Gov. Beshear announces grant program for Kentucky communities to boost job growth
Gov. Andy Beshear announced in October that applications are now being accepted for the Kentucky Talent Recruitment Grant Program, which provides state funding to support communities across the commonwealth with workforce relocation, retention and marketing initiatives.
“Kentuckians make up a skilled workforce that is second to none, and this program helps ensure that will continue to be the case for years to come,” Gov. Beshear said.
“We have more quality job opportunities than ever, and we need to be proactive to guarantee every community is prepared to meet the requirements for the jobs of tomorrow. I look forward to seeing how this new grant program can support the great work our communities are already doing and kickstart new strategies.”
The program provides an opportunity for eligible applicants, such as county or city governing bodies, economic development organizations and nonprofits engaged in economic development, to seek state funding to support local and regional talent attraction and retention initiatives.
The grant program is administered by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, with up to $500,000 available to eligible local and regional entities to design and execute programs that attract new residents, retain Kentucky graduates and build the marketing infrastructure needed to generate interest in Kentucky as a place to live and work. The program emphasizes collaboration among counties to achieve greater impact on regional talent strategies, with additional scoring opportunities for applicants with Heritage County designations.
Details on the program, including eligibility criteria and guidelines, an application framework and the downloadable application are available at NewKentuckyHome.ky.gov.
Kentucky’s workforce relocation and retention efforts further what has been the best six-year period for economic growth in state history.
Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced nearly 1,400 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $54 billion in announced investments, creating more than 71,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history and $33 billion more than the next highest total.
Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky’s position as a national leader in automotive and energy storage system battery production: Ford Motor Co.’s nearly $3 billion, 2,200-job commitments in Louisville, as well as its $2 billion, 2,100-job project at the Kentucky 1 plant in Hardin County; Shelbyvillw Battery Manufacturing’s $712 million investment, creating 1,572 jobs in Shelby County; and Toyota’s $1.3 billion investment in Scott County, among others.
In February, the Governor announced Kentucky once again set an all-time record for products shipped globally, with $51.6 billion in exports in 2025, representing a 7.65% increase over 2024.
Unemployment rates fell in all 120 counties between December 2024 and December 2025
The Governor’s administration also secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund. In 2023, Kentucky recorded over 2 million jobs filled for the first time ever and has stayed above that number ever since.
In addition, Kentucky has secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings, S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service.
Earlier this year, Site Selection magazine ranked Kentucky in the top five nationally and second in the South Central region for economic development projects per capita in its 2025 Governor’s Cup rankings. In June, Area Development magazine awarded the commonwealth a Silver Shovel designation in its 2025 Shovel Awards, which highlight states for attracting high-value investment projects that will create a significant number of new jobs in their communities.
Gov. Beshear also announced a new initiative, called New Kentucky Home, to increase economic investment, attain and attract talent, and increase tourism across the state.
New aluminum factory set for Logan County, Ky.
Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted exciting new momentum within the state’s manufacturing industry as ClearFlow Metalworks announced plans to locate a new $28 million aluminum manufacturing facility in Logan County, a project that will create 50 new full-time jobs.
“Kentucky’s manufacturing sector continues to fuel our red-hot economy and create good-paying jobs for our families,” said Gov. Beshear. “Our talented workforce, incentive programs, unique location and speed-to-market resources make the commonwealth a great place to do business. I am excited to welcome ClearFlow Metalworks to their New Kentucky Home and look forward to their success in Logan County.”
The project will establish a long-term manufacturing presence in the United States to serve growing domestic demand for aluminum products while supporting the expansion of sustainable aluminum recycling and production. The project will be developed in phases, with Phase I consisting of a secondary aluminum billet casting facility with an estimated annual production capacity of approximately 100,000 tons. The facility will process recycled aluminum materials and produce aluminum billets for use in extrusion and other downstream manufacturing applications.
Rural Floyd County, Ky., captures nice deal
A week after announcing the largest investment on record for Owsley County (4,000 residents), Gov. Andy Beshear celebrated an estimated $17 million investment in Floyd County by R/S-Godwin Truck Body Co. The fourth-generation family-owned trucking equipment manufacturer is expanding its operations for future growth and creating 65 new full-time jobs in Eastern Kentucky.
“From Owsley County to Floyd County, we are celebrating some great wins for Eastern Kentucky that we create more opportunities for the hardworking families who call this region home,” said Gov. Beshear. “Our state was built on small, family-owned businesses choosing to reinvest and grow here, and I want to thank the leadership of R/S-Godwin Truck Body Co. for their commitment to our commonwealth and our people. I am excited to see their continued success in the years to come.”
To enable growth and allow for increased productive output, R/S-Godwin is planning an expansion of land, buildings and machinery. This type of manufacturing expansion will create skilled labor jobs for the following skillsets: welding, fabrication, CNC plasma, CNC pressbrakes, material handling and others. The company is also in the initial phase of procuring the adjacent 7-plus acres that will allow for the future growth of its manufacturing capacity.
