Beshear says food company to create 925 jobs in Kentucky, adding to the state’s economic momentum

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A food company has chosen Kentucky for a facility that will employ more than 900 people, Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday, saying the project ranks as the fifth-largest jobs project since he took office.

Kitchen Food Co., an Australia-founded premium ready-meals business, will locate a prepared foods facility in Hopkinsville and create 925 jobs as part of its $69 million investment, Beshear announced. Hopkinsville is about 170 miles (275 kilometers) southwest of Louisville, Kentucky.

“Today’s announcement is a great reminder that Kentucky’s economic momentum is not only here to stay, but the commonwealth is open and ready for business from companies all over the world,” the Democratic governor said at a news conference.

It adds to another strong year of economic growth, he said. This year ranks as the fourth-best year in state history for economic investment with 170 private sector new-location and expansion announcements totaling more than $6.9 billion in investments and 9,425 new full-time jobs, he said.

Since he took office in late 2019, the state has achieved its first-, second- and fourth-best years in Kentucky history for private-sector investments, he said. And the average incentivized hourly wage for those new jobs has topped $26 an hour in three straight years for the first time in state history, he said.

The momentum has changed perceptions as Kentucky becomes a “premier destination” for business, the governor said.

“Finally, the rest of the world is looking up to us, instead of looking down on us,” he said. “It is a special time to be a Kentuckian.”

Beshear typically begins his weekly press conferences by touting the Bluegrass State’s latest successes in economic development. The state’s Republican supermajority legislature says the record private-sector investments are the result of GOP-initiated policies that are business friendly.

Looking ahead to 2025, Beshear said his focus will remain on jobs, infrastructure, education and health care. Beshear, who won a second term last year, is one of several Democratic governors who are the subject of early speculation as potential contenders for the party’s presidential nomination in 2028.

Beshear mentioned those same core issues during a sit-down interview Wednesday when he gave suggestions on what Democrats should look for in their next presidential nominee on everything from more affordable health care to pro-public education and greater public safety in communities.

“I think the next Democratic nominee should be a pragmatist that is about getting things done, getting real results,” he said. “A track record of showing people that they can help lower their bills or help them make more money to pay them. Somebody who’s got a track record on improving the infrastructure of this country.”

Bruce Schreiner, The Associated Press