Northern Kentucky's economy, which has taken some major hits this year, gets some good news today. The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce will honor 22 companies this morning for adding a total of 3,308 jobs over the last year. The firms will be recognized during the chamber's monthly Eggs 'N' Issues breakfast at the Four Seasons Country Club in Crestview Hills.

        Most of the jobs, 3,039, were created by existing businesses, according to a report from Tom Zinn, the chamber's economist and a University of Cincinnati professor.

        But with the economy slowing, chamber officials are happy companies are still hiring workers in Northern Kentucky.

        The Comair strike this spring and summer and the slowdown in air travel in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks cost nearly 3,000 jobs at Comair and its majority owner, Delta Air Lines.

        Also this year, steel-maker NS Group laid off 825 workers at its Wilder plant.

        But other companies added jobs. “We are thankful and appreciative of the investment made by these companies during the past year,” said chamber Chairman John Yeager. “Without their commitment to expand in our community, Northern Kentucky would have had a much more difficult time weathering the past year's weaker economic conditions.”

        Unemployment in Northern Kentucky is below the national and state averages.

        According to the Kentucky Cab inet for Workforce Development, the jobless rate in September, the most recent month available, was 3.1 percent in Boone County, 3.7 percent in Campbell County and 3.8 percent in Kenton County. By comparison, unemployment in Kentucky is 5 percent and 4.7 percent nationally.

        Mr. Zinn's study determined that the new jobs resulted in an increase in household income in the region of $74.5 million and an increase in production of $529.9 million.

        Many of the firms adding jobs received assistance through Northern Kentucky Tri-ED, the region's job recruitment and retention agency.

        “The growth of our economy depends on our ability to help businesses create new primary jobs for the citizens of Northern Kentucky,” said Campbell County Judge-executive Steve Pendery, chairman of the Tri-ED board of directors.

Firms to be honored

               The 22 companies the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce will honor today for expanding their businesses and hiring new workers this year are:

        • A-Carb LLC
        • Andrews Laser Works Corp.
        • Architectural Products
        • Augur Metal Products
        • Balluff Inc.
        • BMI Parkway
        • Citicorp Credit Services
        • Emerald Industries
        • Emerson Power Transmission Corp.
        • Hennegan Co.
        • Indy Honeycomb
        • LSI Images
        • Optimal Robotics Corp.
        • P&G Fabrication & Engraving Group
        • Pacific Coast Feather Co.
        • Sola Optical
        • Thomson Learning
        • Welding Equipment Repair Service
        • Adelphia Business Solutions Operations Inc.
        • Galerie Au Chocolat
        • Tenryu America Inc.
        • Xanodyne Pharmacal Inc.
        Source: Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
       

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