Stay up to date on economic development news, announcements, and community milestones in Graves County. Browse recent articles below or explore by category to find the topics most relevant to you.
Chris Grooms, President of Rick's Electric, met with upper-level electricity students at the ATC through Power in Partnership to share his career journey and what to expect from the electrical apprenticeship program.
Author
Thirty local high school students toured MRCOOL, FNB Bank, the Mayfield-Graves County Chamber of Commerce, and Mayfield-Graves County Tourism as part of the Community Connections program, meeting with business and marketing professionals from across the community.
Greg Wilson, founder of Murray-based HempWood®, met with ATC carpentry students through the Power in Partnership program to discuss his hemp-based building materials and the math behind them.
Alex Cunningham, CFO of Fran Bearing Co., met with second-year machine tool students at the ATC through the Power in Partnership program to share how their work relates to what local manufacturers look for in new hires.
Progress Rail employees visited ATC welding and machining students to share career advice and insight into the company's hiring process, continuing GCED's Power in Partnership initiative.
Graves County Economic Development hosted 74 contributors and partners at its annual Skybox Partners Luncheon, providing updates on recent economic development successes — including new business attractions and multiple expansions — and sharing plans for the year ahead.
West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation has donated $15,000 to Graves County Economic Development to support its recruiting and marketing mission, continuing a partnership aimed at bringing quality employers and better job opportunities to Graves County.
West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation has donated $15,000 to Graves County Economic Development, continuing its annual support of GCED's recruiting and marketing efforts to attract and retain quality manufacturing and service industries in Graves County.
Graves County Economic Development has received a Tennessee Valley Authority Workforce Invest Grant to fund Project Precision, a collaboration with the local Area Technology Center designed to expand career certification pathways and meet growing industry demand for trained workers.
Graves County Economic Development and Mayfield Consumer Products have donated a forklift to the Mayfield/Graves County Area Technology Center to support the Machine Tool program's day-to-day operations and provide students the opportunity to earn forklift operator certification.
Graves County Economic Development hosted its annual Skybox Partners Celebration at CFSB Bank, bringing together business leaders, local officials, and community partners from across Graves County to recognize and thank contributors to the region's economic growth.
GCED marked its Skybox Partners Luncheon with a $2 million KPDI grant announcement, a review of the year's project highlights, and plans for new spec buildings, housing, and infrastructure across Graves County.
On National Ag Day 2026, Graves County Economic Development celebrates the outsized role of agriculture in the local economy, noting that the county's farms cover more than a quarter-million acres and generate approximately half a billion dollars in annual revenue.
The Hickory Industrial Park expansion is making significant progress, with a 500,000-square-foot pre-graded pad, a new connector road, and a sewer lift station completed, as the next phase prepares to extend water, gas, electric, and fiber services along Hickory Road.
At its annual Targeted Business & Industry Awards dinner, Graves County Economic Development recognized 15 companies for investments totaling more than $26 million and the addition of 132 new jobs and 70 contract positions in Mayfield and Graves County.
Graves County Economic Development, with support from the Tennessee Valley Authority, released a new video promoting the Hickory Industrial Park's latest $3.5 million expansion — a pre-graded, build-ready site with direct highway access just four miles from I-69.
At the 2025 Skybox Partners Luncheon, Graves County Economic Development reported a strong fiscal year highlighted by 50 new acres added to the Hickory Industrial Park, a new spec building, a completed makerspace, and 77 new jobs added to existing businesses.
GCED's latest Plant Manager Roundtable featured Camp Graves, a local nonprofit providing temporary housing and support for area residents displaced by disaster or crisis.
GCED has launched a newly redesigned website, gravescountyed.com, giving prospects and community members easier access to property listings, workforce data, demographic information, and other economic development resources. President Jason Lemle called it a major step forward for showcasing the community.
The April Plant Manager's Roundtable featured presentations from the Mayfield/Graves County Chamber of Commerce and Graves County Health Department, highlighting their services and partnerships with local business and industry.
Graves County Economic Development traveled to Frankfort for West Kentucky Thank You Night, meeting with state leaders and the Kentucky Association for Economic Development to advocate for continued investment and opportunity in Mayfield and Graves County.
GCED President Jason Lemle attended the Kentucky Supreme Court session honoring retired Justice John William "Bill" Graves, whose official portrait — painted by Mayfield artist Fred Biggs — was permanently dedicated among former justices of Kentucky's highest court.
The MakeMyMove remote worker relocation program has brought a total of four new full-time residents to Mayfield and Graves County since its launch, with community partners continuing to offer support and incentives to attract remote workers to the area.
Six months after a tornado destroyed one of its buildings, Mayfield Consumer Products announced a $33.3 million reinvestment in its Hickory Industrial Park facility, committing to employ more than 500 people full-time over the next five years.
Graves County Economic Development hosted its year-end review luncheon for investors and community partners, with President Jason Lemle outlining the organization's accomplishments in business retention, product development, and organizational growth over the past fiscal year.
Graves County Economic Development launched jobsingravescounty.com, a new online job platform offering improved search functions for both job seekers and employers, with direct application routing and a focus on connecting local workers with local opportunities.
Graves County Economic Development introduced a new interactive mapping tool powered by Zoom Prospector software, combining location, demographic, and economic data to help businesses identify sites in Graves County and help GCED market the area to potential investors.
At the February Plant Managers Roundtable, local business leaders heard from workforce board representatives about wage reimbursement for new hires and from DEVsource Technology Solutions about practical applications of artificial intelligence in business operations.
At the December Plant Managers Roundtable, Kentucky legislators previewed the 2026 state legislative session and sought business leader input on workforce issues, while employment professionals offered guidance on managing contract employees.
At the June Plant Managers Roundtable, the Mayfield Police Department and Graves County Sheriff's Office briefed local business leaders on workplace violence statistics and prevention strategies, followed by details on a regional transportation survey.
At the April Plant Managers Roundtable, Graves County business leaders received an update on the state and federal legislative session from State Representative Kim Holloway and field representatives from the offices of Sen. Mitch McConnell and Congressman James Comer.
At the February Plant Managers Roundtable, local business leaders received updates from Graves County Commissioner Tyler Goodman on county projects, heard from the Chamber of Commerce, and learned about a new public-private housing initiative.
Chris Grooms, President of Rick's Electric, met with upper-level electricity students at the ATC through Power in Partnership to share his career journey and what to expect from the electrical apprenticeship program.
Thirty local high school students toured MRCOOL, FNB Bank, the Mayfield-Graves County Chamber of Commerce, and Mayfield-Graves County Tourism as part of the Community Connections program, meeting with business and marketing professionals from across the community.
Greg Wilson, founder of Murray-based HempWood®, met with ATC carpentry students through the Power in Partnership program to discuss his hemp-based building materials and the math behind them.
Alex Cunningham, CFO of Fran Bearing Co., met with second-year machine tool students at the ATC through the Power in Partnership program to share how their work relates to what local manufacturers look for in new hires.
Progress Rail employees visited ATC welding and machining students to share career advice and insight into the company's hiring process, continuing GCED's Power in Partnership initiative.
MEWS linemen Geoffrey Beck and Rex Coleman visited the ATC's electricity class through Power in Partnership, sharing storm-response stories and career advice with students.
Subscribe now to receive the latest updates and news.
