ELIZABETHTOWN – The Hardin County Chamber of Commerce (HCCC) has released a long-term economic impact study designed to better understand the impact of the BlueOval SK Battery Park, which is slated to bring 5,000 new jobs to the area. The 208-page study was commissioned by the Chamber with three commissioning sponsors (Baptist Health Hardin, Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and the Elizabethtown/Hardin County Industrial Foundation), conducted by the Louisville-based consulting firm L.B. Schmidt and Associates and funded by several members of the Hardin County business community.
To correlate with the release of the study, a press conference was hosted at HCCC’s office in Elizabethtown Tuesday morning, which included HCCC president/CEO Margy Poorman, L.B. Schmidt and Associates President Luke Schmidt and leadership personnel with the Elizabethtown/Hardin County Industrial Foundation, Baptist Health Hardin and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.
“With the impending arrival of BlueOval SK and the prospect of 5,000 new jobs, it was crucial for HCCC, a conduit for regional business growth, to gain a deeper understanding of future implications,” Poorman said.
The commissioning of the study was announced last year by HCCC. Prior to its full release, Schmidt presented key details from the study during HCCC’s August Membership Luncheon. Some details shared by Schmidt during the luncheon include
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an anticipated population surge of 22,380 in Hardin County,
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an expected direct payroll (including fringe benefits) of $3.63 billion at the battery park from 2026 to 2035,
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an anticipated need for 8,811 new housing units in Hardin County,
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an expected total of 3,901 new K-12 students and
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a projected need for 75 new hospital beds, 389 new hospital jobs and 380 new ambulatory care jobs.
“With projections that include substantial population growth, increased employment opportunities and a boost to various sectors of the local economy, this report sheds light on the kind of growth this region should expect, and hopefully can influence and guide local businesses and organizations to implement strategies to appropriately grow in tandem,” Schmidt said.
L.B. Schmidt and Associates conducted the study in collaboration with Dr. Paul Coomes, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the University of Louisville. The study’s elements comprised an exploration of the MSA baseline, comparative analysis of peer MSAs, an assessment of the impact of the BlueOval SK, an overview of competitive communities, as well as examinations of parkway conversions to interstate highway standards and MSA expansion.
The report also encompasses a set of recommendations formulated from the collective input gathered through online surveys and in-person interviews with key stakeholders. These recommendations encompass crucial areas, such as community growth management, MSA future planning, quality of life, transportation, community branding/promotion and workforce recruitment.
