‘Got Economic Growth?’  Where shall we start?  We're not just the “regional hub” for recreation and cultural arts, but also for commerce and business!

In Somerset and Pulaski County, Jack's dreaming big!  SomerBlast is a massive Independence Day Celebration which draws more than 40,000, and Martin pointing to photos from the 2007 announcement of Hendrickson Systems coming to our community

Let’s Talk About Our Economy!

Martin Shearer, Director, Somerset-Pulaski County Development Foundation, and Jack Keeney, Executive Director, Somerset-Pulaski Chamber of Commerce, are leaders in an important area for jobseekers – it's important that you understand the economic condition of the community you are considering.  We believe Somerset can provide a good "long-term foundation" to grow your career.

Martin discusses our Economic Diversity
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"We continue to see steady growth each year and many who vacation here a few times a year are always surprised to see new development each time they return. Since 2002, we have seen thousands of new jobs created.  While the past is not necessarily indicative of the future, I’m very confident in the long-term economic job growth for our area, and would tell that to anyone considering a job at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital." – Martin

"I see us as a community that is ready to take off.  Somerset and Pulaski County are ready to boom." – Jack

Toyotetsu America, Inc.

Massive TTAI (Toyotetsu America, Inc.) came to our community in 1996 and anchors our multi-hundred thousand acre Commerce Park – it started with 125 employees and is now approaching 1,000 – TTAI makes and then stamps auto frames for soundproofing, makes other auto parts, and in under six hours those parts are on assembly in a regional Toyota plant.  TTAI added a 15,000 SF training facility as an adjunct to its 300,000 SF facility in 2006.
 

A big announcement in 2007-8 was the arrival of Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems, headquartered in Northeast Ohio, is an assembly plant for trailer axles, as well as brakes and hubs. It started in 2007 with 48 employees and plans to grow to 300.

For 2008-2009, 2 major new tenants will arrive into the Commerce Park:  Gator Made, headquartered here, is a trailer and hauler manufacturer which makes towing-type equipment for hauling, for industrial and commercial uses, which according to Martin, is a well-financed company.

Place new luxury boat manufacturer here!

A new luxury boat manufacturer is slated to inhabit a current open shell in the rear of the commerce park adjacent to Hendrickson – this will make it so all current buildings in the park have tenants.

Special Tours and Exciting Growth News:

We attracted SAIC, a Fortune 100 Company based in San Diego, to open a facility in our 158 acre Valley Oak Technology Park.  In 2006-2007 SAIC was awarded a $132 million government contract and has tripled in size since its arrival to Somerset, adding many technology jobs to the area.  Other companies in the park include Presidium, a call center for educational services, and the Southern Kentucky Economic Development Enterprise Center, as well as The Center for Rural Development’s Technology Center extension.  Progeny Systems, a high-tech electronic systems development for the United States Department of Defense opened in Valley Oak Technology Park with 40 employees - their other locations are Manassas, VA and Salt Lake City.

Lake Cumberland Regional Airport completed its 2006 terminal with FAA funding and support, and after a great deal of work by our Airport Authority dealing for almost 24 months with the FAA, began commercial flight service with Locair as a connector to Nashville, Cincinnati, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and many more to come.

The $1 billion US Department of Transportation I-66 Initiative, which will start first to connect I-65 with I-75, is beginning in, you guessed it, Pulaski County.  We will sit on the most eastward exit, closest to I-75.  Statistics show that large population centers cluster along main Interstates - because Somerset with be at the "junction" of I-75 and the start of I-66, we expect this will additionally galvanize growth in our service area.  A bypass is being constructed around Somerset, and numerous road expansions have taken place to widen roads, particularly in north Somerset, as well as connectors off of SR 27 into residential areas. 

Roads never looked so good!  A bypass is being constructed around Somerset, and additional widening,
like this connector from SR 27 to downtown Somerset, make getting around that much easier

The $7.5 million Intermodel Commerce Park is next to an industrial park as well – this is important as fuel prices rise – our "rail hub" will likely attract numerous transportation/distribution companies and manufacturing.

