Whether Duraflame fireplace logs or trailers by Gatormade, companies in the Commonwealth manufacture any number of recognizable products and brands.
In its ongoing celebration of National Manufacturing Month, the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development continues to highlight well-recognized brands and products whose Kentucky-made origins may come as a surprise.
The state is home to 4,460 manufacturers, which employ approximately 241,000 Kentuckians.
Here are just a few brands, products and companies:
Satellites – The Space Science Center at Morehead State University designs, develops, builds, tests and operates bread-loaf-sized CubeSats and smaller nanosatellites The de facto worldwide standard for small satellite technology, CubeSats offer a variety of capabilities including astrophysics and space-science research, tactical defense applications, acquisition of data from ground sensors in remote locations and Earth remote sensing.
Magazines – Magazines, such as Vanity Fair, are printed at the RR Donnelley facility in Danville.
Duraflame logs – Produced in Somerset, Duraflame fireplace logs help keep winter nights cozy the world over.
Scoreboards – No athletic event is complete without a scoreboard and few know the score better than Sportable Scoreboards in Murray.
Bedding products – Hollander Sleep Products in Munfordville manufactures pillows and blankets, including recognizable brands such as Nautica, Ralph Lauren, Beautyrest and more.
Gatormade trailers – Trailers for a wide variety of uses are manufactured at Gatormade’s facility in Somerset and can be seen on highways throughout the Commonwealth and elsewhere.
Elzetta flashlights – Billed as “The Toughest Flashlights on the Planet,” Elzetta Tactical Lighting in Winchester provides custom flashlights and gun mounts.
Babybel cheese – Wisconsin isn’t the only land of cheese. The delicious treat founded in France is now produced at the company’s Leitchfield facility.
Hunt Brothers Pizza – The Hunk-A-Pizza you grab from the local convenient store for lunch was distributed by Pizza Wholesale of Lexington, Inc. in Paris.
Cocktail weenies – In Northern Kentucky, Tyson Hillshire produces a significant percent of the world’s tiny sausages, including the Lit’l Smokies brand, from Claryville.
Additional products will soon further strengthen the Commonwealth’s manufacturing presence.
Through September 2016, there have been 79 new location or expansion announcements made by manufacturers, resulting in a projected 4,367 jobs and nearly $1.5 billion in investments. Combined with the new jobs announced by service and technology-based businesses, and Kentucky has announced more than 10,500 new jobs in 2016.
