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Gov. Matt Bevin has recently made the following appointments to Kentucky Boards and Commissions:
Andrea M. Tucker has been appointed to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Advisory Committee.
- Dr. Andrea M. Tucker, of Winchester, is an OB/GYN. Tucker will represent obstetrician/gynecologists. She shall serve for a term expiring May 9, 2020.
The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Advisory Committee consists of 12 gubernatorial appointees. The Committee advises the Governor, the Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Commissioner of the Department for Medicaid Services on development and administration of an outpatient drug formulary.
Terry Lewis Bunnell has been appointed to the Real Estate Appraisers Board.
- Terry Lewis Bunnell, of Glasgow, is the chairman and CEO of the Peoples Bank and Peoples-Marion Bancorp, Inc. in Crittenden and Barren counties. Bunnell will represent the lending industry. He shall serve for a term expiring May 9, 2020.
The Real Estate Appraisers Board is composed of five gubernatorial appointees. The Board is charged with regulating and controlling the licensing and conduct of real estate appraisers within the Commonwealth.
Samuel Clark Corbett has been appointed to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the 30th Judicial Circuit and District of Kentucky.
- Samuel Clark Corbett, of Louisville, is the executive director of the Jefferson County Public Education Foundation. He shall serve for a term expiring January 1, 2018.
The Judicial Nominating Commission for the 30th Judicial Circuit and District consists of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (serving as chair), two members from the Kentucky Bar Association, and four gubernatorial appointees who are not members of the Kentucky Bar Association (equally representing the two major political parties). Members cannot hold any other public office or any office in a political party or organization.
Earlier this week, Mayor Greg Fischer and Gov. Matt Bevin joined company leaders to break ground on LINAK U.S. Inc.’s 145,000-square-foot plant expansion, which will allow the company to double the size of its current facility that manufactures linear actuators for hospital beds, office desks and farm equipment.
“LINAK’s expansion and investment in Louisville is a testament to our city’s strength in advanced manufacturing, which is a key component to our economic success – today and in the future,” Mayor Fischer said. “Louisville is proud to be the home of LINAK’s U.S. headquarters, and we look forward to helping the company achieve more for its customers, our city and our state.”
The $33 million investment, which will create more than 400 full-time jobs, includes the purchase and installation of new production equipment. The expansion project will allow LINAK to improve efficiency, generate higher profits and make more reliable deliveries to customers, while lowering production costs by 25 percent. The company expects to double output and sales over the next five years.
“Since locating in the commonwealth more than 20 years ago, LINAK has steadily grown its business and presence, in Louisville,” Gov. Bevin said. “We are witnessing another great investment in Kentucky as ground breaks today on the expansion of LINAK’s Louisville-based manufacturing facility. Kentucky is on the rise, and I thank LINAK for its decision to select Kentucky to support its expansion. We hope to see continued growth for years to come.”
LINAK, headquartered in Denmark, operates facilities in 35 countries and maintains its Americas headquarters in Louisville. The company introduced linear actuators to many existing products, improving ease of operation. Linear actuators use low-voltage DC motors to convert rotational movement into linear motion. Uses for actuators include in hospital beds, agricultural appliances, adjustable workstations and office desks. LINAK’s other products include lifting columns, control boxes, controls and a wide range of accessories.
“With this expansion LINAK will significantly increase the domestic production footprint which we know is highly valued by our customers,” said Jan Peterson, vice president of operations at LINAK. “Since day one, both the city of Louisville and the commonwealth of Kentucky have been a great home for us. We are excited to continue our partnership with this community for years to come.”
LINAK opened a sales office in Louisville in 1994 and established its manufacturing facility in 1999, which currently employs 300 people.
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in December 2016 preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $3.5 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
Additionally, KEDFA approved LINAK for up to $350,000 in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.
For more information on LINAK, visit www.linak-us.com.
Last week, 
Gov. Matt Bevin announced Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products LLC (KAAP) will expand for a seventh time in Bowling Green, investing more than $51 million and creating 129 full-time jobs.
