County Shows Economic Resilience With Growth in Retail and Manufacturing
Published May 08, 2009
New businesses include the Cinemark theater in the Richmond Centre shopping complex. To the south, a Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse is slated for Berea.
Against the background of a troubling economy nationally and globally, Madison County is holding its own.
Berea is the fastest-growing city, percentage wise, in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region and was No. 8 statewide in 2008 for population growth. Also in 2008, the county’s largest city and governmental center, Richmond, welcomed the regional Richmond Centre open-air shopping complex.
Evidence of the county’s economic resilience also can be found in the manufacturing sector. For example, Berea has about 5,000 people employed in factories, and several of those plants are hiring more employees, says David Rowlette, executive director of the Berea Chamber of Commerce.
Berea also continues to attract national retailers, including a new Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse.
“We are diversified enough that the current economic downturn hasn’t hit Berea like many other cities,” Rowlette says. “Plus we still welcome 300,000 tourists a year who visit because of our Appalachian art.”
In fact, Appalachian art is so popular that the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea was opened just off Interstate 75 in 2003, and the state legislature has designated Berea as the Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky.
The city is also home to 154-year-old Berea College, which has gained an international reputation for not charging tuition. “All students work at jobs on campus in lieu of paying tuition,” says Tom McCay, business development director for the city of Berea. “Many of the students work on campus – in food service, the library, departmental offices and maintenance, while another 150 or so make Kentucky crafts such as brooms, woodworking, weaving, blacksmithing and pottery. Those crafts are then sold, with the money going to Berea College.”
New Mall Creates Jobs
In Richmond, much of the talk continues to focus on the 800,000-square-foot Richmond Centre, which is also situated right off I-75. The mall features stores such as JC Penney and Belk, and restaurants such as Logan’s Roadhouse and Olive Garden. There is also a 12-screen Cinemark theater.
“Richmond Centre is the largest shopping complex between Lexington and Knoxville, Tenn., and it’s nice to see such a successful venture that has created many jobs – especially in these tough times nationally,” says Mendi Goble, executive director of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
Regarding the rest of Richmond, Goble says the city has good infrastructure in place to welcome more businesses and excellent schools that include Eastern Kentucky University and Kentucky Tech-Madison County Area Technology Center.
“Richmond boasts a good workforce, and we are a Main Street community with a downtown district that always looks attractive,” she says. “And we are only 25 minutes from the big city of Lexington. This really is an ideal place to live and work.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Antony Boshier
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