- Quick Facts
- Timeline & History
- Mission
- Board of Directors
- News
Quick Facts about PRP
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Locations and Logistics
• One day’s drive from two-thirds of the United State’s population gives your company a competitive edge
• 230 miles from UPS Hub in Louisville, Kentucky and 150 miles from the Fed Ex Hub in Memphis, Tennessee
• The region is crisscrossed by the Cumberland, Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers providing the ability to access numerous coastal ports of entry. Known as the Hub of the inland waterways and home to the most northern Ice-free ports, the Purchase area has more opportunities for water transportation than virtually any other inland region in the country
• One stop from more than 85 domestic and international destinations via Northwest Airlines at nearby Barkley Regional Airport; 2 hour’s drive to Nashville’s International Airport, less than 3 hours to Memphis’s International Airport and about 3 hours to St. Louis’s International Airport
• Site is served with five (5) Class I Railroads
Served by unlimited trucking opportunities –the Purchase Regional Industrial Park is one of the most accessible locations in the heart of the nation’s population base
• Halfway between St. Louis and Nashville via Interstate 24 |
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Workforce and Training
Region’s unemployment rate is 6.63% in January 2008
Home to a complete array of education and training institutions including Murray State University, UK School of Engineering, Shawnee Community College, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) and Mid-Continent University
Employees have a multitude of avenues for upgrading skills and life-long learning through a variety of public and private providers.
Those entering college have the option to attend one of U.S. News’ top-ranked Southern Universities – Murray State – and pursue degrees ranging from an MBA to Telecommunications Systems Management
Riverboat captains and pilots have the opportunity to test their skills with a virtual towboat when famous wrecks are computer simulated at the Seaman’s Church Institute for Maritime Education.
Local budding engineers have the opportunity to pursue University of Kentucky Chemical or Mechanical Engineering degrees on the WKCTC Campus
The region’s fifth graders can explore a comet, inhabit Mars or become Planetary Excursion Planners at the Challenger Learning Center on the WKCTC Campus
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Site Characteristics
2,400 Acres available in 2 tracts approximately 1,200 acres each
The minimum parcel size for purchase is 1,200.
For those with needs less than the minimum parcel size, refer to Site Information for a complete list of viable industrial properties in the region
Adjacent to U.S. Highway 45, 6 miles to Purchase Parkway (I-69’s designated route) and 10 miles via 4-lane highway to Interstate 24
Electric power supplied by TVA and Jackson Purchase Electric Company (JPEC)
Communications/Broadband supplied by West Kentucky Telephone
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Target Markets
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing – Strong labor force to support this industry
Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing – Labor force
Warehousing and Storage – Large land area and transportation systems
Food Manufacturing – Good bulk transportation systems and plenty of water for processes
Machinery Manufacturing – Labor force
Core site’s acreage could accommodate an automotive assembly plant
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Timeline & History |
June 2000
November 2000
June 2001
September 2001
January 2002
March 2003
September 2003
October 2003
December 2003
January 2004
March 2004
2006
January 2007
January 2008
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North Graves County Kentucky site identified by Lockwood Greene a national consulting firm and they recommend that the site be developed into a world class site to provide jobs for workers in the West Kentucky region.
Florence
Hutcheson, Inc. performs Phase I Engineering Study including infrastructure, environmental, geology and hydrogeology, property issues, hazardous waste, archeological and transportation.
All eight counties of the Jackson Purchase sign an Interlocal Agreement; creating a 501(c)(3) corporation Purchase Area Regional Industrial Authority, Inc. (PRP) and each of the counties appoint a board member to this new organization. The Agreement includes revenue sharing among the eight counties.
A formal request for $10,000,000.00 is presented to the Kentucky General Assembly Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue. The primary focus for the initial start-up of the park will be engineering and environmental with major emphasis on land acquisition.
Paducah Area Reuse Organization gives PRP a grant of $250,000.00 to be used for payments to landowners for three year options to purchase. With the assistance of Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Jim Bunning, Congressman Ed Whitfield and Governor Paul Patton, PRP receives a $1,020,000.00 grant from the US Department of Energy and in 2003 PRP received a $1,000,000.00 grant from the Delta Regional Authority and a $510,000.00 grant from the state of Kentucky.
The Kentucky General Assembly passes legislation for $5,000,000.00 bond on behalf of PRP.
PRP completes options to purchase for 2500 acres of land.
Lockwood Greene and Geotech completes the Master Plan for the park and presents to PRP, legislators and local officials.
PRP receives the Kentucky Department of Local Government First Place Award for Best Economic Development Project for 2003.
PRP was featured in an article about megasites in the Site Selection magazine.
Governor Ernie Fletcher places $2,225,000.00 into the state budget for purchasing land for the Regional Industrial Park.
Received commitment of $2,500,000.00 from the state of Kentucky; money to be used to finalize purchase of land for the park.
Metropolis, Illinois joins the PRP Marketing Committee in an effort to show that broad regional support for the regional industrial park.
PRP hires interim manager to direct park management and in March 2008, names a president and CEO to manage marketing and administration of the regional industrial park. |
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Mission |
To create more and higher quality jobs for Western Kentucky citizens and build an
expanding economy to improve
the quality of life for all people in our region.
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Board of Directors |
The Goals of the PRP include:
• Invest in economic development efforts to recruit business and industry to region
• Work with regional communities to help bring high-quality jobs to the people of our region
• Develop strategic partnerships with the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, TVA, Jackson Purchase Energy Corp, West Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative and regional economic development organizations including Southern Illinois
• Capitalize on the extensive educational and training opportunities offered by the colleges and universities that are dedicated to providing quality, cost-effective professional development programs
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Utilize and promote the extensive transportation network of Western Kentucky that includes interstate access, rail access and riverport access
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NEWS |
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Site Selection Magazine lists Purchase Region Industrial Park as a new mega-site
development, January 2004 Read the entire story>> |
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