4,731 new jobs, $1.8B in investment bring GLI, Lou Metro award

LOUISVILLE — Louisville Metro Government’s Department of Economic Development and Greater Louisville Inc., the metro chamber of commerce, have jointly received the 2024 Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development from Site Selection magazine, the leading economic development publication in the U.S.

The award, which recognizes Top Economic Development Organizations in the country, is based on capital investment and new jobs announced. In 2023, the 15-county region reported $1.8 billion in capital investment and 4,731 new jobs. The majority of those investments and new jobs – over $1 billion and 2,302 jobs – are located in Louisville-Jefferson County.

“We are committed to taking Louisville in a new direction, and with the Growing Louisville Together strategic plan as our guide, our city is better positioned than ever before to accelerate economic growth and secure new, historic investments in our community, affordable housing and public safety. As we begin implementing the plan, we will build upon last year’s economic success to ensure that we are creating new opportunities for people in every neighborhood in our city,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg. “Congratulations to the Department of Economic Development and GLI on this recognition of their work in growing our economy!”

The mayor also thanked other community partners for their role in economic development in the region, including LG&E, Louisville Water, MSD and One Southern Indiana.

“The Mac Conway award is a testament to the value of regional collaboration. Over the past 10 years, Greater Louisville Inc. has promoted the benefits of regionalism; through our collaboration with 15 regional partners, including Louisville Metro, we have brought new jobs, investment, and talent to the region,” said Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, president and CEO of GLI. “GLI grew our regional economic development pipeline by more than 93% in 2023, showing the strong momentum for the growth of our regional economy.”

This is the 10th straight year that Louisville Metro Government’s Department of Economic Development has received the Mac Conway Award and the eighth year in a row that the Department and GLI have shared the award. Earlier this year, Site Selection Magazine also ranked Louisville No. 6 on its list of best U.S. metros for economic development.

“More and more companies are considering a city’s quality of place when determining where to locate and expand, and Louisville’s reputation as a welcoming place with a high quality of life and competitive cost of living continues to grow” said Dr. Joshua McKee, interim director for Economic Development. “I am proud of the Department of Economic Development’s hard work as we work together with our partners to bring record jobs and investment to our city.”

Among the projects that contributed to this award is the location of Stellar Snacks, a new $137 million manufacturing plant creating 350 new jobs – the largest economic development investment for West Louisville in 20 years. Other projects cited by Site Selection are:

• PACCAR Parts, an after-market parts distributor investing $43.6 million in Jefferson County and creating 80 new jobs;
• Thai Summit Kentucky Corporation, a sheet metal stamping manufacturer investing $131 million in Nelson County and creating 78 new jobs;
• Unifirst Corp., a uniform and workwear company investing $21 million in Jefferson County and creating 43 new jobs;
• Four Roses Distillery, a bourbon distillery and retailer investing nearly $52 million in Bullitt County; and
• Fort Dearborn Co.; investing nearly $23 million in Jefferson County and creating 90 new jobs.

The honorees for Site Selection’s Mac Conway Awards for Excellence in Economic Development are determined by an index that examines 2023 corporate facility investment as tracked by Site Selection’s proprietary Conway Projects database. Scores are awarded based on six criteria: total projects, total investment associated with those projects and jobs associated with those projects. The remaining three criteria represent a per-capita calculation of those same metrics.

Louisville continues to rank as a top place to live and work and has receiving numerous accolades and recognitions, including being:

• Ranked among the Top 10 Best Cities to Move to in 2024 by Forbes;
• Named among the South’s Best Cities 2024 by Southern Living;
• Recognized as one of America’s Top 5 emerging innovation hotspots by Axios;
• Named a Top Logistics Hub by Business Facilities magazine;
• Recognized as a Top 10 U.S. Metro for Economic Development by Site Selection magazine;
• Ranked No. 4 Most Beautiful and Affordable Place to Live in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure Magazine; and
• Ranked No. 9 Foodie City in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Growing Louisville Together is a results-oriented economic development plan based on the principle that for the city to prosper, people in every neighborhood must thrive economically. The plan focuses on: Investing in quality of place; Investing in people — education & skills enhancement; Improving entrepreneurial development & access to capital; and Telling Louisville’s story to attract and retain people & businesses.

In 2023, the Louisville Metro Department of Economic Development reported 59 projects located, representing just over $1 billion in new investment and 2,302 new jobs. Site Selection named Louisville a Top 10 U.S. Metro for Economic Development and recognized the department as a Top Economic Development Group for the tenth year in a row.

For more information about Louisville’s economic development work and business support services, visit Louisvilleky.gov/economicdevelopment or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @econdevlou, at facebook.com/LouisvilleCED, and on LinkedIn.

About Greater Louisville Inc.

Greater Louisville Inc. is the Metro Chamber of Commerce and represents 15 counties in Kentucky and Indiana. GLI’s mission is to grow businesses and the regional economy. GLI supports businesses during every stage of development and represents the collective needs of the business community by advocating for pro-growth policies and economic development investment, and deploying programming centered around attracting and developing talent and economic inclusion. GLI is the 2019 National Chamber of the Year and is one of only three percent of chambers nationally certified with 5-star accreditation status by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Learn more on social media @GLIchamber or visit www.greaterlouisville.com.