“This expansion by Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products is a shining example of growth among advanced manufacturers in Kentucky,” Gov. Bevin said. “Since establishing its Bowling Green plant in 2004, KAAP has proven itself an excellent corporate partner in the Commonwealth’s automotive industry. We are grateful for the company’s dedication to the state and are excited to see this remarkable success continue.”
KAAP will add more than 108,000 square feet to accommodate new production lines and equipment, including a melting furnace, forging presses and heat-treatment, casting and machining lines. The additional capacity will allow the company to meet increased sales goals. Company leaders expect the project to take approximately one year, with the start of production targeted for fall 2018.
“This is our 12th year producing aluminum automobile suspension parts in Kentucky. Two years ago we decided to make our sixth investment, and due to the increasing necessity of lighter vehicles, we have decided to make another investment,” said Toshihiro Katsura, KAAP president and CEO. “This will be our seventh additional investment, and we are truly grateful to the Commonwealth of Kentucky for all of the support and incentives we have received.”
The plant’s previous expansions total $293 million and it currently employs 500 Kentucky residents full-time. KAAP manufactures lightweight aluminum parts, including upper and lower control arms and steering knuckles. Lighter parts help reduce overall vehicle weight, which contributes to greater fuel economy and lower emission levels.
KAAP, based in Kobe, Japan, has served is home country’s aircraft and automotive industries since 1937, primarily manufacturing forged aluminum suspension products. The company is part of the Kobe Steel Group, known internationally as KOBELCO.
Kentucky’s automotive industry includes more than 500 facilities employing 100,000-plus residents full-time. The state ranks first nationally in light-vehicle production per-capita and is one of the top automotive production states overall.
The KAAP announcement brings the state’s 2017 automotive-sector total investment to more than $1.43 billion with nearly 280 new full-time jobs.
Sen. Mike Wilson, of Bowling Green, said the company has had an ongoing impact on the community.
“The expansion of Kobe Aluminum here in Bowling Green marks a great day for both our city and our Commonwealth,” Sen. Wilson said. “KAAP has successfully expanded in previous years, and this newest expansion will create more than a hundred new Kentucky jobs. I thank KAAP for its dedication to Kentucky’s workforce and look forward to the company’s continuous growth in our region.”
Rep. Jim DeCesare, of Bowling Green, noted KAAP’s importance to the local economic and workforce.
“Kobe Aluminum continues to invest in our region to the tune of nearly $52 million and 129 new jobs,” Rep. DeCesare said. “Since 2005, they have expanded six times for a total of $293 million pumped into our region. I commend them for this recent investment, and am proud to continue to support pro-business initiatives to encourage this exact type of growth.”
Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon welcomed the expansion and its economic impact.
“We are proud that KAAP continues to call Warren County home,” Judge-Executive Buchanon said. “Seven expansions in 12 years is a great testament to their success as a leader in an industry primed for growth. I extend our sincerest gratitude to KAAP for being such an important part of our local economy.”
Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson said the new jobs and investment build on the company’s long partnership with the city.
“KAAP continues to have a tremendous impact on the city and our local economy,” said Mayor Wilkerson. “Their growth and success since locating to Bowling Green in 2005 is astonishing and we are grateful for all KAAP does for our community.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in April preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $2 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
Additionally, KEDFA approved KAAP for up to $200,000 in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.
In addition, KAAP can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. In fiscal year 2016, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for nearly 95,000 Kentuckians and 5,000 companies from a variety of industry sectors.
For more information on KAAP, visit www.kobeal.com.
Photo credit: Olga-Maria Cruz
Gov. Matt Bevin has appointed Louisville poet, author and teacher Frederick Smock as Kentucky Poet Laureate for 2017-18, the Kentucky Arts Council announced last week. Smock, will be formally inducted during a ceremony on Kentucky Writers’ Day, May 1 at the Old State Capitol, 300 W. Broadway St. in Frankfort.
“I’m thrilled,” Smock said shortly after learning of his appointment. “Jim Wayne Miller (2015 Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame inductee) has said that Kentucky is a writerly state, and that’s so true. Many of our poets laureate have been writers I’ve looked up to, and I’m excited to join their company.”
Though he has only begun to think about goals for his two-year term as poet laureate, Smock said he wants to make poetry relevant to all Kentuckians.
