Leadership Hardin County started off at the Hardin County Industrial Foundation, a wonderful facility for the focus of the day “Economic Development.” We were welcomed by Cheryl Scott of Xerographic Business Systems (XBS) who hosted the day. Brad Richardson, Hardin County Chamber of Commerce President, began our morning session reviewing some the measurements used to track economic development in Hardin County.
| Population | 108,000 | Avg. Household Income | $52,000 |
| Avg. Property Value | $150,000 | Avg. Resident Age | 36 |
| Work Rate | 63% | Unemployment Rate | 4.1% |
| Graduation Rate | 90% |
After President Richardson’s review of the county’s economic indicators, he introduced a panel of Economic Development Leaders from Hardin County. The panel consisted of:
Matt Adams, Hardin County Extension Agent for Ag & Natural Resources
Rick Games, Elizabethtown/Hardin County Industrial Foundation President
Morris “Mo” Miller, Representative of Lincoln Trail Innovation & Venture Group
Patricia Krausman, UK Small Business Development Center Director
Sherry Murphy, Elizabethtown Tourism and Convention Center Director
Kelly Barron, Radcliff/Fort Knox Tourism Director
Jim Iacocca, Knox Regional Development Alliance President/CEO
An hour-long discussion with the panel was directed by various questions from the group, the panel was very informative about the impacts that affect growth in our economy.
After wrapping up with the panel we took a small break and headed to downtown Elizabethtown for a scavenger hunt. The leadership group broke up into teams of 3 and 4. We were given a list of clues about the businesses in the downtown area. We were given anything from “Say cheese when you stop by their window” to “Real men don’t lower their ears.” Each group stopped by 10 local businesses.
After the hunt, the leadership group gathered at Impellizari’s to enjoy some pizza, breadsticks and salad. During our lunch we were addressed by Kevin Addington who discussed his role in revitalizing downtown Elizabethtown. Jaimie Dissellkamp, of Hosparus, and Leslie Stiles, of XBS Office Solutions, provided brief overviews of their companies.
After lunch, the leadership group headed north to Radcliff for a tour of Basham Lumber Company and Red Hill Cutlery. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Jason Basham, co-owner. Mr. Basham shared the history of the family business, from its origins as a lumber yard in 1963, to the establishment of Red Hill Cutlery in 2004, and future plans. The group then toured the Kentucky Museum of American Pocketknives, located within Red Hill Cutlery. The museum displays W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery items and is Kentucky’s Largest Knife Showplace and one of the largest in the U.S.
Completing our tour of Basham Lumber and Red Hill Cutlery, the group traveled a short distance to Ipak, Inc. where we were greeted by Eric Filburn, General Manager. Mr. Filburn provided the group with an overview of the products and service provided by Ipak, Inc. We then completed a tour of the approximately 50,000 square foot facility. We were able to witness Ipak’s waterjet cutting machine in action along with seeing employees working the die cutting and sewing stations.
After completing our tour of Ipak, we traveled to Boundary Oak Distillery. The group watched a short film, toured the facility and even tasted bourbon!
Adam R. Gordon
Manager, Commercial Lending
Fort Knox Federal Credit Union
