Education + Talent

NKU students’ tech-based business brings small-town history to 21st century

By Newsroom

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November 30, 2012

Northern Kentucky University grad students Sean Thomas and Steve Oldfield took a classroom idea into the real world with a tech-spin on telling small-town history. Thomas and Oldfield created a way for small historical organizations to share their unique pasts with a wider audience though multimedia, self-guided walking tours. They've created Instant Access Tours, and their mobile walking tours are now in two small river cities. Instant Access Tours works with existing historical content to create interactive apps that users can access through their smart phones. Users not on-site can take virtual tours through their home computers. "Our goal is to revive old or ineffective walking tours and bring them into the modern age, with the hopes that they will educate and inspire learners for generations to come," the Instant Access website proclaims. Thomas and Oldfield created Instant Access Tours after coming up with the idea as a capstone project for NKU's Master of Arts in Public History program. Thomas, a former videographer and editor for the Army, is a self-described "history nut." The idea for the tours came after Thomas had done with work on the Fort Thomas Military and Community Museum. "I realized that these small museums really have a hard time marketing themselves," he says. "Then they lose visitors and they lose money. I thought, 'How could I help museums keep their doors open?' He and Oldfield, a broadcast journalist, decided on a project that would help small towns use technology to present great historical moments in a cost-effective way. The pair began by working in New Richmond to update its Underground Railroad Freedom Trail tour for their capstone project. Their first business client was the Walking Tour for the Battle of Augusta. They hope soon to collaborate on tours in Covington. By Feoshia H. Davis This story originally appeared in Soapbox on Nov. 6, 2012.

Latest in Education + Talent

New Gateway campus is ‘game-changer’

By Newsroom

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Business + Innovation

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November 30, 2012

Gateway Community and Technical College has officially launched a $81.5 million project to create an urban campus in Covington, bringing a long-awaited development to life. Gateway has bought or signed contracts for five buildings, including the former Marx Furniture store on Madison Avenue and a church on Fifth and Greenup. Reports the Cincinnati Enquirer: "We think it's a game-changer, not only for Covington but for the people in this community who have lost hope, who might find a little hope when they come to this campus," Gateway President Ed Hughes said Wednesday while unveiling the campus master plan. Read the full story here.

High-tech, health care will grow jobs in NKY through 2020

By Nicole Rupersburg

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Education + Talent

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October 26, 2012

The Greater Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky region ranks in the top 5 in terms of expected total employment by 2020. We take a close look at the 2020 Jobs Outlook report and discuss what's needed for NKY to realize its potential for growth.

Apply for e-commerce job opportunities in NKY

By Newsroom

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Business + Innovation

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October 26, 2012

It's been the year of the e-commerce company in NKY, with companies such as iHerb, NorAm, Elovations, Amazon, and DHL announcing locations or expansions in the region. Says Northern Kentucky Tri-ED Chair and Boone County Judge Executive Gary Moore: "E-commerce is a thriving sector in Northern Kentucky, building off of DHL's presence at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. ... Companies that have located in Northern Kentucky, like Amazon are expanding, and share that they are impressed with our workforce and the work ethic in the region in addition to our central location." It's a time of remarkbale growth, and accordingly, NKY's e-commerce companies are hiring. Find out how to apply at The Lane Report.

How UpTech is building an information cluster

By Newsroom

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Business + Innovation

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October 26, 2012

UpTech, NKY's business super-accelerator, is beginning to build capacity for high-tech jobs in the region, says The Lane Report. Six companies (of the 50 that UpTech plans to incubate over the next five years) began the program in June. Says Jim Uber, co-founder of UpTech winner CitiLogic: Honestly, (we applied) for the funding. We also knew, of course, that being part of a business accelerator would change our worldview, but it was impossible to predict just how at that time. ... We knew exactly what we wanted to achieve with technology, but we were more naive from a business development perspective. Read more about how UpTech is building regional capacity for job creation and business growth and changing NKY's startup culture here.

NKY job growth thrives with e-commerce companies in 2012

By Newsroom

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Business + Innovation

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October 26, 2012

Some of the fastest-growing companies in the nation and the world are choosing Northern Kentucky. E-commerce in particular is gaining steam in the region, as indicated by a flurry of recent announcements. NorAm International moved its regional headquarters to NKY. Logistics company Elovations is creating 700 new jobs here. Natural product and food supplement e-tailer iHerb will create a regional e-commerce center in Hebron. Amazon is creating hundreds of jobs for the holidays, and global shipping giant DHL continues to grow from its location at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The impact overall? Thousands of jobs, millions of dollars in capital investment, and a bolstered capacity to attract similar companies down the line. Northern Kentucky Tri-ED has paved the way with aggressive incentives, expert support, and fostering a climate of growth. And the region's assets are particularly well-suited to the needs of e-commerce companies, says Karen Finan, Senior Vice President of Northern Kentucky Tri-ED. "Northern Kentucky is ideal for companies that need to reach major metros in the U.S. within 24 hours via air, highway or rail," Finan says. "Companies can also reach international destinations very quickly with DHL's overseas services and growing presence at CVG." Site Selection magazine recently ranked Greater Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky eighth in the U.S. for corporate facility projects with a logistics component. To apply for jobs at NKY's expanding e-commerce companies, use the links below. To learn more about the benefits NKY offers for your business expansion or location, contact Tri-ED at info@northernkentuckyusa.com. Jobs at iHerb: Visit www.iherb.comJobs at NorAm International: Call 859-586-5555Jobs at Elovations: Contact any NKY One Stop office. Locations at nkyonestop.org/onestoplocations

