Kentucky Welcomes 5th Largest Job-Creation Project From Australian Food Company

Then-Kentucky incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear delivers his victory speech to a crowd at an election night event at Old Forrester's Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 7, 2023. Stephen Cohen/Getty Images

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said on Dec. 19 that the state would welcome its “fifth largest job-creation project” through a $69 million investment from Kitchen Food Co., an Australian food company.

Kitchen Food will use its investment to establish a facility in Hopkinsville. Construction and renovation work will begin early next year and be completed by summer 2026.

Beshear said the new facility represents the “single largest job-creation” project in Christian County in more than two decades, as it is expected to generate 925 jobs, including roles for managers, accountants, engineers, supervisors, machine operators, forklift drivers, and others.

“Today’s announcement is a great reminder that Kentucky’s economic momentum is not only here to stay, but that the commonwealth is open and ready for companies from all over the world to establish their New Kentucky Home,” the governor said in a statement.

“I look forward to watching their success and growth here in the commonwealth.”

This will be Kitchen Food’s first food facility in the United States, according to the governor’s statement. The Sydney-based, family-owned company is dedicated to offering nutritional ready-made meals.

Kitchen Food co-founder and CEO Christian Avramides said the company chose to locate its new facility in Hopkinsville because of the proactive support of the local community leadership and its central location.

“We are honored to join forces with the wonderful people of Kentucky as we start this new chapter, bringing flavorful, nutritious and affordable meal options to American families, made fresh daily in Kentucky,” Avramides said in a statement.

Hopkinsville Mayor James R. Knight said that Kitchen Food’s decision to select Hopkinsville further validates the city as “a great place to do business with low taxes and an affordable cost of living.”

The company was granted incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act, which allows it to recoup sales tax on construction costs, building fixtures, research and development, and electronic processing.

The governor also announced on Dec. 19 that Kentucky has approved 10 new tourism development projects, which are estimated to generate $256 million in investment and create about 1,696 jobs.

The projects were authorized under the Tourism Development Act, which enables developers to recover up to 25 percent of development costs over a 10-year period through sales tax generated onsite.

Kentucky has attracted more than 1,100 private-sector projects, with investments totaling more than $35 billion and generating more than 59,800 jobs since Beshear was elected in 2019, according to the statement.

His office described it as the “highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history.” Beshear was reelected for a second term in November 2023.