FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A food company has chosen Kentucky as the location for a facility that will employ more than 900 people, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday, saying the project is the fifth-largest jobs project since he took office.
Kitchen Food Co., an Australian-founded premium prepared foods company, will build a prepared foods factory in Hopkinsville and create 925 jobs as part of its $69 million investment, Beshear announced. Hopkinsville is located approximately 170 miles (275 kilometers) southwest of Louisville, Kentucky.
“Today’s announcement is a great reminder that Kentucky’s economic vibrancy is not only here to stay, but that the commonwealth is open and ready for business from companies around the world,” the Democratic governor said at a news conference.
This is another robust year of economic growth, he said. This year is the fourth-best year in state history for economic investment, with 170 announcements of up-to-date locations and private sector expansions, totaling more than $6.9 billion in investment and 9,425 up-to-date full-time jobs, he said.
Since he took office in slow 2019, the state has achieved its first, second and fourth best years in Kentucky history for private sector investment, he said. And the average hourly wage with incentives for these up-to-date jobs has exceeded $26 an hour in three consecutive years for the first time in state history, he said.
The active has changed perceptions as Kentucky becomes a “premier destination” for businesses, the governor said.
“Finally the rest of the world is looking up to us instead of looking down on us,” he said. “It’s a special time to be a Kentuckian.”
Beshear typically begins his weekly news conferences by touting the Bluegrass State’s recent successes in economic development. The state’s supermajority Republican Legislature says record private sector investment is the result of pro-business policies initiated by the Republican Party.
Looking ahead to 2025, Beshear said his focus will remain on jobs, infrastructure, education and health care. Beshear, who won a second term last year, is one of several Democratic governors who have been speculated early on as potential candidates for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
Beshear mentioned the same core themes during a sit-down interview Wednesday as he offered suggestions for what Democrats should look for in their next presidential candidate, from more affordable health care to government-friendly education to greater public safety in communities.
“I think the next Democratic nominee should be a pragmatist who cares about getting things done and getting real results,” he said. “A track record of showing people they can help lower their bills or make more money to pay them. Someone who has a track record of improving the infrastructure of this country.”