Gateway to host international conference in Covington on the future of manufacturing

By Newsroom

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Business + Innovation

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September 28, 2012

Gateway Community and Technical College, in partnership with the Trans-Atlantic Technology and Training Alliance (TA3), will host an international conference titled "The Future of Manufacturing: Implications for Education and Training." The conference, to be held Oct. 1-2 at Covington's Embassy Suites hotel, is expected to attract participants from eight U.S. states and five European countries, including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Northern Ireland, and Spain. Internationally known speakers will examine emerging trends in manufacturing production, technology, employment and the education required for manufacturing economies to be competitive and sustainable. "The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky regional economy is recovering faster than the rest of America, and our strengths in manufacturing are powering the improvement," said Ed Hughes, Gateway president and CEO, in a press release. "This conference enables our region to showcase its strengths and at the same time learn more about industrial partnerships and pathways that have succeeded on an international level." Read the full story here.

Event showcases Covington’s emerging IT hub

By Amy Elliott Bragg

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Business + Innovation

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September 28, 2012

Three Covington-based technology companies are teaming up with city leaders and economic development partners to boost the city's image as an emerging IT hub, and to attract new businesses to Northern Kentucky's urban core. C-Forward, TiER1 Performance Solutions, and 3Z.net will host "Growing IT in Covington" on Friday, Oct. 19, at the Radisson Hotel. Northern Kentucky Tri-ED, the City of Covington, and Northern Kentucky ezone co-present the event. "It's the very first time we've done anything like it, and I think it's the first time an economic development activity has come directly from the business community like this," says Brent Cooper, CEO of C-Forward. The event will give business leaders a chance to tell the story of IT's coming-of-age in Covington and shape a vision for its future growth. Tri-ED, ezone, Covington city officials, and the Covington Business Council/Urban Partnership of Covington will be on hand to showcase economic development opportunities. And because high-tech talent is crucial to the success of any IT company, Gateway Community and Technical College, which is planning a new urban campus in Covington, will discuss training and collaboration opportunities. "Gateway will be bringing technology classes to Covington – and, hopefully, students that will be future employees," Cooper says. Of course, the event also gives companies the invaluable opportunity to network, start conversations, and exchange ideas. The aim is to create a strong, collaborative IT community in Covington. Even competitors benefit from having one another around, and from the city's thriving downtown, Cooper says. "I call it coop-etition," he says. "We refer business to each other in areas we don't compete, and where we do compete, we can still learn from each other. It's been a real benefit to have these kinds of companies in close proximity. [And] an urban core setting like Covington fits well with what we're doing. We can walk to restaurants, we can walk to Reds and Bengals games, we can walk to customers. "As Covington continues to develop and improve," he adds, "we want tech companies to be part of that." Growing IT in Covington is a free event, but registration is required. To sign up, or for more information, call 859-431-1550, ext. 2 or email admin@cbcky.com, or register online at www.cbcky.com.

Northern Kentucky Tri-ED celebrates 25 years of NKY’s economic success

By Hannah Purnell

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Business + Innovation

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September 28, 2012

As a standalone "micropolis" within the Cincinnati MSA, Northern Kentucky competes with much larger cities, demonstrating surprising success.

Six NKY companies make the Inc. 5000

By Newsroom

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Business + Innovation

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September 28, 2012

It's a sign of Northern Kentucky's accelerating growth and potential: Six Northern Kentucky-based companies have been recognized among the fastest-growing private companies in America by the 2012 Inc. 5000. NKY is the proud home of 2012 Inc. 5000 companies The Eisen Agency, TiER1 Performance Solutions, Omega Processing Solutions, Lohmann Technologies, Parkway Products, and RWI Transportation. The list, compiled by Inc. Magazine, is ranked according to revenue and percentage growth over a four-year period. "We congratulate these companies and their leadership teams on their success and growth," says Karen Finan, senior vice president, Northern Kentucky Tri-ED. "They have contributed much to Northern Kentucky's thriving and diverse business community." Year after year, more Kentucky-based companies are making the list, which maps the vitality of the nation's independent entrepreneurs. In 2012, 47 Kentucky-based companies made the list, up from 46 in 2011 and 44 in 2010. Inc. 5000 companies map the vitality brought to the nation's economy by independent entrepreneurs. The median growth rate of 2012 Inc. 500 / 5000 companies is an impressive 97 percent, and its honorees have created over 400,000 jobs in the past three years. Aggregate revenue among Inc. 5000 companies tops $299 billion. See a complete list of all the Kentucky companies on the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry and other criteria, here.