July 2015 Volume Xxiii, Issue Vii
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USINESS OCUS BOFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF COMMERCE LEXINGTON INC. F JULY 2015 VOLUME XXIII, ISSUE VII PRESENTS D.C. FLY-IN Bluegrass Delegation Heads to Capitol Hill July 8-9 to Advocate for Regional Priorities Inside This Issue: July 2nd Public Policy Luncheon Features U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell International Trip: The Best of Croatia Set for November 6 - 14, 2015 Register Now for Business on the Green at Andover www.CommerceLexington.com Golf & Country Club BUSINESS FOCUS July 2015: Volume XXIII, Issue VII INSIDE THIS ISSUE 4-5 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems Breaks Ground on Expansion Business Focus is published once a month for a BUSINESS FEATURE: Directed Energy, Inc. total of 12 issues per year by Commerce STAT: Unemployment Rate Reaches Lowest in 14 Years Lexington Inc., 330 East Main Street, Suite 100, CLX Staff Attends Area Development Consultants Forum Lexington, KY 40507. Phone: (859) 226-1600 2015 Chairman of the Board: PUBLIC POLICY: Herb Miller, President Columbia Gas of Kentucky 6 Bluegrass Delegation Heads to Capitol Hill July 8-9 for D.C. Fly-In Publisher: Robert L. Quick, CCE, President & CEO EVENTS: Commerce Lexington Inc. 7-11 Register Now for International Trip to Croatia, Nov. 6-14 Business On The Green is August 10th at Andover Editor: Mark E. Turner Special ‘LINK AT THE LEGENDS’ is August 18th Communications Specialist: Elizabeth Bennett Printing: Post Printing Salute to Small Business Awards Luncheon is Aug. 26th Mail Service: Lexington Herald-Leader Subscriptions are available for $12 and are GET CONNECTED: included as a direct benefit of Commerce 12-15 Leadership Development Program Recaps Lexington Inc. membership. Business Focus Ambassador Spotlight: Laura Adams, PRIME3SG (USPS 012-337) periodical postage paid at Lexington, Kentucky. Volunteers Sought for 2015 Winner’s Circle Program Welcome New Commerce Lexington Inc. Members POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Member Personnel Announcements & Awards Business Focus, Commerce Lexington Inc., P.O. Box 1968, Lexington, KY 40588-1968. Display Rates For DISPLAY RATES in Business Focus, con- WHAT 2 WATCH 4 tact Dana Zinger at (859) 226-1607 or [email protected], and an account executive will contact you. Personnel Updates Forcht Bank Presents the 2015 Register Now for August 10th Submit your company’s awards and mile- Salute to Small Business Awards Business on the Green at stones or personnel changes and additions Luncheon on Friday, August 28 Andover Golf & Country Club to [email protected]. Personnel news might include promotions, additions, awards and milestones, recogni- tions and certifications and/or appoint- ments. Information is published only as space permits. Register Now for 2015 U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell is Cover Photo International Trip to Featured Guest at July 2nd U.S. Capitol photo on the cover of this issue Public Policy Luncheon was taken by Mark Turner (CLX staff), with a Croatia November 6-14 watercolor effect added. 2 BUSINESS FOCUS JULY 2015 For Second Consecutive Year, Commerce Lexington Inc. to be Recognized Among Top Chambers of Commerce at ACCE Annual Convention Commerce Lexington Inc. is ACCE staff and the Chamber of the Year volunteer judging commit- proud to announce that it has tee determine the competition category for each applicant based on been named among the finalists established criteria, including: annual revenue, member accounts, serv- for the Association of Chamber of ice area population, number of businesses in the service area, and Commerce Executives’ (ACCE) restricted revenue as a percentage of total revenue. 2015 Chamber of the Year Award. This marks the second consecutive The 2015 Chamber of the Year Award winners will be announced at year that Commerce Lexington Inc. has been recognized as a finalist for ACCE’s Annual Convention, August 11-14, in Montreal, Canada. the honor. Chamber of the Year is the nation’s only award recognizing the dual 2015 CHAMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD FINALISTS: role chambers have in leading businesses and communities. Chambers honored with this designation have not only demonstrated organization- CATEGORY 5: Association of Washington Business (WA); Greater Omaha al strength, but also have made an impact on key community priorities Chamber of Commerce (NE); Georgia Chamber of Commerce (GA). such as education, transportation, business development, and quality of life. CATEGORY 4: Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce (TN); Commerce Commerce Lexington Inc. President and CEO Bob Quick, CCE, said, Lexington Inc. (KY); Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (SC). “This honor not only recognizes our hardworking staff, but also the con- tributions of our members, the board of directors, and many