My wife Stephanie and I were born and raised in Ashland at a time when the town and surrounding region were thriving.  We both left after high school and eventually settled in Lexington with, like many, no intentions of ever returning. But opportunity – and family – called us home.
    When the job that drew me home fell through, we opened a small print shop with two business partners. Within two years, Stephanie and I had bought them out and The Gallaher Group was born. That was almost 45 years ago.  
    Over its first three decades, our business grew and grew and grew.  Sure there were bumps along the way – the departure of Ashland Oil and the downsizing of AK Steel – but overall the community absorbed those setbacks, and we survived.
    Then the Great Recession struck in 2008. Over the last decade it seems our region has only continued to sink further and further into despair, as the bad news has gushed in. That is, until Braidy Industries announced last spring that it would be investing in northeast Kentucky, putting people back to work and, hopefully, attracting additional businesses and jobs.
    Finally, it seemed the old Ashland could reemerge.
    As I look around at my family, staff, friends, neighbors and colleagues, everyone seems to be recalling what we forgot: Ashland is a good community, and we should be proud of it.
    For one, in my humble opinion, our green rolling hills and meandering rivers make up the prettiest landscape in the country. Ashland still has the same good schools we attended, and sent our children to, and now our grandchildren are attending. The cost of living is affordable here and there is a sense of neighborliness you just don’t find other places.
    We have cultural assets that other towns our size don’t and a plethora of caring charities that work together to meet a multitude of needs.
    But most importantly, there are small businesses here that together create the strong stable economic backbone of the community. Businesses, like ours, that have weathered the downturns. They, like us, will continue to do what is best not only for our bottom lines but our employees, who are our families, friends and neighbors.
    To me, Braidy Industries' decision to invest here signifies an opportunity to reinvest and reinvigorate ourselves to further bolster our community. Braidy has already brought many brilliant, successful people to our community and promises to bring more. It also promises to create opportunity for local people not only in the mill but by the exposure to opportunity, and hope, that it will ultimately give our young people.  
    Who knows what doors that will open.