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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Rack-It Truck Racks Plans Albany, Kentucky, Manufacturing Plant

09/17/2018
Rack-It Truck Racks Inc., a utility truck rack manufacturer with operations in California, will invest more than $1.35 million and create 25 full-time jobs to establish a location in Albany, Kentucky.

The company plans to purchase, upgrade and build out from an existing 37,000-square-foot facility on Fairgrounds Road in Clinton County. The project includes installing a square tube production line to manufacture heavy duty truck racks. Additional product lines could be added in the future.

Company leaders noted the location’s proximity to major markets in Louisville, Nashville and Knoxville, as well as the people they met in the Clinton County community as deciding factors. A downturn in the region’s houseboat industry left an available workforce with welding and manufacturing skills, a particular draw for Rack-It. The company also will create opportunities for powder coating, delivery and administrative jobs. Construction could begin this month with the facility fully operational by January 2019.

“Rack-It Truck Racks is very excited about the opportunity to expand our business into Kentucky and specifically the community of Albany,” said Van Thompson, President of Rack-It. “We have been warmly welcomed by the fine people of Albany and look forward to establishing and growing a long-lasting business presence in the region.”

“We are pleased to welcome Rack-It Truck Racks to the commonwealth, as the company looks to better serve its customers in the Eastern US,” Governor Matt Bevin said. “Kentucky’s prime geographic location offers unmatched logistical advantages, and our skilled workforce and business-friendly environment provide the essential resources to support future growth. We are confident that Rack-It Truck Racks’ investment in Clinton County is the start of an enduring relationship that will benefit both the company and the south central Kentucky region.”

Rack-It, founded in 1982 in California, manufactures heavy-duty material racks for pickups, service bodies and flatbed trucks. The company currently operates one manufacturing facility outside Sacramento, California. The move to Kentucky will allow Rack-It to better service its Eastern US customers, such as Auto Truck Group in Louisville, The Knapheide Manufacturing Co. in Quincy, Illinois, Reading Truck Body in Reading, Penn., and Monroe Truck Equipment in Monroe, Wisconsin, among others.

To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in August preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $250,000 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, Rack-It can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network.

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