​October is Manufacturing Month, a time when we celebrate the heart and soul of our economy—manufacturing. At Commerce Lexington, we are proud to promote the advantages of locating your manufacturing business in Greater Lexington, Kentucky's Bluegrass Region. Known for its rich history, educated workforce, and business-friendly environment, our region has become a prime destination for both new and expanding manufacturing companies.

For more than 20 years, Commerce Lexington has been leading business attraction and retention efforts for Lexington and the region. Businesses looking to relocate or establish themselves do not recognize county lines when looking to attract workforce or compare site locations, because of that, Commerce Lexington has helped cultivate greater collaboration among the economic development professionals throughout the region with the Bluegrass Alliance. 
​
The Bluegrass Alliance markets the larger nine-county geographic area to site selectors and business targets to be more competitive with larger metro cities for labor force, business sites, housing inventory, and education and training resources.  When a company locates in one community, there are substantial direct and induced economic impacts for all the communities in the region.

​During the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives (KCCE) one-day conference for Leadership Programs held in May, attendees learned about the importance of exploring and measuring the impact of leadership programs through storytelling. During this discussion, the concept of Ripple Effects Mapping was introduced, which is a versatile evaluation tool intended to collect the untold stories and behind-the-scenes activities that can ‘ripple out’ from a program, leaving a lasting impact on individuals and the greater community. 

​At Commerce Lexington's Salute to Small Business Awards Luncheon presented by Forcht Bank, 46Solutions was named the 2023 Small Business of the Year. The recipient of this year’s award in the Business Success Category, 46Solutions was chosen for the honor from three different category winners. The week-long celebration featured events, Facebook Live segments, and video vignettes of the category winners.