Big Rivers Electric Corp. opened its new headquarters in downtown Owensboro in February. But February isn’t a good time to have an official ribbon cutting.
So, Tuesday afternoon, local officials joined Gov. Andy Beshear and Big Rivers president and CEO Bob Berry in officially opening the East Second Street headquarters.
Berry said about 100 people work in the downtown office. The headquarters had about 70 workers when the office opened in February.
Big Rivers is also seeking approval from the state Public Service Commission to build a transmission center near the Green River Area Development District offices, Berry said.
“That’s an additional 65 high-paying jobs,” he said.
Berry thanked Mayor Tom Watson for his work bringing Big Rivers to Owensboro. The package city commissioners approved in 2021 included selling Big Rivers city-owned land and refunding the money back to the utility and giving Big Rivers a 50% rebate on its general fund occupational taxes for 10 years.
Watson said Big Rivers is the type of company officials want to attract to downtown, “so we can continue to grow this community.”
“We are blessed to have you in this community,” he said. Big Rivers is “going to do great things.”
Daviess Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen said he was a county commissioner when officials began working to bring Big Rivers to the city.
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“We had to work together,” Castlen said. “I was glad to be a part of it.”
Beshear, who is running for a second term as governor, said the new headquarters was an example of job creating economic development that has occurred during his administration. Beshear and Berry said there was more development to come in the region.
“The growth we are seeing here in Owensboro is incredible,” Beshear told the small crowd in front of the Big Rivers building. “Companies are betting their future on you.”
Big Rivers moved its headquarters from Henderson County to Owensboro, which Beshear said resulted in a net increase in jobs.
Beshear said state officials are working to bring jobs to areas throughout western Kentucky.
“We are ensuring we have unlocked every single thing western Kentucky needs” to be competitive, he said.
Beshear thanked local GOP lawmakers in the audience for their work bringing development to Owensboro.
“At the end of the day,” he said, “a job is not partisan.”
(1) comment
What did Beshear have to do with it? Nothing.
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