Originally Published WDRB News |Aug 11, 2022
ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (WDRB) — As work begins on Ford’s Blue Oval SK plant in Glendale, the opportunity to bring business to Hardin County is getting attractive.
Due to the location of the county on the state’s map, and the addition of the battery plant, industry leaders believe Elizabethtown is an ideal spot for growth.
Just last week, Lotte Aluminum, a Korean aluminum manufacturer, announced it was building a $238 million plant in Elizabethtown. It will employ 122 people and provide support for Ford’s plant.
Andy Games, Vice President of the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation, calls it “another great thing coming to our community.”
Given the interest in businesses looking to follow the economic boom that will come along with Ford’s plant, Games is a busy man.
Looking over the 1,000+ acres of open land at the T.J. Patterson Industrial Park that the foundation manages, Games knows the landscape will quickly change.
“It’s going to be a totally different place,” he said. “I think for the better.”
Factories that support Ford’s plant aren’t the only companies flowing into the county.
On Wednesday, Lightsource bp announced a proposal to build a 110-megawat solar generation facility in Elizabethtown. The project would bring an estimated $6.8 million in new tax revenue, 175 jobs during peak construction and about $50 million in wages, the company said in a release.
Lightsource bp is also pledging $1 million in community funding pending project approval.
“This money will go toward economic development, education and environmental efforts in the community,” said Brainna Saunders, a spokesperson for the company.
While companies continue to seek out Elizabethtown, The Industrial Foundation believes it’s largely due to it being the perfect spot for growth and expansion.
“I think it’s new to our community, but I think it’s promising for our community,” Games said.
The Industrial Foundation said another company will announce its plans to locate in the industrial park in the coming weeks.