Governor Beshear designates October as Manufacturing Month in Kentucky

Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted October as Manufacturing Month in Kentucky Wednesday as the industry continues to be a key factor in Kentucky's record economic growth and job creation with more than 6,000 facilities statewide employing over 260,000 Kentuckians.

"Kentucky plays an important and key role in the nation's manufacturing sector thanks to the thousands of businesses statewide that produce incredible Kentucky-made products," said Gov. Beshear. "This sector includes production in the food and beverage, aerospace, automotive and electric vehicle and metals industries, among others. These industries have positioned our state as a national leader in manufacturing. I want to thank every manufacturer across the commonwealth for their part in our continued success, as well as the unmatched workforce that makes this success possible."

Kentucky's best four years on record for private-sector growth, from 2020 to 2023, has been in large part thanks to the growth of the commonwealth's manufacturing presence, and the industry has spurred rising wages for families throughout the commonwealth. The industry also contributes $38 billion annually to the state's gross domestic product.

Since the start of the administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 730 private-sector new-location and expansion announcements from manufacturers that are creating more than 35,700 full-time jobs for Kentuckians with over $27.2 billion in new investment.

In 2023, manufacturing was responsible for $3.7 billion in new investment and more than 5,800 full-time jobs for Kentuckians. That's 80.4% of all corporate investment announced in the commonwealth for the year and nearly 68% of all job creation.