With the groundbreaking in Greenup County, Kentucky for the future site of the $1.4 billion rolling mill aluminum plant, we hope that the new business will bring some economic development across the Ohio to to neighboring Lawrence County.

There are plenty of sites that are cleared and shovel ready to put up a factory throughout the county. And the new Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge is open and can easily handle traffic from Ironton to Greenup County. It is a little more than 20 minutes from the bridge to the EastPark Industrial Center.

There are a multitude of businesses that can be built related to an aluminum mill, and Lawrence County has the infrastructure along the Ohio River, railroad system and the highway system heading north.

The developments at Braidy Industries could be a promising sign of things to come for our region.

Let’s hope that the economic development of our Kentucky neighbors spreads across the region and brings jobs to an area that needs them so badly.