When a New Place Feels Like Home
There are few places better situated to combine business and pleasure than next-door neighbors Blue Grass Airport (LEX) and Keeneland. They’re so close the image of a bugler calling Thoroughbreds to the post is built into the airport’s logo.
When horse sales are transpiring on the pristine grounds of Keeneland, the steady parade of expensive equines is matched by the procession of international private jets ferrying in their purchasers from all over the world at LEX, a complex with an annual economic impact of $709 million. When three weeks of racing unfold in the spring and fall, grandstand railbirds like me get to join in the fun, doing our best to look rakish, smoke a cigar, sip a bourbon and not look foolish trying to decipher the racing form or place an exotic wager.
That was only one of the delights I enjoyed sharing with visitors during a decade of living in Lexington in the 1990s. Others have their own memories.
Red River Gorgeous rentals include three geodesic canopy treehouses in “Dome Town.”
Photo courtesy of Kentucky Tourism
Mike Yoder, interim commissioner at the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, moved with his wife eight years ago from the “passive-aggressive” vibe of downtown Seattle to the two-stoplight town of Wilmore, Kentucky, located to the southwest of Lexington in Jessamine County.
“It was culture shock for me and for her in a lot of ways,” he said, comparing a typical headphones-implanted, conversation-rebuffing walk in Seattle to a walk around the neighborhood in Wilmore.
“People are looking at you and smiling,” he said, which was actually uncomfortable at first. At the local IGA grocery, cold-blooded efficiency at the checkout queue gave way to not minding while a neighbor ahead in line chatted with the proprietor who’s owned the store for decades.
“It was an assimilation process,” Yoder said with a smile. “But it’s more laid back and relaxing. My blood pressure went down. It’s a culture shock but a welcome shock.”
The shock of a warm welcome is at the heart of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s “New Kentucky Home” initiative launched at Keeneland in November 2024. The marketing initiative “will serve as a reintroduction of Kentucky to the world, showcasing the state’s vibrant economy, natural beauty, cultural richness and welcoming communities,” read the official announcement, noting the emphasis to be placed on all 120 of Kentucky’s counties.
“Kentucky isn’t just a place,” Gov. Beshear said. “It’s full of communities where people support each other, where businesses thrive and where families create good, full lives. Because here in Kentucky, business is fast, but the pace of life is just right — and that is something a lot of companies and families are looking for when choosing their new home.”
“It’s important to me that Kentuckians feel a sense of pride when talking about their home, so I want to encourage them to share that with the world.”
— Gov. Andy Beshear
“In Owensboro and Daviess County, the collaboration between economic development and tourism has delivered real results for our community,” said Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp. CEO Claude Bacon, “and it’s clear we are better, stronger, faster and more successful in accomplishing our goals together.”
From horses to bourbon to the great outdoors, visitors are finding out what makes our New Kentucky Home an amazing place to live.
Photo by Charity Hedges courtesy of Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development
“We are actively transforming our economy with exciting developments in tourism and new opportunities in manufacturing,” said Colby Kirk, president and CEO of One East Kentucky, which leads industrial recruitment and economic development marketing for the nine-county Eastern Kentucky region. “The potential for remote work has also grown significantly due to enhanced broadband access across the region. My sincere hope is that those who once had to leave will find the mountains calling them back to their New Kentucky Home.”
“The intersection of tourism and economic development is clear. Today’s traveler could be tomorrow’s talent, and we know that attracting that new talent to Kentucky is key to our future successes as a state,” said Mary Quinn Ramer, president and CEO of VisitLex.
Social media users can expect to see posts popping up with #NewKyHome hashtags, as Kentuckians share their stories (with the possibility of winning a monthly drawing for a two-night stay at one of Kentucky’s 17 state resort parks).
“All of our economic wins and successes are helping us build a brighter future, and we achieved those wins together,” said Gov. Beshear. “It’s important to me that Kentuckians feel a sense of pride when talking about their home, so I want to encourage them to share that with the world.”
He had the opportunity to do just that after accepting the invitation to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January. He participated in five panels and the Kentucky delegation had 25 meetings with company executives.
“Ten were with foreign-owned companies that already employ over 8,750 Kentuckians,” he wrote afterward. “The other meetings were with potential investors from multiple continents that have announced plans to invest in the United States. From L’Oreal to Suntory, DHL, Schneider Electric, Henkel, Pinterest and more, the lineup was full, and the meetings were promising.”
In less than 72 hours, the Kentucky team met with leaders from multiple countries spanning five continents.
“That would have taken us years to accomplish under normal circumstances,” Gov. Beshear wrote. “And that’s important, because foreign investment is essential to our overall economic success. Kentucky currently has over 530 foreign-owned facilities that employ over 116,000 Kentuckians,” many of them part of the $35 billion in investment creating over 60,000 new jobs during the first five years of the Beshear administration. Beshear noted the pride he felt entering each room in Davos.
“Leaders from companies whose names are familiar worldwide knew about us, about Kentucky,” he said. “They knew about the success we’ve achieved, and most importantly, they knew that we achieved it by working together.”
Those companies, it appears — even those which haven’t yet invested in Kentucky — feel right at home, embracing the welcome of their New Kentucky Home as an everyday concept. as an everyday concept.
