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5.28.26 · Kentucky Business News

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Speaker 1: Hello. Today, I'll be reading from business sources in Lexington
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and Louisville, including The Lane Report and others from around
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the Commonwealth. Your reader today is Julia Shane. As a reminder,
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RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
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blind or who have other disabilities that make it difficult
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to read printed material. Our first article comes from the
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May twenty sixth, twenty twenty sixth edition of The Lane
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Report and is titled the Next Brilliant Business Idea may
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be Launching Soon. The Next Brilliant Business Idea may be
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Launching Soon. At the Summer Family Funfest and Kid Owned
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Business Expo, young entrepreneurs are encouraged to sell, promote and
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present their products and ideas on June thirteenth, ten am
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to two pm. Presented by Black Ops Productions in Kentucky, Kingdom,
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the event welcomes young business owners between the ages of
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six and seventeen to compete for cash prizes in the
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Treasure Tank competition. The event is held in Lifenge at
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one one two South First Avenue, where the Jake Luxemburger
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Foundation will benefit. In addition to the expo, the Funfest
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offers free admission carnival style games, entertainment, inflatables, face painting,
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vendor booths, and more. There will be something fun for
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all ages. Part of the entertainment lineup will feature the
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Treasure Tank competition, based on the popular TV show Shark Tank.
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Kids can present their business concepts to local business leaders.
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Top businesses in two age categories will win a cash prize.
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Black Ops Productions, an experiential marketing agency, has been the
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title sponsor for the past two years. They combine vision,
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experience and ambition to create full scale event productions. Their
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motto is no mission is impossible and they wholeheartedly believe
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in volunteering. This year, Kentucky Kingdom is also joining at
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the title sponsor level. Vicky's largest amusement and water park,
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offering sixty seven acres of family rides, roller coasters, water
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slides and more as Louisville's premier family destination. Both organizations
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prioritize community engagement, giving back, and family fund which is
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a great fit with the mission of the Jake Luxembourger Foundation,
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this year's nonprofit beneficiary. While the event is free, monetary
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donations will be accepted at the entrance to the event.
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Proceeds will be donated to the foundation, which was founded
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in twenty twenty four after Jake was killed in a
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car accident. The non profit was established to honor Jake's
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legacy of giving and positive community impact. Kate Luxemburger adds
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the Jake Luxemburger Foundation believes that strong communities start with
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supporting kids. Through youth athletics, safe play environments, and partnerships
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with local nonprofits, we work to create opportunities for everyone
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to thrive. The next article from the Lane Report is
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titled News study finds five point nine percent of Kentucky
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roads are in poor condition. Roadways are a vital component
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of infrastructure in the United States. The vast majority of
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goods are transported by truck, highlighting the economy's need for
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reliable roadways to connect supply chains and move goods and
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services efficiently across borders. Most commuters use roads daily to
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get to work, and individuals also rely on roadways for
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crucial access to resources, including employment, social health, and education services. However,
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many highways, major roads, and bridges are in need of repair.
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Hazardous road conditions can negatively impact the economy, contribute to
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traffic congestion, and impact the safety of Americans The passing
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of the Infrastructure Investment and Job Acts, also referred to
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as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package, highlights the importance of reliable
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roads in the United States and the commitment to improving
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America's infrastructure. The twenty twenty one bill, signed into law,
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dedicated one hundred ten billion dollars in funding to repair
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and update roads and bridges, in addition to supporting major
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transformational roadway projects across the United States. Researchers at Construction Coverage,
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a company that produces construction industry resources, guides, and research,
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analyzed data from the US Department of Transportation to evaluate
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the condition of roadways across the country highway and street
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construction spending over time. The passage of the Infrastructure Investment
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and Jobs Act came at a critical time. After adjusting
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for inflation, highway and street construction spending had largely stagnated
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for much of the previous decade. From twenty ten to
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twenty twenty one, real spending hovered around one hundred twenty
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billion dollars annually, with little sustained growth bye persistent infrastructure
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needs across the country. The new federal investment helped reverse
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that trend. In constant twenty twenty six dollars. Annual spending
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surged from about one hundred twenty billion dollars in mid
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twenty twenty two to averaging nearly one hundred fifty billion
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through twenty twenty five and into early twenty twenty six,
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providing renewed capacity to address long standing maintenance backlogs and
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advanced long term transportation projects. The share of roads in
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good condition has increased steadily since two thousand. Despite increased investment,
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many US roads remain in poor shape. From two thousand
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to twenty twenty four, the share of major roadways in
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poor condition rose slightly, from eleven point eight percent to
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thirteen point one percent. At the same time, there has
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been clear progress. The share of roads in good condition
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increased nearly ten percentage points, reaching fifty five point one
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percent in twenty twenty four, with noticeable improvements in the
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years following the twenty twenty one Infrastructure Law. The most
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significant shift occurred in the middle category. Roads classified as
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being in fair condition declined from forty two point six
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percent in two thousand to thirty one point nine percent
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in twenty twenty four. This suggests that many roads have
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either improved or worsened enough to move into a different category,
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reflecting a gradual but measurable change in overall road quality.
