Testimonials

Scott County’s economic program would be at a loss without the assistance and expertise of Commerce Lexington and their staff and programs. We utilize a shared data base, partner with them and Bluegrass Alliance and, above all, share the best workforce in the Bluegrass Region. Partnership and Regionalism works well in Fayette and Scott County!
– Jack Conner, Executive Director of the Georgetown/Scot County Chamber of Commerce and Scott County United, Inc.

Commerce Lexington is such an asset to surrounding communities in our economic development efforts. Their leadership in the Bluegrass Alliance partnership promotes unified interests across the Central Kentucky region and encourages individual communities to work as partners, rather than competitors. While they are the driving force behind this alliance, they ensure that resilient communities are built throughout the region and that the partnership is equitable and beneficial to all parties through joint marketing efforts, RFP responses and connections with consultants.
– Terri Bradshaw, President & CEO, Kentucky Capital Development Corporation

Commerce Lexington has been a trusted partner and resource to our team for many years in working with companies considering the Lexington area for business expansion projects. CLX has a professional team that has always been responsive and provided good service, from information requests to facilitating/hosting site visits. I worked extensively with the CLX team on the More Than a Bakery project (Versailles) to evaluate Lexington and candidate sites across the region. CLX did a very good job of showcasing the local area and connecting us with the local business community, governments, community development partners, and other resources to support the decision process. CLX has great awareness among site selection consultants nationally and represents the economic development profession well.
– Brandon Talbert, Managing Director, The Austin Company

Commerce Lexington was a key ingredient to successfully bringing our 115-year old commercial bakery to the Lexington area, enabling us to expand our operations and eventually add 300 jobs to the local economy. The Commerce Lexington folks were not only highly professional, and appropriately confidential but extremely responsible to the many requests for information and contacts. In fact, they were our go-to source when we needed to find service providers in the area, which I’m confident led us to establish key banking, legal, construction, lodging, and goods supplier relationships. Those supplier relationships have been vital to our success thus far, and I don’t know how we could have gotten up to speed on local providers so quickly had we not had such a strong and lasting relationship with Commerce Lexington.
– Bill Quigg, President of More Than a Bakery

I really didn’t know the breadth of the LEP team until you set up that Zoom call with us last year. Both William and I were pretty blown away at the available resources. Since that call we have engaged a team from UK on a machine function improvement, enrolled our Manufacturing Manager in TrueLean training at UK recommended by that group, worked with BCTC and others on recruitment – and the list goes on. We attended two of the Scentsy events and hired the first person who applied with us. Getting connected with Rolando Thacker and that team has been great for that effort and we continue to stay in touch with them on recruitment needs. Thank you Commerce Lexington for organizing these meetings, your continued help has been incredibly valuable to us at hydra!”
– Elizabeth Bagby, COO, hydra Brands

Commerce Lexington was an early and influential supporter of our project to rebuild the historic distillery in downtown Lexington. They played a vital role in facilitating our communication and subsequent support from the City, resulting in both the awarding of grant from the City and the attendance of the Mayor at the press event to announce the project. Getting the approval and support required to build a distillery in an urban area is a complicated and years long project which requires a lot of effort and coordination amongst multiple parties – Commerce Lexington was a key part of that process from the beginning and throughout.
– Amir Peay, Owner of James Pepper Distilling Co.

As a private firm in the economic development and real estate industry, we understand firsthand the need for a strong, local economic development team. As we work projects across the state, certain communities struggle even though they have great assets to market and sell. The team at Commerce Lexington is the opposite. They continuously find a way to work through a low inventory market while ensuring Lexington puts its best foot forward for economic development projects. I strongly endorse Commerce Lexington’s efforts and I look forward to working with them in the future!”
– Lucas Witt, Co-Founder & Partner, MWM Consulting

Central Kentucky is recognized as one of our nation’s most attractive regions for business and industry and the Bluegrass Region has prospered as a result of new and expanding companies. Whether they choose Lexington or any of the surrounding communities, projects like More Than A Bakery, Amazon Kindle and Toyota have created a profound economic impact on the entire region. Those businesses will require banking and professional services and all types of design and construction services, and their employees and families will be shopping, dining and growing their communities. The infusion of regional jobs will have far-reaching benefits that improve the quality of life for all our citizens.
– Luther Deaton, President of Central Bank

