Area Development
British-based nutrition supplement maker Cend LLC plans to open a $17 million production facility in Bullitt County, Kentucky. The company plans to create up to 350 jobs in the region.

The company plans to locate in a 210,000 square-foot facility in Shepherdsville, which will include offices and manufacturing space. Construction is underway and Cend executives plan to open the facility in April.

As part of online retailer The Hut Group, which is based in Northwich, United Kingdom, Cend specializes in Sports Nutrition supplements and a vast range of high protein foods, snacks, drinks and an expansive clothing range used by sports enthusiasts, endurance athletes and bodybuilders.

“We are excited to announce our agreement with the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and that our new production facility will be based in the state of Kentucky, USA. This will be bringing world-class sports nutrition manufacturing to the area and will mean creation of up to 350 new jobs, something Myprotein (Cend LLC) are very proud to be part of,” said Myprotein CEO Andy Duckworth.

To encourage Cend’s investment and job growth in Bullitt County, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $2.6 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.

In addition, Cend is eligible to receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies are eligible to receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. The Kentucky Skills Network trained more than 84,000 employees from more than 5,600 Kentucky companies in 2014.

“We welcome this fast growing, global company to the community and region. International companies such as Cend provide economic activity vital to Kentucky’s growth,” said Governor Matt Bevin. “Our state, in turn, offers international firms the geographic location, work force and logistical resources necessary for long term success. We intend to ensure that, in the years ahead, Kentucky becomes synonymous with being business friendly. We will spread the message that we are serious about attracting global companies, and we will prove that with the tax and legislative policies that we put forward in the months and years ahead.”