In 2012, 50 new companies and 304 expansion projects were announced resulting in 14,075 jobs and $2,695,182,668 in investment.
- The Tax Foundation ranks Kentucky as the 7th most business-friendly state in the country for new firms.
- CNBC ranks Kentucky 4th lowest in business costs.
- Three Kentucky communities — Lexington, Louisville and Bowling Green — are all featured on Forbes' 2011 Ranking of America's Top Metros for Business.
- Kentucky is home to not one, but two major air cargo hubs, ranking the state 3rd in the nation in total cargo.
- Kentucky's industrial power costs rank 4th lowest in the U.S., and are over 25 percent less than the national average.
- Eight Kentucky communities place in Site Selection magazine's Top Micropolitan Rankings — Danville, Somerset, Glasgow, Paducah, Mt. Sterling, Richmond, Corbin and Madisonville.
Seventeen companies on the Fortune 25 largest U.S. corporations have facilities in Kentucky. Why?
One reason is the excellent business climate, due in part to our competitive rates and award winning service, Kentucky's low relative business costs and an abundant supply of affordable labor.
2008 Rank (in revenues)
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Chevron
General Electric Company
Bank of America
AT&T
Ford Motor Company
J.P. Morgan Chase
Hewlett-Packard
Berkshire Hathaway
Citi Group
General Motors
American International Group
Cardinal Health
International Business Machines
United Health Care
Kroger Company
Amerisource Bergen
Sources:
Fortune Magazine, 2010 Fortune 500
Kentucky Business & Industry Database, Cabinet for Economic Development
Eight Fortune 1000 companies have their corporate headquarters in Kentucky:
Humana
Ashland
Yum! Brands
Omnicare
Lexmark
Kindred Healthcare
General Cable
Brown-Forman
Bridging a gap with the world
City
Distance
(mi)
Atlanta
394
Chicago
200
Cincinnati
96
Cleveland
351
Detroit
360
Indianapolis
112
Memphis
369
Nashville
176
Pittsburgh
400
St. Louis
264
Five major interstate highways provide access to all North American markets. More than 2,500 miles of railroad track are used by Norfolk Southern, CSX, Paducah & Louisville, and Illinois Central. With more than 1,100 miles of commercially navigable waterways and six public ports on the Mississippi River, Kentucky offers low-cost intermodal transportation.
The June 2010 edition of North American Business Cost Review, measures the cost of doing business within a state for unit labor cost, tax burden, and energy cost.
The index utilized to measure the overall cost of doing business within a state ranks Kentucky as the state with the 9th lowest cost overall with a state index of 90. The national average index is 100.
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