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The Northeast and California have the most roads in poor condition.
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While public investment in roads is growing, many states continue
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to face significant maintenance challenges, particularly in the Northeast and
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along the West Coast. Rhode Island leads the nation with
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thirty six point two percent of its major roadways rated
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in poor condition, a slight improvement from years past. Other
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Northeastern states, including Massachusetts at twenty nine point three percent,
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New York at twenty four point three percent, Maryland at
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twenty one point six percent, and Connecticut at twenty point
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five percent, also rank among the worst. These states feature
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dense urban centers with some of the country's oldest housing
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in infrastructure, yet still rely on heavily trafficked roadways. Outside
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the Northeast, California reports twenty eight point four percent of
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its roads in poor condition, reflecting where from its large
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car dependent population. Hawaii follows closely at twenty six point
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five percent, despite its small population and geographic footprint. In contrast,
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many Midwestern and southern states report far lower shares of
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deteriorating roads. Indiana at four point one percent, Wyoming at
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three point zero percent, and Kansas at two point eight
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percent are among the best performing states, highlighting a stark
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regional divide in infrastructure quality. Lower traffic volumes and a
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higher share of rural roads make maintaining highway infrastructure easier
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in many of these states. The analysis was conducted by
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Construction Coverage using data from the Federal Highway Administration. Here
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is the summary of the data for Kentucky. One share
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of major roadways in poor condition five point nine percent,
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two share of major roadways in fair condition twenty eight
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point two percent, three share of major roadways in good
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condition sixty six percent, and four daily vehicle miles travel
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per capita twenty nine point three. For reference, here are
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the statistics for the United States. One share of major
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roadways in poor condition thirteen point one percent, two share
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of major roadways in fair condition thirty one point nine percent,
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three share of major roadways in good condition fifty five
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point one percent, and four daily vehicle miles travel per
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capita twenty six point five. Methodology. The data used in
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this Senate analysis is from the US Department of Transportation
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Federal Highway Administrations twenty twenty four Highway Statistic series. To
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determine the states with the worst roads, Researchers at Construction
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Garage calculated the percentage of major roadways in poor condition
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using the latest data available. In the event of a tie,
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the state with the lower share of major roadways in
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good condition was ranked higher. Major roadways are defined to
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include interstates, other freeways and expressways, other principal arterials, and
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minor arterials. The International Roughness Index IRII was used to
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classify poor, fair, and good conditions of roadways by the
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following criteria. Poor IRI greater than one hundred seventy inches
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per mile, Fair IRI between ninety five and one hundred
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seventy inches per mile, In good IRI less than ninety
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five inches per mile. About Construction Coverage. Construction Coverage is
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a leading online publisher of construction industry research reports. Its
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work has been featured on CBS, Fox, USA Today, Bloomberg, Nasdaq,
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and Moore. The next article from the Lane Report is
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titled Allegiant Today begins services from Cincinnati to Santa Anna, California.
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Allegiant Today begins services from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky International
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Airport CBG to John Wayne Airport SNA in Santa Ana, California.
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To celebrate, the company is offering one way fares on
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the new routes as low as eighty eight dollars. We're
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excited to kick off the summer travel season with this
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new NonStop route from Cincinnati, said Drew Wells, Allegiance Chief
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Commercial Officer. Whether you're attending a special event, planning a
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dream vacation, or visiting family and friends, our goal is
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to connect more travelers to their favorite destinations with Allegiance
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Award winning customer service at unbeatable values. The new flights
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will operate twice weekly, flight days, times, and the lowest
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fairs can be found only at Allegiance dot com. Allegiance
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investment in CVG is a reflection of the strength of
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our market as well as our partnership to collaborate together
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to identify growth opportunities that match their business plan, said
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Chad Sumi, chair of the Kenton County Airport Board. Every
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new route and returning destination represents opportunities for our travelers
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to take advantage of the convenient NonStop flights to their
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favorite places. Allegian offers a unique option to Cincinnati area
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travelers with low base airfare and savings on rental cars
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and hotels, Travelers can book their entire vacation with Allegiance
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for less. The next article from the Lane Report is
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titled Centrepoint Health performs first procedures utilizing Maxmore Spine Endoscopic System.
