Presents Public Policy Luncheon Tuesday, April 23 Featuring
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USINESS OCUS BOFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF COMMERCE LEXINGTON INC. F APRIL 2013 VOLUME XXI, ISSUE IV Presents Public Policy Luncheon Tuesday, April 23 Featuring: KENTUCKY SENATE KENTUCKY HOUSE PRESIDENT SPEAKER ROBERT STIVERS GREG STUMBO INSIDE THIS ISSUE: No Cost Small Business Support Program BOAB Hosts Enrollment Event The Club at Spindletop Host Business Link on Thursday, April 18th Legislative Session Update Discover Vietnam & Cambodia With www.CommerceLexington.com Commerce Lexington Inc. in October BUSINESS FOCUS April 2013: Volume XXI, Issue IV INSIDE THIS ISSUE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: 4 Recent Existing Business Expansion Announcements Lexington Game Developers Attend PAX East Conference Business Focus is published once a month for a Lexington Venture Club Meets on May 15th total of 12 issues per year by Commerce Lexington Inc., 330 East Main Street, Suite 100, Lexington, KY 40507. Phone: (859) 226-1600 PUBLIC POLICY: 5 Legislative Session: Time Running Short for State Pension Reform 2013 Chair of the Board: Andi Johnson Named CLX Vice President of Public Policy Danny Murphy, Assistant Dean of Administration and Community Engagement University of Kentucky College of Law EVENTS: Publisher: 6-11 Robert L. Quick, CCE, President & CEO Public Policy Luncheon Features Sen. Stivers, Rep. Stumbo Commerce Lexington Inc. BOAB Enrollment Event is Thursday, May 23rd Resource Roundtable: “From Cocktails to Customers” Editor: Mark E. Turner The Club at Spindletop Hall Hosts April Business Link Communications Specialist: Elizabeth Bennett Printing: Post Printing International Trip: Discover Vietnam & Cambodia Mail Service: Lexington Herald-Leader More than 170 People Set to Head to Omaha May 8-10 Subscriptions are available for $12 and are GET CONNECTED: included as a direct benefit of Commerce 12-15 Lexington Inc. membership. Business Focus Leadership Development Program Recaps (USPS 012-337) periodical postage paid at Once Upon a Story Slated for April 20th Lexington, Kentucky. AMBASSADOR SPOTLIGHT: Amy Sellin POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Welcome New Commerce Lexington Inc. Members Business Focus, Commerce Lexington Inc., Member Personnel Announcements P.O. Box 1968, Lexington, KY 40588-1968. DISPLAY RATES WHAT 2 WATCH 4 For DISPLAY RATES in Business Focus, con- tact Dana Zinger at (859) 226-1607 or [email protected], and an account executive will contact you. April 23rd Public Policy Luncheon Business Resource Roundtable Features Senate President Stivers PERSONNEL UPDATES Presents “From Cocktails to Submit your company’s awards and mile- & House Speaker Stumbo Customers” on April 9th stones or personnel changes and additions 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. Business Owners Advisory Business Link Co-Sponsored by Boards Host Enrollment Event on The Club at Spindletop & UK Thursday, May 23rd Federal Credit Union 2 BUSINESS FOCUS APRIL 2013 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT A Collaborative Effort of the Bluegrass Business Development Partnership (BBDP): SUBMITTED BY: Gina Greathouse, Margaret Ridley, Kimberly Rossetti & Alaina Stephens, Commerce Lexington Inc. Economic Development Division Recent Economic Development Existing Business Expansion Announcements HUMMINGBIRD NANO Hummingbird Nano, a high-tech manufacturing company, is expanding its operations in Coldstream Center. The company, which makes precision components for the bio-tech, telecommu- nications, aerospace and energy industries, is adding 18 new jobs and a capital investment of over $500,000. The company is the only company in the world with this precision technology. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and Bob Quick announced the expansion project at Coldstream Research Campus on March 1. Congrats to Hummingbird Nano on its expansion. On hand for Hummingbird Nano expansion announcement on March 1st were (left to TOTAL QUALITY LOGISTICS right) CLX President & CEO Bob Quick, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, Grant Stephens, CEO Total Quality Logistics (TQL), a freight brokerage firm, is expand- & General Counsel, Hummingbird Nano, and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. (Photo ing its Lexington sales and operations center. The company is by Tucker Jackson | CLX Staff) adding 75 new jobs and investing nearly $1.8 million. Founded in 1997, the company is already the second-largest freight brokerage Next Venture Club firm in the nation. Congrats to TQL! By The Numbers: Meeting is May 15 In 2013, Commerce Lexington’s Economic J.M. SMUCKER COMPANY Development Division has responded to Jif Peanut Butter, Lexington’s favorite