MEMBER-TO-MEMBER: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT FOR NOV. 5, 2015

From Ryan Craig 
Executive Director
Logan County Chamber of Commerce
ryancraig@loganchamber.com

Are you hungry? Or, do you think you might be hungry on Nov. 12?

We’d like to feed you, thank you for being a Chamber member and introduce you to our newest board of directors at our Annual Logan County Chamber of Commerce Membership Breakfast.

We will gather at Logan Memorial Hospital’s cafeteria on Thursday Nov. 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. This is a membership breakfast so we want all who can come to show up. It will be a chance to meet with our staff, our current and new 2016 Chamber Board members. Be sure to come out and enjoy a breakfast on us and visit with our members. After all, it is YOUR Chamber of Commerce and we want to see you there.
 

REMEDY VAPOR RIBBON CUTTING THIS WEDNESDAY

A new e-cigarette and vapor accessories store has just joined the Chamber of Commerce and we will be having a ribbon cutting ceremony this week to celebrate the opening of this new business.

The ribbon cutting will be this Wednesday from 7:30-8:30 a.m., with the ribbon being cut at 8 a.m.

Logan County native Sam Freeman is the owner of REMEDY VAPOR, which is located on 252 N. Main Street (Unit 3) in Russellville. It is located across the street from The Carpenter Center and next to Personal Finance Company.

Remedy Vapor’s web site is www.remedyvapor.com.
 

POPPABLES MINI CUPCAKES AND MORE RIBBON CUTTING

 

We had a really sweet time at the ribbon cutting for new member Poppables Mini Cupcakes and More … on Oct. 21. Poppables is located just off the alley beside Crabtree Furniture on N. Winter Street in Russellville. Make sure to stop by and try their delicious, gourmet treats!

They can be reached at 270-772-1858 and check out their daily specials on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Poppables/timeline.

 

REMODELED ARBY’S TO HAVE RIBBON CUTTING

If you have been by Arby’s at the Logan Plaza in Russellville lately you might have noticed that Arby’s has remodeled its restaurant and it looks great! We will be celebrating Arby’s new look on Nov. 11 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. with the ribbon cutting at 8 a.m. Put this event on your calendar and make plans to attend.

 

NETWORKING EVENT WITH LOGAN COUNTY TOURISM

The Chamber will also be having a networking event with Logan County Tourism on Nov. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Historic Logan County Courthouse. Make sure to bring some business cards and prepare to network while we visit with our friends at Logan County Tourism.
 

TOBACCO AND HERITAGE FESTIVAL STEERING COMMITTEE WRAPS UP 2015

The committee had a productive and lengthy meeting on Oct. 26 to talk about what went right and what we can improve to make the 2016 festival even better. What a great bunch of caring people who really have the best for Logan County in their hearts.

 Thanks to the Chair Paige Dockins for all her hard work and to Co-Chair Krystal Gunderson for all her help this year. Krystal will soon be making an announcement about who will be her Co-Chair next year.

If you have any suggestions or ideas for Krystal and next year’s steering committee, email me at ryancraig@loganchamber.com and I’ll be glad to pass them along.

Also, and this is just an aside I’m very proud of, the estimated total attendance has been amended to one of the biggest parade-day crowds in a long time. The estimate now is somewhere between 28,000 to 30,000 people. And if you tried getting food (or just walking around the square after the parade) that feels about right for such a sea of people. Let’s hope for an even bigger crowd next year!

LOGAN ALUMNIUM ANNOUNCES EXPANSION

Photo by Russellville News Democrat and Leader

Congratulations to Logan Alumnium, which had Gov. Steve Beshear and State Rep. Martha Jane King and other dignitaries in for a ground-breaking last week, to celebrate a massive manufacturing expansion of their north Logan County operations.

Here is the official press release from the Governor’s Office:

Gov. Beshear: Logan Aluminum Inc. Expands to Support Aluminum Can, Automotive Plants
Project to create 190 jobs, bolster Kentucky’s aluminum-industry leadership

RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. (Oct. 28, 2015) – With $240 million in approved investments and an additional $50 million under evaluation, Logan Aluminum Inc., a mill making rolled sheets for beverage cans, will join Kentucky’s growing list of automotive suppliers, Gov. Steve Beshear announced today as he joined company officials and community leaders in Logan County.