“In my teaching, I like to bring poetry to everyone,” he said. “I imagine that will color some of what I do as poet laureate.”
As a boy, Louisville native Smock immersed himself in the literature of Kentucky luminaries James Still and Jesse Stuart. He even corresponded with Stuart while working on a book report. In his last letter to Smock, Stuart wrote, “I hope you get an A,” an endorsement Smock made sure to include in his report.
“And I believe I did,” Smock said.
Though he was born in Louisville and has lived in the city for much of his life, Smock’s work reflects upon his formative years spent in the country.
“I find myself drawn to nature. When I was 6, we moved to Fern Creek (in Jefferson County) where my father built a house on a hill in the midst of a forest. Those years were spent wandering fields and forest mostly on my own,” Smock said. “It was laying my imagination on that landscape and drawing from that experience. I can’t say I direct my mind that way. The inspiration comes to me, but those sources give me a lot to work with.
With the exception of one summer teaching in Denmark, Smock has lived, written and taught in Kentucky all his life. An author of 10 books of poems and essays, with two more on the way, and four chapbooks, Smock has earned several awards for his writing and teaching, including the 2002 Henry Leadingham Poetry Prize, the 2003 Jim Wayne Miller Prize for Poetry, Bellarmine University’s 2005 Wilson Wyatt Faculty Award and the 2008 Kentucky Literary Award for Poetry. The Kentucky Arts Council honored him in 1995 with an Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship in poetry.
“Frederick Smock has the passion and insight required to take on this important literary ambassador position for Kentucky and I have no doubt that he will impact people’s lives in meaningful ways through his work in this role,” said Lydia Bailey Brown, arts council executive director. “The arts council looks forward to working collaboratively with him during his tenure.”
Although the Writers’ Day and Poet Laureate Induction ceremonies of May 1 will include traditional elements from past events, this year’s celebration will include some modern twists and will provide a more diverse program, incorporating literary-related arts into the event and including youth talent. Grant County High School senior Haley Bryan, Kentucky’s 2017 Poetry Out Loud state champion, will present a recitation and Kentucky Crafted visual artist Mike Maydak will create a performance painting interpreting a literary impression of the day. In addition, Louisville music group Small Time Napoleon, a juried member of the arts council’s Performing Artists Directory, will perform.
Kentuckians who cannot come to Frankfort for Writers’ Day can still participate by organizing events in their own communities. The Writers’ Day Planning Guide is a free publication, downloadable from the arts council’s website. It provides a blueprint for planning local celebrations of Writers’ Day.
The Kentucky poet laureate promotes the literary arts in Kentucky through readings of his work at community and educational events, meetings, seminars and conferences across the state. Since 1995, the governor has appointed the position in consultation with the arts council. Smock succeeds poet laureate George Ella Lyon, who was appointed in 2015. Smock will serve through the end of 2018.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, fosters environments for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Gov. Matt Bevin and executives from Braidy Industries Inc. today announced the company will build a $1.3 billion aluminum mill and create 550 advanced manufacturing jobs in Greenup County to produce sheet and plate for the automotive and aerospace industries.
The announcement marks a turning point in bringing economic vitality to Eastern Kentucky, and comes just two days after the 53rd anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 declaration of the “War on Poverty” in Appalachia.
“Braidy Industries’ decision to locate in Eastern Kentucky has the potential to be as significant as any economic deal ever made in the history of Kentucky,” said Gov. Bevin. “This $1.3 billion investment will create enormous opportunity for people in the region, and would not have been possible without our recently passed right-to-work legislation. I look forward to the success of Braidy Industries as they leverage the incredible work ethic found in Eastern Kentucky. The ripple effect of this investment will be significant and will produce positive change in the region for generations to come.”
Braidy Industries will construct a 2.5 million-square-foot aluminum mill on more than 300 acres near South Shore in Greenup County. The company expects construction to begin in early 2018, with completion in 2020. Construction will create about 1,000 jobs.
Initially, the facility will produce about 370,000 tons of aluminum per year for the automotive and aerospace industries, with opportunities to expand over time.
The average wage of workers in the new facility will be about $70,000 per year. The company will also provide low-cost healthy meals, a day care, a fitness center and other amenities to create an employee-friendly workplace.
