Seven manufacturers expanded into Northern Kentucky, bringing investment, jobs, and a bright future. To find out the reasons for the move and what the companies see in the area, Thrive tracked a few of them down.
There are several plans and large-scale developments underway in the river cities of Newport, Covington and Dayton that are exciting and all different, but have some common threads: connecting neighborhoods, natural resources and amenities and jobs.
For more than 150 years, local companies have been creating the flavor combinations that intrigue the senses and please discerning palates. Hidden to most, these companies are providing key ingredients to everyday culinary delights right here in the Northern Kentucky region.
The United Way of Greater Cincinnati and Strive, a non-profit urban education advocate, have just released a request for proposal (RFP) for its Social Innovation Fund. The Fund will award $3.5 million over three to five years to area nonprofits for their collaborative efforts to address economic opportunities, youth development and school support.United Way and Strive are managing the fund, which was spurred by a $2 million award from the Corporation for National and Community Service, part of President Obama's national call to service initiative. That money was matched dollar for dollar by local partners; $3.5 million of a total of $4 million will go directly back into the community, said Mike Baker, director of the fund and a United Way employee."The purpose of the fund is to identify and support effective and innovative community solutions along the 'cradle-to-career' continuum in Cincinnati, Newport and Covington," Baker said.
Incoming students in the Northern Kentucky University Master of Science in Executive Leadership and Organizational Change (ELOC) program this fall will be the first cohort group (and NKU students) to receive Apple iPads for use in the classroom. The move is part of NKU’s continued efforts to provide emerging mobile technologies that accommodate student expectations related to an anytime, anyplace teaching-learning process. "Forward-thinking schools are focusing on e-learning," said Dr. Kenneth Rhee, director of the ELOC program within NKU’s Department of Management. "We want to be at the front edge. There is a lot of potential for what this can do." Read the entire article here.
About two years ago, Northern Kentucky University men's soccer coach John Basalyga was called to a meeting at the Highland Heights Civic Center, not knowing what was to be discussed. The meeting Basalyga attended that day two years ago was to advise him that NKU and Highland Heights had come to an agreement that the school would annex property for a state-of-the-art on-campus soccer facility. The result of that meeting was recently unveiled.Read the Cincinnati.com article for more information here.
A 12-lane bowling alley with a full-service restaurant with a patio, bar, billiards area and private party room with four lanes will open in the spring of 2010 at Newport on the Levee and will occupy 24,000 SF on the plaza level.Source: Greater Cincinnati Market Research Newsletter, August 2009
Vito's Cafe has historically been known for its singing servers that always entertain the guests, but now the restaurant is home to Cincinnati's newest microbrewery offering seasonal beers with a personal touch.The microbrewery will be run by Matt Wehmeyer, son of Vito's owners Mary and Vito Ciepiel. Wehmeyer's new business venture is named Red Ear Brewing Company after a familiar fish he used to catch called the "Red Ear Sunfish.""I remember seeing a hundred different beers on the shelf and not knowing anything about them," says Wehmeyer. A recent trip to Asheville, NC is what really sparked him to move forward with starting his own brewing company."I took a trip to Asheville where they have like seven microbreweries, and I thought to myself that we needed more microbrews here in Cincinnati," says Wehmeyer. Red Ear is one of the first microbreweries in Northern Kentucky and one of the few in the Cincinnati region.Wehmeyer took a class on how to do home brews at Thomas More College, where he learned the basics of brewing. The first two batches of beer produced at Vito's were five and ten gallons respectively, and the restaurant sold their first Endless Summer Ale on August 9th just after they got their license.Currently Red Ear is producing about 20 gallons a week of their Endless Summer Ale which will be sold through the end of September. The plan, Wehmeyer says, is to start very small and continually grow and learn to brew bigger and better batches of beer. The next seasonal beer will be a bolder brew more often found during the winter season.The next step for Red Ear is to obtain a retail license so they can start selling their beer at stores and festivals around town, but for now Wehmeyer is content with turning out a high-quality product in small batches each week.As for Wehmeyer, he says that he loves fellow Cincinnati microbrews like Mt. Carmel and Barrelhouse, but he also really enjoys Kalamazoo microbrewing giant, Bell's Oberon.Vito's Cafe is located at 654 Highland Avenue, Suite 29 in Ft. Thomas (map), and is open Wednesday through Thursday from 5pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 11pm, and Sunday from 5pm to 9pm. The Endless Summer Ale is sold in pints for $4.50.Writer: Randy A. SimesPhotography by Scott BeselerStay connected and follow Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy
Northern Kentucky Tri-ED Senior Vice President Karen Finan is among ten deserving women from Northern Kentucky to be honored at an Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards Luncheon Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Receptions in Erlanger, Kentucky.The complete list of 2010 honorees is as follows: Honorees: Sister Janet BucherKaren FinanSister Jean Marie HoffmanJoy MooreLisa Raterman Judith Clabes Lifetime Achievement Award: Nancy Winstel 2010 Emerging Leader Award: Peggy Casey 2010 Scholarship Recipients: Julie Elbert – GatewayCommunity & Technical CollegeHeidi Glaub – Northern Kentucky UniversityPaula Lynn – Thomas More College The Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards was established in 1984 to honor Northern Kentucky residents or former residents who exemplify: notable achievement, outstanding service in their professions or to the Northern Kentucky community, and the qualities of personal integrity, perseverance and leadership. These women represent the great diversity and extraordinary accomplishments of today's women. All of the honorees represent ideal role models for the young women who follow in their footsteps.The Outstanding Women of Northern Kentucky Awards is sponsored by Toyota and co-sponsored by Gateway Community & Technical College, Northern Kentucky University, and Thomas More College.For more information, see http://www.ownk.org/New%20Website/2010_honorees.htm–About Northern Kentucky Tri-ED Founded in 1987, the Northern Kentucky Tri-County Economic Development Corporation (Northern Kentucky Tri-ED) serves as the primary economic development marketing agency for Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties in Northern Kentucky. Since 1987, 490 companies have located or expanded in Northern Kentucky accounting for 48,277 new primary jobs and $4.7 Billion in capital investment. Northern Kentucky Tri-ED is a key partner in Vision 2015, a 10-year strategic plan for growth in the region. For more information, visit www.NorthernKentuckyUSA.com.
The Manhattan Harbour mixed-use project in Dayton, Kentucky, is ready to go, thanks to tax increment financing approved Thursday by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority. Jack Moreland, president of Southbank Partners, said $198 million in TIF funding was approved for the $1 billion project. While some site work is being done at the riverfront site, developers were waiting for the financing pieces to fall into place. "TIF was the big thing they needed to go forward," Moreland said. Read the entire article here.
Our Partners
We want to know what's on your mind.