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Centerpoint Health has successfully performed its first procedures utilizing the
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Maxmore Spine endoscopic system, becoming the first hospital in Kentucky
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to use the proprietary technology platform for minimally invasive spine procedures.
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The procedures were performed by doctor Vinod Muniswami and included
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both endoscopic dysectomy and endoscopic restami techniques, expanding treatment options
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for patients across Central Kentucky suffering from chronic back and
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leg pain. While endoscopic spine procedures are available at other
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hospitals throughout the region, the addition of maxmore Spine expands
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minimally invasive treatment options for certain patients experiencing chronic back
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and leg pain close to home. The new system is
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designed to treat patients experiencing contained lumbar disc carnations, bulging discs,
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annular fissures, degenerative disc disease and disk related pain. Through
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a minimum invasive approach. Using advanced endoscopic visualization and specialized instrumentation,
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physicians are able to access and treat damaged areas of
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the spine through a very small incision with minimal disruption
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to surrounding tissue. Many patients with chronic back or leg
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pain are looking for treatment options that can help relieve
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symptoms without the recovery associated with traditional spine surgery, said
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doctor Venode Miswami, interventional pain physician. This new technology allows
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us to precisely target painful or damaged areas while utilizing
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minimally invasive techniques that may help patients recover more quickly
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and return to daily activities sooner. Endoscopic disectomy removes damaged
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dys material pressing on nerves that may cause pain, numbness,
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or weakness, while endoscopic rhistami targets irritated nerves responsible for
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chronic facet joint pain. The procedures are performed on an
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outpatient basis, allowing many patients to return home the same day.
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At Centerpoint Health, we continue to invest in advanced technology
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and procedures that improve access to high quality care close
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to home, said Bruce Tassen, chief executive officer of Centerpoint
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Health Georgetown and market president for Centerpoint Health. Becoming the
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first hospital in Kentucky to utilize this technology reflects our
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continued commitment to expanding access to innovative, minimally invasive treatment
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options to the patients and communities we serve. The next
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article comes from the May twenty first, twenty twenty sixth
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edition of Business Lexington and is titled UK Infrastructure Project
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to support Hospital growth. UK Healthcare announced it is moving
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forward with a five hundred eighty million dollar utilities infrastructure
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project designed to support the future expansion of the the
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University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital and other major
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campus facilities. The university recently received approval from the Kentucky
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Legislature's Capital Projects and Bonds Oversight Committee for the Utilities
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Infrastructure Public Private partnership project, which includes construction of a
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new central utility plant, expanded distribution systems, and upgrades to
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existing heating and cooling infrastructure. University officials said the project
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is necessary to address growing demand at Chandler Hospital, where
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patient capacity limits currently forced thousands of patients to be
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turned away annually to serve the people across the Commonwealth.
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We must continue to grow, said UK President Eli Cappoluto.
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The expansion of Chandler's Hospital is essential to meeting the
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healthcare needs of our state. This project ensures we have
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the infrastructure in place to make that growth possible and
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to keep advancing Kentucky. The infrastructure upgrades will also support
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several other major campus projects, including the UK Marquee Cancer Center,
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the Advanced Ambulatory Building, and the Michael D. Ranken MD
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Health Education Building. This is foundational work that often happens
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behind the scenes, said Eric Monday, Executive Vice President for
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Finance and Administration and co Executive vice President for Health Affairs,
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but it is also critical to everything we do. Without it,
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we cannot expand Chandler Hospital or support the growth in care,
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education and research that serves communities across Kentucky. UK selected
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Kentucky Infrastructure Partners following a competitive process to design, build
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and operate the utility systems. Planned improvements include modernization of
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chilled water systems, additional utility piping, and backup generators for
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Chandler Hospital. This partnership WHIP helps us move faster and
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more effectively on a project of this scale, said Craig Collins.
