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Hendrickson USA Opens Facility In Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Plans Second Expansion

04/28/2015
Last year, Hendrickson USA announced plans to build a highly-advanced $20 million manufacturing facility, which recently opened creating 75 jobs in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. This week the company said it will invest an additional $19 million in its Hardin County production center, with plans to add 21 more employees to its workforce.

Hendrickson is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of medium and heavy-duty suspension systems, axle systems, springs and stabilizers, and bumper and trim components. The company has two existing operations in Somerset and Lebanon, currently employing just under 700 Kentuckians.

The Elizabethtown site will manufacture products to supply the company’s operations in nearby states. Hendrickson plans to add a second 50,000-square-foot building next to its existing 100,000-square-foot facility in the T.J. Patterson Industrial Park. The new building will allow the company to add processing equipment.

To encourage the investment and job growth in Hardin County, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $1.95 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.

As the facility is highly automated, Hendrickson chose Hardin County due to its available workforce, training programs and centralized location. Once the second building is fully operational, the company will employ 96 people in Elizabethtown, Governor Steve Beshear’s Office said.

“I am pleased to announce that, once again, Hendrickson is expanding operations in Kentucky,” said Perry Bahr, Vice President of Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems for Hendrickson. “Our team members in Kentucky have demonstrated outstanding work ethics, dedication and loyalty. Their efforts continue to help expand the Hendrickson business while maintaining our reputation in the commercial transportation industry as a leading global manufacturer and supplier of durable, dependable and quality suspension systems.”

“ This project would not have been possible without the support of the Commonwealth, and we look forward to an ongoing partnership with local and state officials to help Hendrickson, as well as the community, continue to grow and prosper,” he added.

“This is certainly a cause for celebration,” said Governor Steve Beshear. “The fact that Hendrickson just arrived in Etown and is already expanding is a true testament to the company’s global success and to Kentucky’s highly skilled workforce. Hendrickson has been a tremendous corporate partner to the Commonwealth, and I’m excited to see the company’s continued growth.”

“It was just a year ago that we welcomed Hendrickson USA to our community, and we were so excited to be able to assist them in the establishment of their facility in Elizabethtown,” said Elizabethtown Mayor Edna Berger. “Today, we return to acknowledge that they are in full production and ready to begin phase two of their operation. We are looking forward to this expansion and want the company to know that the city is available to support and assist them as they continue to grow in Elizabethtown.”

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