Company started in founder's garage in Covington in 1995

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 30, 2026) - Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted the commonwealth's growing technology sector as Global Business Solutions (GBS) announced plans to expand its Northern Kentucky operations. The $6.8 million investment will allow the company to locate in a historic Covington building and retain 57 highly technical positions.

"The continued growth of our technology industry through expansion and relocation projects is helping keep highly skilled, good-paying job opportunities for Kentuckians right here at home," said Gov. Beshear. "This project is a great example of what collaboration and strategic partnerships can create here in the commonwealth. I want to thank Global Business Solutions' leaders for coming back to their roots, and I look forward to seeing their continued success in Northern Kentucky."

GBS recently purchased the historic Wadsworth Electric Manufacturing building, at 20 West 11th Street in Covington, to allow for potential expansion and a new phase of growth. The facility provides the Northern Kentucky technology integrator with the opportunity to expand its operations, create new jobs and strengthen its ability to serve businesses across the surrounding region. The building offers significantly more space for GBS to grow its team and expand the capabilities that support its integrated technology services, including training facilities, testing labs, a technology showroom, and expanded warehousing and logistics to stage and configure systems before installation. The expanded space will also allow GBS to grow its internship and co-op programs in partnership with local institutions, including Northern Kentucky University and Gateway Community & Technical College, to help develop the next generation of technology professionals in the region.

This investment reflects the commitment of GBS to retain good-paying, highly technical jobs in Northern Kentucky, supporting long-term workforce growth and strengthening the region's position as a hub for technology and innovation. The expansion will bring the GBS team to Covington. The project also will include an estimated $6.8 million capital investment as GBS plans to establish its corporate headquarters in Covington.

"This acquisition represents an exciting next chapter for GBS," said Gaby Batshoun, founder and president of GBS. "When I started the company nearly 30 years ago, it was just an idea in my garage and a commitment to helping businesses solve technology challenges in smarter ways. Since then, we've grown into something much bigger, but that same mindset still drives us. Expanding in Covington feels like coming full circle while also creating the space we need for the future."

"This facility gives us the room to build the kind of environment our team and our clients need," said Kevin Brummer, director of strategy at GBS. "We plan to include spaces for collaboration, training, demonstrations and testing technologies before they go into the field. That ultimately helps us deliver better results for our clients. It also gives us the ability to expand our focus on innovation - creating space to explore, test and train on emerging and cutting-edge technologies before they are deployed in real-world environments."

Founded in 1995, GBS started as a small IT service provider with a big idea: technology should work together - and work better for the people who rely on it. From its earliest days pioneering network integration and VoIP, to building out services in AV, physical security and managed services, the company has stayed ahead by solving problems holistically. GBS is a fully integrated technology solutions provider, delivering expertise across IT, audio/video and automation, physical security, structured cabling and AI consulting.

Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann appreciated GBS's decision to locate its corporate headquarters in Covington: "Global Business Solutions choosing to grow within Northern Kentucky underscores what we already know - this region provides an incredibly strong platform for innovators and entrepreneurs. We're excited to witness the next chapter in Global Business Solutions' great story."

Covington Mayor Ron Washington welcomed the company home to Northern Kentucky: "GBS's decision to return to its roots in Covington speaks volumes about the momentum we're building as a hub for innovation and technology. We're proud to welcome GBS back home and to see them invest in a building that has long been part of Covington's rich business history. This move reflects both the strength of our local economy and our commitment to creating an environment where forward-thinking companies can grow and thrive."

BE NKY Growth Partnership CEO Lee Crume noted the IT industry is a high-growth sector for Northern Kentucky: "We're proud to support Global Business Solutions as it increases its technology workforce in Northern Kentucky. Our recent target industry report shows employment in our three-county region is projected to grow 20% through 2029 - making this the right place to expand, hire and build long-term careers."

GBS's investment and job creation furthers what has been 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 $48.2 billion in announced investments, creating more than 69,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth's history and $27 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.

Earlier this 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.

To encourage investment in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) today preliminarily approved GBS for up to $30,000 in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

In addition, GBS can receive resources from Kentucky's workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.

For more information on GBS, visit GBS-Inc.com.

A detailed community profile for Kenton County can be viewed here.

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.