Carpenter: Companies already interested in new Corbin spec building

Corbin Economic Development Director Bruce Carpenter spoke to the Williamsburg Kiwanis Club.

Work to start production at the new Kowa manufacturing facility in Corbin is moving ahead of schedule, Corbin Economic Development Director Bruce Carpenter told the Williamsburg Kiwanis Club Thursday.

Carpenter, who is also the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Director, was the keynote speaker during Thursday’s regular meeting and gave the club updates on various projects currently underway in and around Corbin.

Carpenter said Kowa’s production was originally projected to start in February but looks like it will start up in January instead.

"They are doing test runs now on the equipment and test production for the parts" Carpenter said. "They do a very specialized plating of automotive parts on fuel lines. It is electrolysis nickel plating."

The company currently employs 10 people and hopes to have 30 – 40 employees after full production starts.

"They have 13 other companies in Japan and China. This is their first presence ever in North America. It is very exciting," Carpenter noted.

"I am hoping down the road that through some expansion and other things they do they will continue to grow here. We certainly look forward to having them here and appreciate them locating in our six-county regional park."

Kowa is located in a 54,000 square-foot spec. building that is located in the regional industrial park.

Carpenter said construction is currently underway for a new 58,000-square foot spec. building at the six-county regional park that could almost be doubled with an expansion.

"I have already had a couple of folks that have inquired about that building," Carpenter said. "We plan on having that building finished sometime in the spring, weather permitted. We are already marketing that building."

Grace Community Healthcare is in the process of closing on land in the regional park and plans to build a nearly $5 million medical facility starting in the spring.

During his address, Carpenter also gave the Kiwanis club a brief update on proposed quarter-horse racetrack, Cumberland Run, that Keeneland plans to build in Corbin in the Tri-County Industrial Park.

"I feel very comfortable that project is moving forward and will continue to move forward," he added.

Cumberland Run is a $30 million project that will employee about 125 to 150 people year round in addition to some seasonal jobs.

The project has been delayed due an injunction filed against the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission by Floyd County, which hopes to force Keeneland to buy the racing license for a defunct racetrack there, instead of seeking a previously unused license.
The Floyd County track, Thunder Ridge, still has a $2.2 million unpaid bond that was used to build the track.

Carpenter also briefly spoke about the work ethic program that the chamber of commerce started five years ago.

The program is currently mandatory in the Corbin and Williamsburg school districts starting in the sophomore year of high school.

Now, any student graduating from either Corbin or Williamsburg with a work ethic program certification, will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the University of the Cumberlands or Eastern Kentucky University if they chose to attend college at either of these institutions of higher learning.

Carpenter said chamber officials are hoping to expand the program into the Whitley County and Knox County school districts in the not too distant future.

"Something our chamber has been really focused on the last several years is educating the workforce," he added. "It is starting hopefully to sink in or they realize the importance of soft skills, like being on time for job, how to do an interview, how to fill out an application and so forth.

"It is the things above and beyond the curriculum of what the schools teach that is so vital to all of us. It has been a great program."

Towards the close of Thursday’s meeting, Carpenter fielded a question from the audience about why Exit 29 in Corbin hasn’t been developed faster.

"Honestly, alcohol," Carpenter responded. "I’ve literally had site consultants and developers say to me as soon as that comes into the city or alcohol is voted in we will develop it. Irregardless, I think you will eventually see that developed. I am hopeful you will see something happening there in the near future."