Owensboro participates in Kentucky United Economic Development Mission to the Northeast

Through our partnership with KentuckyUnited, GO-EDC recently participated in a marketing mission to the northeast. The EDC joined with approximately 20 economic development professionals from throughout the Commonwealth and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development to meet with site selectors and prospective companies in New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts about the opportunities available in Kentucky.

This is the first Marketing Mission KentuckyUnited has sponsored in the northeast. The visits to over 35 companies and site selectors have increased the awareness of the state and given the EDC an opportunity to tell decision makers about Kentucky’s new incentive programs.

The meetings should result in several potential projects, some of which have a direct interest in Owensboro.

Over the next few weeks, GO-EDC will conduct further follow up marketing to these prospective companies and consultants.

Owensboro has a great story to tell and the EDC is committed to getting the word out to businesses on the opportunities available in this region!

Biotech efforts praised by Governor at BIO

CHICAGO-- Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear celebrated Kentucky's success attracting high tech and life science companies to the Commonwealth at a reception at the annual gathering in the biotechnology industry. Kentucky jumped from 44th to 26th in state rankings of National Institute of Health funding that support life science and biotech companies. Significant progress has been made in Owensboro in the last three years to supporting high tech businesses. The infrastructure has already attracted small biotech companies and significant partnerships with big-pharma when Bayer AG signed an agreement with Kentucky BioProcessing and the most recent investment by the Department of Defense supporting plant biotech efforts.

This week EDC officials took their efforts to the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Convention in Chicago. The BIO international convention is the largest gathering of biotech leaders, public officials, and companies in the world. With over 25,000 attendees from over 70 countries, 1,700 exhibitors will participate. Over 300 public officials, including Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, will attend.

In 2006 the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation (GO-EDC) released A Strategic Plan for the Development of the Life Sciences in Greater Owensboro. The report offered recommendations focusing on high technology developments in the life sciences as a new economic development approach.

The competitive advantage driving the development of the emerging plant made pharmaceutical industry in Owensboro is Kentucky BioProcessing. KBP is the world’s only full scale facility designed and built for the commercial production of plant made pharmaceuticals. The company uses tobacco as a bioreactor to produce disease curing proteins. Farmers are also getting involved in producing crops for use in biotechnology products through the Owensboro Biotech Alliance. OBA has a database of regional farmers that enjoy a national reputation for compliance with USDA regulations and a willingness to grow crops for use by plant biotech companies.

“Make no mistake; we are not trying to become a biotech cluster to compete with the likes of San Diego or Boston,” said EDC President/CEO Nick Brake. “But we can succeed in creating a cluster of companies focusing on the utilization of our strengths, plant pharmaceuticals and plant-based natural products. In this area between KBP, the Owensboro Cancer Research Program and the partnership with the University of Louisville, and our regional agriculture community, we have a competitive advantage not found anywhere else.”


The latest investment in the high tech infrastructure in Owensboro to support KBP and the growth of plant biotech companies is a new business and research accelerator. The City of Owensboro with support from the Daviess County Fiscal Court are converting an 85-year-old former tobacco warehouse near downtown Owensboro into high-tech lab space for the use of tobacco to search for cures for cancer and other diseases. The Centre for Business and Research, set to open this year, will be equipped with life science labs suitable for the incubation of many of the small biotech companies working with KBP.

Interstate 64- Interstate 65 Connector Corridor One Step Closer

The new I-64/I-65 corridor connector will move one step closer to completion late this week when another section of the new four-lane U.S. 231 in Spencer County opens. The Indiana Department of Transportation says the new roadway will open to traffic from the Interstate 64 interchange to S.R. 162 east of Gentryville on Friday. At that point motorists will follow S.R. 162 to the existing U.S. 231. The entire new 22-mile U.S. 231 linking I-64 to the Natcher Bridge is expected to be open by the summer of 2011.

Meanwhile, construction continues on the 2.2-mile U.S. 60 bypass extension east of Owensboro that is expected to be completed in 2013. Phase I is underway from U.S. 60 East to Hwy. 144. Phase II construction from Hwy. 144 to the existing bypass near Hwy. 54 should begin by late 2011—depending on the new Kentucky road plan yet to be decided by state lawmakers.

The bypass extension and new U.S. 231 in Spencer County will be the final links to a new 100-mile, four-lane corridor that includes the Natcher Parkway and connects I-64 and I-65. This is expected to bring enhanced economic development activity to Daviess County and the region.

The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce has worked with leaders in Spencer County for 25+ years through the work of the U.S. 231 Coalition to see it built. The Chamber has also been a leading advocate for the bypass extension in Daviess County . Chamber members sent thousands of emails supporting the project to Kentucky lawmakers and Governor Beshear’s office in February of 2009 when federal stimulus dollars became available to fund Phase I.  


