Kentucky companies adding 30-plus jobs

One new industry and one existing industry will spend $13.3 million and create at least 35 new jobs in southcentral Kentucky.

Davert USA, a Canadian-based company, is locating on Graham Drive, and Kobe Aluminum Automotive Products has added a 39,000-square-foot building to its campus off Kobe Way.

Gov. Steve Beshear made the announcements Tuesday at both locations, touting the economic development incentive programs the two companies qualified for, saying that in the past few years, the programs have induced nearly 500 companies to invest $5.8 billion and either create or save 38,000 jobs.

Both of the Warren County projects are creating new jobs that will allow them to claim tax credits of up to $625,000.

Davert supplies products that assist in automobile manufacturing with customers such as General Motors, including the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, where Corvettes are made, Nissan, Honda and BMW, according to company President Bob Collier.

“We supply about 10 plants,” Collier said.

For Corvette, the company makes the precision metal stands that will hold the door panels for the new Corvette as they are painted, according to Dave Tatman, GM plant manager.

Tatman told the 100 or so people gathered for the Davert announcement on Graham Drive that he continues to be excited about upcoming production of the next generation Corvette — but he is even more excited about what it means for suppliers such as Davert.

“That to me is what is really exciting … being a part of the economic engine that drives southcentral Kentucky,” Tatman said.

Collier said eight people have been hired and the remaining 12 or so will be hired in short order. “We should begin production in a few weeks,” he said. “We are already filling up the production boards.”

Davert is leasing the space with an option to purchase, according to building owner Buster Stewart, who is a part of BTR LLC, which purchased the property about three years ago, a year or so after Nyloncraft closed.

Since then there have been a few tenants in the property, Stewart said.

In all, Davert will invest $2.3 million in the project and has qualified for $300,000 in state and local tax incentives.

Kobe, which recently received the John B. Holland Business of the Year Award from the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce, will soon add new production equipment in the now empty building, according to company President Sam Koike.

Koike said the company will make cast aluminum bars for vehicle air conditioning compressors, products that are now produced in Japan. Beginning in September, the Bowling Green plant will be the sole provider of the parts to newly established Toyota Industries Compressor Parts America. That company is located near Atlanta, according to Koike.

Since locating in Bowling Green in 2003, Kobe has invested multiple times in its facility, in all spending about $100 million.

“It shows a lot of confidence that the company has in the community and state,” Beshear said.

Beshear said Kentucky is home to 72,000 auto-related jobs, and the state has the nation’s second highest per capita Japanese foreign investment.

“You are the backbone of Kentucky,” he said to Kobe officials.

Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said the benefits of such projects are far-reaching. Kobe’s current and soon-to-be employees as well as those of the construction company working on the project will spend their money in the community, providing a multiplying effect in the community.

A team of people help in making economic development announcements come to fruition, Buchanon said.

“We are committed to making Warren County an attractive and competitive place to do business in,” Buchanon said at the Davert announcement.

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