Gov. Beshear: Lincoln County Adds 2 New Build-Ready Sites, Positioning Kentucky for Future Economic Success and Job Creation

New sites add to state's growing list of Build-Ready locations and commitment to speed-to-market initiatives

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 4, 2026) - Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted further progress within the state's speed-to-market and site development efforts as he announced two new Build-Ready sites in Lincoln County, preparing the community and surrounding areas for future investment, economic growth and job creation.

Both Build-Ready sites, located in the Lincoln-Rowland Industrial Park, add to the state's growing list of properties certified by Team Kentucky's Cabinet for Economic Development as Build-Ready. Site 1 offers 15 acres of available shovel-ready land, with the capacity to locate a 100,000-square-foot building. Site 2 includes up to 18 acres with the similar potential to locate a 100,000-square-foot building.

"Continuing to invest in our speed-to-market programs is giving communities across the commonwealth a powerful tool for attracting economic investment," said Gov. Beshear. "More important, it lays the groundwork for companies to locate here in Kentucky, bringing with them quality, life-changing job opportunities for our people. These site development efforts emphasize the message that Kentucky checks every box for companies looking to locate or expand their business. Thank you to the local and state officials for their work in getting these sites established and ready for future business."

The sites are both zoned for industrial use and positioned adjacent to U.S. Highway 150 in Stanford, 23 miles from Interstate Highway 75. The properties are located 55 miles from Lexington's Blue Grass Airport and 109 miles from the nearest riverport.

Utilities available on each site include a two-inch gas line, eight- and 10-inch sewer gravity lines, and 12-inch waterlines. Electricity is located on both sites, as well as natural gas provided by Atmos Energy Corp. The Build-Ready sites are also serviced with broadband for telecommunications by AT&T.

More information about the Lincoln-Rowland Industrial Park Build-Ready site 1 can be found here. Additional information regarding site 2 can be viewed here.

Lincoln County Judge/Executive Woods Adams is looking forward to the future economic growth of the community: "I'm proud of the progress we're making in Lincoln County and the opportunities now available for industry. With two 100,000-square-foot Build-Ready pads within 15 miles of the RGL Rockcastle Megasite, we're sending a clear message that Lincoln County is prepared to support economic growth and regional success."

Stanford Mayor Dalton Miller highlighted the work and collaboration involved in the completion of the sites: "These sites are a product of hard work and a vision for the future of Stanford and Lincoln County. This is a lifetime investment into the citizens of Lincoln and surrounding counties. We plan on keeping our children and grandchildren in our community and allowing them to live the American Dream. I just want to thank the Industrial Authority, Rep. David Meade, Sen. Brandon Storm and Judge/Executive Woods Adams for being so committed to the future of Lincoln County."

Dan Gutenson, vice chair of the Stanford-Lincoln County Industrial Development Authority and County Magistrate for District 2, is excited to see the opportunities both sites will bring: "Lincoln County is a great place to live and raise a family, and it just keeps getting better. With the completion of two certified 100,000-square-foot Build-Ready sites, each with over 15 acres, Lincoln County is poised to experience much-needed economic development and job creation. I want to thank all those who over the past several years have provided visionary leadership and invested their time and energy to see this project through. We are looking forward to working with site selectors and keeping the momentum going."

With a Build-Ready site, much of the work - aside from construction - has already been completed. That includes controlling the land to be developed, completing archaeological, environmental and geotechnical studies, constructing a building pad, finishing preliminary design work, obtaining approved site plan permits and putting necessary infrastructure in place. On a Build-Ready site, construction can begin immediately.

To be certified as Build-Ready, a site must include a pad that can accommodate a building of 50,000 square feet, with the ability to expand to 100,000 square feet or more, and utilities extended to the site. Applicants - usually a city, county or economic development group - must have previously filed the necessary permits, as well as preliminary building plans, cost estimates and schedule projections. Applicants also are asked to provide a rendering of a potential building for the site.

Including these new sites in Lincoln County, the commonwealth is home to 30 available Build-Ready sites. Multiple other locations across the state are currently working toward certification.

To date, 12 former Build-Ready-certified sites - including tracts located in Barren, Butler, Christian, Graves, Hart, Laurel and Pulaski counties and five sites in Warren County - have been selected by companies for new location projects, allowing companies to bring their operations online in a cost-efficient manner while creating jobs for local Kentuckians.

The new Build-Ready sites in Lincoln County builds on the best six-year period for economic growth in state history.

Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,300 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $45 billion in announced investments, creating more than 68,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth's history and $24 billion more than the next highest total.

Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky as the battery capital of the United States: AESC's $2 billion, 2,000-job gigafactory project in Warren County; Ford Motor Co.'s $2 billion, 2,200-job commitment in Louisville, as well as its $2 billion, 2,100-job project at the Kentucky 1 plant in Hardin County; Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing's $712 million investment, creating 1,572 jobs in Shelby County; and Toyota's $1.3 billion investment in Scott County, among others.

The Governor's administration also secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund. In 2023, Kentucky recorded over 2 million jobs filled for the first time ever and has stayed above that number ever since.

Kentucky also secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings and Moody's Investors Service.

Last year, Site Selection magazine ranked Kentucky in the top five nationally and second in the South Central region for economic development projects per capita in its 2024 Governor's Cup rankings. Site Selection also placed Kentucky second in the South Central region and No. 6 nationally in its 2025 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects.

Gov. Beshear also announced a new initiative, called New Kentucky Home, to increase economic investment, attain and attract talent, and increase tourism across the state.

Information on Kentucky's economic development efforts and programs is available at NewKentuckyHome.ky.gov. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion at facebook.com/CEDkygov, on Twitter @CEDkygov, Instagram @CEDkygov and LinkedIn.