GCED and Our Local Partners Celebrate Growth Effort Focused on Attracting Remote Workers
Published Thursday, February 1, 2024
by GCED staff
Working with MakeMyMove, The City of Mayfield, Graves County and other community partners targets addition of 5 new households
The City of Mayfield and Graves County Kentucky launched a pilot program today aimed at attracting remote workers and their households to the region known nationwide for being devastated by an EF4 tornado in December 2021.
The community has been rebuilding since the tornado and is ready to welcome new residents to the new Mayfield/Graves County.
“Our community prides ourselves in our deep agricultural history, love for our friends and neighbors, and the strength of our local business and industry. We might have been struck by the largest tornado in Kentucky history, but we are proving to the world that we are a resilient people, and we’re back from the brink,” said Mayor Kathy O’Nan.
“As we build back our town, we are thinking about the future, the future of our children and their children. We have many opportunities and projects in play to keep on living, loving, laughing, and working, and we are looking for more families to join us as we design and build for an exciting and promising future,” said Jennifer Beck Walker, Executive Director of the Mayfield-Graves County Tourism Commission. “Most importantly, come to be a part of a community that will always support you and take you by the hand when you are in need. In Mayfield and Graves County, we are more than just friends and neighbors, we are family.
Mayfield-Graves County offers events that appeal to all ages, whether it’s the best 4th of July fireworks display in west Kentucky, the Guinness Book of World Records “World’s Largest Picnic”, a month-long Haunted Graves Festival or the Merry Mayfield Holiday Happenings. Additionally, Mayfield-Graves County Art Guild, the Purchase Players Community Performing Arts Center, the Mayfield-Graves County Fairgrounds, and the Fancy Farm Vineyard & Winery offer multiple year-round activities. The region also offers multiple seasonal outdoor activities, a wealth of locally owned shops and restaurants and year-round school events.
“Mayfield doesn’t have the same look of the past, but its residents remain unchanged”, said WK&T Telecommunications marketing and revenue manager Natalie Morgan. “If you are looking for warmth, kindness, and hospitality you will find no better place on earth to live and work than in Graves County, Kentucky.”
Trifecta Partner Keanu Murphy said remote workers have an opportunity to be a part of something larger than any individual as Mayfield/Graves County rebuilds from the tornado’s devastation.
“Mayfield/Graves County has the job growth, the private investment, and the local leadership needed to execute the vision we have been reshaping for two years,” he said. “We are building a future that benefits its citizens and welcomes newcomers.”
O’Nan said the MakeMyMove program offers an ideal opportunity to help the community grow and has a proven track record of helping communities grow.
“I am firmly convinced that our community has so much to offer with our greatest asset being the people who continue with determination to recreate our hometown,” she said. “It is exciting to be working with MakeMyMove to introduce Mayfield to those who are seeking a small town with a big heart. There is no better place to put down roots than here, and I look forward to meeting those who want to make Mayfield their hometown.”
Graves County Commissioner Tyler Goodman commented on the community's readiness for movers.
“We are happy this program is being launched to attract remote workers to grow our community. We are primed for remote workers, with our availability of land, new opportunities, county-wide availability of high-speed fiber, and a low tax base, those that look to live life at a different pace will find a home in Mayfield and Graves County,” stated Graves County Commissioner Tyler Goodman.
Jason Lemle, President of Graves County Economic Development said the community has grown in wages, jobs, and businesses since the storm.
“We’re always looking to grow and add diversity to our community and invite those who want to be a part of this journey as we build our future,” he said.
MakeMyMove is the country’s first online marketplace connecting the growing remote worker population with communities across the country offering relocation incentives.
"Waves of remote workers are in search of a new place to call home. The Graves County team’s hope and pride for their community is infectious. We’re proud to help them tell their story, and welcome new neighbors this year," said MakeMyMove Co-Founder and COO, Evan Hock.
Recruiting remote workers has become many communities’ favored economic development strategy. Because remote workers bring their jobs and families with them, they add to population and tax base growth; they buy homes, enroll their kids in school, take part in local activities and can make relocation decisions in weeks or months. More than 40 million Americans are expected to be fully remote in the next five years.
Recruiting new businesses often takes months or years and involves construction, permitting issues and can bring unwanted traffic and environmental concerns. Recruiting remote workers can offer a much more immediate return. A household making $100,000 can add up to $83,000 in economic impact for their new community based on taxes and spending on housing, food, entertainment, and other ordinary expenses.
More than 50,000 potential movers applied for incentives on makemymove.com in 2023.
Remote workers ready to sample Graves County’s offer can start that process here.
We appreciate the community partners that provided opportunities to engage movers relocating through this program: the City of Mayfield, the Graves County Fiscal Court, WK&T Telecommunications, the Mayfield/Graves County Chamber of Commerce, The Graves County Health Department, Graves County Schools, Mayfield Independent Schools, Barger Realty, Trifecta Real Estate Services, the Mayfield Graves County YMCA, the Rotary Club of Mayfield, and the Mayfield-Graves County Tourism Commission.
MakeMyMove is the nation's first and only marketplace that matches remote workers and their families to communities across the country offering relocation incentives.
About Graves County Economic Development
Graves County Economic Development began in 1981, becoming the driving force behind expansion and development opportunities in the community. It continues to foster strong relationships with existing businesses and attracts new industry to grow in Graves County. There are 44 industrial businesses in Graves County that employ 2,300 people in the community.
