09-03-2025
Community gets major recognition
The Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp. and the metro area made history this month.
For the first time, the community achieved a double ranking in Site Selection Magazine's 2024 Governor's Cups rankings.
It made the Tier 3 Top Metros Top 10 list in the total number of new projects and in new projects per capita.
Owensboro placed No. 7 in projects per capita and No. 9 in total projects — seven.
The last time we made the rankings was in 2017, when 13 new or expanded plants tied the Owensboro metropolitan area for second place nationally among metros with 200,000 or fewer people.
'This achievement is a testament to the incredible collaboration between our businesses, government leaders and dedicated workforce,' Claude Bacon, EDC president, said of the ranking.'
Candance Castlen Brake, president of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, said, 'This happened because our existing businesses are continually fueling our economic expansions; because of our world class workforce and because of the partnerships between business, education, economic development organizations and local government.'
Site Selection Magazine reaches 42,000 corporate site selection professionals, making Owensboro's recognition a key opportunity to attract further business interest, Bacon said.
• At noon on Tuesday, the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet is having a public hearing on a proposal by TS Entertainment LLC for a 'tourism development project' at Towne Square Mall.
The mall's owners said on Facebook, 'If approved, construction could begin May 2025 with completion targeted for April 2026.'
The post said if the state approves incentives for the project, 'this development would revitalize a landmark property and create a regional attraction drawing visitors from across Kentucky and beyond!'
• The EDC says that was of 2023, Daviess County had 3,418 business establishments.
That was up from 2,852 a decade earlier.
• Poppy Alan Book Boutique says on Facebook that it will be opening a mobile bookstore this summer.
• Ollie's Bargain Outlet is continuing its acquisition of former Big Lots leases.
It recently bought 40 more Big Lots leases, making 63 former Big Lots stores that are transitioning to Ollie's.
• Publix, which is planning an Owensboro store this year, saw sales rise 4.6% last year to $59.7 billion last year.
Net earnings increased 6.6% to $4.6 billion.
Publix says it's the largest employee-owned company in the country with more than 255,000 workers and 1,392 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky.