“Strong, lightweight materials are quickly becoming standard in vehicle production and Logan Aluminum’s expanded operations contribute to Kentucky’s position as a global leader in the aluminum industry,” Gov. Beshear said. “Logan Aluminum sets the example of how innovative Kentucky companies can add capacity, products and jobs by reacting to market forces.”

Already employing more than 1,000 and ranking as one of Logan County’s largest employers over the past 30 years, Logan Aluminum’s project will create approximately 190 jobs. The additional pending $50 million investment would grow the company’s current production of rolled sheet for beverage cans.

Logan Aluminum, in conjunction with Tri-Arrows Aluminum (TAA), will expand its recycling/new ingot casting facility to provide additional capabilities and increased capacity at its rolling mills, scalping and pre-heating operations.

The changes will allow the plant to produce heavier gauge material, allowing for expansion into other products including automotive sheet.

Logan Aluminum’s ingot casting facility will include a new 280,000-square-foot building on the existing plant site to produce approximately 600 million pounds of cast ingot annually.

An additional 68,000-square-foot expansion will accommodate new equipment for aluminum sheet production to support its expanded capabilities including the auto industry.

“Logan Aluminum has become a world leader in the supply of rolled aluminum sheet through the team members’ dedication to continuous improvement since the start-up in 1983,” said Randy Schumaker, president of Logan Aluminum. “These investments provide the base for continuing industry leadership for Logan Aluminum as the aluminum marketplace transforms over the coming years.”

“This expansion project will enhance both the capability and capacity at the Logan rolling mill,” said Steve Shiraishi, CEO and president of Tri-Arrows Aluminum. “The investment will significantly strengthen TAA’s position in rolled can sheet markets, providing greater assurance for the reliability of supply to our customers. Additionally, it provides us with greater commercial flexibility by extending the breadth of our product offering to other markets, including automotive. We are very pleased to contribute to economic growth and creation of employment in this region through the project.”

The company expects to start the project in 2015 and plans to start producing heavier gauge sheet in 2016 and casting ingots in early 2018.

Logan Aluminum began production in 1985 as a joint venture between Louisville-based Tri-Arrows Aluminum and Atlanta-based Novelis Inc. The company currently makes primarily two types of coiled sheet aluminum used for tops and bodies of beverage cans.

The company sends its finished coils by truck and rail to customers in North America. As well, it exports to foreign customers. Approximately 45 percent of North America’s beverage cans contain aluminum from the Logan County facility.

The Commonwealth boasts more than 150 aluminum facilities – from mills to makers of end-user products – and the industry employs nearly 18,000 full-time workers. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Kentucky has the greatest capacity to produce aluminum in the nation. Aluminum accounts for $2 billion in the state’s gross domestic product.

“I am so pleased with Logan’s decision to take advantage of these incentives. I appreciate their continued commitment to Logan and surrounding counties to grow, create new jobs and expand into the automotive industry,” said Rep. Martha Jane King, of Lewisburg. “I am very proud of my affiliation with Logan Aluminum for over 30 years and was glad to support this legislation which allowed companies to reinvest and expand.”

“Logan Aluminum has been a great asset to our community since their beginning of operation,” said Bert Adler, mayor of Lewisburg. “We are proud they are a part of our community and their growth will have a positive impact on our economic growth. I am looking forward to the continued Partnership with Logan.”

“Logan County is delighted to help with the expansion of Logan Aluminum,” said Logan County Judge-Executive Logan Chick. “They provide good-paying, world-class, advanced manufacturing jobs in Logan County. We are very blessed to have them here. This expansion has been highly anticipated and we truly appreciate their continued job creation and investment in Logan County.”

To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $5.2 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.

Additionally, Logan Aluminum was preliminarily approved by KEDFA for $1.8 million in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.

Logan Aluminum also is eligible to receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies are eligible to receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. Last year, the Kentucky Skills Network trained more than 84,000 employees from more than 5,600 Kentucky companies.

For more information on Logan Aluminum, visit www.logan-aluminum.com.
 

That’s all for this week! Be sure to come out and support our local businesses!

Ryan