International companies pick Northern Kentucky (NKY) because it shortens the distance between strategy and execution. From a central U.S. launchpad and world-class cargo access to competitive costs and a deep talent bench, NKY lets global firms scale faster—and with less friction. Below are a dozen practical reasons, each illustrated with recent wins and expansions.

1) Central access to U.S. customers—without coastal costs

From NKY, a single facility can serve the Midwest, East, and South on next-day ground. Interstates I-71/75, Class I rail, river ports on the Ohio, and international air cargo at CVG compress lead times and working capital needs. That’s why advanced manufacturers like Mazak (Japan) built their North American footprint here and kept expanding – for 50 years -into an iSMART Factory™ producing 70+ machining solutions in Florence with 600+ local employees.

Read more: Transportation & Infrastructure

2) One of North America’s most capable cargo hubs

Speed to market isn’t a slogan here—it’s the operating model. CVG ranks as the 6th-largest cargo airport in North America and 12th globally (2023), with Amazon’s primary U.S. Air Hub and DHL’s Americas Super Hub on site—meaning your parts and finished goods move in hours, not days. That connectivity underpins site-selection decisions in aerospace, medical, and high-value manufacturing.

3) Blue-chip FDI momentum you can benchmark

Global firms don’t just announce NKY—they scale in NKY. Safran Landing Systems (France) expanded in 2023 in Boone County, adding 92 high-wage jobs to meet U.S. demand for carbon brakes and landing systems—proof that complex aerospace production can ramp here quickly.

Read more: Advanced Manufacturing in NKY

4) Cost profile that makes ROI math work

Electric power, real estate, and labor combine for a more favorable cost stack than coastal or sunbelt peers, while keeping you close to demand. Zotefoams (U.K.) invested $20M+ to create a full-process site in Walton, adding 25 jobs and improving U.S. service levels to aerospace and industrial customers. When every basis point counts, that matters. You can see this play out in the aerospace industry as the region has attracted $3.2B in investments over the last seven years.

Read more: Tax Incentives

5) Sites and buildings that shorten ramp-up

Pad-ready ground and modern Class-A industrial stock let first-time U.S. entrants hit timelines without compromising specs. Developers around CVG, Richwood/Walton, and the I-75 corridor offer heavy-power, high-clear, food-grade, and cold-capable options with proven utility partners. Tie that to CVG’s cargo network, and your commissioning plan suddenly looks a lot less risky. 

Read more: Site Selection ZoomProspector

6) A logistics ecosystem that multiplies your advantage

NKY blends air cargo, river, interstate, and rail in one metro—plus dense 3PL, automation, and packaging partners. The Ports of Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky are recognized as the busiest inland port district in the U.S., moving tens of millions of tons annually across a 226.5-mile river reach—ideal for bulk inputs and export flows.

Read more: Supply Chain & Logistics

7) A talent pipeline built with industry, not just for it

Within ~100 miles, universities and technical colleges graduate tens of thousands annually across engineering, IT, biosciences, and skilled trades (NKU, UC, Miami, Xavier, Thomas More, Gateway/KY FAME). Employers co-design co-ops, capstones, and apprenticeships, so new hires arrive job-ready and upskilling is turnkey. That’s the backbone behind Mazak’s five decades of Kentucky manufacturing and Safran’s continued scaling. 

Read more: Workforce Development

8) Proof that European auto suppliers can thrive here

Lightweighting, e-powertrain, and chassis suppliers are expanding to meet OEM demand within a day’s drive. In 2024, Mubea (Germany) announced a $24.3M Boone County expansion, adding 102 full-time jobs—deepening North American capacity in critical automotive components and positioning for EV-era growth. 

9) Fast consumer access for food & confectionery brands

For CPGs, NKY’s combo of air cargo, interstate access, and packaging know-how is hard to beat. Perfetti Van Melle (Italy) has invested steadily since 2017, including a $10M expansion in 2021 that pushed local investment over $35M and more than doubled the NKY workforce to support U.S. growth of Airheads and Mentos.

Read more: Food & Flavoring

10) An advanced-manufacturing bench you can plug into

Robotics, machining, composites, and automation providers sit minutes away—accelerating troubleshooting, tooling changes, and continuous improvement. That supplier density helps international plants localize faster, stabilize yields, and reduce reliance on long-haul engineering support.

Balluff anchors advanced automation here with its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing in Florence—part of a steadily expanding NKY footprint that supplies sensors, networking, and machine-vision tech to nearby plants. DESMA USA, based in Hebron, brings turnkey rubber-injection solutions and on-site engineering support, shortening tool changes and speeding PPAPs for Tier-1s and OEMs across the valley. 

Hy-Tek Intralogistics now operates in two NKY nodes—its 20,000-sq-ft Innovation Lab in Erlanger (born from its AHS acquisition) and a Hebron facility—giving manufacturers a local testbed for robotics, conveyance, and WES/WMS integrations before floor-wide rollout.

11) A single front door for your U.S. soft-landing

BE NKY Growth Partnership coordinates sites, incentives, workforce, and permitting partners so one team owns the critical path. Expect curated supplier intros, joint recruiting with colleges, and help aligning grants or credits with your timelines. That’s how expansions like Safran, Mubea, and Zotefoams get from concept to commissioning on schedule.

Read more: About BE NKY

12) A place your leaders (and recruits) actually want to live

Short commutes (~23 minutes), housing costs below U.S. averages, riverfront neighborhoods, pro sports across the bridge, and a serious food scene make retention easier. Frequent flights from CVG turn international travel days into half-days with regular direct flights to Paris, London, Montreal, and Toronto. When quality of life and career growth align, relocation offers get a lot easier to accept.

Read more: Living in NKY

Ready to evaluate NKY for U.S. entry or expansion?

Start with the fundamentals—and a local team that acts like an extension of yours.

Let’s talk. BE NKY Growth Partnership helps international companies stand up and scale U.S. operations—faster.