Several topics of interest were discussed at the Monthly Board Meeting of the Hancock County Industrial Foundation on Tuesday, Aug. 23. Michael T. Baker, director of economic progress at the Hancock County Industrial Foundation, said his project has been to create jobs and help maintain an economic environment that makes this network a destination for individuals, families, businesses and industry, and to achieve it in a way that is smart for the grid. try again to bring the legacy we have and make Hancock County a better position to live. If we can increase the price of existing industries and help them become sustainable, help them grow and remain profitable, then we can also make HC a destination for long-term businesses and industry. That’s what we do as normal. “
The first issue discussed at the assembly is how positive the Board is about the Kenergy/Conexon agreement to bring fiber broadband to HC. “We believe it will be a very positive progression for HC citizens and entrepreneurs,” he said.
The company maintains its initial position that this is a transient inactivity of the plant, he said. “The company said it left it inactive for nine to 12 months due to high electric power costs. This update continues as they had first indicated: 628 workers at the plant, with the exception of a small team, have been laid off, to our knowledge, as part of this idle.
The big issue is the gigantic EV (electric vehicle) battery factory that is lately under construction in Elizabethtown, KY. Innovation) and Ford Motor Company,” he said. It will be SK Innovation’s first production facility in the US. It will be one of the few plants related to electric vehicle batteries planned through Ford-SK Innovation and Japan’s Envision AESC.
Glendale, KY has the blue oval SK and Bowling Green, KY is where Envision sets up a $2 billion “gigafactory” of batteries. The new Elizabethtown plant will employ about 5,000 more people when completed, Baker said. which has provoked a bit of activity in our region. And so, the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development (KY-CED) made several requests here at HC for customers who would purchase this plant.
These are industries similar to the electric vehicle batteries that would be the Elizabethtown battery plant. The charm of HC is the proximity to Elizabethtown.
We are close enough that a supplier can produce a product for this plant and ship it to you in a fairly short time at a higher cost. We are also far enough away that we are necessarily another labor territory and that we would not be competing. for its staff at the Elizabethtown plant if a new source plant were built here.
We’ve had about 3 projects similar to this EV battery plant that have asked about Big Rivers/Coleman assets and provided the state with the data for the prospect to compare these assets.
We’ve also had some projects that have shown interest in the former Alcoa plant, which we now call River Rail Industrial Park. These are not definitive, announced or committed projects, he said. These are just state investigations related to safe housing here. in the county. ” And then counties get going, so to speak, competing with other sites across the state for prospects,” he explained.
I like to refer to it this way: prospects “hit the tires and look under the hood” at HC to see what we can offer those other prospective people who need to build new ones and grow their industries and build new factories. »
Baker said there is a significant amount of activity coming from ky-CED, which is a testament to the state of the economy and how industries view the long term, in terms of long-term plans.
He said the monetary commitment made through the auto industry right now with this transition to electric cars is “surprising. “in TN. And then take a look at the transition THAT GM, Toyota and other automakers are making to the electric vehicle industry — that monetary commitment is simply staggering.
“Outside of Lewisport, we have two customers who have bought assets there and have opened or are in the process of opening there,” he said. “These are small and medium-sized enterprises, which is a goal for us. “at the Industrial Foundation.
We are very fortunate here at HC to have such industries. Obviously, wasting Century is a setback. But we’re still very fortunate to have industries like Commonwealth Rolled Product, Domtar Paper and Southwire Rod.
We actively support small and medium-sized businesses that can relocate to the Lewisport Industrial Park. We do our best to help our large industries, but we also help advertise all medium-sized industries. »
The unemployment rate reported in June in Hancock County is 4. 3%. For comparison: Breckinridge 4. 9%, Daviess 4. 1, McClean 4. 7 and Ohio 5. 1%.
It’s a smart reference, he said, “because our production staff comes from all those counties here. “The unemployment rate in the state of Kentucky in June was 4. 2%. it’s going down statewide,” he said.
“Overall, what we’re looking to do is create jobs for the county and help an economic environment that makes it a destination for people, businesses and industry. “
He says it’s a team effort and they work heavily with the school system, Superintendent Asberry and the HC School Board. Baker noted that hard work is incredibly vital and is helping to keep the “pipeline full” for our industries with our existing students, and that many of them have our workforce long-term.
“It’s vital that aid schools provide the kind of program that prepares our youth for those commercial and production jobs. I have said that industries can have all the cash in the world, the newest and largest apparatus and the most productive generation, even if the parking lot is empty on Monday morning, they will soon be bankrupt and that is not good.
Baker was general manager of Aleris/Commonwealth Rolling Mill and was associated with that plant for 28 years. “Hancock County is a special position for me and my family,” he said. I have an exclusive view of economic progression because I’ve been on both sides of the table, so to speak. I perceive and appreciate the importance of the history of production in our network and its price for families here. able to play a role in maintaining this production heritage we have and help continue it and help our businesses grow and be sustainable over the years. It means a lot to our network and the families in our network. I am very satisfied and revered to be able to participate. “
By Jennifer Wimmer