communi- CATEGORY 3: Billings Chamber of Commerce (MT); Gainesville Area ty volunteers who work hard each day to help Commerce Lexington Inc. Chamber of Commerce (FL); Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce (TX). fulfill its mission. They are always thinking with the end goal in mind – to serve our members better, improve our quality of place, and create CATEGORY 2: Coastal Alabama Business Chamber (AL); Lake Houston jobs.” Chamber of Commerce (TX); Vail Valley Partnership (CO). The Chamber of the Year process begins with the Annual Operations Survey. Applicants qualified to compete by completing the survey and CATEGORY 1: Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce (AZ); Newnan- meeting thresholds in at least four of six key performance areas includ- Coweta Chamber of Commerce (GA); Shawnee Chamber of Commerce ing: net revenue, net assets, reserve funds, membership account reten- (KS). tion, and membership dollar retention. JULY 2015 BUSINESS FOCUS 3 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT A Collaborative Effort of the Bluegrass Business Development Partnership (BBDP): SUBMITTED BY: Gina Greathouse, Hannah Huggins, Kimberly Rossetti & Allison Boyd CLX Economic Development Division Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems Breaks Ground on Expansion Commerce Lexington Inc. is thrilled to announce the expansion of Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems operations. Sumitomo, a leading supplier of wire har- nesses, components and electronics to the automotive industry, is expected to create up to 10 new jobs and invest nearly $8.5 million into the project. Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems will construct a 440,000-square foot facility on Remington Way, off Citation Boulevard. The company will consolidate two existing facili- ties in Lexington and double their footprint, which will allow for future growth. “Employers like Sumitomo help keep our local and regional economy strong,” said Lexington Mayor Jim Gray. “After outgrowing its current facilities, the company saw the benefit of staying and continuing to add jobs in Lexington, which speaks to the value of our workforce and high quality of life.” “Sumitomo has created an outstanding by our economic development team, and we Many economic development partners economic impact on our city and region,” have enjoyed working with the international worked together to bring the expansion proj- said Bob Quick, president and CEO of company from the first day they located in ect to fruition. Congratulations to Commerce Lexington Inc. “The new invest- Lexington. Congrats to Sumitomo on its Sumitomo on their growth and continued ment and added jobs are greatly appreciated expansion.” investment in our community! By The Numbers: In 2015, Commerce Lexington’s Economic Development Division has responded to calls from the following: New Business: 46 new prospects interested in finding a new location or expanding operations Existing Clients & Local Entrepreneurial Companies: 18 companies with potential expansions in Lexington Startup to Success Client Visits: 12 On June 3rd, the Lexington Venture Club hosted “Startup to Success,” a unique networking Existing Business Visits: 70 event showcasing 24 companies and featuring a panel of three companies – CLARK Material Handling Company, nGimat and MakeTime. The event focused on innovation and entrepre- neurship. Over 125 individuals attended this first-time event. www.LocateinLexington.com | www.twitter.com/locateinlex | www.facebook.com/locateinlex 4 BUSINESS FOCUS JULY 2015 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Area Development Consultants Forum Business Feature: Directed Energy Inc. Directed Energy Inc. is a research and develop- ment firm specialized in the interaction of ion- ized gas (plasma) with the electromagnetic spectrum. Under an Army funded SBIR, Directed Energy is developing a UV light communication system based on plasma technology. UV light On June 1st, Commerce Lexington Inc. staff attended the Area Development communication systems are of interest to mili- Consultants Forum in Philadelphia. This forum addresses the leading issues, strate- tary because they allow for covert, non-line-of- gies and best practices necessary for successful economic development. It is an excel- sight communication. Directed Energy located lent opportunity for professional development and networking with site selection con- in Lexington in 2013 as a part of the Kentucky sultants. We made contact with ten site selection consultants. SBIR match program. Learn more about the company at www.directedenergyky.com. Lexington’s Unemployment Rate EDITOR’S NOTE: As a part of Commerce Lexington Inc.’s eco- Hits Lowest in Fourteen Years nomic development efforts, we visit 150 com- As Lexington continues to add new jobs, the unemployment rate has panies each year to gauge our local business dropped to the lowest it has been in almost fifteen years. According