GREENUP COUNTY, KY (WOWK) – A new startup business is coming to Greenup County.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear says Omnis Building Technologies (OBT) Ashland is set to build a new facility in Greenup County. The governor says the new 100,000 square-foot facility at the Wurtland Riverport is expected to be an investment of $45.5 million into the commonwealth and to create 55 well-paying jobs.
“We are working to create economic opportunities and quality jobs in every region of the state, and this investment by OBT Ashland in Greenup County helps move us toward that goal,” Beshear said. “I am thrilled the company’s leaders see the great advantages of locating in this community, and I look forward to OBT’s growth in Northeast Kentucky for years to come.”
According to Beshear’s Office, OBT Ashland uses renewable resources and advanced materials to manufacture economical, sustainable and fire-resistant doors and cabinetry. The governor’s office says the doors and cabinets produced at the facility will be available for wholesale, but will primarily be used in OBT’s own energy-efficient homes.
Those energy-efficient homes, Beshear says, are made with a type of panel called Composite Insulated Building Units, which are produced at a facility in Bluefield West Virginia. The governor says the two facilities in neighboring states will complement each other and provide affordable, high-quality, energy-efficient homes to satisfy a growing housing market.
According to OBT President Jonathan Hodson, major factors in choosing Greenup County as the location for the new facility included existing infrastructure, such as direct rail and river access, and the ability to serve a substantial portion of the U.S. population.
“We are excited to expand our presence in Appalachia and to bring family-sustaining jobs to Kentucky by manufacturing revolutionary products to assist in solving the nation’s housing crisis,” Hodson said. “Our collaboration with successful local businesses like Wright Concrete is ensuring our mission will be achieved.”
OBT says they also have a goal to support growth in communities impacted by declines in the coal industry and to create a more economically diverse ecosystem through job creation, capital investments, workforce development and re-employment opportunities.
Greenup County Judge/Executive Robert Carpenter says he expects the company will have “sustained success” at its new facility.
“We are happy to welcome Omnis Building Technologies to Greenup County,” Carpenter said. “This cutting-edge technology is a great fit for our area’s workforce. We look forward to their long-term success and growth.”
The governor’s office says the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority also preliminarily approved a 15-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program as an effort to encourage investment and job growth. Beshear says the performance-based agreement could provide up to $2.1 million in tax incentives based on the $45.5 million investment and annual goals of creating and maintaining 55 full-time jobs filled by Kentucky residents across 15 years and paying an average hourly wage of $33, including benefits, across those jobs.
Beshear says if the company meets those annual targets, it will can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates and can receive resources from the state’s workforce providers.