October 27, 2026
As part of Manufacturing Month in Kentucky, Graves County Economic Development (GCED) is pleased to acknowledge the rich history of manufacturing in Graves County and the entrepreneurial spirit of the business leaders who have made the county a manufacturing hub for the region.
Graves County boasts one of Western Kentucky’s most robust manufacturing economies, and one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing jobs in the region. Today, 45 Graves County manufacturing companies employ about 2,700 people, making manufacturing the largest sector in the local economy.
“Thanks to community leaders who continue to invest in economic development, individual entrepreneurs with a relentless drive to succeed, and a tenacious, adaptable workforce, manufacturing continues to thrive in Graves County,” said GCED President Jason Lemle.
He noted that, thanks to a mix of new industrial employers, expansion within a solid base of existing companies, as well as continued development of the Hickory Industrial Park and related infrastructure, the number of manufacturing jobs in the County continues to increase.
“Our goal is to make our community a better place to work, live, and raise a family, and manufacturing is key to that success,” said Lemle. “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past five years, but we work hard every day to create new opportunities for the people in Graves County.”
Workforce is a critical piece of the puzzle for manufacturing, and GCED is leading the way in building tomorrow’s manufacturing workforce with its student-focused Power in Partnership program. Power in Partnership is a collaboration with the Mayfield/Graves County Area Technology Center (ATC) that brings skilled tradesmen and industry professionals into the ATC classrooms to share their experience and expertise with students. They also provide opportunities for students to visit local companies and see how the skills they’re learning are used in the real world.
When new and expanding businesses look at Graves County, the availability of pre-built facilities and build-ready sites is also key. GCED’s continued emphasis on providing suitable sites, facilities, and infrastructure through several innovative funding sources has helped Graves County build a substantial portfolio of offerings.
For example, GCED recently completed a 150,000-square-foot speculative (spec) building through a public/private partnership with Waldrop and Waldrop. This project was made possible through a Kentucky Product Development Initiative (KPDI) grant awarded in 2023. This building is already drawing attention throughout the commonwealth and Lemle said he has received requests for information from multiple companies.
The Hickory Industrial Park expansion continues to make significant progress, representing an important investment in infrastructure and long-term economic development for Graves County. To date, the project includes the construction of a 500,000-square-foot, pre-graded pad, the development of a new connector road from Hickory Road to the rear of the industrial park, installation of a sewer lift station, extension of water, sewer, and gas to the site, and the widening of Hickory Road.
Graves County’s manufacturing growth is part of a larger economic picture. “Kentucky’s historic economic success is fueled in part by our essential manufacturing industry and the hardworking people across our commonwealth who help these companies succeed,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “Thank you to every manufacturer creating good-paying, quality jobs for Kentuckians and distributing Kentucky-made products around the globe.”
Through the years, manufacturing in Graves County has proven its resilience, finding new opportunities in the wake of plant closures, job losses, and even after a severe tornado destroyed much of Mayfield’s downtown in December 2021.
Founded in 1820, Graves County’s economy has always been strongly tied to agriculture. However, the launch of the Mayfield Woolen Mills in 1860 marked the birth of a major textile and clothing industry that would help define the local economy for a century.
By 1960, as the clothing industry began to move offshore, new opportunities arose with the opening of General Tire & Rubber Company’s domestic tire manufacturing plant in Graves County.
At its peak, General Tire employed 2,600 people before a series of downturns reduced the workforce and eventually led to its closure in 2007. Today the 200+-acre site is being re-developed with a mix of commercial, retail, industrial, and manufacturing properties.
In 1970, Ingersoll Rand opened a prominent manufacturing facility in Mayfield focused primarily on the production of air compressors. For the next three decades, the plant provided steady, high-skilled industrial manufacturing jobs for hundreds of local families.
After roughly 30 years in Mayfield, Ingersoll Rand closed its plant, but the deep institutional knowledge and technical expertise left behind birthed a new, highly-specialized local industry as former employees and local entrepreneurs utilized their specialized air compressor skills to launch successful home-grown businesses in Graves County. Today, home to companies like ACE Compressor Parts & Services, Advanced Machine & Tool, Air Relief, Centrifugal Technologies, Engineered Product Solutions, Mid-America Machine, America SednAir, Universal Compressor Solutions, and West Kentucky Machine & Tool, Graves County is proudly known as the “Centrifugal Air Compressor Capital of the World.”
The large facility vacated by Ingersoll Rand proved a perfect fit for Progress Rail, now the County’s third largest manufacturer with more than 250 employees. A wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., Progress Rail is one of the largest providers of rolling stock and infrastructure solutions and technologies for global rail customers. Their Mayfield facility serves as Progress Rail’s locomotive engine remanufacturing Center of Excellence whose clients are railway and rail-transport companies in need of locomotive engine overhauls, modernizations, and repowering.
Graves County sustained a devastating blow on Dec. 10, 2021, when a devastating EF4 tornado tore through the County leaving behind death and destruction. Much of Mayfield’s business district was destroyed along with numerous businesses, churches, and family homes. As always, the community got to work, and five years later, rebuilding is well underway with city and county administrative facilities set to re-open in 2027.
Throughout the economic ebb and flow, Graves County has been fortunate to rely on a solid foundation of local businesses that have prospered for decades. Among those are Dairyman’s Supply Company and Old Hickory Clay Company, both more than 100 years old.
Dairyman’s was founded in 1925 as a feed and grain store to supply to the dairy industry. Over the years Dairyman’s expanded their product catalog and increased both sales volume and distribution area. Today Dairyman’s is a national distributor of construction materials with additional locations in Florida and Alabama.
Old Hickory Clay, founded in 1918 and family-owned across four generations, mines and processes ball and kaolin clays for industrial applications. With over a century in business, Old Hickory has continued to upgrade their processes and equipment with a focus on testing, formulation, ordering, and reliable delivery.
Graves County’s ample agricultural resources brought Pilgrim’s to Mayfield in 1990. Today Pilgrim’s produces more than 450 million pounds of processed chicken each year and continues to expand and improve their facility to meet the needs of a growing market.
With an annual payroll of more than $48 million and over $35 million paid to local growers every year, Pilgrim’s is an essential part of the local economy. They employ approximately 1,535 people at the processing plant, hatchery, and feed mill, and partner with approximately 245 local family farmers and poultry growers. Pilgrim’s also purchases millions of pounds of locally grown corn and soybeans for poultry feed.
Other companies like Derksen Portable Buildings, Fran Bearing, Goodman & Sons Lumber Company, Ingram’s Water & Air Services, Kendor Wood, Power Truss, PRCO America, Premier Candle, and Stor-Mor Outdoor Products, are valued elements of the local economy. “These companies all provide good jobs, pay taxes, and are generous supporters of the community,” said Lemle. “We value each and every one of them for the role they play in making Graves County a great place to live and work.”
Lemle says industry is valued every day in Mayfield and Graves County, not just during Manufacturing Month. “We appreciate all that industry brings to our area-everything they do for their employees and their families, and everything they give back to the community,” he said. “We have listed many of those companies here, though not all, but we want each and every one of them to know how grateful we are to them for choosing Graves County and being a vital part of our economy and the community.”
