Industries Benefit from Cumberland County’s Pro-Business Climate and Natural Resources
Cumberland County’s low cost of doing business attracts a variety of industries ranging from manufacturing and logistics to tourism. Affordable properties and low-cost utilities make for a desirable bottom line. The County’s natural resources set a dual-purpose stage for manufacturing and tourism. Water is both plentiful for industries and a tourist-draw with the mighty Cumberland River and beautiful Dale Hollow Lake.
Properties are available Downtown on Courthouse Square. Additionally, Burkeville and a portion of Cumberland County are located in an Opportunity Zone. Within the Opportunity Zone and Burkesville city limits, Burkesville-Cumberland County IDA has a 93-acre parcel on the Cumberland River that is available for development.
Burkesville-Cumberland County’s pro-business climate benefits businesses in all industry sectors, but the target industries below are primed for additional growth.
Timber
With more trees per person than any other county in Kentucky, Cumberland County is well-suited for the timber industry. Johnny Rich Lumber sawmill, located in Burkesville, takes advantage of these resources, as does A & Y Enterprises, a pallet manufacturer in Marrowbone.
Throughout Kentucky, approximately 37,500 are employed by the 1,125 wood industries in the state. The annual payroll (excluding benefits) for the wood industry is approximately $820 million. Wood industries employ one out of every nine manufacturing workers in the state.
Agribusiness: Crops, Cattle, and Poultry
Cumberland County has strong agricultural roots dating back to the settlements in the 1790s and has been a strong and consistent leader in agribusiness ever since. Kentucky’s central location ensures perishable goods get to market quickly. The yearly market value of products sold in Cumberland County is well over $11 million.
The Kentucky Proud Marketing Program is available for agricultural products that are born, raised, grown, manufactured, or processed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Major crops for Cumberland County include grains, oilseeds, dry beans, dry peas, hay, tobacco, and others. The county is well-suited for grow houses. Poultry, including broilers, are Kentucky’s leading ag commodity, and it holds true in Cumberland County. Cattle farmers also find success in the region.
Recreation and Tourism
Cumberland County’s natural beauty and assets make it ideal for tourism. The majestic Appalachian hills, rolling farmland, coursing Cumberland River, and expansive Dale Hollow Lake make it a location like no other. Hotels, restaurants, marine dealers, outfitters, tours, and agritourism thrive in Cumberland County. In fact, Sulphur Creek Resort is our largest employer. In 2019, visitors to Kentucky spent nearly $8 billion, and tourism-sustained jobs generated a total income of $3.1 billion.
Manufacturing
Location advantages, affordable utilities, incentives, and natural resources make Burkesville-Cumberland County a superior location for manufacturers. Add to that an Opportunity Zone and land primed for industrial development, and you can see why companies like Rocore Thermal Systems, Electric Mills Kentucky, Jomel Seams Reasonable, and Stephens Manufacturing have chosen to locate here. In Cumberland County, manufacturing employs 14% of the workforce. For all of Kentucky, total output from manufacturing was $38.33 billion in 2019.
Food and Beverage
There is no better time than now to locate or expand a food and beverage industry facility in Burkesville-Cumberland County. Food and beverage manufacturers and distributors, along with numerous container and packaging manufacturers, packaging plants, refrigerated warehousing operations, and other food and beverage industry facilities are thriving in Kentucky. Burkesville’s own Southern Kentucky Distillery is a testament to Kentucky’s ever-expanding bourbon industry.
When freshness is vital for perishable products, Kentucky’s central location ensures products get to market quickly. The state’s proximity to massive consumer markets, combined with an abundance of natural agricultural resources, and transportation networks, allows companies to produce and transport quality products cost-effectively and efficiently.