Industry furthers best 6-year period on record in commonwealth for economic growth

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Oct. 6, 2026) - Today, Gov. Andy Beshear designated October as Manufacturing Month in Kentucky, as the industry continues to be a driving factor in the commonwealth's record economic growth and job creation, employing over 260,000 Kentuckians.

"Kentucky's historic economic success is fueled in part by our essential manufacturing industry and the hardworking people across our commonwealth who help these companies succeed," said Gov. Beshear. "From our diverse food and beverage sector to the automotive and aerospace markets that are reaching new heights every year, manufacturing is at the center of our success and that will continue to be true for decades to come. Thank you to every manufacturer creating good-paying, quality jobs for Kentuckians and distributing Kentucky-made products around the globe."

Kentucky's best six years on record for private-sector growth, from 2020 to 2025, have been in large part thanks to the growth of the commonwealth's manufacturing presence, and the industry has spurred rising wages for families throughout the commonwealth. The industry also contributes $47.5 billion annually to the state's gross domestic product.

Since the start of the administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 970 private-sector new-location and expansion announcements from manufacturers that are creating more than 48,000 full-time jobs for Kentuckians with over $46.2 billion in new investment.

In 2025, manufacturing was responsible for $9.3 billion in new investment and more than 7,500 full-time jobs for Kentuckians. That's 89.8% of all corporate investment announced in the commonwealth for the year and nearly 79% of all job creation.

Manufacturing growth has continued into 2026, with 35 manufacturing-related projects announced year-to-date, contributing over $7.8 billion in new investment and nearly 2,000 full-time jobs. That success is supported by a growing number of good-paying job opportunities for Kentuckians, with the average incentivized hourly wage surpassing $26 in four consecutive years for the first time.

This year alone, Gov. Beshear has announced several significant investments and job-creation projects by existing and new Kentucky manufacturers.

In September, the Governor announced that Ford will reaffirm its commitment to Kentucky with a $1 billion investment into the Kentucky Truck Plant, replacing the facility's existing paint shop and further modernizing Ford's largest U.S. manufacturing plant.

The announcement builds on Ford's recent investments across the commonwealth, including approximately $2 billion for the transformation of the Louisville Assembly Plant into the future home of Ford's new Universal EV Platform and approximately $2 billion at Ford Energy Systems in Glendale, which will manufacture battery energy storage systems.

Also in September, GE Appliances and IUE-CWA established Louisville's Appliance Park as the largest home appliance manufacturing site in the United States with the announcement of a game-changing $1 billion investment.

In August, Gov. Beshear joined local officials and leadership from Anthro Energy, an advanced materials and battery developer, to celebrate the groundbreaking of the company's first Kentucky operation, a new over $40 million manufacturing facility in Louisville, creating 110 full-time jobs in addition to 390 construction jobs.

And in May, the Governor announced that U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. (USSTC), one of the leading producers and marketers of moist smokeless tobacco, plans to build a new facility in Hopkinsville, where it will create over 200 new Kentucky jobs once operational.

Frank Jemley, president and CEO of the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, showed appreciation for Kentuckians working in the manufacturing industry: "Kentucky manufacturers produce a huge share of the commonwealth's GDP and work every day to strengthen their communities and support their team members, so we appreciate the opportunity during Manufacturing Month in October to celebrate the contributions they make year-round to Kentucky families and communities."

Manufacturers looking to locate a new facility or expand existing operations find that the commonwealth provides all the needed resources to accommodate long-term growth. Kentucky's ideal central geographic location places the state within a day's drive of two-thirds of the U.S. population and income. Combined with state-of-the-art infrastructure, Kentucky's location allows manufacturers to quickly distribute products to key U.S. markets, while global air cargo hubs in Louisville and Northern Kentucky by UPS, DHL and Amazon provide fast and reliable distribution overnight anywhere in the world. Low business costs, including a rate among the lowest industrial electric costs in the country, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, ensure companies can continue to grow and create great jobs for Kentuckians.

The celebration of Manufacturing Month in Kentucky 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 nearly 1,400 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $54 billion in announced investments, creating more than 71,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth's history and $33 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's position as a national leader in automotive and energy storage system battery production: Ford Motor Co.'s nearly $3 billion, 2,200-job commitments 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.

In February, the Governor announced Kentucky once again set an all-time record for products shipped globally, with $51.6 billion in exports in 2025, representing a 7.65% increase over 2024.

Unemployment rates fell in all 120 counties between December 2024 and December 2025.

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.

In addition, Kentucky has 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 2025 Governor's Cup rankings. In June, Area Development magazine awarded the commonwealth a Silver Shovel designation in its 2025 Shovel Awards, which highlight states for attracting high-value investment projects that will create a significant number of new jobs in their communities.

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.