Gov. Andy Besher will travel this week to Germany and Switzerland to meet with leaders at existing Kentucky companies and businesses considering future investment in the U.S.
The visit comes after the governor’s first term featured the highest private-sector investment figure of any administration in state history.
“As we continue to build on our record economic momentum of the past few years, it is critical that we continue to nurture partnerships with our existing employers and also develop new relationships with successful companies around the globe,” Beshear said. “This visit will provide a valuable opportunity for us to continue to share the message that there is no better place to do business in the United States than right here in the commonwealth.”
Beshear will attend the Hannover Messe trade fair and has speaking engagements at the Hanse Lounge in Hamburg and IHK Düsseldorf. He will be joined by First Lady Britainy Beshear, Cabinet for Economic Development Secretary Jeff Noel and other members of the staff as Team Kentucky meets with companies and trade organizations to determine future investment and job-creation opportunities in the state.
The Kentucky delegation will meet with the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as existing Kentucky employers and potential prospects.
Noel highlighted the importance of continued engagement with international companies.
“We have benefited from a tremendous amount of international investment in our state in recent years,” he said. “As we look to position Kentucky for even more success in the future, we need to make connections with company leaders across all of our target sectors to ensure they recognize our commitment to the future. We are very fortunate to have the governor join us on this trip to personally bring the message of Team Kentucky to business decision makers and give our state a significant advantage.”
Kentucky has nearly 540 internationally owned operations that employ more than 117,000 people statewide, the governor’s office said. Of those, 238 facilities represent ownership from 16 European countries and employ over 40,000 residents. German-owned companies employ more than 15,000 people across 80 facilities in the commonwealth.
(Photo: Gov. Andy Beshear, courtesy of the Associated Press)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