peanut Please join us on Wednesday, May 15, calls from the following: butter brand, has announced it is expanding from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the New Business: 17 new prospects interested Hyatt Regency Lexington for the next in finding a new location or expanding oper- and reinvesting in its facilities on Winchester ations. Road. Jif, which has a long history in Lexington Venture Club event. the fea- tured presenter will be Carolyn Fritz, Existing Clients & Local Entrepre-neurial Lexington, is investing over $44 million in Companies: 9 CFO of Allylix, who will also lead a companies with potential new equipment, new construction and build- expansions in Lexington. panel discussion of Lexington female ing improvements. Jif is an iconic brand in Client Visits: 10 entrepreneurs. The cost to attend is Existing Business Visits: 13 Lexington, and we’re glad choosy companies choose Lexington! $35 per person. Please RSVP to Ann Linton Smith at (859) 225-5005. PAX East: Game Developer Tradeshow The Bluegrass Business Development the PAX “Megabooth.” According to Partnership (BBDP) sponsored a Nash, “The focus of the BBDP’s pres- group of local game development com- ence at PAX was to market Lexington panies to participate in the PAX East as a great place for game development conference in Boston, March 22–24. companies to locate. The BBDP is very Three Lexington gaming companies, excited to support this growing and several independent Lexington game diverse segment of Lexington’s econo- developers and Warren Nash, Director my.” of the Innovation & Commercialization Game development is a niche strate- Center, attended the event on behalf of gic target under Commerce the BBDP. Lexington’s Software & IT target, which The Lexington group, under the ban- was outlined in the recent Angelou ner of Run, Jump Dev, the local gaming Economic Development Study. development organization, was part of www.LocateinLexington.com | www.twitter.com/locateinlex | www.facebook.com/locateinlex 4 BUSINESS FOCUS APRIL 2013 PUBLIC POLICY Legislative Session Update: Time is Running Short for State Pension Reform As the 2013 “short” 30 like CentrePointe. HB 431 day session of the General impacts mixed use projects Assembly draws to a close, with regard to a public/pri- Andi Johnson Named lawmakers in Frankfort vate partnership on water continue to look for com- and sewer projects for VP of Public Policy promise on key issues such communities with EPA Andi Johnson as reforms to the state consent decrees, which has been named employee pension system Lexington is currently Commerce and how to pay for the over under. Lexington's new $30 billion in unfunded lia- Other accomplishments Vice President of bility. include: HB 7, which allows Public Policy. A The plan introduced by Kentucky's public universi- Georgetown the State Senate (SB 2) fol- ties such as UK, to issue College graduate, lowed the recommenda- their own debt for revenue Andi went on to tions of the bipartisan pen- generating projects; HB earn her Master sion task force, calling for 343, which creates a single of Arts Degree the creation a hybrid standardized business from the UK ANDI JOHNSON 401(k)-style retirement identification number for Patterson School VICE PRESIDENT plan for new employees to businesses who file various PUBLIC POLICY of Diplomacy cut cost. The State House documents with state and International amended SB 2 moving away from task force agencies; and HB 167, which allows for contin- Commerce. She comes to us from the recommendations and returning to a defined- ued growth and job creation at Bluegrass Republican Party of Kentucky, where she benefit plan. The House also introduced a bill Station. served in various director roles. Her (HB 416) which outlined additional funding for Governor Steve Beshear also signed into responsibilities at CLX will include man- pensions from expanded gambling and lottery law SB 97, which gives local districts the ability aging the organization's day-to-day revenues. to raise the dropout age from 16 to 18. When 55 Public Policy Division, coordinating pol- Pension reform is a serious issue for percent of local school districts adopt the poli- icy issues and events, and lobbying at Kentucky’s business community. Without cy, all local school districts in the state will be the local, regional, state, and federal lev- reform, the state continues on a dangerous required to adopt the policy. This bi-partisan els of government. financial path that sends negative signals to effort, championed by First Lady Jane Beshear, businesses looking to expand or set up shop in is aimed at ensuring an educated and capable Contact Andi at (859) 226-1614 or this state. workforce in the Commonwealth. [email protected] At the time of publication, it was unclear whether lawmakers would be able