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It allows us to focus on our mission of advancing
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Kentucky while building the right partnerships to ensure these systems
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performed for decades to come for the future of healthcare
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in Kentucky. Construction will occur in phases, with initial distribution
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piping work expected to begin as early as mid June
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along University Drive between Cooper and Complex Drives. Additional parking
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and traffic impacts near University Drive garage are expected beginning
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mid July, according to university officials. The next article comes
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from the May twenty sixth, twenty twenty sixth edition of
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Louisville Business First and its titled Buffalo Trace Opens Carlisle Cafe,
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written by Stephen Schmidt. Buffalo Trace Distillery opened the John G.
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Carlile Cafe this month with a ribbon cutting at its
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Frankfurt campus, roughly a year after floodwaters from the Kentucky
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River submerged most of the property. The forty nine hundred
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square foot facility occupies the first floor of the elmer
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T League Clubhouse, with additional seating and a stage on
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the second floor. Buffalo Trace Home Place. General manager Tyler
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Adams declined to disclose the total cost, but confirmed it
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reached seven figures. In twenty twenty five, approximately seven hundred
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thousand visitors toured the distillery. This year, Buffalo Trace expects
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to welcome close to seven hundred fifty thousand guests. Adams
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and Buffalo Trace Master distiller Harlan Wheatley cut the ribbon
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before a crowd that quickly formed a long line inside,
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drawn by free meals offered at the opening. The food
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here is meant to be more than lunch, Wheatley said,
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It's meant to be part of the experience. Adams said
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discussions about establishing the cafe began before he joined the
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distillery three and a half years ago. About two years ago,
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he suggest tested creating the cafe in the Chosen building,
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originally built in nineteen thirty five. The two floor cabin
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previously served as an employee dining area, events space for
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company parties and bartending competitions, a wedding venue, and office space.
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The cafe was announced in August of twenty twenty five
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and named after a former US congressman credited with helping
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pass the Bottled In Bond Act of eighteen ninety seven,
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which established quality and safety standards for American whiskey. The
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menu features four sandwiches priced at fourteen dollars. Adams highlighted
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their hot Brown variation featuring turkey burnt Inns, Bourbon Morne,
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candied Bourbon, bacon, and roasted red tomatoes. We knew we
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wanted to feature something that matched the quality of Buffalo Trace,
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Adams said. Employees said the bree Blt and Italian Dagwood
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were the most popular sandwiches. Two flatbreads, both priced at
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fifteen dollars, also sold well Melted Brie and bacon flatbread
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and Turkey burnt Inns flatbread. The menu includes two salads
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for thirteen dollars each, soup at the day for five dollars,
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and four sides ranging from two dollars to four dollars.
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Non Alcoholic drinks cost two dollars to four dollars. Cocktails
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are available for six dollars, including a Buffalo Trace Old
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Fashioned and a seasonal option. Sellersburg, Indiana based Weber Group
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handled construction. Dayton, Ohio based Changeup provided the design. Change
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Up Chief creative Officer Ryan Brazelton said the cafe was
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his firm's first distillery project. Though it had designed five
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thousand Starbucks locations and stores for Buffalo Wild Wings, Sonic
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Drive In, and Baskin Robbins. He said the design process
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focused on the site's history, which dates to seventeen seventy five.
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It was really important just finding every moment as an
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opportunity to tell the stories, he said. One notable display
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features the only known bottle of John G. Carlisle branded whiskey,
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positioned in a case near the drink station. The cafe
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employs thirty people and operates eleven am to three pm daily.
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Adams said breakfast and dinner service could be added later,
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particularly for nighttime special events during the holiday season. To
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celebrate the opening, Buffalo Trace is holding daily specials for
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three weeks, including free meal Mondays for the first one
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hundred guests and whiskey Wednesdays with complimentary samples of upcoming expressions.
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Buffalo TRACE's parent company, Sazarak, has made recent headlines for
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adding the Dirty Shirley ready to drink product, backing Kendall
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Jenner's to Quila brand, taking over operations at the former
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Gerard County Distilling Company, and reportedly offering fifteen billion dollars
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to purchase Brown foreman. Wheatley declined to comment on individual actions,
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but said Sazarak is always looking for growth opportunities. The
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next article from Louisville Business First is titled Renderings Reveal
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Slugger Field development Plans, written by Shay Van Hoy. Mayor
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Craig Greenberg's office recently released new renderings of a proposed
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two hundred and fifty million dollar multi use development next
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to Louisville Slugger Field. The development was announced in twenty
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twenty four. The project's developer says the five hundred thousand
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square foot Louisville Sports Entertainment District will combine residential, office, retail, restaurant, hospitality,
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and entertainment use in well designed buildings that purposely interact
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with one another and relate well to the existing Slugger
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Field Stadium. MGI Louisville LLLC, a subsidiary of Houston based
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real estate firm Machete Group, is partnering with Louisville Bats
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owner Diamond Baseball Holdings and Louisville Metro on the project.
