Kentucky State Seal

 

*OFFICE OF GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR*

*COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY*








*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*




*Contact:* 

*Crystal Staley*
*502-545-3714*

*Brandon Mattingly
502-782-2006*






*********************Gov. Beshear: Murakami Manufacturing To Expand Campbellsville Operation With $3.4 Million Investment*********************

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""Company has operated in the commonwealth since 2000, employs over 350 Kentuckians"""""""""""""""""""""""""""

*FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 30, 2025) *– Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted exciting momentum within the state’s surging manufacturing sector as Murakami Manufacturing USA, a supplier of side-view exterior mirrors and automotive components, announced plans to expand the company’s operation in Taylor County with a $3.4 million investment.

“Kentucky’s manufacturing industry has long been a key economic driver for this state, and the momentum we have seen within this sector in recent years continues into the new year,” said* Gov. Beshear*. “This is a fantastic investment for the Taylor County community, and I am thrilled to see a quality company in Murakami, which has operated in Kentucky for 25 years, continue to believe in this state’s resources and workforce. I want to thank the company’s leadership and look forward to their continued success.”

To meet growing industry and customer demand, the company plans to add square footage to the facility’s shipping area. The additional space will help the company maintain peak operational efficiency and ensure a seamless flow of products to their partners and customers.

“While this expansion focuses on enhancing our shipping capacity rather than adding new jobs currently, it reflects the exceptional dedication and efficiency of our team members at Murakami,” said *Angie Miller, general manager of Murakami Manufacturing. *“Their commitment to quality has enabled us to meet the growing demands of our customs by increasing the volume of products shipped from our facility. Looking ahead, we remain optimistic about the potential to create new jobs in the future, as this community continues to demonstrate a strong work ethic and deep pride in the products we produce for our customers.”

Murakami Manufacturing USA Inc. is a subsidiary company of the Murakami Corp., which is a fifth-generation, family-owned business based in Shizuoka, Japan. Murakami Manufacturing USA has operated in Campbellsville since 2000 and is a Tier 1 supplier specializing in the production of side-view exterior mirrors and components used in a wide range of automobiles, ranging from luxury cars to Toyota, Honda and Subaru vehicles. The company ships over 2.5 million mirrors each year and is committed to remain a cornerstone of the local community and provide quality products and employment opportunities. The company currently employs over 350 Kentuckians at the Campbellsville facility.

*Taylor County Judge/Executive Barry Smith *is thrilled to see the company expand its operations: “What an exciting time for Campbellsville and Taylor County. Murakami has been a vital part of our economy for many years. We are proud to have them expand their warehouse in our community.”

*Campbellsville Mayor Dennis Benningfield* noted Murakami’s continued investment in the community: “The city of Campbellsville is delighted Murakami has continued to invest in our community with this latest project. It’s always great when our existing business choose to expand. We wish them another 25 years of success.”

*Team Taylor County Executive Director Ron McMahan *looks forward to the company’s continued success: “Murakami’s continued growth and investment in Campbellsville is a welcome addition to our local economy. They have been one of our top corporate citizens since locating here in 2000. We congratulate the leadership and employees of Murakami and look forward to assisting them in their continued success.”

Murakami’s investment and job creation build on the best five-year period for economic growth in state history.

Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,100 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling over $35 billion in announced investments, creating more than 59,800 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history and $14 billion more than the next highest total.

The robust job creation has been accompanied by rising wages across the commonwealth. Since 2022, the average incentivized hourly wage has topped $26 in three consecutive years for the first time.

Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky as the electric vehicle battery production capital of the United States: Ford Motor Co. and SK On’s transformative $5.8 billion, 5,000-job BlueOval SK Battery Park [ [link removed] ] in Hardin County; AESC [ [link removed] ]’s $2 billion, 2,000-job gigafactory project in Warren County; Toyota [ [link removed] ]’s $1.3 billion investment in Scott County; and Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing [ [link removed] ]’s $712 million investment, creating 1,572 jobs in Shelby County, among others.

The Governor’s administration also secured [ [link removed] ] the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund. In 2023, Kentucky recorded over 2 million jobs filled for the first time ever and has stayed above that number ever since.

Kentucky also secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings [ [link removed] ], S&P Global Ratings [ [link removed] ] and Moody’s Investors Service [ [link removed] ].

Last March, Site Selection magazine ranked [ [link removed] ] Kentucky third nationally and first in the South Central region for economic development projects per capita in its 2023 Governor’s Cup rankings. In April, Site Selection placed [ [link removed] ] Kentucky second in the South Central region and in the top 10 nationally in its 2024 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects.

Gov. Beshear announced a Supply Kentucky [ [link removed] ] initiative with the goal of boosting job growth, reducing costs and providing more security in the supply chains of our Kentucky companies. And in November, the Governor announced [ [link removed] ] a new initiative, called New Kentucky Home [ [link removed] ], to increase economic investment, attain and attract talent, and increase tourism across the state.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority today approved Murakami for up to $75,000 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.

In addition, Murakami can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.

For more information on Murakami Manufacturing, visit murakami-usa.com [ [link removed] ].

A detailed community profile for Taylor County can be viewed here [ [link removed] ].

Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at "CED.ky.gov" [ [link removed] ]. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion at "facebook.com/CEDkygov" [ [link removed] ]", on Twitter ""@CEDkygov" [ [link removed] ]", Instagram ""@CEDkygov" [ [link removed] ]" and ""LinkedIn" [ [link removed] ].

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