Northern Kentucky Buzz

More than half of Kentucky manufacturers plan to hire in 2012, survey shows

Fifty-eight percent of Kentucky manufacturers surveyed for the recently conducted 2011 Annual Manufacturing Wage and Benefits Survey said they are planning to hire between one and 19 employees in 2012, up one percent from last year’s results. The annual report, sponsored by the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet’s Department of Workforce Investment and the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM), was released Oct. 31. The survey showed that the positions of manufacturing employees included in the survey made an annualized average of $48,609 in 2011 and that 98 percent of the companies that participated in the survey offer health insurance to their employees, while 89 percent of those cover family members as well. Questions about benefits showed that 68 percent of the companies provide nine or more paid holidays per year and 51 percent provide an annual bonus. Read the full story here.

NKU to move to Division 1 by Fall 2012

Northern Kentucky University is expected to be playing Division I sports by next fall. An invitation from a Division I conference should come by the end of 2011 and potentially in the next several weeks. "We've had multiple conferences approach us but we're only talking with one," President Jim Votruba said Wednesday. He would not identify the conference. But the heavy favorite is the Ohio Valley Conference, which also includes Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University and Morehead State University. After receiving the invitation, NKU will petition the National Collegiate Athletic Association to make the move.  Read the full story here.

DHL unveils expansion

On Nov. 1, DHL unveiled a $22 million, 19-acre expansion of its air cargo hub at CVG. The international shipping company employs about 2,000 people at CVG. Shipping volumes are up 20 percent year-over-year for DHL Express at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Its CVG hub handles an average 100,000 pieces of cargo every night, and its customs officers clear nearly half a million shipments every month.  Read the full story here.

NKU joins ‘Innov8 for Health’ competition

Pomeroy, Beshear mark 30 years

Linamar Corporation to undergo major expansion, adding 138 jobs in Northern Kentucky

Governor Steve Beshear joined community leaders and officials from Linamar Corporation to announce the company will make a significant investment in its Northern Kentucky operation. The company plans to purchase new equipment totaling $40.8 million and will more than double the size of its workforce, creating 138 new jobs. "The fact that Linamar has chosen to invest more than $40 million and double the size of its workforce in Northern Kentucky speaks volumes to the region's and the state's outstanding business climate," Gov. Beshear said. "The Commonwealth is pleased to partner with community leaders and Linamar to make this growth possible, bringing 138 new jobs to the citizens of Kentucky." Linamar manufactures and markets automotive parts and components. The company plans to add the new equipment to its existing 360,000-square-foot facility in order to produce engine components for both Ford and Chrysler. The equipment is expected to be installed immediately, with production up and running by January 2012. The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved Eagle Manufacturing, a division of Linamar, for tax incentives up to $4.5 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program to encourage the expansion. "We look forward to expanding our presence in the Northern Kentucky region, and we thank Gov. Beshear and Boone County officials who worked hard to help us create a plan that makes this expansion possible," said Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz.  "Eagle Manufacturing will add capacity in our growing automotive business, and give us advanced manufacturing capabilities in an important region central to many of our customers." The performance-based incentive allows the company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets. "This expansion is a testimony to the resources that Boone County offers in terms of people and infrastructure," said Sen. John Schickel, of Union. "Linamar is a worldwide leader in auto components for manufacturers, thanks in large part to the men and women who work at their Northern Kentucky facility," said Rep. Sal Santoro, of Florence. "It's that commitment to our region and the Commonwealth as to why they chose this plant for expansion, which will create much needed jobs for Kentucky." New and existing companies have announced the creation of more than 4,100 new jobs in the tri-county Northern Kentucky region during Gov. Beshear's administration. These economic development projects represent more than $600 million capital investment in the Commonwealth.  "Once again, Florence and Northern Kentucky prove that when a positive business climate is present, that includes a skilled workforce and a supportive community, private investment and job creation will follow," said Florence Mayor Diane E. Whalen.  "I am pleased that Linamar has decided to invest in an expansion of their existing operations in Florence." "Some of our best job creators are existing industries," said Gary Moore, Boone County Judge-Executive and Northern Kentucky Tri-ED Executive Committee member. "I'm excited for Linamar as they bring additional jobs to Boone County. This is another example of partnerships among multiple agencies to create new jobs."  Click here for more information. 

Hundreds of workers sought at UPS facility

UPS will expand in the Tri-state, creating 600 full-time jobs. The shipping company said business is booming at its facility near the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.   "What's going on with the new accounts in this area is we are considered a hot spot," said Michelle Chavez, human resources manager. "People are really out there looking for jobs, and they are coming to us, and we are happy to accommodate."  Read the full story here.

Gateway receiving nearly $5M for training program

Gateway Community and Technical College in northern Kentucky is receiving nearly $5 million from the federal government to help train American workers.  The funds come from fees paid by employers to bring foreign workers into the U.S. under the H-1B program, and the U.S. Labor Department says the grants are intended to raise the technical skill levels of American workers and help reduce the need for businesses to use the H-1B program. Gateway, located in Covington, will receive $4.9 million to train students in information technology and instructional design technology. Read the full story here. 

New institute blends law, informatics

With two new joint degrees, Northern Kentucky University leads the country in connecting law students with the digital age. The Chase Law and Informatics Institute at NKU held its first classes in August. “We want to pull together the study of informatics with the legal analysis of the contractual practices which are shaping business and commerce,” says Jon Garon, inaugural director of the Chase Law and Informatics Institute. The institute offers two joint degrees; a Juris Doctor/Masters of Business Informatics and a Juris Doctor/ Masters of Health Informatics. No other law school in the country has these kinds of degrees. “There are a few schools that have law and technology programs,” Garon says. “With the convergence of the law school and the College of Informatics, we are really at a unique position. Our students will be fully immersed in the both the informatics world and the world of law ” This means studying the rapidly changing field of law in the age of enormous amounts of data and ever-changing technology, including disruptive technologies. “A disruptive technology is something that is changing the way businesses interact with their customers,” Garon says. “For example, digital photography came around and completely reshaped the industry.” With analog photography, ownership was simple. But, with digital files and the Internet, there are more questions about ownership and fair use than ever before. The technology fundamentally rewrote the social contract between the parties, so there has to be new law to govern that. Garon is a perfect candidate to run the new institute because of his background in law and teaching. “Each step in my career has been a hands-on approach to how data and media and how they are reshaping the way we think, as well as the way we do business,” Garon says. He worked with companies as the Internet grew and worked with companies to hel them deal with the security of online health information. As technology continues to evolve, there is an increasing need for companies, even at the small, family-owned level, to understand what they need to protect and how to do that. Garon hopes that the NKU institute will produce lawyers who understand how the worlds of law and information work together. “We are developing a much more strategic lawyer. One who understands not only the technical aspects of a contract, but also is able to advise a company on their internal practices and their approach to legal issues,”  Garon says. “Our graduates will be the most flexible and most ready to develop processes to deal with the new world we live in.”   By Evan Wallis