It was a triumphant year for Northern Kentucky.
The number of new and expanding companies in Northern
Kentucky more than doubled in 2010. That growth is expected to create 3,513 new
jobs and $200 million in investment in land, buildings and equipment over the
next three years.
It's a portrait of resilience, strength and success. And last
month, the region's business leaders gathered to celebrate and recognize the
Thoroughbreds -- the 22 companies that together helped Northern Kentucky thrive
and grow last year.
"In fiscally uncertain times, it is quite gratifying
to see these companies make a capital investment -- and a show of confidence --
in the Northern Kentucky area," says Dan Tobergte, President & CEO of
Northern Kentucky Tri-ED, which holds the annual luncheon.
The invitation-only event serves to recognize and
appreciate primary business
that locate, expand or are
created anew in Northern Kentucky. It's a cornerstone of Tri-ED's activities
and mission.
"We want to make sure we show that Northern Kentucky
services after the sale," says Tobergte.
The 22 companies honored as 2011 Northern Kentucky
Thoroughbreds are:
Bexion Pharmaceuticals: Bexion is
focused on developing and commercializing innovative cures for cancer. In 2010,
Bexion was selected by the National Cancer Institute for a research
collaboration to study Bexion's first-in-class cancer nanotherapy treatment for
solid tumors.
Car-Part.com: Car-Part is a
search engine for recycled auto parts. Founded in 1998, Car-Part has grown to
become the world's largest used parts marketplace, with over 10 million
searches per month. Additionally, Car-Part provides auto recyclers with all of
the software necessary for effective business operations.
Coating
Excellence International: A flexible packaging manufacturing operation based in
Wrightstown, Wisconsin, CEI announced plans to open an additional manufacturing
plant in Hebron. The 120,000-square-foot facility, which converts raw materials
into finished bags for the pet food / animal feed industry, is the company's
first outside Wisconsin and is expected to create about 100 jobs over three
years.
Cold Chain Integrity: A venture of United Dairy Farmers, Cold Chain Integrity
completed Phase II construction of a 100,000-square-foot, highly specialized,
ultra-low temperature room with redundant power and refrigeration for a
long-term, pharmaceutical tenant in 2010. The project created 40 jobs. The
total warehouse space now exceeds 350,000 square feet, making Cold Chain
Integrity the largest public cold storage facility in the Tri-State.
Daniels Sharpsmart, Inc. chose Northern Kentucky as the location of its newest
facility. Daniels Sharpsmart provides a fully integrated, technologically advanced system
that ensures safe, cost effective and compliant disposal of sharps -- medical
and pharmaceutical waste.
Diversified
Structural Composites, Inc.,
a world leader in the manufacture of pultruded fiberglass and carbon fiber
composite components, announced plans to consolidate operations of two
facilities into a larger 96,000-square-foot facility in Boone County. The
company has operated in Northern Kentucky since 1991.
After a planned expansion, coupled with an expansion
completed in 2009,
Kop-Flex will have added
over 165 jobs to its Florence location. A division of Emerson Electric, the
company manufactures mechanical power transmission drives, components and
bearings that serve a wide variety of industries, including aggregate, forestry
and wood products, grain and biofuels, power generation, food and beverage and
HVAC.
FASTEMP Glass, founded in 1981, stocks more than 30 different types and
sizes of glass, from clear to colored and patterned. FASTEMP's furnace tempers
glass from 1/8" to 1/4" thick to serve markets that include
automotive, marine, recreational vehicles, display cases and fireplace screens.
Gates Corporation produces V belts and synchronous belts, industrial hoses
and hydraulics. Formerly known as The Gates Rubber Company, Gates is one of the
world's largest manufacturers of industrial and automotive belts and hoses,
plus a host of related products.
HAHN Automation,
Inc. began an expansion
project to construct a 25,000 square-foot facility in Hebron. Founded in
Germany in 1992 and operating in Kentucky since 2001, Hahn is a full-service
supplier of custom automation equipment serving the automotive, consumer and
pharmaceutical industries.
Innomark
Communications specializes
in large point-of-purchase displays used in retail establishments. After
acquiring one of the world's largest five-color lithographic printing presses
in 2010, the company's plans for expansion include the design, printing and
packing of advertising displays for the consumer products industry.
Jacobs
Automation, a leading
automation technology provider located in Hebron, secured Series A financing
from Blue Chip Venture Company and a loan from the Kentucky Department of
Commercialization and Innovation. The company's premier product, PackTrak,
replaces hardware with software, eliminating changeover time and cost, while
reducing the end user's carbon footprint.
LeanCor is the only Third Party Logistics provider (3PL) wholly
dedicated to the application of lean principles throughout the supply chain. Recognizing
that not all companies have the volume and leverage of large manufacturers,
LeanCor designs, implements and manages lean supply chain and logistics
networks for any size company.
North American Spring Enterprises Company is a new company that will manufacture open coil
innerspring mattress products for one of its bedding manufacturer affiliates,
Simmons Bedding Company ("Simmons") or National Bedding Company LLC
("Serta"). These affiliates sell Simmons and/or Serta branded
mattresses throughout the United States and Canada and through licensees
worldwide.
Parkway Products, founded in 1946, has both headquarters and a
manufacturing facility in Boone County. The company is a global leader in
custom molding technologies with nine facilities located throughout North
America. In 2010, Parkway expanded its existing facility from 55,686 square
feet to 110,166 square feet.
PEMCO established operations in NKY in 2010 in the South
Airfield area of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. With
operations in Florida and Alabama, the 50-year-old company specializes in all
levels of airframe maintenance checks, plus interior, avionics, structural and
cargo modifications (MRO). PEMCO expects to hire up to 250-300 persons at full
capacity.
Pratt Display,
a Division of Pratt Industries, located a manufacturing facility in Boone
County to produce point-of-purchase displays for in-store marketers and other
Pratt customers. Pratt is the 6th largest paper and packaging company in
America. The privately-owned company operates three high-tech 100% recycled
paper mills, as well as corrugated sheet and box plants throughout the Eastern
United States and Mexico.
The Renaissance Group LLC, which does business as Renaissance Investment
Management, is a registered investment advisor. Founded in 1978 in Cincinnati,
the company's 25 employees moved to the Covington riverfront in May 2010.
Renaissance provides investment management services to a variety of clients
including high net worth, institutional and sub-advisory relationships.
TiER1
Performance Solutions
helps large organizations use information and knowledge to improve performance.
With over 100 world-class clients including Macy's, FedEx, PNC, Wendy's, and
the US Air Force, TiER1 has averaged annual growth of 30% per year and has been
named to the Inc. 5000 list four straight years.
ZF Steering Systems, LLC
announced plans in 2010 to invest $95.8 million over the next three years and
create 374 full-time jobs. The company, a 100% subsidiary of ZF Lenksysteme
GmbH, based in Germany and located in Kentucky since 1994, manufactures
steering and suspension components for passenger cars and SUVs.
ZoomEssence utilizes their patent-pending DriZoom technology to
deliver liquid quality flavors & ingredients in a powder form. In 2010,
ZoomEssence created 20 jobs. The company was formed in Hebron in 2008.
Zumbiel Packaging is the largest U.S. supplier of beverage packaging that
does not produce its own paperboard. The company will build a new 180,000
square-foot facility next to its existing facility in Hebron.
3z.net is a data center offering fully integrated, high-tech
cloud and physical solutions for business. While not included among the 2010
Thoroughbreds, 3z.net was recognized for a grant it received through
ezone.