Northern Kentucky Buzz

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

By Newsroom

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October 28, 2011

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.

Latest in Northern Kentucky Buzz

Hundreds of workers sought at UPS facility

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Business + Innovation

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October 28, 2011

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

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General

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October 28, 2011

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.

Northern Kentucky ezone taking applications for varied funding opportunities

By Feoshia Henderson

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General

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September 30, 2011

Northern Kentucky tech, science and medical entrepreneurs have a chance to tap one of three state funds for seed capital through the end of this month. The Kentucky Enterprise Fund, Rural Innovation Fund and Kentucky New Energy Ventures Fund are accepting applications for funding through June 23 at 4 p.m. These three targeted funds are geared toward high-growth potential businesses in five sectors: Biosciences, Environmental & Energy Technologies, Human Health & Development, Information Technology & Communication and Materials Science & Advanced Manufacturing. In the last round of funding more than $600,000 was awarded statewide to companies. Past recipients in Northern Kentucky include Jacobs Automation, Zoomessence, Bexion Pharma, ASAP Analytical, and TodayForward. Northern Kentucky businesses can submit applications through Northern Kentucky ezone, a division of Northern Kentucky Tri-ED that has a mission of accelerating start-up, emerging and existing high-tech businesses. "This is open to early stage companies from an idea to a company that is running and looking to grow," said ezone commercialization director T. Keith Schneider. Companies can apply for a combination of direct funding (that must be repaid) or matching grants. To find out more or to apply, contact Schneider at (859) 292-7785 or tks@northernkentuckyusa.com. Following are the basics on each fund:Kentucky Enterprise Fund Eligible Companies: Must be Kentucky-based and have 150 or fewer employees. Must be operating in one of the following industries: Biosciences, Environmental & Energy Technologies, Human Health & Development, Information Technology & Communication or Materials Science & Advanced Manufacturing. Funding: Grant: $30,000. Company must match the grant 1:1 through cash or in-kind services.Funds must be used for approved business development activities. Investment: Up to $250,000, $500,000, and $750,000, must be repaid.Rural Innovation Fund Eligible Companies: Must be Small, Rural (located outside Fayette/Jefferson Counties), Kentucky-based company and have 50 or fewer employees. Must be operating in one of the following industries: Biosciences, Environmental & Energy Technologies, Human Health & Development, Information Technology & Communication or Materials Science & Advanced ManufacturingFunding: Grant: $30,000. Rural funds must be spent with independent third-party partners/consultants. Grants must be repaid upon receipt of follow-on award from Rural Innovation Fund or Kentucky Enterprise Fund. Funds must be used for approved business development activities. Investment: $100,000 must be repaidKentucky New Energy Ventures Eligible Companies: KNEV will provide support for companies developing and commercializing products in the following areas: Alternative transportation fuels produced from coal, waste coal, biomass or extract oil from oil shale, synthetic natural gas, Ethanol produced from food crops or cellulosic ethanol, any other fuel that is produced from a renewable or sustainable source. Must be Kentucky-based and have 150 or fewer employees. Must be developing/commercializing alternative fuel and renewable energy products, processes, and services. Funding: Grant: $30,000. Company must match the grant 1:1 through cash or in-kind services. Funds must be used for approved business development activities. Investment: Any amount over $30,000. Companies must match the fund's investment on a 1:1 dollar ratio. Funds may be invested via convertible note or through direct stock.Investments can only be made in a company organized as a C Corp. or as an LLCWriter: Feoshia Henderson Sources: ezone commercialization director T. Keith Schneider and Start-Up KentuckyYou can follow Feoshia on Twitter @feoshiawrites

Kentucky Pickens opening at the Levee

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General

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September 30, 2011

Stepping into Kentucky ‘Pickens, the new store that’s opening Thursday at Newport on the Levee, shoppers will find themselves immersed in an ever-changing array of antiques, holiday décor, furniture, crafts and other odds and ends. The shop is the latest venture of entrepreneur David Hosea, who owns 21 Northern Kentucky businesses. "We’re going for the feel of an old general store, like if you were in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky,” Hosea said, “or if you were roaming through an old barn." Read the full story here.

Mazak goes global from Florence

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Business + Innovation

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September 30, 2011

Mazak Corp. will begin exporting for the first time machine tools assembled at the company's U.S. headquarters in Florence to Japan, Europe and South America. The exports will begin next month, the company said Monday. Mazak is one of the largest machine tool builders in the nation, employing 600 in Florence and 800 at other sales and technical centers across North America. The Florence plant opened in 1974 and has been expanded more than 15 times to more than 600,000 square feet. Read the full story here.

Governor lauds Florence plant expansion

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General

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September 30, 2011

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear joined company officials and local leaders at a ribbon-cutting ceremony today for the $95.8 million expansion of the ZF Steering Systems facility here. Beshear called the project a collaborative effort to keep a major supplier for the automobile industry in the state. "The expansion of ZF Steering is an excellent example of how state and local government, community representatives and the private sector all worked together to create a strong partnership to create jobs and investment in the Commonwealth," Beshear said. "I couldn’t be more pleased to see this project become a reality and to know that global companies such as ZF Steering continue to display their confidence in the Commonwealth by creating jobs and making long-term investments." Read the full story here.

