Graves County Economic Development hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new multi-million dollar Osmundson Manufacturing Company on Wednesday, June 7 in Hickory Industrial Park.
GCED Chairman Brad Dame welcomed and recognized Gov. Andy Beshear, Mayfield City Council members, Graves County Commissioners, Graves County Judge-Executive Jesse Perry, Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan, State Rep. Richard Heath, and representatives from Congressman James Comer’s office, representatives from Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office, and from Sen. Rand Paul’s office.
“I would like to thank Gov. Beshear, the Kentucky Academy for Economic Development, the Kentucky Association for Economic Development, TVA, West Kentucky Rural Electric, Atmos Energy, Mayfield Electric and Water, and the Graves County Economic Development Board for making days like this possible,” Dame said.
“It all started with a Kentucky product development initiative grant awarded in July of 2022, allowing us to prepare this 150,000 square foot pre-graded pad and 200-person parking lot we’re standing on today. The work completed for the funds has allowed our community to recover and thrive from the events of 2021. It has given us the opportunity to celebrate the groundbreaking of this home grown family business that’s been in business for over 100 years. For that, Graves County and our board want to say thank you to Heather Bruce CEO of Osmundson.”
In his comments, Beshear noted that the community has been through “pain, loss and destruction on a scale most can’t comprehend.”
“I was here at first light, at one of the darkest hours, staring at that candle factory praying for a miracle,” he said. “Even during the darkest moments of the ones surrounding it, the people of this community were a beacon of light, of love, of hope, and of compassion — not just to those who had been impacted, but the entire world saw the goodness that are the people of Kentucky and the people of western Kentucky.”
Beshear continued saying, “We stood there together that first day and that first week, and together we made a promise. That we would rebuild every structure and every life. That we would ensure that the tornado would not end this community, that we would build back, and build back stronger, build back better. That is exactly what we are celebrating here today.”
The governor also said he was proud to announce to those at the groundbreaking that since became governor, they had announced 750 new jobs in Graves County, which came with $51 million dollars worth of private sector investments.
Beshear said Osmundson has made high-quality, high-performance American-made cultivation tools for nearly 120 years. Osmundson’s breaking ground on its first location in Kentucky, and it’s expected to create more than 80 full-time jobs in Graves County.
Beshear said the state is bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic to the E-4 tornado, to the floods, the two ice storms, to the polar plunge, to the historic wind event.
“We not only made it through by sticking together, but we’re seeing more opportunity and prosperity than ever before,” he said.
Beshear said that this past year, Kentucky saw its lowest annual unemployment rate, and this past month Kentucky saw its lowest monthly unemployment rate, lower income taxes, the lowest recidivism rate, the lowest number of children in foster care in the past decade, and a decrease in overdose deaths.
“We are going to continue to invest because we made a promise, a promise to you, a promise to this community to provide opportunity and prosperity that we didn’t even see before,” he said. “I know it’s hard to process, but I believe that we can come out of what was the worst of the worst of the unimaginable in the best of the best shape.”
Beshear and Dame presented Heather Bruce, the CEO, and owner of Osmundson with a ceremonial shovel to show their appreciation.
“As we celebrate Osmundson’s new facility, here in Hickory, Kentucky, is the first step out of our hometown of Perry, Iowa, since 1903, which is a huge step for us,” Bruce said. “Today marks a new chapter, and we’re excited and eager for the boundless opportunities.”
Bruce expressed her deepest appreciation for Jason Lemle, GCED president. Bruce thanked him for his belief in Osmundson’s vision. Bruce also thanked O’Nan and Perry for their commitment to the growth and prosperity for their community.
“To the people of Graves County, thank you for embracing us with open arms, you have welcomed us with so much hospitality,” Bruce said through tears, with her two children by her side. “It’s exceeded our expectations.”
“Here we hope to build a foundation of prosperity and growth that will benefit all of us,” Bruce said.
State Rep. Richard Heath added that, “the Osmundson family is no stranger to hard times, for five generations your company had weathered some of the nations most difficult economic times and has navigated the change and face of agriculture only to come out stronger than ever.”
Heath said that, in less than two years, the county will be celebrating the grand opening.
In her remarks, O’Nan said, “Gov. Beshear and I have stood at the dedications of homes, every time we did, we talked about the dedication and the groundbreaking such as Osmundson’s. I can’t think of a more appropriate fit for our community than this company.”
O’Nan spoke about her conversation with Bruce, and how Bruce is constantly thinking about the working conditions for her employees. “That is so important, and as they join the other industries in our community who have weathered the storm of these last three years, and have persevered.”
O’Nan said Osmundson’s is a company that’s going to invest in the community of Mayfield and Graves County. O’Nan said Bruce talked about housing, and she talked about daycare for her employees. “They’re not coming here to make their product, they’re joining us,” O’Nan said.
“I knew there was a company there that saw our blank slate, as an opportunity for them, this company has stepped up as a part of our family. We are so thankful, Heather, to welcome you to Kentucky, to welcome you to Graves County, to welcome you to Mayfield, as a part of our community. Thank you so much.”
The governor and O’Nan gave Bruce a small bag that had a small decorative horse hair plate with a trotting horse in the middle, which stood up on a horseshoe. Osmundson is a family-owned, tillage and cultivation tool manufacturer. It produces, colter blades, disc blades, planter, seeder, and grain drill blades, and spikes and sweep blades for agricultural machinery. The steel is sourced from the U.S., and have been made in America for five generations.