Packaging manufacturer creating 180 jobs at Bardstown facility
Media Contacts: Nicole Burton
502-564-2611
Nicole.Burton@ky.gov
Jack Mazurak
502-782-1965
Jack.Mazurak@ky.gov
BARDSTOWN, Ky. (June 26, 2019) – Gov. Matt Bevin today joined local officials and executives from Takigawa Corp. Japan to open the company’s nearly $46 million, 180-job flexible packaging and high-performance films manufacturing facility in Bardstown.
“Takigawa is an incredible addition to the Nelson County community, and I am delighted by the opportunity to join in today’s grand opening celebration,” Gov. Bevin said. “This company has had interest in a US operation for some time, and we are grateful for the state and local economic development leaders who have worked extensively with them over the past two years to make this exciting project a reality. We welcome Takigawa to their new Kentucky home and wish them much success in the years to come.”
Company leaders unveiled the 180,000-square-foot operation – Takigawa’s first in the US – established to meet growing customer demand. Announced in December 2017, the facility will primarily produce packaging for a variety of consumer goods.
The project came to fruition after Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development leadership met with company executives during the 2017 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington D.C. The meeting furthered the company’s desire to establish a US operation and led to the announcement just a few months later.
“We are very excited to welcome our customers and business partners to our opening ceremony. We see a bright and prosperous future for Takigawa Corporation America,” said Hiroyuki Takigawa, the company’s president. “The most important outcome of our journey is uniting cultures across the world, to grow in the Takigawa family. We would like to thank everyone that contributed to the success of this project and their warm hospitality which made us feel welcomed to the community.”
Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Narashino, Japan, the company manufactures high-performance films and pouches used to package food, coffee, cosmetics, pet food, detergents, lawn and gardening supplies, sport nutrition and other products. Since opening a factory in Vietnam in 2011 – its first facility outside Japan – Takigawa has added factories in Canada, Europe and Singapore, as well as a sales office in Torrance, Calif.
Bardstown Mayor Richard Heaton said the company fits the local economy perfectly.
“Takigawa is a big addition to our community in that it is a great complement to our growing packaging and shipping component production industries,” Mayor Heaton said. “We are fortunate to have this well-established global company locate in Bardstown and Nelson County adding to our diverse manufacturing economy.”
Nelson County Judge-Executive Dean Watts said it did not take long to recognize the company would make a significant positive impact on the community.
“On their first visit to Bardstown I immediately became excited about the possibility of adding such a diverse industry to our industrial community,” Judge-Executive Watts said. “We welcome Takigawa and wish them much success.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in December 2017 preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $2 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
Additionally, KEDFA approved Takigawa for up to $300,000 in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA) in February 2018. KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.
Takigawa also can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives.
For more information on Takigawa, visit www.Takigawa-Corp.com/en.
A detailed community profile for Nelson County can be viewed here.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at www.ThinkKentucky.com. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on Facebook, follow on Twitter and watch the Cabinet’s “Now You Know” video on YouTube.