In 2011, 54 new companies and 272 expansion projects were announced resulting in 13,230 jobs and $2,661,783,513 in investment.
- Kentucky ranked 3rd in growth of entrepreneurial growth activity from 2008-2010.
- Kentucky's 3 largest cities all ranked among Forbes Best Places for Business.
- Lexington and Louisville were listed in Relocate America's Top 100 Places to Live for 2010.
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
Kentucky is served by two international airports, Louisville International Airport and Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, which are air cargo hubs for UPS and DHL, respectively.
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.
Workforce
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Housing
Utility Costs
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