Company to create 150 jobs in Benton with nearly $6.3 million investment

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 28, 2016) – Gov. Matt Bevin today announced Champion
Home Builders Inc., a recognized name in modular, mobile and manufactured
housing, will invest $6.3 million in a production facility in Benton and
create up to 150 jobs.



“We are pleased to welcome Champion Home Builders to the Commonwealth and
are excited about the opportunity to create 150 jobs for hard-working
Kentuckians in Benton,” Gov. Bevin said. “This location will allow Champion
to utilize the logistics and distribution advantages that make Kentucky an
ideal home for manufacturers. We are excited to see this kind of growth.
This is a great day for western Kentucky and the state.”



Champion plans to lease a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on
Venture Lane in Benton. Company leaders plan to install state-of-the-art
home-building equipment and refurbish existing equipment, such as
scaffolds, cranes and bridges. Champion will then begin production of
manufactured homes for distribution to retailers in Kentucky and other
states.



“Kentucky brands itself as a place of unbridled spirit, and that kind of
positive attitude really attracted us,” said Keith Anderson, CEO of
Champion Home Builders Inc. “It conveys a strength of character we believe
will help us continue to create remarkable homes for remarkable people.”



Anderson acknowledged the role Champion’s history in neighboring Tennessee
played in the company’s decision.



“Our decades-long presence in west Tennessee has benefitted from the strong
workforce there and we fully expect that to be the case in Kentucky, as
well. In fact, access to so much skilled labor in the Benton area was a
major factor in our decision to open new operations here. The future’s
looking bright for Champion and Kentucky alike.”



Founded in 1953 in Troy, Mich., Champion specializes in a wide variety of
manufactured, modular and park-model homes, as well as modular buildings
for the multi-family, hospitality, senior and workforce housing sectors.
Champion started as a single manufacturing facility in rural Michigan and
grew to offer factory-built housing and other structures throughout the
U.S., United Kingdom and western Canada. The company operates 28
manufacturing facilities throughout North America and Europe, and employs
more than 4,200 people worldwide.



Sen. Danny Carroll, of Paducah, said Champion will add to the county’s
economy.



“Our regional economy will be positively impacted by the business and jobs
Champion Home Builders brings to Marshall County,” Sen. Carroll said. “I
welcome the news and thank the company for its investment in our state and
Marshall County.”



Rep. Will Coursey, of Symsonia, said Champion’s decision shows Benton is a
great place for economic development.



“I appreciate Champion Homes’ decision to bring so many jobs to our region
and for recognizing how great of a community they are locating in,” Rep.
Coursey said. “The large investment is a reflection of our dedicated
workforce and the fact our area has so much to offer. I look forward to
their partnership.”



Benton Mayor Rita Dotson said Champion Homes found a great home in Benton.



“I am pleased to welcome Champion Homes to Benton, Kentucky,” Mayor Dotson
said. “We are all very excited to see new opportunity created for our
citizens. Congratulations Champion Homes and welcome to our community.”



Marshall County Judge-Executive Kevin Neal said he will follow the
company’s progress and wishes it success.



“We are excited to welcome Champion Homes to our community and look forward
to seeing their success in Marshall County,” Judge Neal said.
“Congratulations to Champion Homes and the workforce of Marshall County on
this great news.”



To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky
Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company
for tax incentives up to $2.25 million through the Kentucky Business
Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to
keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate
income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment
targets.



In addition, Champion can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills
Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies are eligible to
receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost
customized training and job training incentives. Last year, the Kentucky
Skills Network trained more than 84,000 employees from more than 5,600
Kentucky companies.



For more information on Champion Home Builders, visit www.ChampionHomes.com
<http://www.championhomes.com/>.



A detailed community profile for Marshall County can be viewed here
<http://www.thinkkentucky.com/cmnty/quickfacts.aspx?cw=97>.



Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is
available at www.ThinkKentucky.com <http://www.thinkkentucky.com/>. Fans of
the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on
Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/ThinkKentucky> or follow on Twitter
<http://www.twitter.com/ThinkKentucky>. Watch the Cabinet’s “This is My
Kentucky” video on YouTube <http://www.youtube.com/ThinkKentucky>.