Regional Competitiveness Plan:
WHAT IS IT?
For the purposes of this plan, the region includes nine counties: Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Montgomery, Scott, and Woodford. Faced with a rapidly changing competitive landscape, the organization brought together a group of key regional stakeholders, and the consulting team from Economic Leadership, to create actionable intelligence about the region’s current economy and actions to improve future competitiveness. The goal was not to create an extensive work plan with dozens of action items for all the organizations involved. It was to identify a limited number of new efforts that would be impactful, provide benefit to the whole region, be financially feasible, and have the broad support needed from key regional public and private leaders to be successfully implemented.
To position the region for long-term competitiveness, action items for the plan will elevate awareness of the region as a leading place to live and work, increase job site inventory for business attraction, and strengthen the business climate through targeted policy advocacy and leadership development.
Regions compete daily for jobs and workers. Some regions struggle, while others are prospering through expanded local opportunities and an improving quality of place. Competitive regions require a welcoming business climate, good infrastructure, a skilled workforce, innovation assets, and low future risks. For businesses in 2025, abundant power, fast and predictable regulations, ready-to-occupy buildings and ready-to-build sites, and ample labor were critical. For people on the move, the cost of living, especially housing costs, low crime, good healthcare and a live-work-play environment topped the asset list of their desired places.
For the purposes of this plan, the region includes nine counties: Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Montgomery, Scott, and Woodford. Faced with a rapidly changing competitive landscape, the organization brought together a group of key regional stakeholders, and the consulting team from Economic Leadership, to create actionable intelligence about the region’s current economy and actions to improve future competitiveness. The goal was not to create an extensive work plan with dozens of action items for all the organizations involved. It was to identify a limited number of new efforts that would be impactful, provide benefit to the whole region, be financially feasible, and have the broad support needed from key regional public and private leaders to be successfully implemented.
To position the region for long-term competitiveness, action items for the plan will elevate awareness of the region as a leading place to live and work, increase job site inventory for business attraction, and strengthen the business climate through targeted policy advocacy and leadership development.
Regions compete daily for jobs and workers. Some regions struggle, while others are prospering through expanded local opportunities and an improving quality of place. Competitive regions require a welcoming business climate, good infrastructure, a skilled workforce, innovation assets, and low future risks. For businesses in 2025, abundant power, fast and predictable regulations, ready-to-occupy buildings and ready-to-build sites, and ample labor were critical. For people on the move, the cost of living, especially housing costs, low crime, good healthcare and a live-work-play environment topped the asset list of their desired places.
Regional Plan Materials:
Regional Plan KPI Progress Report (April 2026)
Regional Competitiveness Plan (Summary)
Regional Competitiveness Plan (Full document)
Latest Regional Plan Booklet (November 2025)
Regional Plan KPI Progress Report (April 2026)
Regional Competitiveness Plan (Summary)
Regional Competitiveness Plan (Full document)
Latest Regional Plan Booklet (November 2025)
Commerce Lexington, with regional business and local government leaders continue to advance the Regional Competitiveness Plan, a five-year strategy launched in 2023 to support job creation and workforce growth across the nine-county region. Seven action items were developed to address three goals.
REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS PLAN GOALS:
1. Increase the regional job, wage, & GDP growth rates to the national average.
2. Increase the regional labor force including the attraction and retention of young professionals.
3. Attract state and federal funding and advocate for policy improvements to support the plan
REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS PLAN GOALS:
1. Increase the regional job, wage, & GDP growth rates to the national average.
2. Increase the regional labor force including the attraction and retention of young professionals.
3. Attract state and federal funding and advocate for policy improvements to support the plan
7 TAKEAWAYS FOR A MORE COMPETITIVE REGION:
#1 The regional economy needs to be more competitive.
Despite labor shortages, excellent educational attainment numbers and an outstanding quality of life, the regional growth in population, jobs, wages, and GDP lags many competitor communities and national averages. Aggressive actions and investments to improve the region’s competitiveness are needed. Without action the region will continue to lag.
