Ulrich Medical Concepts believes it can help transform the way that physicians interact with their patients.
The health care technology company has developed electronic health record technology software that allows physicians to electronically gather information on their patients, leaving behind the traditional paper chart.
“The technology that we are pushing changes the way physicians do their business in a very dynamic way,” said Dan Jarrett, president of Ulrich Medical Concepts. “First and foremost, it enhances patient health care. And it brings efficiencies to the physicians’ offices that they never had before.”
The company was founded in 1999 and moved to Paducah, Ky., in 2001. Last year, it moved into a state-of-the-art, 21,000 square foot headquarters facility located in Information Age Park in the metro. Information Park was built more than a decade ago as a way to attract new technologies to the Paducah metro.
Ulrich Medical Concepts is the first new technology company to site a facility at the park and the first to take advantage of fiber-optic broadband Internet technology recently installed there. It employs 34 workers in Paducah, plus one other in Nashville, Tenn.
Jarrett said the company is looking for a highly specialized type of employee, one that has experience in both the health care industry and has a technology background.
“It’s tough to find people with expertise in both fields,” he said. “There are people who have experience in
either field.”
But Jarrett added there is a willing work force in Paducah that is looking for employment.
“We’re not unlike any other small community that is making the transition from manufacturing to technology,” he pointed out. “That’s always a challenge. We won’t abandon manufacturing, but we’ve grown so accustomed to it being the solution we forget there are other solutions out there, including technology.”
The company has been successful in recruiting highly skilled graduates from Vanderbilt University in Nashville (about two hours away).
“They want to move to Paducah because they like the standard of living and cost of living,” Jarrett said. “There are a lot of benefits to the community.”
Ulrich Medical Concepts was granted 4 acres of property in Information Age Park to build the $2.5 million facility. The Paducah City Commission awarded the company $30,000 as part of an incentive package for the project.
“There is a spirit of cooperation with the local governments to attract new business to Paducah,” Jarrett said.
He added that the company can be very successful from being headquartered in Paducah.
“There is no reason why we as a company should have to relocate to be successful,” Jarrett said. “In this technology world, we can push out our products to anywhere in the world.”
Another company looking at Information Age Park is Marquette Transportation, a river transport company. If incentives are approved by the city of Paducah and McCracken County, Marquette Transportation will build a $2 million, 24,000 square foot headquarters building and warehouse on 12.4 acres.
The company will add 12 workers to its work force, which currently consists of 40 employees.
If approved, the city and county will donate the land and give the company $60,000 in cash.
Manufacturer To Nearly Double Work Force
AlumaKraft, a manufacturer of vinyl windows and doors, is in the middle of a three-year expansion project at its manufacturing plant in Paducah that will result in nearly doubling the company’s work force.
The company plans to hire 225 employees to go with the current work force of 248. The first 120 employees have been hired, and the company expects to hire the remaining 105 employees next year. Most of the new employees are leased, but AlumaKraft has committed to converting them to full-time status within five years.
AlumaKraft’s growth will take place not only in the form of employment but capital investment, as well. The company is investing $1.5 million for the land, buildings and equipment.
To offset some of these costs, the city of Paducah has earmarked $500,000 in incentives, divided into three increments to coincide with the employment ramp up — $200,000 last year and $150,000 this year and next year. Payment is based on AlumaKraft meeting performance guidelines.
The incentive package and efforts by the city Paducah and the Greater Paducah Economic Development Council were critical in the decision to expand in the metro, said Kevin Knotts, general manager of AlumaKraft.
“They worked with us to meet our needs,” he said. “Several communities expressed an interest in our expansion. The aggressive proposal and support from Paducah made the difference and greatly exceeded any other community we looked at for this expansion.”
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