While the Southwestern Kentucky Economic Development Council is typically focused on industrial developments, they’re also interested in increasing retail and rooftops in the communities they serve.
Speaking with WHOP recently, Executive Director Carter Hendricks says they’ll be joining the City of Hopkinsville and surrounding municipalities on a trip to a retail convention in the summer to determine how to best bring retail to the region.
He says he knows that one of the driving forces for bringing retail to a community is the amount of people living in it and making their homes here—so making a community attractive to settle in is of utmost importance.
One way to do that is by having available housing, good quality of life features, and good paying jobs that people will want to work at—and he feels the region has done a good job on that front, according to a recent wage survey that was conducted.
Hendricks says the EDC has been blessed with supportive community partners that allow local students the chance to explore their workplaces and have the opportunity to have great jobs right out of high school, along with other partnerships—such as Hopkinsville Community College—that help set up students for success.