Factories in Kentucky
Kentucky has 3,669 manufacturing establishments employing 257,247 people (Census County Business Patterns, 2023), 2.1% of US manufacturing jobs and the 19th most of any state. The largest industries by employment are vehicles, aircraft and parts, food and fabricated metal products. We track 30 new plant projects here, 5 under construction.
- Establishments
- 3,669
- Census 2023
- Manufacturing jobs
- 257,247
- Census 2023
- In EPA records
- 1,551
- Active, ECHO
- New plants
- 30
- 5 building
- Sheet
- KY
- Revised
- November 11, 2026
What is made in Kentucky
| Industry (NAICS subsector) | Establishments | Employees | In EPA records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles, aircraft and parts 336 | 230 | 69,384 | 137 |
| Food 311 | 320 | 30,573 | 112 |
| Fabricated metal products 332 | 667 | 22,116 | 186 |
| Plastics and rubber 326 | 173 | 21,162 | 93 |
| Machinery 333 | 287 | 15,184 | 99 |
| Primary metals 331 | 74 | 13,009 | 92 |
| Chemicals 325 | 191 | 12,820 | 172 |
| Wood products 321 | 358 | 11,007 | 123 |
| Paper 322 | 68 | 10,947 | 31 |
| Electrical equipment and appliances 335 | 67 | 10,625 | 33 |
| Beverages and tobacco 312 | 168 | 10,430 | 59 |
| Glass, cement and stone 327 | 246 | 8,308 | 177 |
| Printing 323 | 261 | 5,983 | 33 |
| Medical devices and other goods 339 | 238 | 5,308 | 24 |
| Furniture 337 | 134 | 4,822 | 21 |
| Computers and electronics 334 | 53 | 1,749 | 21 |
| Textile products 314 | 52 | 1,128 | 3 |
| Petroleum and coal products 324 | 36 | 1,128 | 123 |
| Apparel 315 | 30 | 1,086 | 3 |
| Textile mills 313 | 8 | 355 | 5 |
| Leather goods 316 | 8 | 123 | 4 |
Establishments and employees: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, mid-March employment. * Census flags this figure as having high noise. "In EPA records" counts active facilities in EPA's ECHO database, a subset that excludes plants EPA doesn't regulate.
New plants in Kentucky
| Project | Industry | Status | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville battery electrolyte manufacturing facilityAnthro Energy, Louisville | Batteries | Under construction | $40M110 jobs |
| Bowling Green EV battery gigafactory (Kentucky Transpark)Envision AESC, Bowling Green | Batteries | Under construction | $2.0B2,000 jobs |
| Campbellsville automotive components plantINFAC North America, Campbellsville | Auto parts | Under construction | $53M220 jobs |
| Guthrie aluminum recycling and sheet ingot casting centerNovelis, Guthrie | Steel and metals | Under construction | $365M140 jobs |
| Winchester polymer compounding plantWashington Penn Plastic Co., Winchester | Plastics and packaging | Under construction | $104M88 jobs |
| Bowling Green aluminum extrusion and finishing plant (Kentucky Transpark)AKFA Aluminum Solutions U.S. LLC, Bowling Green | Steel and metals | Announced | $80M331 jobs |
| Allen County flexible packaging plant (Allen Springs Industrial Park)Belmark Inc., Scottsville | Plastics and packaging | Announced | $99M159 jobs |
| Russellville secondary aluminum billet casting plantClearFlow Metalworks, Russellville | Steel and metals | Announced | $28M50 jobs |
| Louisville Assembly Plant retooling for electric mid-size pickupFord Motor Co., Louisville | Vehicles | Announced | $1.9Bjobs not stated |
| Kentucky Truck Plant new paint shop (expansion)Ford Motor Co., Louisville | Vehicles | Announced | $1.0Bjobs not stated |
| Louisville precision parts manufacturing facilityFoxconn Technology USA Corp. (Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd.), Louisville | Electronics | Announced | $173M180 jobs |
| Paducah Laser Enrichment FacilityGlobal Laser Enrichment (GLE), Paducah | Chemicals | Announced | $1.8B240 jobs |
