Business

In March, the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has been celebrating International Women’s Month by spotlighting several female business leaders in the local community. Among those business leaders was Wendy Goff, who for the past three years has guided the Williamsburg Firestone plant through some of its most difficult challenges, as well as some of its most exciting new ventures. Goff’s history leading up to becoming a plant manager at Firestone adequately prepared her for the opportunities that she would eventually be presented with here in Williamsburg. When asked to discuss that journey, the Somerset native said, “I have done many different things in the past. I went to work...

McDonald’s restaurants across Kentucky are supporting classroom activities by presenting a series of MAC Grants this fall. Each $500 MAC (Make Activities Count) Grant is designed to help local teachers and staff fund new and exciting projects designed to engage their students in creative ways. Recently, local McDonald’s Owner/Operator John Faris’s organization presented a $500 check to Melissa Mills, a librarian at Lynn Camp Middle/High School in Corbin. Mills will use the grant to upgrade library hosting materials for events. MAC Grants are designed to provide educators with the resources they need to create new and exciting learning experiences for their students. McDonald’s hopes this MAC Grant will allow for some...

Carlos E. Sanchez will be the guest presenter at the next Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce member luncheon, taking place Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the Corbin Center. Sanchez was named President AT&T Kentucky in April 2022. He has been with AT&T for 19 years. In his current role, he leads and executes the overall strategic direction of AT&T’s corporate initiatives across the commonwealth, as well as the company's local and state government relations efforts.  He works closely with community and business leaders, elected officials and others at AT&T to bring fiber and 5G wireless broadband services to consumers and businesses. Sanchez lived in Charlotte for twenty years and formerly worked as...

Last week, longtime employees of Jones Plastic and Engineering in Williamsburg were recognized for their many years of service during a special luncheon at the plant. CEO Craig Jones spoke at the luncheon, saying, “We are blessed to have everyone here, and we appreciate all of your hard work that has allowed us to be here for 30 years. We couldn’t do it without a lot of effort and commitment to making the plant successful, and making our customers happy. You all do a great job of that.” Those receiving certificates of achievement at the luncheon were: Lori Loudermilk – 30 years John Brown – 30 years William Wilson – 30...

Flowers make everything special. That is the slogan for Greg Prewitt and his wife, Terri, owners of Williamsburg Flower Shop, one of downtown Williamsburg’s oldest and most beloved businesses. “People love getting flowers,” said Greg Prewitt, who is now in his twentieth year running the local flower shop. “They always make for a nice gift, and are always very appropriate for occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, and of course, funerals are a large part of what we do.” Although Williamsburg has had a flower shop since at least the 1950s, Williamsburg Flower Shop has been in its current location, at the corner of Main and Second streets, since 1974. Prewitt became the...

Unemployment rates decreased in Whitley, Laurel, Knox, Bell and McCreary counties between June 2022 and July 2022, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Whitley County Whitley County’s unemployment rate decreased from 4.8 percent in June 2022 to 4.7 percent in July 2022. Whitley County’s July 2022 unemployment rate was 1.1 percent lower than the July 2021 unemployment rate. Laurel County Laurel County’s unemployment decreased from 4.5 percent in June 2022 to 4.4 in July 2022. Laurel County’s July 2022 unemployment rate was 0.8 percent lower than the July 2021 unemployment rate. Knox County Knox County’s unemployment rate decreased from 6.0 percent in June...

Unemployment rates increased in Whitley, Laurel, Knox, Bell and McCreary counties between April 2022 and May 2022, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), an agency of the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. Whitley County Whitley County’s unemployment rate increased from 3.8 percent in April 2022 to 4.0 percent in May 2022. Whitley County’s May 2022 unemployment rate was 0.9 percent lower than the May 2021 unemployment rate. Laurel County Laurel County’s unemployment increased from 3.4 percent in April 2022 to 3.8 in May 2022. Laurel County’s May 2022 unemployment rate was 0.5 percent lower than the May 2021 unemployment rate. Knox County Knox County’s unemployment rate increased from 4.8 percent in April...

Baptist Heath Corbin has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2022. Baptist Health Corbin is one of only 240 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor. The award recognizes Baptist Health Corbin’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that Baptist Health Corbin has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. To receive the Chest Pain  ̶  MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, Baptist Health Corbin has demonstrated sustained achievement in the...

(Lexington, KY) On May 27, Terry Forcht and the leadership team at Forcht Bank held an official ribbon cutting for the new Forcht Bank office in downtown Lexington at 390 West Main Street. The 1200-square foot office, which is located across from Rupp Arena, offers access to business banking experts, an OnDemand Video Banking Teller, and causal café seating with access to WIFI. “We’re incredibly excited to officially be part of the Downtown Lexington business community,” said Tucker Ballinger, Forcht Bank President & CEO. “Downtown Lexington is going through an incredible revitalization, and we see a great opportunity to support the growth that will come as a result. We couldn’t...

The Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has announced the sponsor and guest speaker for their next chamber luncheon, being held Tuesday, June 14, at The Corbin Center. Forcht Bank will serve as sponsor for the luncheon, and the special guest will be Dennis Ritchie, Senior Director of Reentry and Young Adult Services for Goodwill Industries of Kentucky. The luncheon is scheduled to take place from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Those interested in attending can register by calling (606) 528-6390.