Inplast USA LLC has acquired a 63,500 square foot building in Leitchfield, Ky., and plans to renovate the facility to accommodate its injection molding operation in a $4.7 million project that will produce 110 new jobs. The facility will also require the construction of a clean room for the manufacture of medical diagnostic plastic components.

The new operation will produce plastic injected molded components for the automotive and medical markets.

Inplast USA is a joint venture between Plastikon Industries and Injex Industries, both based in Hayward, Calif. Both companies specialize in plastic injection molding and assembly for the automotive, medical and diagnostic industries. Combined with a strong business acumen, systematic approach and diverse customer base, the companies have obtained considerable growth and stability for its employees and communities.

“Injex and Plastikon are very excited to be locating the Inplast USA plant in Leitchfield, and feel that this is a win-win for all parties involved,” said Mark Petri, director of sales and operations for Injex. “We look forward to working in the community.”

Inplast USA was preliminarily approved by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) for tax benefits up to $2.75 million under the Kentucky Rural Economic Development Act (KREDA).

Like in most states, incentives are an integral component of Kentucky’s business attraction efforts.

According to a study released in January by the Center for Business and Economic Research in the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics, tax incentive programs and the Bluegrass State Skills Corp. (BSSC) work force training program are associated with positive long-term (five years) impacts on employment and earnings that are as much as four times larger than the short-term impacts, and without the use of business incentives during the period 1996 to 2004, 44,829 fewer jobs would have been created in Kentucky. The report was prepared for the Kentucky Economic Development Partnership Board.

Gannett Among Companies Growing in Louisville

Media giant Gannett Co will receive tax benefits of up to $3.25 million under the Kentucky Jobs Development Act (KJDA) to establish a Center of Excellence in Louisville. The customer care center will create 240 jobs.

The incentives being offered to Gannett are from a program designed to increase service- and technology-related employment in the state.

Gannett intends to consolidate its existing 62 customer centers into three or four Centers of Excellence to handle customer calls, both inbound and outbound, for a variety of publications. The Louisville operation, which will consist of a 14,732 square foot expansion to an existing customer care center, will be the company’s second such facility and will provide services for 33 Gannett-owned newspapers.

“Gannett is pleased to join with Kentucky in this partnership,” said Rob Althaus, vice president/circulation for Gannett. “It’s a win for the state and a win for the company.”

Gannett publishes the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Brightpoint Services LLC is also locating a new facility in Louisville, one that will add to the metro area’s logistics industry reputation.

Brightpoint, which specializes in wireless distribution and services and has more than 20,000 customers worldwide, will occupy a 239,000 square foot distribution and fulfillment center. Its fulfillment services are proven effective in direct-to-consumer, direct-to-store and to national retailers, according to the company.

KEDFA has approved Brightpoint for tax benefits up to $3 million under the KJDA program.

The company will create more than 150 jobs as a result of the project.

“Brightpoint is excited about our expansion into the state of Kentucky and we look forward to becoming a valued member of the Louisville business community,” said J. Mark Howell, president of the Plainfield, Ind., based company.

Manufacturer Relocates HQ Back to Kentucky

Another site location in the Louisville is Metal Sales Manufacturing Corp., which will move its corporate headquarters back to the metro. The project is expected to create 40 jobs at an average annual wage of nearly $60,000.

The new 20,000 square foot headquarters located in downtown Louisville will offer significant room for future growth, according to the company, which is a manufacturer of metal roofing and siding materials. Renovations are expected to be completed by early 2008.

For the past 10 years, the company has been headquartered in Sellersburg, Ind. Plant operations will continue in Sellersburg.

One of the factors in Metal Sales’ decision to relocate its headquarters to Louisville was the business climate in Kentucky.

“Metal Sales has a long history in the Louisville area, and we are thrilled to be moving the corporate office back to Kentucky,” said Rob Waite, president of the company. “With the new corporate tax landscape in Kentucky, the incentive package that was approved by the commonwealth and the city of Louisville, and our commitment to downtown Louisville, it was an easy decision.”

KEDFA has approved tax benefits of up to $1.5 million under the KJDA program for Metal Sales. Additionally, the company received approval for up to $50,000 under the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA), a new incentive program that allows qualified companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax paid for construction materials and building fixtures.

A fast-growing technology company is expanding in the Lexington metro area. Exstream Software, with roots in Lexington, will construct a new three-story worldwide corporate headquarters building at the Coldstream Research Campus. The company broke ground in July.

Exstream is an example of a home-grown business success. The company, which develops, sells and supports enterprise document creation software for Fortune 1,000 companies, was started in Lexington in 1998.

With the relocation, Exstream Software plans to add 75 jobs to the current work force of 125. In the future, Exstream plans to have 250 jobs in Lexington, according to the company.

Also in the Lexington metro, Alltech, a global biotechnology animal health company, announced that it will build a Center for Animal Nutrigenomics and Applied Animal Nutrition. The new nutrigenomics center is the first of its kind in the world and will define Alltech as a leading biotech company, according to the company. Alltech also plans to partner with the University of Kentucky, as well as other research institutes, to further its research of nutrigenomics and strength collaboration in the region.

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