August 2007
Welcome to eFYI, your exclusive monthly e-newsletter from Greater Louisville Inc. - The Metro Chamber of Commerce. As one of our valued partners, you can count on eFYI to cover the topics and issues of most interest and benefit to you. Share your comments and ideas with us any time at VFisher@greaterlouisville.com.
 Tax plan will spur U of L research center
PharMerica deal closes
Sullivan will build pharmacy college
AT&T plans to add 350 customer service jobs
IdeaFestival picks up key sponsor
Local Small Business Development Center gets award
Penske Logistics opens Southwest Louisville logistics facility
GLI Designated as Chamber of the Year
9 area technology companies get state grants
UPS jet packs bigger payload
Tax plan will spur U of L research center
Calling it a "$2.5 billion day for Louisville," state leaders unveiled a $300 million tax plan expected to jump-start the ambitious Haymarket life-sciences complex east of the city's center.
Under a plan announced by city, state and University of Louisville officials, projects in the downtown medical center -- including developing the Haymarket and upgrading U of L's health sciences campus -- would get a share of new city and state tax revenue they produce over the next 20 years.
The projects are expected to total $2.5 billion in capital investment and create an estimated 8,700 skilled jobs over those two decades. Read more.
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PharMerica deal closes
It's official. PharMerica Corp. is open for business.
The new public company was formed through the merger of the pharmacy units of Kindred Healthcare Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp.
Pharmerica will distribute patient medications for nursing homes, hospitals and hospices and will be based in Louisville.
The new company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "PMC" and will begin trading August 1. Read more.
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Sullivan will build pharmacy college
Louisville hasn't had a pharmacy school since 1947, when the old Louisville College of Pharmacy was moved to the University of Kentucky.
But that's about to change. In response to a growing national demand for pharmacists, Sullivan University will break ground for a pharmacy college in a renovated building across from its existing campus.
It will be the first doctoral program for Sullivan, which calls itself "Kentucky's Career University," training students for a range of careers -- from business managers to bakers, paralegals to professional nannies. And it responds to a national demand that is acute in Kentucky, according to the Pharmacy Manpower Project, which maintains an index of states' pharmacist shortages. Read more.
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AT&T plans to add 350 customer service jobs
AT&T plans to add 350 customer service workers at its offices in Louisville later this year.
The technical-support staff will help customers with AT&T's high-speed Internet service.
AT&T expects to invest $1.5 million to accommodate the new employees, who will carry an annual payroll of about $10 million. The average salary will be about $29,000 a year. Read more.
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IdeaFestival picks up key sponsor
 IdeaFestival, the event that brings thinkers from various backgrounds to Louisville to talk about big ideas and innovations, is getting a $250,000 boost for this fall's gathering from Geek Squad.
The service and repair arm of consumer electronics, computer and appliance store Best Buy will be the title sponsor of the Sept. 13-15 event, contributing $125,000 in cash and an equal amount in services. Read more.
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Local Small Business Development Center gets award
The Greater Louisville Small Business Development Center has been recognized for exceeding its goals for the first and second quarters of the 2006-2007 program year.
The GLBDC received the Kentucky Small Business Development Center's traveling trophy, which is presented biannually to one of the state's Small Business Development Centers.
The GLSBDC is one of 15 centers throughout Kentucky that help start-up and existing businesses by offering free business consultations, workshops, seminars and research. Read more.
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Penske Logistics opens Southwest Louisville logistics facility
Penske Logistics, one of the largest providers of transportation and distribution services in the country, has opened a 118,000-square-foot logistics facility in Southwest Louisville.
The 140-door warehouse and cross-docking site has the capacity to simultaneously unload up to six 86-foot boxcars, according to a news release.
The facility will handle more than 800 shipments each day to Ford Motor Co.'s manufacturing sites across North America. Read more.
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GLI Designated as Chamber of the Year
 Greater Louisville Inc. - The Metro Chamber of Commerce (GLI) has won the prestigious "Chamber of the Year" distinction from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). The Chamber of the Year is the nation's only award which recognizes the dual role of chambers in leading both businesses and communities. The designation recognizes not only GLI's organizational strength, financial growth and membership development, but also the demonstrable impact the organization makes on key community priorities such as economic opportunities, education and cultural vitality.
GLI was one of four chambers recognized as "Chamber of the Year" during ACCE's Annual Awards Gala during the association's annual convention, held this year in Sacramento, Calif. GLI qualified as one of three finalists in its category (over $1 million dues income level).
"This is an extraordinary honor for GLI and we appreciate our peers again recognizing the work we do as outstanding in our profession," said Joe Reagan, GLI President and CEO. "We are fortunate to have a dedicated, professional team of leaders at GLI as well as the tremendous support and involvement of our Board, members and volunteers.
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9 area technology companies get state grants
Twenty technology companies from across Kentucky, including nine with ties to Oldham and Jefferson counties, stand to receive almost $1.9 million in state funding for start-up activities. These grants will be used to develop new technologies into commercial products.
Potentia Pharmaceuticals, a Louisville company, will use its share of the money to test new delivery methods for a drug that treats macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. The state funding will be helpful because that type of research is difficult to justify to private investors looking for a more immediate payoff.
Sequela, the only company on the list from Oldham County, develops diagnostic screening tests and treatments for people with hypertension, congestive heart failure and renal disease. Read more.
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UPS jet packs bigger payload
 UPS introduced the new Boeing 747-400, the first of 13 jumbo jet freighters it plans to fly on long-range international routes, primarily into the Asia-Pacific region. The new plane will go into service next month, and UPS will get two more Boeing 747-400s this year and five more in 2008. The company will acquire another five of the jets from other carriers by 2010.
With a 248,300-pound payload capacity, the new aircraft carries 8,300 pounds more than the Boeing 747-200, the next-highest payload in the 284-aircraft UPS fleet. It has a range of 8,100 miles.
The 747-400 is the first freighter in the UPS fleet with a hinged nose, which permits extra-large shipments and faster loading and unloading. Read more.
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