The 4 Star Industrial Park boasts the state’s largest Build-Ready site, an area of 1.1 million square feet—roughly the size of 19 football fields.
Build-Ready, a certified designation from the state Cabinet for Economic Development, means that there’s no pre-construction work that needs to be done—no dirt work, no utility or electrical lines, nothing. Just get your equipment and materials to the site and start building.
At the pad, which sits next to the Columbia Sportswear distribution center, a rail line is available with a designation as a CSX Transport “select” site, which means it’s one of the “best rail served sites for development or expansion.” The freight line offers designation levels to its select sites. “Platinum” is the highest level, and then followed by “Gold,” “Silver” and “Bronze.” The Sandy Lee Watkins site is designated by CSX as a bronze level, according to the CSX website.
With all this in mind, it’s little wonder that local officials have sky-high hopes for a new industry locating there.
As of now, though, there have been no big bites on a new industry locating there, said Henderson Economic Development Executive Director Missy Vanderpool.
Thursday, members of the state Cabinet for Economic Development, consultants, representatives of the 4 Star board of directors and officials representing local utilities, as well as HED and county government officials met to begin work on a marketing plan for the site, said Henderson County Judge-Executive Brad Schneider.
Vanderpool said she hopes a marketing campaign can begin in January, when targeted materials will be sent to companies that might make a good fit.
A recent run of big-time projects in Kentucky have many around Henderson County feeling hopeful. For example, the $5.8 billion Blue Oval electric battery plant in Hardin County has reportedly created 5,000 jobs. Another electric battery project in Bowling Green is reportedly a $2 billion investment that will provide 2,000 jobs.
Both those projects are larger than what’s going to occur at the 4 Star Industrial Site.
So, what can Hendersonians hope for at the site?
Vanderpool said she’s aiming for another home run similar to the arrival of Pratt Paper last year. (Its grand opening was in September 2023.)
That local industry employs 320 people—with high wages and good benefits—and has an economic benefit of $200 million annually for the community, Vanderpool said.
“I think between 100-300 (new jobs) is very doable,” she said.
Schneider said he’s hoping for a company that can bring more jobs—in the 300-, 400-, 500-job range, he said.
“For a pad that size, that’s what it’s designed for,” he said.
Schneider said county government has an “all in” mindset to bring a new industry to the site.
“County government will be there any way we can,” he said, adding that includes help in marketing the pad and providing incentives to a company that locates here.
Development officials in the Henderson area traditionally target industry in automotive, metals, and logistics and distribution, Vanderpool said. But Henderson is not tied to those industries, as was the case with Pratt.
In the process of recruiting new industry to the area, Vanderpool said much of the marketing involves eliminating as much pre-construction work as possible.
“We’re trying to remove obstacles,” she said.
Though there are no companies on the current radar, Vanderpool said that often can change quickly and “once it does start happening, it’ll start happening very fast.”
“It will be something that’ll be great for our region,” Vanderpool said. “Something exciting will come there.”
