Northern Kentucky Tri-ED announces 'strong' results for 2012

ERLANGER, Ky. - Northern Kentucky’s lead economic development agency had some of the strongest results of its 26-year history in 2012, the agency announced Thursday.

Northern Kentucky Tri-ED worked with companies to create 3,774 new primary jobs in 2012 – the fourth-highest number in the history of the agency. Those gains came from 12 new companies entering the region in addition to 12 local business expansions.

"All of these are great signs that Northern Kentucky is positioned well for future growth and recovery," said Boone County Judge-Executive Gary Moore, chairman of the Tri-ED board of directors.

A study by Northern Kentucky University’s Center for Economic Analysis and Development found that those projects in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties will create another 2,175 jobs in the region. Companies that announced new locations or expansions in Northern Kentucky last year are expected to invest nearly $258 million in land, buildings and equipment, far above Tri-ED’s annual average of roughly $208 million in investment.

Moore noted that the three Northern Kentucky counties represent 17 percent of the population of the region. But Tri-ED's economic development results account for 41 percent of the primary industry jobs created in 2012 across the region, he said.

"We punched above our weight class a little bit in terms of producing the numbers of jobs," said Tri-ED CEO Dan Tobergte.

Moore said Northern Kentucky's available land, available commercial space and skilled workforce helped win many of last year's economic development projects.

WestPack, a bottle decorating and packaging company based in Russia that announced a new location in Covington, looked at sites in Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee before deciding to locate in Northern Kentucky, said Sam Popiansky, a company spokesman.

"But in Northern Kentucky, we're well positioned to serve a vast portion of the Midwest," he said.