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The development is proposed to be built atop of what
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is now a city owned parking lot just east of
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the baseball stadium. Diamond Baseball Holdings was formed in twenty
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twenty one and now owns nearly fifty minor league baseball teams.
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Matt Mudd, press secretary for the mayor, said the latest
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news is that developers of the project will seek local
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and state approvals this summer, with construction beginning in twenty
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twenty seven. Plans call for a seventh story multi family
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apartment complex with two hundred eighty units and its own
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parking structure, a ten story hotel with one hundred seventy
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rooms and a restaurant space, a four story, forty seven
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thousand square foot office building, twenty two thousand square feet
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of first floor retail space divided amongst the site, including
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in office and hotel buildings and as stand alone structures,
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and a five hundred twenty spot parking garage to serve
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the stadium and the development. When viewed holistically as a site,
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the proposal will compatibility relate to its surrounding urban context,
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positively contributing to the East Main Street built environment, while
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injecting added vitality to the immediate area with various land
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uses that will attract and or maintain people on the
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property throughout the year. Attorney John Baker of Wyatt, Terrant
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and Combe's LLP previously wrote in a letter on behalf
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of MGI Louisville LLC. The next article from Louisville Business
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First is titled Bay's Bakery Relocating to Bardstown Road. Bakery
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will open in the former odd Bird and Steel City
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Pop's location, Written by Michael Jones, a fast growing Louisville
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bakery will trade Clifton for a larger home in the
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Highlands the summer. Husband and wife owners Griffin and Abigail
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McGreevy planned to relocate Bay's Bakery to one zero two
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to one Bardstown Road in mid July, taking over a
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more than thirty two hundred square foot space formerly occupied
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by Oddbird Bakery and Cafe, a new concept from Quill's
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Coffee that closed in twenty twenty five after three months
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in business. Abigail McGreevy said the move was necessary because
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Bays has outgrown its current shop at one eight zero
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four Frankfurt Avenue. We just completely outgrew the Clifton space
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so quickly we weren't able to continue operations in the back,
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Abigail said, so that's why we upgraded to this facility.
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The Bardstown Road location has turned over several times over
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the last decade. Prior to Odd Bird, the site housed
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Steel City Pops until twenty twenty one and Wild and
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Wooly Video until twenty fifteen. Bay's Bakery will lease the
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space from Quills, which invested about two hundred thousand dollars
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into renovations. The property is owned by ZZ Holding LLC.
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According to Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator records, the relationship
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with Quills helped pave the way for the move. Bayze
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makes pastries for Quill's Cafe and has been using the
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Highland's kitchen since September to support its growing wholesale business.
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Quills was kind of giving us a chance to get
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big enough for our bridges. Griffin mcgreeby said. The expanded
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space will allow Bays to broaden its menu and production capacity.
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Known for its cakes by the slice and jumbo stuffed cookies,
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the bakery also offers breakfast pastries, scones, and brownies. At
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the new location, the owners plan to introduce more coffee,
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drinks and additional baked goods. Customers can also expect a
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new concept called Hearth, a nighttime cooking and baking class
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venue that will feature instruction from the owners as well
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as others. We're going to have other teachers and chefs
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from around the city coming in, Abigail McGreevy said. Clients
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can learn and then enjoy the food here too. The
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business employees about ten people, with plans to add four
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more once the Highland Shop is operational. Hours will be
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noon to six pm Wednesday through Sunday. Hearth classes will
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be by appointment. The move marks another milestone for a
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business that began about seven years ago in the couple's apartment.
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Abigail McGreevy, a self taught baker, started by making treats
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for friends and family, before expanding into sales at farmers'
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markets as demand grew. She left the University of Louisville's
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Brandeis School of Law, and Griffin McGreevy quit his job
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as an electrician's apprentice to focus on the business. Bay's
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first brick and mortar location opened in Old Louisville, before
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the bakery relocated in twenty twenty three to the longtime
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Frankfort Avenue home of Sweets. This concludes the reading of
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the most recent business news in Lexington, Louisville, and around
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the state. Your reader today has been Julia Shane. If
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you have any questions or comments about this program, please
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give our Lexington studios a call at eight five nine
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four two two six three nine zero. Thanks for listening,
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and now please stay tuned for readings from the Kentucky
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series here on Radio I