Elizabethtown/Hardin County is located in the heart of the Eastern United States. Centrally located within 35 miles of Louisville to the North and 131 miles of Nashville to the South, Elizabethtown is located at the intersection of three major highways--- Interstate 65, Bluegrass Parkway and the Western Kentucky Parkway. As the county seat of Hardin County, Elizabethtown encompasses 25 square miles of the 616 square miles that make up Hardin County.

Our geographic location - The Heart of Kentucky - is within a day's drive of over two-thirds of the nation's population.

Close cooperation between state and local government and the private sector has helped Elizabethtown attract and retain valued industries. This attitude is reflected in the participation of top government officials in economic development activities. The Mayor of Elizabethtown and the Hardin County Judge Executive both serve on the Elizabethtown/Hardin County Industrial Foundation Board of Directors, a not-for-profit corporation that recruits new industries to the area. Top local officials also serve on the Board of the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Chamber of Commerce and work closely with state and federal legislators to promote legislation conducive to maintaining a healthy business climate.

Elizabethtown/Hardin County has a well-established base of businesses. These companies have found the city's pro-business attitude a real strength for their continued growth and success.

The Elizabethtown/Hardin County area has a ready, willing and qualified group of people who comprise their workforce.

A keen understanding of the special needs of industry and a cooperative spirit between business, industry and government-as well as the vision that with careful planning, a superb place to do business can also be a quality place to live-has enabled Elizabethtown/Hardin County to successfully attract and retain quality industries from around the world.

Access to transportation has always been key to doing business in Hardin County. Its' central location, excellent highway systems, rail and truck service make the region a prime spot for business. In fact, the community has a history of being a crossroads for industry and business.

• Highways
  Elizabethtown, with its network of highway access, is within a day's drive of nearly two thirds of the nation's population. Connecting to three major highways has helped it earn its nickname of "Hub City."
  
  
  • Interstate 65, which connects Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Bluegrass Parkway, which connects Hardin County to the east and ends near Lexington and Interstates 64 and 75.
  • Western Kentucky Parkway, which ends at Interstate 24 with highway connections to Memphis and St. Louis.
  
  
• Air Service
  Local air service is provided at the Elizabethtown Regional Airport (EKX), which can accommodate corporate jets, and has a 6000 X 100 ft. runway. RNAV/GPS approaches to both runways are available. A full Instrument Landing System (ILS) has been approved and funded for installation at EKX. The ILS provides additional all-weather capability for incoming aircraft. The first part of the ILS - the localizer - has been installed and commissioned by the FAA. The second part of the ILS - the glide slope - is slated for installation. Fuel and repair service is available, as well as hangers and tie-downs. It is located in the Hughes Industrial Park.

  Louisville International Airport is located just 35 miles north of Elizabethtown. The low fares and quality service routinely attract passengers from a 200-mile radius. The airport now has nonstop service to more than 20 destinations and convenient connections to cities worldwide. Carriers serving the Louisville International Airport include: American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest, Midwest, Southwest, United and US Airways.

  In addition, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is located just 90 miles north of Louisville. It offers 254 peak daily departures and service to Paris, Montreal, Toronto, Cancun, Punta Cana, Nassau, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London.
  
  

• UPS International Air Hub
  Many companies have located in or near Elizabethtown because of the UPS presence at the Louisville International Airport. A recent expansion of over $1 Billion increased the hub to 5.2 million square feet, increasing its sorting capacity to 350,000 per hour, making it the heart of the company's international operations.
  
  
• Rail
  Two railroads, CSX and Paducah & Louisville Railway, provide service to Elizabethtown businesses.

In addition to low taxes and low costs of doing business, the State of Kentucky and Elizabethtown offer a variety of benefits to your company:

• Direct Financial Benefit
  Kentucky's pro-business climate provides a number of incentives for businesses. The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA), established within the Cabinet for Economic Development to encourage economic development, business expansion, and job creation, provides financial support through an array of financial assistance and tax credit programs. Helping businesses in this way furthers the commonwealth's goals of achieving long-term economic growth and full employment for its citizens. Direct benefits are available through the Incentives for the New Kentucky (INK), a recently enacted law, modernizing and streamlining Kentucky's business incentives. The landmark legislation ensures that Kentucky's economic development programs are on the cutting edge. Kentucky Incentive programs include: Kentucky Business Investments (KBI), Kentucky Reinvestment Act (KRI), Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA) and the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC). In addition to the aforementioned incentives, there are additional programs that assist in environmental stewardship, industrial revitalization, energy independence and unemployment tax credits just to name a few. All of the incentive programs available are further outlined on the Cabinet for Economic Development website.

  The City of Elizabethtown also has several programs available to qualified companies. They may include tax rebates and jobs creation incentives. The recently enacted state incentives will allow the City the ability to negotiate with each industry in areas that more clearly meet their needs.
  
  

• Training
  Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC) provides customized training grants. BSSC, an independent corporation within the Cabinet for Economic Development, provides grants to new, expanding and existing Kentucky businesses for customized skills training. Reimbursements are awarded for entry level through advanced training of Kentucky citizens.

  The Skills Training Investment Credit Act allows companies to claim state income tax credits for up to 50% of the cost of approved occupational and skills upgrade training.
  
  

• Employment Services
  The Kentucky Department of Employment Services has a Career Center located in Elizabethtown. They can and will, at the direction of the company, recruit, test, assess and screen applicants, referring qualified applicants to the company.

Elizabethtown/Hardin County is located at the center of Kentucky and boasts a rich and diverse heritage. It is a safe and welcoming community and has all the comforts of living in a rural community, but is just 35 miles south of Louisville - Kentucky's largest city.

Hardin County offers a low cost of living that includes some of the most affordable housing, low taxes and some of the lowest utility rates in the nation.

There is a wide range of shopping opportunities and great restaurants. There are outstanding schools (public and private K-12 and post secondary options as well) and recreational opportunities are abundant. Performing arts, museums and historical attractions and community festivals throughout the regional offer a wide range of entertainment possibilities.

Healthcare availability is second to none. Elizabethtown is home to the Hardin Memorial Hospital which is a 300 bed regional healthcare facility. In addition, the nearby Louisville area has emerged as one of America's outstanding regional health-care centers with 18 acute-care hospitals and approximately 5,199 hospital beds.

Your company locating in Elizabethtown will prove to be a great move!