"This is our interstate," said Nick Brake, President/CEO of the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp.  "We are creating a four lane highway between I-64 and I-65, and the main center is going to be Owensboro.  The area around the new hospital will grow with retail and commercial development much like you would see around an exit from an interstate.  This is Owensboro's exit on the interstate highway system!"

Flight from Owensboro to Las Vegas Coming Soon

Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport expects Allegiant Air to add nonstop jet service to Las Vegas by the end of the year, Airport Manager Bob Whitmer told Daviess Fiscal Court on Monday.

Last year, with Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air offering two nonstop flights a week to Orlando, Fla., the airport reached the 10,000 passenger mark for the first time in a decade and qualified for $1 million in federal funding for capital projects.

Allegiant will have three flights a week to Orlando this year. Next year, with direct flights to Las Vegas twice a week, Whitmer said boardings could top 20,000.

Improvements in Transportation Position Owensboro Well for Growth in Logistics

Recent improvements and opportunities in the regional transportation network position Owensboro for future growth in the logistics sector, according to a new report released today by the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation, the Owensboro Riverport Authority and the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport. The three organizations are teaming up to focus efforts on attracting companies from the logistics industry to locate in Owensboro.

Greater Owensboro is linked to the national transportation network through two limited access highways, the Natcher and Audubon Parkways, which provide easy access to nearby I-64 to the north and in the south to I-65 and I-24. Newly planned I-66 and I-69 corridors are 30 minutes to the west and south. Additionally, US 231, US 431, and US 60 provide excellent highway access to the region.

Interstate 69 will intersect the Audubon Parkway between Owensboro and Henderson at approximately the three-mile marker. The Interstate will connect Canada to Mexico and will cross the Ohio River within 30 miles of the Owensboro Riverport Authority and the Owensboro Daviess County Regional Airport.
The I-64/ I-65 connector, currently under construction and set for completion in 2014, provides a four lane limited access north-south expressway connection via the Natcher Bridge to I-64 in 30 miles north in Indiana and I-65, located 50 miles to the south. Owensboro is the largest city and is located near the midpoint along the connector.

Other logsitics assets include the following:

Geographic Center- Greater Owensboro is located 75 miles from the median center of the U.S. population (the point where latitude and longitude lines intersect, and the population is the same on all sides) resulting in lower transportation costs.

River- Owensboro Riverport Authority with Foreign Trade Zone status, custom port of entry, 100 card rail loop, ample warehousing space and inventory/ logistics capabilities;

Rail- CSX mail north-south line;

Air- Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport, 8,000 foot runway, 300 acres for expansion;

Workforce- Recognized by Expansion Management as top ranked workforce in logistics and distribution
Logistics and advanced manufacturing training programs at Owensboro Community and Technical College;

Center for Commerce- The region is located within 600 miles of 41% of personal income, 53% of manufacturing employment, and 41% of retail sales in the country.

Click here to read the full report.

Dubuque serves as Growth Model for Owensboro

The recent visit to Dubuque, Iowa by local leaders to look at the Grand Rivers Convention Center and other downtown amenities gives a potential glimpse into the future. Dubuque's success goes much farther than the convention center.

Dubuque is on the Mississippi River, and the city and Dubuque County are nearly identical to Owensboro and Daviess County in population. The city is one of ten "peer region" that the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation uses for benchmarking of the regional economy.

"There are great similarities between Owensboro and Dubuque," Downtown Development Director Fred Reeves said. "But they are about 10 years ahead of us with their downtown riverfront and convention center and hotel."

Investments over the past years have paid off. Dubuque is the shining star of the ten U.S. regions of the most like Owensboro in terms of demographics. Dubuque ranks at the top of every economic category, including job growth, per capita income, educational attainment, lowest unemployment rate during the recent recession, and the retention of manufacturing jobs. Owensboro ranked between fourth and seventh compared to the ten peers on most of the same measures.

The moral of the story is that Dubuque's success with quality of place development, particularly on the riverfront and in downtown has translated into overall economic success and an abundance of new jobs.

To see how Owensboro compared or to view complete data from Dubuque and other peer regions, please visit http://jobs.owensboro.com

Cranes New Symbol of Construction Boom in Owensboro

Beginning this month cranes will be the new symbol of the recent construction boom in Owensboro.  The city and region are beginning an unprecedented period of construction projects totaling $600 million in new public projects, over 10,000 construction jobs and with an overall economic impact of more than $1 billion.

Some of the public projects including the following:

The new Owensboro Medical Health System will break ground next week ($385 million, 6,600 construction jobs, and $600 million economic impact); downtown development program, including the new publicly funded convention center ($80 million, 1,300 construction jobs, $130 million economic impact); new downtown hotel ($20 million, 340 construction jobs, $33 million economic impact); Interstate 64- Interstate 65 connector ($37 million, 600 construction jobs, $62 million economic impact); and a new National Guard Armory at the airport ($14 million, 200 construction jobs, $23 million economic impact).

There has never been a better time to invest in Owensboro!