More Companies & Diversity Means Security – the combination and diversity of manufacturing, automotive, health care, call center, technology, homeland security, distribution, government, aviation manufacturing, insurance, transportation and different industries, such as recreation, lumber and paper products, and more, provide a stable economy with companies with a wide range of employees, salary ranges, and well-funded health insurance plans.  We’re not a one-industry or one company town – that means long-term security for our region.  This is the continued strategy of the Somerset-Pulaski County Development Foundation.

More Local Companies:  CSI Kitchen and Bath has relocated operations here from a California location.  TDE Group, Inc. is an aluminum manufacturing plant for brackets, valves, and hydraulics has been here since 2003.  Anderson Packaging is a large manufacturer of corrugated boxes.  Armstrong Flooring expanded to 175 employees.  Glen Oak Lumber is now over 90 employees.  Kingsford is expanding – this charcoal company is adding a $5 million expansion to its local facilities.  Presidium, an education call center, is over 500 employees.  Lifeline, a home health company, is one of our biggest employers.  Sikorsky Aircraft just announced another expansion – it's a helicopter parts manufacturer which just was awarded another government contract.  Duraflame-Wonderfuel, maker of fireplace wood and alternate wood fuel, built two 100,000 SF storage facilities adjacent to the Intermodal Park in 2009.  UGN, a maker of automotive carpeting which has made strides in sound-proofing technology, is in Somerset with plans to grow to 300 employees.

And don’t forget Tourism!  Approximately 5 million visitors added more than $180 million to the local economy.

POP Site:  Located in Somerset is a technological POP, or “Point of Presence” site – a massive information technology major communications technology and Internet superhighway hub location.  There are few POP sites in the United States, including New York City, Washington, DC, and San Jose California.  Lightening quick speeds given our being adjacent to this POP site has attracted high-tech and government business to Somerset!

Summary:  The Somerset Community is the central hub of a multi-county 300,000 population.  Somerset is a growing resort community for residents in the region, from Lexington, Louisville, Cincinnati, Knoxville, and communities in between, who drive hours on the weekends to Lake Cumberland, which we can enjoy every day.  Retirees are discovering our mild climate and affordability.  We are growing as a regional hub for business, commerce and technology.

2009 and Beyond!  More New Companies in Somerset:  Safe Auto Insurance, headquartered in Columbus Ohio with a customer base in Texas, California, and in the west, expanded into our area bringing 260 jobs.  Progeny Systems (mentioned above) opened in Valley Oak Technology Park with 40 employees.  Eastern Kentucky University opened a new facility after winning a small government project for Homeland Security.  The Kentucky Regional High-Growth Training Center will build a new $2.3 million facility in Somerset.  In the United States today, 60% of telephone linemen are over the age of 50 and there are only 2 schools that train these professionals.  Although not built yet, the training center already has a waiting list of more than 100 students – eventually the center will train 350 linemen per year.

“State and local officials have supported getting the infrastructure in place and you can see excellent planning.  The three legs that ensure our growth and future success are, first, we are 'road, rail, and air' capable, with facilities in these three important commerce areas; second, we have the natural resources and two power plants which make our own electricity from Lake Cumberland, and finally, our work force is known in many industries and around the country as one where a 'Kentuckian can be counted on to do a day's work for a day's pay' – we actually support a 'work ethics program' in our local high and technical schools which is so popular that the city of Bowling Green is emulating it ."  - Jack

A new Toyota and Hyundai dealerships, as well as a new retail shopping center across from
The Center for Rural Development

 How many hospital recruiters have you met who are students of their local and regional economies? 

Lake Cumberland Regional's Director of Physician Relations, Jason Scott, regularly meets
with our economic leaders so he can answer your questions and point out
important factors which may influence your long-term career!

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