county. Our best days are ahead!”
Congressman Rogers and Governor Bevin inspired local leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs to continue working together toward a better future for Eastern Kentucky.
“This year’s SOAR summit showcases the unlimited potential that exists in Eastern Kentucky,” said Gov. Bevin. “Kentucky’s Appalachian region is home to entrepreneurs, business leaders, innovators, and change-makers that are committed to making a difference in their local communities, and they are putting their ideas into action. We are committed to coming alongside the local communities to identify resources and new opportunities to encourage further economic growth and development. The determination and drive in this region of our Commonwealth ensures that the future of Appalachia will be bright.”
Keynote speakers included USDA Rural Development Assistant to the Secretary Anne Hazlett; Tim Thomas, Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC); Chris Thomlinson, owner of SilverLiner in Pikeville; Bob Schena, CEO of Rajant Corporation in Morehead; and Major General (Retired) Vinny Boles, who led logistics for the U.S. Army following the tragic events on September 11, 2001.
Hazlett and Thomas joined Rogers and Bevin to make several funding announcements for the region, including:
- A $100,000 grant from the ARC for SOAR operations;
- A $1.2 million grant from Kentucky ARC for development of a 30-acre industrial site in Perry County;
- $625,390 in grant funding from USDA Rural Development for several projects in the SOAR region, including a new national pilot program for transitional housing related to the opioid epidemic in Rockcastle County;
- $30,000 private investment from Toyota Tsusho to launch an Advanced Manufacturing Makerspace at the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College’s Middlesboro Campus; and
- $10.5 million for two new Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Pilot Projects in Letcher County and Pike County.
For more information about the ongoing work related to SOAR, visit soar-ky.org.
About the SOAR initiative
The SOAR initiative was launched in 2013, after a stunning downturn in the coal market exacerbated historic challenges in Eastern Kentucky related to unemployment and poverty. SOAR is intended to help the region develop and put into action new locally oriented strategies to attack those persistent challenges.
Mayor Greg Fischer and Louisville Parks Foundation CEO, Brooke Pardue were joined by Councilman Bill Hollander and the local skateboarding community to unveil the Breslin Park Skate Spot, the latest public park to receive added amenities funded by the Louisville Parks Foundation.
The $95,000 skate spot, built and designed by Hunger Skateparks, of Bloomington, IN, is the first of its kind in the region. Unlike larger skate parks, the skate-able art sculpture is designed for all levels, making it appropriate for beginners and experts alike. This completes the first phase of the Foundation’s Breslin Park 2.0 Project, which includes a state-of-the-art shade structure to follow.
“Many people aren’t aware of this, but Breslin Park was home to Louisville’s original skatepark.” Said Pardue, “There is a rich history of skating in this park and I have been overwhelmed with the positive response I have received from generations of street skaters in our community. I’m glad we listened and were able to provide them with something we can all feel good about.”
“This new skate spot, in conjunction with the Louisville Extreme Park, is going to put Louisville on the map for people looking for a quality skate experience.” Said Noah Hulsman, owner of Home Skateshop. “And we are committed to keeping Breslin Park clean and safe for all park users.”
Funding for the project is the result of a partnership between the Louisville Parks Foundation, a non-profit that supports Louisville Parks and Recreation, Home Skateshop, Councilman Bill Hollander, Grind Burgers, Spinelli’s Pizza, Vegan Jerky Company, and individual donors.
Gov. Matt Bevin today announced Walmart will invest $41 million and create 400 full-time jobs at a new facility in Bullitt County dedicated to fulfilling online orders from Walmart.com and Walmart subsidiary Jet.com.
“We are excited to welcome Walmart and Jet.com’s distribution facility to Bullitt County and the commonwealth,” Gov. Bevin said. “This is a major new venture for the company that will bring significant investment and hundreds of jobs to the region. It is further confirmation that Kentucky is the established leader for logistics and distribution in the United States.”
Walmart will lease a 720,000-square-foot building in the Velocity 65 trade center on Velocity Way off of I-65. In addition to full-time permanent workers, the facility will eventually employ several hundred temporary workers, including seasonal employees. Company leaders plan to open the center later this fall.
“This new facility will soon be serving even more Walmart.com and Jet.com customers with fast shipping in two-days or less, and we’re thrilled we found a home for it in Bullitt County,” said Nate Faust, senior vice president of supply chain, Walmart eCommerce U.S. “We look forward to opening for business and to a long relationship with the people of Kentucky and Shepherdsville.” Continue reading
Cuddle Clones, an award-winning Louisville company that specializes in creating the highest quality custom products made to look like people’s pets, announced its inclusion in the prestigious 2018 Inc. 5000, Inc. Magazine’s annual ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Cuddle Clones’ three-year growth of 583% ranked 1st in the state of Kentucky and 66th in their category of Consumer Products, which placed them alongside previous brands as Timberland and Zappos, and 862nd overall in the United States.“Cuddle Clones perfectly encapsulates the success we strive help Kentucky startups achieve,” said Vivek Sarin, co-leader of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. “This company began as a small operation in Louisville just eight years ago, so its announcement in February of a substantial $1.3 million expansion that will create 50 jobs is truly remarkable. Cuddle Clones is a prime example of what Kentucky-grown businesses are capable of, and I strongly suspect we have not yet seen the company’s full potential.”
Cuddle Clones growth is primarily a result of investing in new technology for their ecommerce platform, digital properties, and innovating new products. “We couldn’t have achieved this growth without the contributions from our team that include superb customer service and manufacturing the highest quality products for our customers” said Cuddle Clones CEO Brennen Lawrence.
Cuddle Clones expects to be on the list again next year as the first half of 2018 has exceeded expectations. Lawrence continued “We’ve performed very well in the first half of 2018 and will release several new, exciting custom pet products prior to Q’4 that we expect to further enhance our growth.”
This newest accolade comes on the heels of being named Louisville’s fastest growing company in 2017 by Business First. “It’s always exciting when a local company receives national attention for its fast-growth expansion in a global market,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “Cuddle Clones’ success exemplifies Louisville’s robust business climate that encourages new start-ups and facilitates quick scale-up of business operations. We are proud to be the home of Cuddle Clones and we look forward to its continued success.”