Commonwealth of Kentucky
Cabinet for Economic Development

GOVERNOR ERNIE FLETCHER PARTICIPATES IN GROUNDBREAKING FOR BENSON INTERNATIONAL IN CADIZ

Frankfort, Ky. -- Governor Ernie Fletcher and Cabinet for Economic Development Commissioner John McCarty were on hand today to break ground on the future home of Benson International, Inc. in Cadiz. The 180,000 square foot facility will be located on 21 acres in the Trigg County Industrial Park and will house two complete production lines.

"I am proud to be a part of today's groundbreaking ceremony commemorating the construction of Benson International's future home in Cadiz," stated Governor Fletcher. "Benson's investment will create tremendous opportunities for the workforce in Trigg County and I welcome them to the commonwealth."

Benson International, a manufacturer of steel and aluminum truck trailers and bodies, announced its decision in March 2005, to locate a new $13 million facility in Trigg County creating 250 new full-time jobs for Kentuckians.

With nearly 40 years of experience building rugged and reliable transportation equipment, Benson International is now one of the largest custom trailer and body builders in the business. Currently, the company has operating plants in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

"Our company is expanding on many fronts and our marketing studies have shown the area around Trigg County to be the ideal location for our new plant, said Donnie Holland, President of Benson International. "Our favorable dealings with state and local officials sealed the deal for us to locate in Cadiz."

"We are pleased that Benson International selected Cadiz-Trigg County as a location for their 180,000 square foot manufacturing facility," added Cadiz-Trigg County Economic Development Commission Chairman David Shore. "We are appreciative of the assistance provided by Governor Fletcher and the Economic Development Cabinet in making this project a reality. Benson International is a strong company and within five years will become the second largest manufacturer in Trigg County."

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) preliminarily approved Benson International for tax credits up to $3.5 million under the Kentucky Industrial Development Act (KIDA), an incentive program aimed at increasing manufacturing employment in the Commonwealth. A community profile for Trigg County may be found at the following link: http://www.thinkkentucky.com/edis/cmnty/cw029/Location.htm .

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 2004 totaled nearly $2.3 billion with the creation of just over 16,600 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/.