#2 The regional labor force needs to grow.
The availability of skilled workers will be a critical factor in economic success in the coming years – probably the most important factor. The region’s labor force growth has been slow, and a better strategy for talent attraction and retention of younger workers is needed. Housing affordability is critical and Fayette County’s average home value has increased 57% between 2016-2021 and an additional 13% so far in 2022.
#3 More ready sites & buildings are needed.
The investment decision process has accelerated in recent years. For most clients, the immediate availability of shovel-ready sites, or ready-to-occupy buildings that meet their needs, is a determining factor. Due to infrastructure needs, zoning decisions, and the lack of speculative building the region’s real estate product is limited. Actions to expand and improve the available buildings and sites are needed to successfully compete for the opportunities that the region gets.
#4 Regional wages need to rise.
The region’s current industry mix creates too few high paying jobs. Actions are needed to focus marketing and business support efforts on industries that raise the average wages across the region.
#5 Opportunities abound.
As the impacts of the pandemic wane, reshoring expands and innovation surges, most businesses report a need for new facilities and more workers. In addition, federal stimulus funding is available to cities and counties to invest in infrastructure, product development and worker training. Kentucky and our region have opportunities to grow the advanced manufacturing, business services, and technology sectors, if they can meet business needs.
#6 Data analytics are important, and mostly regional.
Counties in the region are working to grow and improve, and these efforts are important. Detailed data is easily accessible to any potential investor today and “regional” is the geography most often used for comparison. Labor sheds, housing availability, cost of doing business and many other factors are aggregated at the regional level by site selectors and compared to other regions across the country. Regional assessment, collaboration and alignment is imperative to success.
#7 Regional collaboration can be hard, but it is necessary for success.
Branding, economic development marketing, talent attraction and retention, product development, and business support are all activities where working together can improve efficiency and effectiveness.
#1 The regional economy needs to be more competitive.
Despite labor shortages, excellent educational attainment numbers and an outstanding quality of life, the regional growth in population, jobs, wages, and GDP lags many competitor communities and national averages. Aggressive actions and investments to improve the region’s competitiveness are needed. Without action the region will continue to lag.
#2 The regional labor force needs to grow.
The availability of skilled workers will be a critical factor in economic success in the coming years – probably the most important factor. The region’s labor force growth has been slow, and a better strategy for talent attraction and retention of younger workers is needed. Housing affordability is critical and Fayette County’s average home value has increased 57% between 2016-2021 and an additional 13% so far in 2022.
#3 More ready sites & buildings are needed.
The investment decision process has accelerated in recent years. For most clients, the immediate availability of shovel-ready sites, or ready-to-occupy buildings that meet their needs, is a determining factor. Due to infrastructure needs, zoning decisions, and the lack of speculative building the region’s real estate product is limited. Actions to expand and improve the available buildings and sites are needed to successfully compete for the opportunities that the region gets.
#4 Regional wages need to rise.
The region’s current industry mix creates too few high paying jobs. Actions are needed to focus marketing and business support efforts on industries that raise the average wages across the region.
#5 Opportunities abound.
As the impacts of the pandemic wane, reshoring expands and innovation surges, most businesses report a need for new facilities and more workers. In addition, federal stimulus funding is available to cities and counties to invest in infrastructure, product development and worker training. Kentucky and our region have opportunities to grow the advanced manufacturing, business services, and technology sectors, if they can meet business needs.
#6 Data analytics are important, and mostly regional.
Counties in the region are working to grow and improve, and these efforts are important. Detailed data is easily accessible to any potential investor today and “regional” is the geography most often used for comparison. Labor sheds, housing availability, cost of doing business and many other factors are aggregated at the regional level by site selectors and compared to other regions across the country. Regional assessment, collaboration and alignment is imperative to success.
#7 Regional collaboration can be hard, but it is necessary for success.
Branding, economic development marketing, talent attraction and retention, product development, and business support are all activities where working together can improve efficiency and effectiveness.