Welcome to ON TARGET, Graves County Economic Development's (GCED) bi-monthly newsletter. Here you can learn economic development updates, projects, and upcoming events. In this edition of ON TARGET we'll discuss recent events, last year's achievements, project updates, and what we're looking forward to in the future.

Past Months' Announcements

March

GCED will expand the Hickory Industrial Park westwards with the grading of a 500,000 square feet build ready pad, the widening of Hickory Road, and the extension of utilities to the pad site. Bacon Farmer Workman Engineers worked on this project's planning, and has partnered with GCED on other economic development projects in the past, such as the 150,000 speculative building project currently underway in the Hickory Industrial Park. This project is made possible through the Kentucky Product Development Initiative (KPDI) round 2 grant awarded to GCED. KPDI began in 2022 through a partnership between the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development (KCED), the Kentucky Association for Economic Development (KAED), and a fund created by the state. Prior rounds of this initiative were used to grade the pad that Osmundson Mfg. Co. will locate on and construct the speculative building currently underway in the Industrial Park. Thank you to KCED, KAED, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, and all of our economic development partners who make this project possible.

The Graves County Fiscal Court and City of Mayfield thanked our state legislators, Representative Richard Heath and Senator Jason Howell, for their advocacy of Graves County and Western Kentucky with the Let's Do BBQ event in Frankfort. GCED supported our local government with this event.

April

GCED hosted our second plant managers' roundtable discussion to bring together the business and industry leadership in Mayfield and Graves County to discuss topics affecting industry. Our first plant managers' meeting was held in February, with infrastructure and workforce development being the main topics discussed. This second plant managers' roundtable discussion followed up on these topics with further discussion of workforce and infrastructure projects. Topics for the next meeting will include financial support opportunities and follow-ups with workforce development progress from the second meeting in April.

The Mayfield/Graves County Chamber Leadership Class of 2023-2024 includes Jason Lemle, GCED President. In April, the class had Business and Industry day, where they met with and learned more about some of the businesses and industries in Mayfield and Graves County.

GCED traveled to Nashville for the Tennessee Valley Authority Economic Development Forum and to Somerset, Kentucky for the KY Collaboration Conference, hosted by KAED. These were opportunities for GCED to network with colleagues and consultants across the the state and region to learn new economic development opportunities, such as technological advancements for site selection and development, workforce development, and many more valuable insights. We appreciate our economic development partners which made these events possible!

May

Beginning in August 2023, the Area Technology Center (ATC) started recognizing a star student with an award plaque sponsored by a business. In May, Progress Rail sponsored the award. Awardmasters, Universal Compressor Solutions, A.C.E. Compressors, the Mayfield Kentucky Industrial Development Authority, and GCED have all been previous sponsors. We are always looking for new businesses to support this collaborative community effort. Please email Alex at Awardmasters if you are interested in being a sponsor to recognize these outstanding ATC students.

June

GCED is hosting our Skybox Partners Luncheon on Thursday, June 27th at the Graves County Extension Center. For more information about becoming a Skybox partner, please follow the link below.

For any questions please call Garrett Clark at (270)804-8224 or send an email to garrett@gravescountyed.com