| Maysville heat pump compressor factory (retrofit of existing plant)Mitsubishi Electric US / Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US, Maysville | Appliances and HVAC | Announced | $144M122 jobs |
| Elsmere bottled water and beverage plantNiagara Bottling, Elsmere | Food and beverage | Announced | $130M60 jobs |
| Frankfort high-performance materials plantNitto Inc., Frankfort | Chemicals | Announced | —220 jobs |
| Bowling Green glass bottle plantO-I Glass Inc., Bowling Green | Plastics and packaging | Announced | $239M140 jobs |
| Franklin energy storage system components plantShinsung ST USA (Shinsung Delta-Tech), Franklin | Electrical equipment | Announced | $54M100 jobs |
| Glasgow data center thermal management products plantTate (Kingspan Group), Glasgow | Appliances and HVAC | Announced | $61M400 jobs |
| Nelson County sheet metal stamping expansionThai Summit Kentucky (TSK), Nelson County | Auto parts | Announced | $131M78 jobs |
| Georgetown hybrid-compatible engine machining line (expansion)Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Georgetown | Auto parts | Announced | $204M82 jobs |
| Georgetown plant expansion for second battery electric vehicleToyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Georgetown | Vehicles | Announced | $800Mjobs not stated |
| Georgetown advanced paint facility (expansion)Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, Georgetown | Vehicles | Announced | $922Mjobs not stated |
| Bowling Green specialty aluminum casting facilityVMC Specialty Alloys LLC (Vista Metals), Bowling Green | Steel and metals | Announced | $60M50 jobs |
| Florence commercial bakeryBakery Express Midwest, Florence | Food and beverage | Operating | $20M225 jobs |
| Appliance Park expansion (new dishwasher, washer, refrigerator lines)GE Appliances (a Haier company), Louisville | Appliances and HVAC | Operating | $450M1,000 jobs |
| Henderson recycled paper mill and box factoryPratt Industries, Henderson | Paper | Operating | $500M321 jobs |
| Hopkinsville automotive components Smart PlantToyota Boshoku America Inc., Hopkinsville | Auto parts | Operating | $225M157 jobs |
| Bowling Green bacon plant (Kentucky Transpark)Tyson Foods, Bowling Green | Food and beverage | Operating | $355M450 jobs |
| Apex 1Ascend Elements, Hopkinsville | Batteries | Paused(reported) | —jobs not stated |
| BlueOval SK Battery Park Kentucky (renamed Ford Energy Systems)Ford Motor Company (Ford Energy Battery LLC); formerly BlueOval SK JV, Glendale | Batteries | Paused | $5.8B5,000 jobs |
Factory pages in Kentucky
31 Kentucky factories have their own page so far: the facilities that report to EPA's Toxics Release Inventory and hold the most detailed federal records. See all 31, grouped by industry.
Questions
What is made in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 3,669 manufacturing establishments employing 257,247 people (Census County Business Patterns, 2023), 2.1% of US manufacturing jobs and the 19th most of any state. The largest industries by employment are vehicles, aircraft and parts, food and fabricated metal products.
How many manufacturers are in Kentucky?
3,669 manufacturing establishments (Census, 2023). EPA's ECHO database lists 1,551 active manufacturing facilities in Kentucky that it regulates, 601 of which report to the Toxics Release Inventory.
Are new factories being built in Kentucky?
We track 30 large plant projects in Kentucky announced since 2021: 5 under construction, 18 announced, 5 operating and 2 paused, cancelled or closed.
Can you tour a factory in Kentucky?
Yes: Angel's Envy Distillery Tour, Bourbon Barrel Foods Tour & Taste, Buffalo Trace Distillery Tours, Castle & Key Distillery Tour and 11 more.