It's clear that the global economy has changed over the last few years. Now is a prime opportunity to put in place a blueprint that will allow Kentucky to capitalize on the economic development opportunities of the future. It is for this reason that the Cabinet for Economic Development has launched a comprehensive, statewide economic development strategic planning initiative.

To coordinate this effort, the Cabinet has engaged the services of Boyette Strategic Advisors to develop a statewide economic development strategic plan. Titled "Kentucky's Unbridled Future," the plan will provide direction to enhance job creation and investment in the Commonwealth of Kentucky over the next several years.

Input from a broad cross-section of stakeholders will be a key component of developing the plan. A series of public visioning meetings will be held across the state to facilitate the process of gathering input from stakeholders. All individuals interested in Kentucky's economic success are encouraged to participate in one of the meetings listed in the right sidebar.

Citizens are also encouraged to complete a confidential online survey that will help shape the outcome of the final plan. The survey, as well as additional information about this strategic plan initiative, can be found at www.KentuckysUnbridledFuture.com.

Kentucky has conducted yet another successful trip to the annual BIO Conference, held this year in Washington, DC, June 27–30. The Cabinet has taken its state pavilion to BIO for 11 consecutive years. From the state's leading research schools, to local and regional economic development groups, to biotech companies large and small, the pavilion at BIO helps each efficiently and effectively promote themselves to the global biotech industry.

Each year the governor and a team of state officials attend the conference and meet with companies interested in doing business with and/or within the state. The event provides opportunities to network with key biotech leaders to promote the state's life science and bioscience resources and capabilities.

"Kentucky is proud of its long-standing association with the BIO organization," said Governor Steve Beshear during his visit to the pavilion in Washington, DC. "Our annual participation at BIO has helped attract new business, new companies and new collaborations that have created jobs and helped boost the economy of our entire state."

Innovation in KY The signs are clear that innovation is strong in Kentucky! Among all states, Kentucky ranked eighth in rate of increase (53.65%) for the number of U.S. patents issued per 100,000 residents from 2005-2010. Click here to read more.

The Cabinet is pleased to introduce the newest members of its team. Joining the Department for Business Development as Deputy Commissioner is Joe Kelly, of Harrodsburg. Joe's extensive experience in economic development will be a tremendous asset to the Cabinet. Also joining the Business Development staff as Project Managers are Megan Roe, of London, and William Breeding, of Monticello. Both Megan and William are already off to a great start, working with clients and communities on numerous job-creation projects.

On the international level, the Cabinet is also pleased to introduce Finn Weisse as the new European Office Representative. Located in Hamburg, Germany, Finn will be working to increase foreign direct investment opportunities by European companies in Kentucky. Additionally, Hanwen Li (Amanda) takes over as the Managing Director of the Kentucky China Trade Center. Amanda will continue the good work already initiated by the office since its opening in 2006, to increase exporting markets for Kentucky companies, as well as identify FDI opportunities for the Commonwealth.

Joe Kelly	Megan Roe	William Breeding	Finn Weisse	Hanwen Li (Amanda)

We're pleased to announce:

Shatterbox to expand in Lexington

Shatterbox, a branding and new media design firm, is expanding in Lexington. The expansion, which is a result of a merger between Shatterbox and the IT services firm Hensley, Elam and Associates, will create 15 new jobs and entail a $926,000 investment in central Kentucky.

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Apace Packaging to grow Monroe County operations

The family-owned, pharmaceutical packager and distributor, Apace Packaging, will create 35 new, full-time jobs and invest $5.15 million as a result of its expansion project.

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Neogen Corporation to create 75 new jobs in Lexington

Neogen's Lexington-based Animal Safety Division is expanding with the addition of a 100,000-square-foot facility. The project will generate a capital investment of more than $5.6 million and will create 75 new jobs over the next several years.

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Cooper Standard to add 120 jobs in Mt. Sterling

Cooper Standard is expanding in Mt. Sterling, creating 120 new jobs. The global automotive supplier will invest $3 million and bring in operations from an out-of-state facility to the plant.

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Allconnect celebrates opening of new Lexington facility

Allconnect, Inc. recently held a ribbon-cutting to open its new in-bound sales and customer care center in Lexington's Coldstream Research Campus. The project represents a nearly $7 million investment and approximately 220 new jobs.

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Clark Associates expands e-commerce business in Madisonville

Clark Associates is locating a new distribution center in Madisonville to serve the company's e-commerce business, WEBstaurantStore, Inc. The online distributor of foodservice equipment and supplies will invest $3.3 million and initially create 50 new jobs, growing to 95 jobs over the next several years.

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