BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — For the 11th consecutive year, Bowling Green is being recognized nationally as being number one for its economic projects.

What You Need To Know

  • Site Selection Magazine recognized Bowling Green and Kentucky in its 2023 Governor's Cups

  • Bowling Green tops the list in its economic projects

  • At the announcement, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman said Bowling Green is at the center of Kentucky's economic boom

  • Overall, Kentucky came in third place nationally for economic projects per capita

Site Selection Magazine recognizes Bowling Green in its 2023 Governor’s Cups.

Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott said, “This is, across the board, a victory for our entire community.”

The city is number one in the “tier 3 metros” with 23 total projects.

According to a release from Gov. Andy Beshear’s office, Site Selection rankings are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as an industry scoreboard. 

The magazine’s circulation reaches 42,000 executives in corporate site selection decision-making roles.

Alcott said, “They’re sort of like Forbes, and says ‘Who are the top 500?’ Site Selection is the one that all the chambers look at to see who are the movers and shakers.”

Bowling Green was second in projects per capita. The city also placed in the top 10 for total projects in the south-central region, regardless of population.

Ron Bunch, president of Bowling Green’s Area Chamber of Commerce, credits part of the economic development toward companies investing.

Bunch said, “We had some companies in the trans park, we had some companies in Morgantown, we had some companies at the innovation campus. So, we have a really diverse set of companies. 16 companies that made investments and created jobs that propelled us further into the competition.”

Last year, according to the governor’s office, Kentucky had 180 new-location and expansion announcements.

Those projects include $4.6 billion in new investments and nearly 8,600 jobs.

Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, D-Ky., was at the announcement and said, “Kentucky is an in economic boom. Bowling Green is the center of that. We’ve seen a huge amount of growth going on in this region, and really, it has been the thing that has propelled Kentucky forward as a commonwealth.”

Overall, Kentucky came in third place nationally for economic projects per capita and is in first place in the south-central region.

Louisville placed sixth national for projects per capita for all metropolitan areas. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky was eighth and Lexington/Fayette County placed seventhin in the “tier 2 per capita” rankings.

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