With the unemployment rate at 16.4 percent for Grayson County, officials are continuing to look at every avenue possible to bring jobs back to the area.

Leitchfield may be the first to experience several new employment opportunities in the near future, with the addition of retail businesses that are coming to town.

Leitchfield Mayor William Thomason spoke briefly about the unemployment rate for Grayson County, and about new companies looking at expanding to the city.

Thomason explained that there were several small businesses, on the retail side, coming to town but there were no guarantees on how much employment they would bring.

Two of the key areas that companies are looking at is on Elizabethtown Road (Highway 62), and the shopping center in front of Walmart. Thomason added the reason for not releasing names of the businesses is because of formal contracts not being finalized as of yet.

Extreme Fabrication is the first of many small businesses who have decided to set up shop in the city. Thomason assured that more businesses are looking to follow suit.

“We are working very hard to bring other industries and other businesses into the area,” Thomason said. “What we need to start with first is little businesses and come back that way. We are trying every way we can to bring jobs here. We are looking at other factories to come here also.”

He stressed the importance of not forgetting about current employers in town.

“If it wasn’t for our present employers, we would not have any,” Thomason urged. “I look for the rate (unemployment total) not to go down any for at least another year. We know we need to open up more jobs for people.”

Dudley Cooper, the Executive Director for the Industrial Development Corporation for Leitchfield and Grayson County, agreed with Thomason on the importance of helping existing employers stay in the area.

“We are very fortunate that companies in the county continue to grow all the time,” Cooper said. “Some businesses are even growing. We were lucky to have Leggett and Platt grow in Leitchfield. A plant for them closed somewhere else, and the employment from there came here. People need to realize the value of our lakes and tourism is tremendous.”

One of the major emphasis today is a strong marketing campaign, showing businesses what Grayson County has to offer.

“We are working toward green initiatives,” Cooper said. “We are looking for any opportunity to bring things to the county. We have some strong prospects right now, but we have to concentrate on it all.”

Grayson County Judge-Executive Gary Logsdon felt the fiscal court was doing their share to help put jobs back into the area, with the ice storm debris cleanup contracts.

“The county spent over $500,000 in this community on part-time help,” Logsdon explained, “and it is not over yet. People are putting money back into the community and spending money here.”

According to Logsdon, magistrates are continuing to go to training sessions in Frankfort. While there, they are always asking around to find out what opportunities are available to help out residents in Grayson County.

“We meet people who are always looking for lower tax rates,” Logsdon assured. “The county has that plus property set aside for growth of industry.”

First-District Magistrate Harold Johnson commented on the expansion of the hospital. Abel Construction, the contracting company doing the construction, has a lot of employees from Grayson County.

“One thing I think is employment from Abel that we wouldn’t have had,” Johnson explained. “The contract on the addition to the hospital has a local supervisor running the show over there. Some people were called back from here that were laid off, work with the Abel contract.”

Chairman of the Industrial Foundation Board David Bennett said the organization wanted to stress that the board has not given up on industrial opportunities for this location.

“It is the poorest time in the world to seek industry,” Bennett explained. “Everybody is after it. We have other things working, and are hoping to announce other things before long. The board is working all the time on this. I am constantly on the phone with the mayor and Dudley following up on leads to lure other businesses into the area.”

On November 6, President Barack Obama signed an Emergency Unemployment Compensation extension into law, allowing Kentuckians to be eligible for up to an additional 20 weeks of benefits.

Communications Officer for the Office of Employment and Training Lanny Brannock said Governor Steve Beshear knows there are several counties hurting right now, because of the economy. That is why Beshear pushed for another extension of unemployment benefits. Some counties in the state are experiencing unemployment rates as high as 20 percent. According to Brannock, Grayson County ranks as one of the highest locations in the state for unemployment.

“That is why the Governor pushed so hard to push the extension,” Brannock explained. “He knew people were hurting, and lobbied so hard for Congress to pass another extension.”

Formal letters will be mailed out to unemployed people on record with the Office of Employment and Training office. If someone has moved since last receiving a check, they are asked to contact the local OET office to get the information updated.

Brannock said as of November 17, nearly 10,000 Kentuckians have exhausted all 79 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits.