LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Back in 2019, Piston Automotive originally announced a $1.5 million expansion to create 50 full-time jobs at its facility in Jeffersontown.
On Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced an increase in the scope of that expansion. It will now create 117 full-time jobs after a $26.3 million investment.
Today, Gov. Beshear announced Piston Automotive LLC will increase the scope of a previously announced Jefferson County expansion, which now will create 117 full-time jobs with a $26.3 million-plus investment. Read more: https://t.co/P3qd0mcgZD pic.twitter.com/9cdpObkQ3X
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) January 27, 2022
Piston Automotive will install new equipment for another production line after leasing a facility on Technology Drive in Louisville.
The creation and maintenance of the 117 full-time jobs in Kentucky will come across 10 years and pay an average hourly wage of $22.06, including benefits.
“The J-town area is the largest commerce park in the state and what’s happening over the last several years is that everyone is concerned about COIVD, what’s going to happen next, and we’ve had several major companies here expanding, one being Piston Automotive,” said Jeffersontown Mayor Bill Dieruf (R).
The company is also one of the largest African American owned automotive suppliers in the US.
In 2011, Jeffersontown and Dieruf welcomed the company. He said the expansion makes the community a stable place to be.
“This is phenomenal during the timeframe everybody says nobody is growing so this company has stepped up and done it right,” said Dieruf, who says it adds to the city’s 1.2% vacancy rate.
“It is great to see existing businesses grow in the commonwealth, and even better when those expansions exceed initial projections,” Beshear said in a news release. “I’d like to thank Piston Automotive for growing its footprint in Jefferson County as the company increases its support of the automotive market, including electric and hybrid vehicles. We will continue to see this sector grow in the months and years ahead, and I am glad that growth includes Piston Automotive.”
According to a news release, company leaders now expect the planned investment and job creation to increase significantly and the operation will relocate within Jefferson County.
There are currently 525 motor vehicle-related facilities operating in Kentucky.
In a statement, Kentucky's Cabinet for Economic Development said private-sector companies announced more than 18,000 jobs in 2021, along with $11.2 billion in new investments. There have been more than 1,400 jobs and $600 million in investments this month.
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