Craig Bouchard, Braidy Industries chairman and CEO, said the new plant will both revitalize the region and raise the bar for aluminum production globally.
“Our team recognizes an opportunity to make incredible impacts both in the global aluminum industry and in bringing well-paying jobs to Eastern Kentucky in the heart of Appalachia,” Bouchard said. “The state’s willingness to partner closely with private industry makes this a prime location to found and grow our world-class and cutting-edge rolling mill.”
Bouchard, a seasoned executive with a distinguished track record in banking, software development, and aluminum and steel manufacturing, founded Braidy Industries earlier this year. He chose Greenup County for its strengths as a location for metal production as well as to spearhead an economic revival in Eastern Kentucky. Bouchard’s team includes experts in the aluminum industry, metallurgical research, international business and a range of other disciplines.
Dr. Michael E. Porter, professor at Harvard Business School and a global expert on competitiveness and economic development, serves as a Braidy Industries board member. Porter assisted the company in assessing Kentucky’s competitive advantage versus other potential locations.
“Eastern Kentucky has significant competitive advantages, including its proximity to the leading automotive and aerospace customers, low energy costs and a skilled and available workforce for heavy manufacturing,” Porter said. “The decision to locate in Greenup County will provide an opportunity for Braidy Industries and the community to work together to transform the region’s business environment as well as attract related companies.”
Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development Sec. Terry Gill said the project holds the promise of transforming the region.
“Both in the immediacy and over the coming decades, Braidy Industries’ investment – and the jobs its high-tech mill will create – promise to make a tremendous positive impact on Greenup County and Kentucky’s eastern region,” Sec. Gill said. “In bringing us to today’s announcement, major efforts by local, regional and state partners, including the Legislature’s actions to improve Kentucky’s business climate, proved key. In its entirety, this work helps us deliver the clear message that Kentucky is open for business.”
Matthew J. Satterwhite, president and COO of AEP Kentucky Power, said the company’s presence will set off an economic cascade.
“With this game-changing project in Greenup County, Braidy Industries will positively affect all of Eastern Kentucky, both directly and by attracting other automotive and aerospace-related manufacturers,” Satterwhite said. “I’m enthusiastic about the future of our region and will be working alongside Braidy Industries as an economic development partner to ensure its success. Get ready Eastern Kentucky, Braidy Industries is just the first company moving in for what is the best kept secret in the country – the skilled available workforce in our region.”
Sen. Robin Webb, of Grayson, said the project has been a group effort and comes as welcome news for the community.
“Northeast Kentucky welcomes Braidy Industries to our region where our world-class workforce is ready to contribute to economic progress,” she said. “We have seen decline in coal, river, rail and steel in recent history, but Braidy is poised to be a catalyst in our economic recovery. We appreciate the executive branch and our local partners working with the legislative branch in partnership to make this happen.”
Rep. Danny Bentley, of Russell, expressed gratitude for the company’s decision to locate in Greenup County.
“Kentucky’s business climate is resulting in more manufacturers moving to this Commonwealth,” Rep. Bentley said. “Braidy Industries’ $1.3 billion investment in Greenup County will bring 550 much-needed jobs to the area while also boosting Northeastern Kentucky’s economy as a whole. More manufacturing jobs will have a tremendous multiplier effect on our district, and we commend Craig Bouchard for having the foresight to recognize the great possibilities our great Commonwealth has to offer.”
Greenup County Judge-Executive Robert Carpenter said the project will bring new and long-range opportunities.
“In my 24 years of public services, this is the project I have waited for,” he said. “This project will change the entire region going forward.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in a special meeting today preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $10 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
In addition, Braidy Industries can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. In fiscal year 2016, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for nearly 95,000 Kentuckians and 5,000 companies from a variety of industry sectors.
For more information on Braidy Industries, visit www.braidyindustries.com.
A detailed community profile for Greenup and Boyd counties can be viewed at http://bit.ly/BoydGreenup.
Members of the faith-based community in the Louisville area are invited to learn more about Governor Matt Bevin’s “Open Hearts/Open Homes” initiative during a series of breakfast events later this month.
