Kentucky Trailer will relocate its manufacturing operations to a 240,000 square-foot facility in Jefferson Riverport International (Riverport), the company announced at a press conference that included Governor Steve Beshear, Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, and University of Louisville President James Ramsey.
The company currently is located next to the University of Louisville campus. Over the next three years, the closely-held trailer manufacturer will complete the move of its operations from its current location at 2601 South Third Street where it has operated since its founding in 1936.
During the press conference, Kentucky Trailer President and CEO Gary Smith also announced the company had reached an agreement with the University of Louisville to sell its current property to the University of Louisville Foundation for future campus expansions.
The move will allow Kentucky Trailer to retain its existing 286 jobs in Louisville and serve its customers more effectively through flexible, custom manufacturing and reduced cycle times.
“This relocation will be transformational for us and will allow Kentucky Trailer to elevate trailer customization to a new level, which has always been the company’s distinguishing characteristic,” Smith said.
Kentucky Trailer was approved for $13.5 million in tax incentives from the Kentucky Industrial Revitalization Act (KIRA) to retain existing jobs and help create new jobs at the company. These incentives were announced at a June 26 meeting of the Kentucky Economic Development Financing Authority (KEDFA).
Kentucky Trailer’s new facility will be located at 7201 Logistics Drive in Riverport. The company expects to begin initial operations in their new facility as early at the first quarter of 2009.