Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Making Kentucky's Aerospace Industry Even Bigger

Holly Yurchison
/
WVXU
CVG with DHL and Amazon and Lousiville with UPS are a big part of Kentucky's aerospace industry.

A study is underway in Kentucky surveying the state's aerospace industry and determining the direction for the future. The state is No. 2 in the nation in aerospace exports, behind only the State of Washington.

The Kentucky Aerospace Industry Consortium is determining how aerospace got so big in the Commonwealth, how many companies are involved, and how the state can take the industry to the next level.

Executive Director Stewart Ditto says originally Kentucky thought there were only 60 companies. Preliminary findings show there are 600.

He says communication is key. "Our main goal right now is to unify the industry so that not only will we make our citizens aware of what the potential of the aerospace industry is, but also insure all the companies involved in the aerospace industry know of the individuals to the left and right of them that are also involved."

Ditto says the marketing opportunities are huge. "The aerospace industry is in a kind of flux right now where there is a lot of movement of companies looking to move to areas where there is a lower cost of living, lower taxes, more business-friendly and that could create a huge opportunity for the Commonwealth."

The study is scheduled to be finished in September, 2017.

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.