Gov. Andy Beshear announced industry publication Area Development has issued Kentucky its Silver Shovel Award for the second year in a row and named GE Appliances as a Manufacturing Project of the Year.
“We worked hard last year to attract great companies and create more good-paying jobs for our people, which resulted in our state’s second-best year on record for new private sector investments,” Beshear said. “This recognition reflects that Kentucky has the infrastructure and workforce needed to continue attracting the businesses of the future.”
For the second consecutive year, Area Development has awarded Kentucky with its Silver Shovel Award for states with populations between 3 million and 5 million. It is the state’s fourth Gold or Silver Shovel designation during the Beshear administration.
Notable 2025 projects highlighted in Kentucky’s ranking include:
• General Matter’s $1.5 billion, 140-job uranium enrichment facility in McCracken County, the largest economic development project in Western Kentucky history.
• Apple’s more than $2 billion investment in Corning’s Mercer County facility to produce 100% of the cover glass used in iPhones and Apple Watches.
• A nearly $2 billion investment from Ford Motor Co. in its Louisville Assembly Plant to introduce an all-new, yet to be revealed, mid-size electric pickup truck.
• Kroger’s new $391 million full-line distribution center in Simpson County, a project that will create approximately 430 new full-time jobs.
GE Appliances was one of 20 projects across the country recognized by Area Development as a Manufacturing Project of the Year. Announced in June 2025, GE will invest $490 million and create an additional 800 full-time jobs at its global corporate headquarters at Appliance Park in Jefferson County. The new product lines are scheduled to begin production in 2027.
The state previously received a Gold Shovel Award in 2022 and 2023, in addition to back-to-back Silver Shovel Awards.
Area Development’s annual Gold and Silver Shovel awards recognize states for their achievements in attracting high value-added investment projects that will create a significant number of new jobs in their communities. The awards are based on a combination of weighted factors, including the number of new jobs to be created in relation to the state’s population, the combined dollar amount of the investments, the number of new facilities and the diversity of industry represented.