Since it was founded more than 15 years ago, Northern Kentucky Tri-ED has been a job creation machine.

The agency charged with recruiting and retaining employment and employers for the region has helped bring more than 35,000 jobs and $3.3 billion in investment to Northern Kentucky. Tri-ED had a hand in bringing some of the biggest names in corporate America to Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, among them Fidelity Investments, Toyota, Ashland, Citicorp, Heinz, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, DHL and others.

But as the economy has slowed, so have business prospects. Employers in Northern Kentucky's core industries - transportation, service, finance and manufacturing - aren't expanding as rapidly as in the past. The greatest potential for future growth appears to be in the area of technology.

As the economy changes, so is a major part of Tri-ED's focus.

With a $55,000 matching grant from the state of Kentucky, Tri-ED has hired a consultant to draft a plan to attract high-tech jobs.

The consultant is Angelos Angelou of Angelou Economics, a top-flight technology recruiter from the high-tech hub of Austin, Texas.

Angelou was in town this week, gleaning information from local leaders and business people and getting a feel for the region. His report on Northern Kentucky's potential for attracting high-tech companies and jobs is due by year's end.

A certain highlight of Angelou's report will be the planned high-tech triangle envisioned around Northern Kentucky University in the cities of Highland Heights, Cold Spring and Wilder. Tri-ED, Campbell County Fiscal Court, NKU and others are working to make the Northern Kentucky Technology Commercialization Triangle a reality.

Many communities, Covington and Cincinnati included, have tried to generate high-tech jobs through business incubators that offer office space and other assistance to startup technology and Internet companies. But unlike those efforts, Northern Kentucky's strategy is to attract existing, established technology firms.

The effort received a boost two weeks ago when Kentucky U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, a Southgate Republican, secured $1.5 million in federal money to plan a $19 million road that will link NKU and the proposed triangle.

Cincinnati, watch out. Northern Kentucky is making another aggressive move to attract development and jobs.

Bunning announced Thursday that a decommissioned nuclear submarine will be docked at Newport and serve as a riverfront tourism and education attraction.

Didn't Cincinnati want a submarine? And the Hofbrauhaus? And an aquarium? And an entertainment venue like Newport on the Levee?

Regionalism is great, but everything appears to be happening in the region south of the river.

Rechtin running

Campbell County Commissioner Ken Rechtin, a Newport Democrat, said this week he will definitely run for the Kentucky statehouse seat House Majority Caucus Chairman Jim Callahan plans to vacate next year.

Callahan, a Wilder Democrat, has said he will step down at the end of the 2004 after nearly 20 years in Frankfort.

Wilder City Councilman Dennis Keene is also committed to the race, meaning Northern Kentucky will treated to a rare political event - a Democratic primary.

On the GOP side, Newport City Commissioner Beth Fennell is said to be looking hard at the race in a district that covers Newport, Dayton, Bellevue, Southgate, Woodlawn and Wilder.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com