KENTUCKY CABINET FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE RATED A "TOP 10 WEBSITE"

FRANKFORT, KY – March 27, 2003 – The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development website (http://www.thinkkentucky.com/) was named by Area Development magazine (March 2003) as the 10th best economic development website in the nation, and third best among all states based on MuniNet research.

"The best economic development sites are those that provide the most content, offer the most opportunities to get something done, and do so with style," says Mardee Alvaro, editor of MuniNet Guide & Review, a web portal that carries articles and reviews focusing on government websites. Other criteria used in rating the websites were navigability, functionality, presentation and style.

Access to relevant and timely data was perhaps the most important criteria and Alvaro is impressed with the information available at http://www.thinkkentucky.com/ , according to the Area Development article. "The site features community profiles, fact sheets on taxes, incentives, and other pertinent topics, and an impressive 'deskbook' of demographic statistics that can be searched in multiple ways and can provide results in PDF or Excel format." The site also allows visitors to locate and review existing buildings and property sites available for development anywhere in Kentucky. And there are extensive resources on key business-related issues like workforce training, incentive programs available to new and expanding companies and support for starting or growing a small business.

"An effective website plays an increasingly important role in our commitment to providing fast and thorough responses to inquiries from business prospects and in supporting the needs of existing Kentucky companies," says Gene Strong, secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development (KCED).

The biggest change in economic development in recent years has been the use of the Internet for information gathering, concludes Area Development. As a result, companies looking to re-locate or expand often conduct the early stages of a search without contacting the communities they are considering. "Research suggests that 80 percent of the initial screening is now done by the Internet," agrees Mark James, President of ED Solutions Inc. in Dublin, Ohio.

KCED's thinkkentucky.com site was also praised for meeting another criteria for effective websites: helping visitors connect with the right sources for additional help. "At the Kentucky site, for example, just about every section identifies a specialist who can provide more information and lists that person's email and direct phone extension," stated Area Development.

The thinkkentucky.com site received an Excellent Award for local, state or regional economic development websites in 2002 from the Southern Economic Development Council.

Area Development magazine is a monthly publication focusing on site and facility planning.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is the primary state agency in Kentucky responsible for creating new jobs and new investment in the state. New business investment in Kentucky in 2002 totaled more than $3.2 billion with the creation of nearly 13,000 new jobs. Information on available development sites, workforce training, incentive programs, community profiles, small business development and other resources is available at http://www.thinkkentucky.com/.