Doing business in Kentucky

Kentucky’s signature industries and geographical location uniquely support the development of agricultural technology in the state and so that you can reach a large consumer base in the United States.

Why do business in Kentucky?

The state of Kentucky, located in the eastern center of the U.S., has an excellent position for export. 70% of the U.S. population can be reached from Kentucky in a one-day drive. Produce can be on store shelves in New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Atlanta within 36 hours of harvesting. Additionally, Kentucky has a large labor force of skilled and hardworking people, currently underutilized after the collapse of the area’s coal industry. The business-friendly climate in Kentucky also allows for short construction permitting time, and there are plenty of affordable natural and energy resources present that are needed for a greenhouse cluster and a complete ‘ag-tech’-ecosystem. In short, Kentucky is the ideal location for a greenhouse and ag-tech-hub.

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Logistics/Distribution

  • Kentucky is located within a day’s drive or a two hour flight of 2/3 of the U.S. population
  • 3 global air shipping hubs (UPS, DHL and Amazon) provide rapid, reliable delivery to virtually any location worldwide
  • 2,760 miles of rail track, including 2,600 miles of freight rail​
  • ​2,000 miles of navigable waterways and 12 active or developing river ports​

Food & Beverage

  • Over 300 Food & Beverage Facilities
  • Over 50,000 employees in Kentucky’s Food & Beverage related industries
  • Kentucky has the greatest concentration, 2x more than average, of beverage manufacturing employment in the United States
  • 95% of the world’s Bourbon is produced in Kentucky​

Agriculture

  • Kentucky farmers achieved $5.90 billion in farm cash receipts in 2018. Kentucky’s leading agricultural product in cash receipts was poultry and eggs at more than $1.2 billion.​
  • 75,966 farms, 13 million acres, making up more than 50% of Kentucky’s total land acreage.
  • Kentucky is, of course, the Horse Capital of the World, and sales of horses and stud fees accounted for cash receipts of nearly $400 million.
  • Kentucky is ranked the top beef producing state east of the Mississippi River.
  • 6th nationally for having the highest number of farms.​​

Kentucky’s agriculture industry has an abundance of support from state leaders including commodity groups made of producers themselves.

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