Braidy Industries’ decision to locate in northeast Kentucky has triggered a chain-reaction that has already affected daily life and commerce in the region. Local leaders from all aspects of local society foresee an additional array of positive changes that will come as the infusion of manpower, minds, money, and the hope Braidy has inspired, reverberates through the community.  Bridges asked these leaders to share their reflections – and dreams for the future – to illustrate what the development could mean for our collective future.

Andrew Jones  

Chairman, Ashland Alliance President, Community Trust Bank

From the Alliance perspective we feel like it is the anchor, it is the foundation that we are going to build on for years - for decades. It has created a lot of optimism, a lot of positivity.

I have told people I think the Braidy announcement was the spark, the Ashland Alliance annual dinner lit the fire and the groundbreaking for the plant is going to throw fuel on the fire and turn it into a bonfire.  It is exciting.

    How it affects the future? I don’t think you can measure it. It is going to help not just Boyd and Greenup counties but every county around here, the whole region. We all ultimately want our children close to us. It is going to give people’s kids a reason to come back here. It is going to give opportunity. My two boys, they are college age. They are interested in it. They read every article and keep up on it.

From a banking perspective, it helps all the banks. It is hard to get a handle on what a $1.4 billion investment is to this economy, this community... It’s almost too much to get your mind around. That will just feed off itself. The employees are going to buy houses; tax values are going to go up, property values are going up. Employment is going up. Small businesses will prosper. It is a big deal.  It will affect eastern Kentucky all down U.S. 23. There is just excitement all up and down U.S. 23 in terms of investment and putting people back to work. It is our time.

Mark Johnson

Business Manager, Tri-State Building and Construction
Trades Council

The community has been suffering in mind and spirit for probably 20 years and projects like Braidy Industries aluminum mill will help us to overcome that mind and spirit.  That is the truth. It is very easy to get negative and drug down when you see a steel mill closing down… We need to work on attracting the 21st century technologies and Braidy’s state-of-the-art rolling mill is just the beginning of that for our region.

I believe it will lead into projects down the road because vendors will want to locate closer to the people they are supplying and there will be other avenues, too. I wholeheartedly believe this is just the beginning. People are looking at our community, our region, to develop future projects; 2019 will be better than 2018. There has definitely been a turn in the corner – there are great things coming for 2019.

Kristie Whitlach

President and CEO of King’s Daughters’ Medical Center

It’s a very exciting time for our region. Bringing 500+ new jobs in a state-of-art plant is a tremendous economic investment that will have a lasting impact on our communities.

King’s Daughters Health System and its team members look forward to supporting the development and growth of Braidy Industries through wellness and prevention initiatives as well as other health and economic needs.

As the region’s healthcare leader we understand the health of our region depends on the health of its people.

We are pleased to welcome Braidy Industries.

Kay Adkins

President and CEO of Ashland Community and Technical College

Ashland Community and Technical College has always been a partner to business and industry in our region. It is our mission to train individuals to go out into the workforce in a variety of high-demand fields.

Working with Braidy Industries to create an academic program based on their specific needs has been an exciting process and will allow the college to bring in new technology to those classrooms. It will also allow our local residents the opportunity to get an affordable education close to home and jobs that are close to home.

Looking to the future, we hope to continue building new partnerships with businesses that locate here, as well as those already established in our area, so our workforce can be built with residents of our own community.

John Ulincy

Chairman, Board of Directors United Way of Northeast Kentucky;  IT and Marketing Director of Ashland Credit Union

Braidy Industries has already established themselves as a leader in our community and a symbol of growth, momentum, and prosperity. It is our hope that as they bring their business to life and influence other businesses to locate in our region, they choose United Way of Northeast Kentucky as their preferred vehicle for
philanthropic giving.

Our other community giving leaders such as Marathon and King's Daughters already set the bar extremely high for influencing positive change throughout our local area through their generous United Way campaigns. We, as well as all of our partner agencies, can’t wait to see what might become possible with yet another large and generous employer group coming
to our region.

