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Kentucky Revs Up Its Engine for the World’s Leading
Automakers
As a 2006 VIP sponsor of the Automotive News World Congress, the Kentucky
Cabinet for Economic Development took full advantage of showcasing the state's
capabilities and advantages to a unique collection of the most influential
decision makers in the North American automotive industry.
The 30th annual Automotive News World Congress, held January 16-19, 2006, in
Detroit, Michigan, gathered the leaders of the automotive industry together
during the North American International Auto Show. Secretary Gene Strong and
New Business Development staff were on hand to meet with key executives,
touting the state as a prime location for automotive makers and suppliers.
Kentucky's automotive plants produce the nation's top-selling vehicles in three
important segments - passenger car (the Toyota Camry, built in Georgetown), SUV
(the Ford Explorer, Louisville) and premium sports car (the Chevrolet Corvette,
Bowling Green). Ford's popular heavy-duty F-series pickup trucks also are made
here.
Kentucky ranks fourth overall in total light vehicle production - which is why
it's often called "the hub of Auto Alley," that strip of middle America that
stretches from Michigan into the Deep South. More than 89,000 people work in
Kentucky's nearly 500 auto-related facilities.
What makes Kentucky so attractive? The qualities we hear over and over include:
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Productive workforce
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Central location
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The lowest industrial power rates in the country
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Excellent workforce training programs
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Great incentive programs
Sunroof maker Webasto Roof Systems said Kentucky's staff has continued to prove
it can accomplish what the business executive wants. "Kentucky didn't roll out
the red tape, they rolled out the red carpet," said Fred Olson, Webasto's
president and CEO. "Their people are extremely cooperative, they provided a lot
of assistance, and they helped us get a lot of things done quickly."
Which is why Webasto started with a plant in Lexington in 1998 and has since
added two more facilities. "We've had nothing but good experience after good
experience after good experience," Olson said. "The people there take economic
development in the state of Kentucky extremely seriously. They don't pay it lip
service; they work hard to make it a fact."
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