Commerce Lexington, along with regional business and local government leaders, continue to advance the Regional Competitiveness Plan, a 5-year strategy launched in 2023 to support job creation and workforce growth across the nine-county region. With the assistance of Economic Leadership, LLC and its managing partner Ted Abernathy, Commerce Lexington and the Greater Lexington Inc. Board have released a progress report.
 
Although there is still much work to be done, the report shows that the collaborative efforts of public and private sector leaders across the region are producing positive trends for the 5-year strategy (2022-2027).  The action items are aimed at increasing jobs and workforce across the region through economic development, talent attraction and public policy initiatives.  Initially, the goal of the Regional Competitiveness Plan is to increase economic growth through additional investment in economic development and talent marketing efforts to key audiences, leadership development through events like the Annual Regional Summit and elevated advocacy for critical infrastructure investments and policy changes to improve the business climate.   

This session, Commerce Lexington worked closely with and led community and regional partners to champion public-private investments with high-impact initiatives before members of the General Assembly. Following final passage of House Bills 500, 502, and 900 before the veto recess, lawmakers approved funding for several priority projects that will deliver significant benefits to the Greater LEX region.

​Overall, the General Assembly invested nearly $30 million to support Blue Grass Airport plan to reimagine and expand its terminal. This includes $19.9 million to launch the new terminal expansion, which will add airline gates and accommodate larger aircraft. The upgrades are expected to boost passenger capacity, attract more direct flights, increase regional traffic, and unlock new opportunities for economic development and tourism.

​For the third consecutive year, the Greater Lexington Region (Lexington-Fayette Metro) landed in the Top 10 of Site Selection magazine’s annual ranking of economic development activity in 2025 among Tier 2 regions between 200,000 and one million in population. The publication has published the Governor’s Cup rankings annually since 1988, based on new and expanded corporate facilities as tracked by the proprietary Conway Projects Database.
 
The Greater Lexington Region moved up from ninth to fourth with 27 total projects among the Tier 2 metros and finished sixth in projects per capita.  Statewide, 15 Kentucky micropolitan areas (10,000 to 50,000 people which cover at least one county) totaling 42 projects were recognized, including Greater Lexington micropolitan areas Richmond-Berea (#25), Frankfort (#40), and Mt. Sterling (#70).  Kentucky as a whole finished fifth for the second consecutive year nationally in projects per capita. In the South Central Region, the Commonwealth was second in projects per capita and third in total projects (182). 

By Keller Riede, Commerce Lexington Policy Intern 
​On Wednesday, March 4, nearly 60 business and community leaders from across the nine-county region gathered in Frankfort for Commerce Lexington’s Greater LEX Day at the Capitol in partnership with AT&T. This event provides a vital opportunity for policy experts, elected officials, and regional leaders to further connect during this legislative session and collaborate on key policy issues impacting the Lexington region.  

Several prominent members of the General Assembly addressed attendees including Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe, and Representative Josh Bray – sharing insights on the status of legislation and updates on the biennium budget planning that are currently underway. Their input provided valuable insight on policy developments that are affecting Lexington and the broader nine-county Greater LEX region. Priority issues for the region include policy and investments impacting housing affordability, childcare, talent attraction marketing, and job site readiness (KY Product Development Initiative).

In today’s rapidly evolving economic landscape, it has become clear that a more unified, strategic approach is essential to keeping our region competitive on a national and global scale. That’s why, alongside regional leaders, Commerce Lexington has led the charge to develop a  bold and forward-thinking roadmap designed to increase more jobs and attract more workers to the nine-county region.

Public and private sector leaders are working together on key initiatives to grow the economy and elevate all communities across the region.

To move the region forward, leaders established clear, measurable goals and action items focused on three pillars: economic development, workforce, and policy.

Early successes include the creation of a regional brand — Greater Lex — and the launch of a new talent attraction website featuring more than 30 pages of “live, work, play” messaging. The site increases awareness among key audiences and offers tools such as an interactive community quiz, regional map, cost of living calculator and detailed county pages to help users discover what makes each area unique.

The 2025 Greater LEX Regional Summit presented by Community Trust Bank brought together 320-plus influential business, community and government leaders from across the Greater LEX region.  This year’s Summit was the largest gathering to date, signaling the continued momentum and commitment to regional collaboration.  The annual event provided a valuable opportunity for economic benchmarking and a progress report on the implementation of the Regional Competitiveness Plan action items.  Attendees were also able to connect, share ideas, and explore strategies to make the nine-county region more competitive for jobs and talent.  

Critchfield Meats Wholesale celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated, 53,000-square-foot foodservice distribution center in Lexington.
 
Joining Critchfield for the ribbon-cutting were Lt. Gov. Jaqueline Coleman, Mayor Linda Gorton, Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell, and Commerce Lexington Board Chair Carla Blanton.
 
“Critchfield Meats has always been more than a business—it’s a family tradition,” said Mark Critchfield, President of Critchfield Meats. “This expansion allows us to continue that legacy, while better serving our customers and community for years to come.” The expanded facility is located at 1685 Jaggie Fox Way in Lexington.

Lt. Gov. Coleman congratulated the company on its success. “This is not just opening a new facility and doubling production capacity — you are answering a call to help this community and our region by feeding our people,” she said. “That’s what Critchfield has done now for over 56 years. On behalf of the members of Team Kentucky who have a good job because of your work and your investment, thank you.”

​Commerce Lexington and the Building Industry Association (BIA) of Central Kentucky recently hosted a Housing Development Workshop for Lexington City Councilmembers and legislative aides. The workshop provided an opportunity to educate council members about the current housing landscape, community needs, challenges, and opportunities to provide more accessible and affordable housing in Lexington.
 
During the workshop, Councilmembers learned about the history of land use and housing development, recent home building and permitting trends, and factors impacting supply and affordability.  Councilmembers participated in site visits to active housing developments both for affordable housing and market-rate developments. The immersion tour helped local leaders better understand the realities of “a day in the life of a developer.”  From lengthy development plan certifications to costly regulatory requirements and other delays, local government process challenges add additional costs that impact housing affordability.

By Violet Ferguson, Commerce Lexington Inc. Public Policy Intern
I’m a member of Gen Z, and one of my top concerns for the future is securing housing that will meet my needs and budget for a young professional. I am a born and raised Lexingtonian. Like many of my generation, I dream of raising a family and owning my own home. However, this vision is dimmed by the harsh realities of the housing market across the U.S., and specifically in Lexington. 

I am going into my second year at American University in Washington, D.C. I am currently back in Lexington for the summer interning with Commerce Lexington. While living in D.C., the issue of housing has become a topic discussed by my peers and me as we are forced to think about our living arrangements for college.

While back in Lexington, I’ve learned many of my local friends feel the same stress of rapidly rising housing rates. Students and young professionals are having to live with parents or friends or live outside of Fayette County and commute to school or work opportunities because of the high costs or lack of inventory.