In 2009, 16 new companies and 187 expansion projects were announced, resulting in 6,687 jobs and $976,929,466 in investment.

• In Site Selection magazine for November 2007, Kentucky ranked eighth in their 2007 Top 10 State Business Climate Rankings.
• Site Selection magazine, a leading international economic development publication, has ranked Kentucky 5th in the United States in its 2008 Annual Competitiveness Award, which is featured in the May 2009 issue.
• The March 2008 issue of Forbes ranks the Lexington metro fifth in their annual survey of Best Places for Business and Careers.

Sixteen companies on the Fortune 25 largest U.S. corporations have facilities in Kentucky. Why?

One reason is the excellent business climate, due in part to our competitive rates and award winning service, Kentucky's low relative business costs and an abundant supply of affordable labor.

2008 Rank (in revenues)

Eight Fortune 1000 companies have their corporate headquarters in Kentucky:

Kentucky is served by two international airports, Louisville International Airport and Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, which are air cargo hubs for UPS and DHL, respectively.

Five major interstate highways provide access to all North American markets. More than 2,500 miles of railroad track are used by Norfolk Southern, CSX, Paducah & Louisville, and Illinois Central. With more than 1,100 miles of commercially navigable waterways and six public ports on the Mississippi River, Kentucky offers low-cost intermodal transportation.

The May 2007 edition of North American Business Cost Review, 13th edition, measures the cost of doing business within a state for unit labor cost, tax burden, and energy cost.

The index utilized to measure the overall cost of doing business within a state ranks Kentucky as the state with the 5th lowest cost overall with a state index of 92. The national average index is 100.0