The Jefferson County Office of the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS), which coordinates the foster care and adoption program within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), is sponsoring several free “Kickoff Breakfasts” for faith-based community partners. Everyone is invited for a meal and fellowship to discuss the state’s need for more adoptive families.
Gov. Bevin launched Open Hearts/Open Homes in March at a Frankfort summit of more than 200 partners as part of his pledge to improve the state’s adoption and foster care system. Open Hearts/Open Homes aims to find permanent placements for those children in foster care with a goal of adoption by relying on the state’s churches, nonprofit groups and caring individuals.
Gov. Bevin said he hopes to see the Louisville-area network of churches become involved in Open Hearts/Open Homes.
“We are asking our churches to help lead on this issue,” Gov. Bevin said. “Church leaders and members are encouraged to consider the life-changing journey of foster care and adoption. With the commitment of these incredible communities, we can give these children the forever homes with loving families.”
Of the state’s 8,000 plus children in out of home care, more than 1,000 are in Jefferson County. Each session begins at 9 a.m. and include a short presentation about the foster care and adoption program and a question and answer session with those in attendance. Each event will close with prayer at 10 a.m.
Here is the schedule for the breakfast sessions in Louisville this month.
- April 25: Bridges of Hope Neighborhood Place, 1411 Algonquin Parkway
- April 26: Charmoli Neighborhood Place (Middletown), 200 Juneau Drive, Suite 200
- April 27: Fairdale Neighborhood Place (Fairdale), 1000 Neighborhood Place (off National Turnpike, behind the South Park TAPP School)
- April 28: Youth for Christ Building, 4102 W. Market St.
Because of limited seating, RSVPs are required and should be sent to patricia.franke@ky.gov. Please limit number of attendees to two per organization.
CHFS Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson said Gov. and First Lady Glenna Bevin are putting all Kentucky children first in their efforts to improve the Commonwealth.
“Gov. Bevin and the First Lady are exceptional ambassadors for our foster and adoption services,” Glisson said. “Thanks to the Governor’s servant leadership we are now in position to discuss the great need around this issue and engage many more loving families into the foster and adoptive communities.”
For more information about how you can become a foster or adoptive parent, or to get more general information simply email: openhearts@ky.gov, go to the state adoption website adopt.ky.gov, which helps families more easily navigate the foster care and adoption process or call 1-800-232-KIDS (5437).
Photo: Kentucky Labor Department
Labor Cabinet Secretary Derrick Ramsey visited Atlas Machine and Supply in Louisville last week to present a Governor’s Safety and Health Award for working 1,351,417 consecutive hours without a lost time injury or illness.
“I want to congratulate Atlas on earning their first Governor’s Safety and Health Award,” said Sec. Derrick Ramsey. “Working over a million hours without a serious injury is a great accomplishment. On behalf of Governor Bevin and the Labor Cabinet, it is my honor to bestow this award to the Atlas employees for their successful efforts towards workplace safety.”
Founded in 1907, Atlas Machine and Supply is a fourth generation family-owned business. Atlas re-engineers, repairs and manufactures complex manufacturing equipment for industry and provides industrial air compressors, equipment and related solutions.
“Earning the Governor’s Safety and Health Award is a wonderful testimony to our dedicated workforce and how they responded to the opportunity to build safe work habits,” said Chairman Rich Gimmel. “Thank you to Sec. Ramsey and the Kentucky Labor Cabinet for recognizing our employees’ hard work and presenting us with this award.”
The Kentucky Labor Cabinet presents the Governor’s Safety and Health Award to highlight outstanding safety and health performance in Kentucky’s workplaces. A business may qualify for the award if its employees achieve a required number of hours worked without experiencing a lost time injury or illness. The required number of hours is dependent upon the number of employees.
According to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2015 Kentucky employers reported the lowest incident rate for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in the state’s history.
Based on a mathematical calculation that describes the number of recordable incidents per 100 full-time employees, Kentucky’s rate improved from 3.8 in 2014 to 3.7 in 2015 – reflecting the most recent data available. This rate has steadily declined since it was first calculated in 1996, when a rate of 8.4 was reported.
For more information on the Governor’s Safety and Health Award, click here.
