Northern Kentucky poised to grow, take on challenges in 2023
In Northern Kentucky, we are blessed to be a prosperous and successful community. 2022 was a great year both for the results we delivered to the Cincinnati region and internally for BE NKY Growth Partnership. As we move forward in 2023, we know there are challenges to address, but I’m confident our community has the wherewithal and thoughtfulness to answer them.
BE NKY 2022 Results & 2023 Goals
In 2022, BE NKY announced 2,356 new jobs in Northern Kentucky, representing $292 million in capital investment, and an average wage above $66,000.
For 2023, our goal is 1,800 new jobs, $300 million in capital investment and an average wage of $68,000.
In early 2022, BE NKY announced the results of a Target Industry Study. EY determined four industry sectors that are integral for the future of our region: advanced manufacturing, life sciences, information technology, and supply chain management and support services. These sectors were identified based on their employment momentum and growth potential.
These sectors will be used as build a diverse economy in the region. We are intentional in our efforts to target the specific industries and companies in those sectors for growth and attraction.
Build + Elevate NKY Investor Campaign
In 2022, BE NKY also launched our Build + Elevate Northern Kentucky Investor Campaign, raising more than $4.6 million.
The campaign funds four initiatives that will help increase economic prosperity in the region: data-informed community decision-making, activating the Northern Kentucky Port Authority, targeted business growth and delivering customized workforce solutions.
Through data, we want to get good information to our community so we can understand who we are and how we compare to other prosperous communities. In late 2022, we launched the Northern Kentucky Atlas, a public, interactive site that features more than 200 unique data variables for Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties available at atlas.northernkentuckyusa.com.
BE NKY is actively involved in a workforce study led by the Northern Kentucky Area Development District. To address workforce challenges, we will continue to focus on third grade reading scores. If a child can’t read proficiently by third grade, they are four times less likely to graduate high school by age 19. With a limited workforce pool available to us, we need to make sure every child has the resources they need to participate in the workforce, preferably in the highest-value jobs possible.
BE NKY Launch
Although our previous name (Northern Kentucky Tri-ED) served the company well for more than three decades, in 2018, we started to think about the future of our community and economic development. Our new name aligns us with regional organizations, such as meetNKY and OneNKY Alliance. “BE NKY Growth Partnership” was inspired by our Build + Elevate Northern Kentucky investor campaign. It is aspirational and keeps us focused on how we can build the region and elevate our current successes.
Lee Crume is president and CEO of BE NKY Growth Partnership and celebrated his four-year anniversary with the company in April 2023.