Commerce Lexington provides essential resources, leadership, and support to businesses in Lexington. One way is through the Lexington Economic Partnership team, hosted by Commerce Lexington and includes local workforce partners. Companies have a way to connect with financial incentives, training, and recruitment strategies to help provide solutions as they grow their business in the Bluegrass.
– Jeff Lee, Workforce Development Consultant, Office of Employer and Apprenticeship Services

Commerce Lexington has always been a strong supporter and advocate for Neogen, and has assisted us through expansion projects in the city. The team at Commerce Lexington is proactive in addressing our needs and supporting our growth through many activities such as existing business visits, networking groups, and appreciation events.
– Terri Morrical, Vice President – Animal Safety of Neogen Corporation

Commerce Lexington was instrumental during Creative Lodging Solutions’ expansion into our new 68,000 square foot facility in 2015. The economic development group walked us through the application process for state tax incentives which helped offset the cost of relocating and spurred our job growth. Their C3N group is a valuable resource for our contact center. The ongoing support from Commerce Lexington has been phenomenal. When a new state tax law was about to create unintentional consequences for my company, my attorneys and I tried unsuccessfully to get some relief. When Commerce Lexington heard about our situation, they took up our cause and provided direct access to the governor who assisted in resolving the issue. Commerce Lexington is a true advocate for local business.
– Mike Tetterton, Founder of Creative Lodging Solutions

Belcan Engineering has worked with Commerce Lexington over several years on projects ranging from grant proposals to rapid facility expansions, and in every case Commerce Lexington has performed above and beyond expectations. They have been, and will continue to be, a significant value-add to many of our business endeavors.
– Ben Marsico, Operations Manager of Belcan

Commerce Lexington has been an incredible partner to Fooji, primarily with supporting us in two meaningful ways: 1) identifying a great location for our newly opened headquarters, and 2) navigating and secure financing through the Lexington Jobs Fund enabling us to bring forward future planned hiring. We’re excited to continue the partnership with Commerce Lexington and growth of Fooji in Lexington.
– Gregg Morton, Founder & CEO, Fooji, Inc.

Having worked with Commerce Lexington Inc. in the past on a business development grant and several of the networking groups, when we were faced with a potential relocation due to growth plans, the economic development team at Commerce Lexington was the first call we made. Their ability to understand the needs of our business and workforce made them an invaluable resource in finding a space to suit our needs. I would highly recommend to anyone to engage with Commerce Lexington with any of their business needs. They have a great understanding of the business community in Lexington, and always have been more than willing to help.
– Alan Eargle, CEO, Corrisoft

Commerce Lexington has been invaluable business partner with Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC) as we work to identify gaps in our workforce and develop effective talent pipeline solutions for our region, particularly in Lexington. They have been innovative leaders in helping solve workforce issues facing our employers and have led efforts to bridge critical services that directly impact existing business and industry retention. Commerce Lexington is a significant partner to help advance the vision and mission of BCTC.“
– Erin Tipton, Associate Vice President for Workforce Solutions at Bluegrass Community and Technical College

In 2010, we reached out to Commerce Lexington for assistance in an initiative to expand our regionally focused technology business. We were expanding our service offerings around the Cloud and investing in a new headquarters building located in downtown Lexington. The assistance provided by the Commerce Lexington staff was very instrumental in SIS, LLC being awarded economic development funding. That funding was the initial catalyst in our business transformation that has proven to be a key element in our company adapting to the incredible change that is taking place through the influence of technology on all aspects of our clients’ business. Commerce Lexington has continued to support us along the way after the expansion.
– Steve Sigg, CEO, SIS

We at CLARK Material Handling Company are grateful to Commerce Lexington for their efforts and support over the years. Commerce Lexington and their dedicated team of top-notch economic development professionals have played a significant role in CLARK’s multiple expansions in Lexington, and as a result Lexington is now CLARK’s North American Headquarters. Commerce Lexington proved to be invaluable as CLARK expanded its manufacturing footprint in Lexington, and as a result, many of our products are “Manufactured in Lexington, and Driven Around the World.” Commerce Lexington has guided CLARK through the complexities of tax and economic incentives which are offered through the Economic Development Cabinet of the State of Kentucky and through local jurisdictions such as Lexington/Fayette County. Commerce Lexington continues to be our go-to source for contacts in the area both to enhance business opportunities and to help find solutions to issues which we are faced with from time to time. If regional or even national businesses are interested in growing their businesses in a business-friendly, people centered community, my advice to them is to contact the dedicated professionals at Commerce Lexington.
– Dennis Lawrence, President, CLARK Material Handling Company