Leading Economic Development in Marion County since 1972

The Marion County Industrial Foundation is a non-profit, municipality sponsored, economic development organization.

For more than 45 years, the Marion County Industrial Foundation (MCIF) has led economic development efforts in the heart of Kentucky. Through our management of industrial parks, focused efforts of business development, and international outreach, the MCIF is all about business.

As a public partner, the MCIF is also focused on quality of life, job creation, and helping our community thrive. Our heart is right here, in central Kentucky, bringing opportunity and hope for our neighbors.

Evaluating Lebanon/Marion County, Kentucky?

There are important factors to consider about Marion County and we invite you to consider the following points, crucial to site selection for your business.

Location

Lebanon/Marion County is located in the center of the Commonwealth of Kentucky 66 miles southeast of Louisville and 62 miles southwest of Lexington.  

Our industries ship in all directions and we are in the center of the major population centers in the U.S.A.  We have included maps that highlight our location.

Wage Rates

Wage rates and per capita income in Marion County are below the state and national averages.  The average weekly wage for all occupations is $17.83 per hour and the average weekly wage is $734.00 compared to Kentucky’s $845.00 weekly.

Taxes

All infrastructure improvements have been completed, and there are no new projects that will add to the tax base.

The typical approach to accessing property is a blend of market value and cost.  The assessment ratio is 100 percent.

Available Sites

Crossroads
This 250-acre site has excellent access, all utilities and has been zoned for both industrial and retail development.  This site has excellent access and high visibility.

Available Buildings
There are buildings available for immediate occupancy.  At the present we have a 22,000-square-foot manufacturing warehouse building and a 58,000-square-foot manufacturing/warehouse building available.

Population

The population of the labor force drawing area is 195,098. Of this total, 20,045 live in Marion County and 5,980 live in the City of Lebanon.

Transportation

Lebanon is served by US Highway 68 and Kentucky State 55.  The Bluegrass Parkway, which provides access to Interstate 64, 65 and 75, is located 23 miles north of Lebanon.

A proposed four-lane parkway following the route of Kentucky 68, 55 and 555 is under planning and construction.

Commercial airline service and international hub is available within a one-hour drive, and the community provides a fine local airport capable of handling private jet aircraft.

Incentives

The Commonwealth of Kentucky offers several incentive packages to encourage economic development.  These programs offer wage assessments, income tax forgiveness and labor training.  The Kentucky state incentives are determined by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.

Incentives we typically use:

Kentucky Business Investment Program (KBI) allows credit against Kentucky owed income tax and 5 percent of employee wages.

Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA) allows recovery of sales tax on construction materials.

Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC) provides up to 50 percent reimbursement for labor training.

Local Incentives

The City of Lebanon and Marion County offer incentives based on the number of employees anticipated to be hired by the project.  These incentives include discounts on sites, tax abatements, cash incentives, labor recruiting and training assistance.  Local incentives average $1,500 per employee and are based on wage rates paid to new hires.

Labor Force

We are blessed to have a large available workforce that maintains an independence from organizational activities. 

The area workforce consists of machinists, tool and die workers, fabricators, plastic injection molding technicians, mold makers and machine operators.

The current unemployment rate in Marion County is 3.8 percent.  In the labor market drawing area, there is a current estimated labor supply of 92,480 workers.

Utilities

Electric power is provided to Marion County by Kentucky Utilities and East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc.  Both companies have coal fired generating facilities creating some of the lowest rates in the nation.

Natural gas is furnished by Atmos Energy, which is supplied by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company.

Water is supplied by the Lebanon Water Works Company and Marion County Water District.  Recent construction of a 1 billion gallon reservoir and a connection to the Green River water system assures industrial users of an abundant supply.

Waste Water Treatment is handled by the City of Lebanon.  Recent expansions have doubled the treatment capacity of the sewer treatment plant with excess capacity of 750,000 gallons per day.

Labor Training

The Commonwealth of Kentucky offers both entry-level training and upgrade training for new and existing manufactures through the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation.  This labor training money is available to you, and we will assist you in making the applications.

We hope the above information will answer your questions about Lebanon/Marion County.  If you have additional questions or need additional information, please contact us.  

We look forward to you visiting our community and to see why Lebanon/Marion County was voted the “Most Industry Friendly Community” in Kentucky.  

Welcome to Marion County

We look forward to sharing our community with you. Let us know when we can welcome you to our neighborhood.