Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said April 7 that he is creating the Kentucky Automotive Industry Association to bring more auto jobs to his state.
A 12-member board of directors made up of automotive industry members and politicians will develop the association. Larry Hayes, Kentucky's economic development secretary, has been named chairman of the board.
“The association will play a vital role in addressing the challenges, solutions and opportunities facing the industry,” Beshear said in a statement. “It will also allow us to highlight successes and elevate the state's contributions to the global automotive industry.”
Other board members are Mike Goss, general manager for external affairs at Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc.; Gabby Bruno, regional director for state government relations at Ford Motor Co.; Eric Henning, regional director for state government relations at General Motors; Joe Adamcik, director of planning and strategy at AGC Automotive Americas; Jim Rachlin, president of Metalsa Light Vehicles USA and Australia; Rich Whitaker, vice president of Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems Inc.; Mike Hirsch, vice president of operations for passenger car steering systems at ZF Steering Systems; Doug Cain, CEO of Mubea North America; Brandon Kessinger, general counsel at Akebono Brake Corp.; Richard Kamioke, CEO of Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas Inc.; and Kurt Krug, vice president of North American human resources at Inoac Corp., which produces urethane foam products for the auto industry at its plant in Florence, Ky.
Ford has two assembly plants in Kentucky, both in Louisville. Toyota has an assembly plant in Georgetown and GM manufactures the Corvette in Bowling Green.