    Braidy’s addition will surely strengthen our local economy in a number of ways. The new residents in our community will need to buy or build new homes and they will buy their groceries in our stores, eat out at our restaurants, and send their kids to our local schools. These individuals will bring their finances to our community and bank with our community credit unions and banks. In our industry we know that financial fitness and security are crucial components of a happy and healthy life, and the prosperity that follows companies like Braidy tends to be infectious among the community’s residents. I feel like their positive influence on the growth and financial security of our region will be profoundly obvious to everyone in our area.

Steve Towler

Boyd County Judge-Executive

All the county judges in this area were excited about the prospects of Braidy. So when they initially chose the location close to South Shore we were all happy for Greenup County because we know they would bring a lot of auxiliary investment.

EastPark had the land that they wanted and the amenities that they wanted for them to stay in this area. This was a
real godsend to us that they were
willing to stay.

Judge Carpenter has been a real important part of this whole thing and of course when they started thinking about EastPark I became part of it. Boyd and Greenup came together, along with the EastPark board, to make a pretty good offer to entice them
to locate here.

You have to think of the common
good of all. You can’t be selfish.

When big companies go wherever, they get extremely generous enticements to come there because jobs are at a premium. I do believe what we’ve done to get Braidy to be here is all well
and good.

Kim McCann

Parnter, VanAntwerp Attorneys Board member of Saving Our Appalchian Region (SOAR)  and Eastern Kentucky Pride

The reason I got involved with SOAR was to bring the whole region together, so we think bigger than our one little town or region. To me, it is ideal that Braidy Industries will be in EastPark that is made up of three counties.

We must continue to keep people from worrying about their own small world and think bigger. Think of the whole and everyone will be better because of it. Everyone will be better off when we think bigger, both geographically and business-wise in our community.

I think energy breeds more energy. I think when a community gets that spark, that hope, they start thinking bigger and it just breeds good. Because of that energy people are motivated and they are thinking outside the box; they want to be involved and they are not just waiting for someone else to get involved. I’m seeing that from private businesses, nonprofits, government officials – from everywhere –
and it is positive.

The area has certainly gained lots of attention because of Braidy, and I think that is a good thing. We want people looking at us, we want people thinking about us - that is what will make us better. We want the jobs, we want a good future, we want a strong economy and we want our young people to come back here later in life.

Kevin Halter

CEO Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital, Executive Committee member and Past President, Ashland Alliance

  The Ashland Alliance has been getting ready for years to receive a company like Braidy. The workforce development study demonstrated both Greenup and Boyd counties were workplace ready. Because of the study, we knew how many certified pipefitters, welders, etc. existed
in each county.

Site-ready certifications validate a site has been thoroughly vetted so a company knows there will be no issues with building there. After the South Shore location fell through, the Alliance knew EastPark was already certified as ready to receive a company like Braidy. EastPark was one of only a handful in the state that was certified, so the Alliance had confidence we could retain Braidy.

The Alliance was looking for a double or a couple of base hits. We couldn’t have imagined we’d hit a grand slam like we
did with Braidy.”

There is a domino effect when companies leave an area that is felt in the health sector. Good-paying jobs take insurance with them. We see a lot more uninsured or underinsured during tough economic times, which can be challenging. Braidy and the businesses that follow them will bring great employee benefits, which in turn will benefit the health of our
medical community.

Randy Arnett

CEO Southern Ohio Medical Center

As a dedicated supporter of our local community, all of us at SOMC are thrilled when others recognize the kind of potential in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky that we see every day. The investment Braidy Industries is making in our area is a testament to the quality of people who make up our community. We are thrilled to be able to provide them with quality, convenient care and cannot wait to see the opportunities this latest development will unlock.

Robert Slagel

Founder and CEO of DropBox

Craig Bouchard and many of his leaders have already planted the seed of hope that our community lost 40 years ago. The skeptics are afraid to see what hasn’t sprouted yet, but it’s up to all leaders of the community to work hard and support what can be a bountiful harvest of change.

Whitney Lowe

 Executive Director, Ashland In Motion

Downtown Ashland is the hub of the city’s local business network and there is no better fit for the home of Braidy Industries' headquarters. Braidy’s positive energy and inspiring message will most certainly play a large role in the transformation of downtown’s cultural and economic landscape and aid in the resurgence of opportunity.