Ft. Mitchell, KY (January 23, 2023) – BE NKY Growth Partnership succeeded on multiple fronts in 2024, exceeding its targets, growing its team by two members, and releasing reports analyzing population and labor force trends, and charting a course to a more competitive Northern Kentucky.
BE NKY won 18 projects, bringing 1,467 new jobs and $499 million in capital investment to Northern Kentucky. The company surpassed project targets by 20 percent, job targets by 13 percent, and capital investment targets by 11 percent. These new jobs pay an average wage above $66,000 and total compensation for the jobs announced averaged $82,967.
“The advanced manufacturing sector continues to dominate in Northern Kentucky, leading the way in project wins, job announcements, and capital investment in 2024,” said BE NKY Vice President of Economic Development Kimberly Rossetti. “We are proud to bring five new companies to Northern Kentucky and celebrate 13 existing companies expanding their operations in our region.”
Two newly created positions were added to the BE NKY staff in 2024. Ashby Drummond joined the team in August as a Research Analyst. In this role, Drummond conducts industry and economic research, provides the BE NKY team with robust data support, helps manage the Northern Kentucky Atlas and supports the overall economic development operations of BE NKY.
Carolyn McNerney was hired in October as an Administrative Specialist, assisting Rossetti and Vice President of Strategy Christine Russell. McNerney supports BE NKY’s economic development and strategy teams through multiple avenues, including meeting preparation, management of schedules, and representing BE NKY at community events and investor meetings.
“Since 2022, BE NKY has added six new positions to its team, and 2024 was the fourth year in a row that BE NKY exceeded its targets for capital investment,” said BE NKY Board Chair Jim Dressman. “I am proud to help lead this company driving diversity in our region’s economy and look forward to what we will accomplish in 2025.”
Companies that located or expanded in Northern Kentucky in 2024 will be recognized at BE NKY’s 2025 Annual Forum on Feb. 6 at Northern Kentucky University. Register here: https://be-nky.com/2025annualforum/.
BE NKY also continued work on its four initiatives identified as part of its Build + Elevate NKY Investor Campaign in 2022:
Data-Informed Community Decision-Making
BE NKY promoted and enhanced the Northern Kentucky Atlas through added functionality including the CaptAIn chatbot, Northern Kentucky economic indicators dashboard, testimonials and articles.
BE NKY collaborated with the Center for Economic Analysis and Development at the Haile College of Business at Northern Kentucky University to release a study about future population and labor force trends in Northern Kentucky and published “Navigating Change and Charting a Course to a More Competitive Northern Kentucky,” in collaboration with Economic Leadership.
This report is a five-year strategic analysis that identified five critical needs for the region’s continued economic success and recommended strategies for improvement. Data collection for this report included interviews with more than 100 business leaders at more than 40 strategic base companies.
Deliver Customized Workforce Solutions
Workforce Development Manager Kim Spreder held 62 meetings with employers to specifically discuss workforce issues and BE NKY invested $250,000 in NKY Works.
BE NKY’s Community Competitive Initiative identified “talent growth through attraction, retention, and skill alignment” as one of the region’s top critical needs for a more competitive Northern Kentucky. In partnership with local schools, BE NKY is working to develop a system for career experience, exposure, exploration, and engagement for students in kindergarten through 12th grades.
“The Community Competitive Initiative will serve as a guide for maintaining economic prosperity in Northern Kentucky,” said BE NKY CEO Lee Crume. “Through collaboration with numerous community partners, we will work to ensure our region has the talented workforce it needs to fill existing jobs and attract new ones.”
Targeted Business Growth
Business Growth Manager Jacob Edmonds launched 30 outbound email campaigns and sent more than 6,000 emails to over 2,000 people. BE NKY team members organized a market visit to Montreal and promoted Northern Kentucky at five conferences and tradeshows in cities such as Barcelona and Seoul, resulting in 80 meetings with potential clients.
Activate the Northern Kentucky Port Authority
2024 was a very successful year for the Northern Kentucky Port Authority, a managed entity of BE NKY. In June, the NKY Port celebrated a Topping Out Ceremony for the OneNKY Center in Covington, the future home of the Covington Life Science Lab and 10 Northern Kentucky growth organizations, including BE NKY.
In September, the NKY Port celebrated the start of construction for SparkHaus, the future home of entrepreneurship in Northern Kentucky. The NKY Port is also helping lead development of the Commonwealth Center for Biomedical Excellence in Covington, which will house Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law and the University of Kentucky College of Medicine’s Northern Kentucky Campus.
Find BE NKY’s 2024 annual report here.
About BE NKY Growth Partnership
BE NKY Growth Partnership, the economic development company for Northern Kentucky, provides businesses with the expertise they need to build opportunity in Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties. We attract new business and elevate what’s already here to create innovative, forward-thinking, and attractive environments for companies and community success. We serve Northern Kentucky so that our community thrives through the creation of good jobs and a growing and diverse economy. We believe in Opportunity and Prosperity for All Northern Kentuckians. Visit www.BE-NKY.com for more information.