Kentucky to leverage nearly $155 million in small business loans

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September 30, 2011

Governor Steve Beshear has announced a major small business initiative that will provide Kentucky’s small businesses with access to nearly $155 million in new loans to help with job creation across the state. The Kentucky Small Business Credit Initiative involves three new small business programs implemented by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development to facilitate increased private lending to Kentucky’s small businesses. The programs include: the Kentucky Capital Access Program; the Kentucky Collateral Support Program; and the Kentucky Loan Participation Program. "This program is great news for the Commonwealth and another critical step in the right direction toward improving the Kentucky economy," Gov. Beshear said. "We want all of our families working, and we know small businesses are incubators for new jobs in our state. The small business credit initiative gives these small businesses an easier path to create those new positions. Economic development officials and business leaders deserve credit for working closely to establish the overall program." Read the full story here.

Cincinnati Innovates award winners announced

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September 30, 2011

A web site and mobile application that lets parents reward their kids for completing chores took home a top $25,000 prize in this year's Cincinnati Innovates competition. Founders Chris Bergman and Paul Armstrong of the startup ChoreMonster were among 12 winners awarded a total of $115,000 in investments and in-kind support at an awards presentation Thursday evening at Northern Kentucky University. Learn more and find out about other awardees here.

Ensuring Northern Kentucky youth are “Ready for the Future”

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September 30, 2011

The Northern Kentucky Education Council (NKYEC) and local leaders from education, business, government and the community are using new data to help ensure our youth are "Ready for the Future". In 2010, Gallup selected Northern Kentucky as the national pilot site for an enhanced version of the Gallup Student Poll which captures individual student scores around hope, engagement and well-being. "We are honored that Northern Kentucky has been able to serve as the national pilot site for this poll," said Marianne Schmidt-Hurtt, Senior Vice President, PNC Bank and Chair, NKYEC Board of Directors. "We are focused on improving educational outcomes and these results will help us ensure that our youth are prepared and ready for the future." Gallup's research has shown that hope, engagement and well-being are key factors that drive future employment, retention, grades and achievement scores. Hope drives attendance, credits earned, and GPA of high school students; predicts GPA and retention in college; and is a more robust predictor of college success than are high school GPA, SAT and ACT scores. Engagement distinguishes between high performing and low-performing schools and wellbeing tells us how our students are doing today and predicts their success in the future. "Many communities invest resources in tracking the skills and behaviors of their students to help drive success, but few are able to dig deeper to capture the attitudes and perceptions of students that drive performance," said Polly Lusk Page, Executive Director, NKYEC. "Even among those who have such data, too few are using it and translating it into action." In Northern Kentucky, local school districts are using these data to help youth plan for their future and build both school and community-based support systems for our students. "We can't ignore our students' thoughts and feelings," said Kathy Burkhardt, Superintendent, Erlanger-Elsmere Schools. "We have been treating the symptoms, such as test scores and grade point averages, but not the causes, such as feeling hopeless about the future, not feeling engaged or not having a strong support system in place to help them reach their goals." The Gallup Student Poll gives young people a voice to convey their daily experiences and aspirations for the future. Poll data can facilitate new conversations and solutions that lead to community engagement and school and student success. To help begin these conversations in Northern Kentucky, NKYEC has invited national youth development expert Karen Pittman to be the keynote speaker at their Fall Council Meeting on September 21. Ms. Pittman is the President and CEO of the Forum for Youth Investment and will share what it means for the entire community to take ownership in ensuring that all children, youth and young adults are "Ready by 21" and "Ready for the Future". "The conversation about the future of American youth starts with a shared understanding of hope, engagement and wellbeing," said Karen Pittman. "When local leaders, schools, businesses and community partners work together, communities can prepare a competitive workforce, strengthen the network of supports for all young people, support families and help all young people realize their full potential." "The Northern Kentucky community must send a clear message to our youth that we have high expectations for their future," said Jim Votruba, President, Northern Kentucky University. "When we help students overcome obstacles and plan for their future, they will not only be more successful in school, they will be more successful in life." "If our community is going to focus on creating jobs and improving the economy, it is imperative that we connect business and education," said Brent Cooper, President of C-Forward, Inc. and current Chair of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. "Hopeful, engaged and thriving youth will grow up to be more productive employees and by investing in their futures we help build the workforce of tomorrow." According to Shane Lopez, Ph.D., Senior Scientist and research director for Gallup, 20 years of field research demonstrate that more hopeful students do better in school and life than less hopeful students. Helping students become more hopeful can improve their ability to learn as well as make them more resilient for future challenges. "What would Northern Kentucky look like if all youth were hopeful?" asked Ms. Page. "At the Council, we believe in the power of these data to galvanize school, business and community partners to take action on behalf of our youth in Northern Kentucky. By working together with our partners to align practice and leverage resources, we can implement strategies that positively affect the lives of our youth." The enhanced version of the Gallup Student Poll was developed with support from the Ready by 21 National Partnership. NKYEC is serving as the lead agency for coordination and administration of the two-year pilot with support from the United Way of Greater Cincinnati and Vision 2015. Last spring, the poll was administered in 48 schools representing 13 Northern Kentucky public school districts, with more than 20,000 students in grades 5 through 12 participating in the poll. More information regarding the Gallup Student Poll can be found at gallupstudentpoll.com. Learn more at nkyec.org.