While interning in the region, you’ll be part of a diverse, vibrant community that includes great places to live, work and play. The area attracts world-class companies that give college students amazing opportunities for hands-on experience right away. Your internship experience could even take you from the urban bustle of downtown Louisville to vibrant regional towns such as Elizabethtown, Bardstown and Jeffersonville.
The strength of the region’s economy lies in the following industry sectors:
Healthcare
With over 188 healthcare related companies focused on the economic development of the region’s health related enterprises, this industry sector continues to thrive. In fact, an entire business network represents this diverse and growing sector, from hospitals and health services companies to medical device manufacturers and leading health law firms. Top companies like Humana, Achieve CCA, Amgen, ResCare, Kindred and Wellpoint all call this region home. To learn more about Health Enterprises Network and these companies, click here.
Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics
When you are within 500 miles of anywhere in the USA, it’s no wonder sophisticated manufacturers and logistic companies are located in the Louisville region! UPS and UPS Worldport, GE Consumer and Industrial, Geek Squad, Ford, Tower Automotive and Vacuumschmelze are just a few key companies setting the pace for innovation and technology development in this sector. Want to know more about this industry, click here.
Entrepreneurship
Today, there are over 30,000 business establishments in Louisville's 13 county MSA (metropolitan statistical area) alone and of these, 28,552 are "small businesses" - defined as fewer than 100 employees. Interestingly, Entrepreneur Magazine recently named Louisville as the 15th best city for entrepreneurs and the nation's number ONE city for small business growth. Other entrepreneurial accolades of note include:
- Louisville named as one of North America’s “Small Cities of the Future” by Foreign Direct Investment Magazine (2009)
- One of the “Cities to Watch” in the Smarter Cities environmental survey (2009)
- UofL, UK and IU’s business schools named among the nation’s Top Undergraduate Business Programs” by Business Week (2008)
To learn more about Louisville companies making a major impact in our region, click here.
Food Franchising
If you’ve eaten at a KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silvers, A&W Root Beer, Texas Roadhouse or ordered a Papa Johns pizza, you might be surprised to know that these companies produce more than great food. In fact, the corporate headquarters for each of these is located in Louisville. And that means you could intern at one of these cool companies – learning what it really takes to produce, market and manage not just food, but a global company.
Arts and Cultural Attraction/Tourism
American Style magazine, a national magazine devoted to art, craft, travel and interior design, has ranked the top fairs and festivals across the nation in their current issue. In this third annual ranking, the following three Kentucky fairs and festivals were ranked in the Top 10:
- Kentucky Crafted: The Market
- St. James Court Art Show
- Francisco's Farm Arts Festival
If that's not enough, here's more ….
- Louisville ranked 7th in the “Best Towns of 2008” by Outside Magazine (2008)
- Louisville voted “100 Best Communities for Young People” by America’s Promise (2008)
- Bardstown named the second “Best Small Town in Kentukcy” by Southern Living Magazine, (2010)
- Get Out Magazine named E.P. Tom Sawyer Park, located in Louisville, the “Best Urban Escape” in the region (2009)
- Several Louisville events named as “Top 20 Southeast U.S. Tourist Attractions” by Southeast Tourism Society
- Elizabethtown named the fifth “Best Small Town in Kentucky” by Southern Living Magazine, (2010)
- Louisville listed among "America’s Foodiest” Cities by Bon Appetit.(2009)
Now you know why employees who relocate to the Louisville region never want to leave. Experience an internship here and you wont want to leave either!
To find out what's happening now, click here.