As Hart County welcomes a new industry, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce has expanded its reach into the county.

Hart County recently joined the chamber’s menu of services program, giving it access to the chamber’s development experts, who will help attract new companies and retain businesses.

The nine counties that partner with the chamber now all have access to an economic development expert, whether locally or through the chamber, said Miller Slaughter, director of regional development for the chamber.

As it announces its new partnership, Hart County – with the help of chamber officials – has attracted a new company called Kentucky Chrome Works.

The company manufactures chrome parts for the automotive and other industries and will locate in Horse Cave, bringing about 40 workers to the area, Slaughter said.

Kentucky Chrome Works received final approval in October for a $500,000 state loan or grant for a $2.3 million project in Hart County, according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. It should begin production this summer.

While it assists in company retention, the chamber’s menu of services program was created to market southcentral Kentucky and help persuade employers to locate in the region, according to the chamber.

“Every county has assets that they bring to everyone else,” Slaughter said, “and when an industry gets ready to consider a particular location, county lines mean nothing.”

Nine counties participate in the chamber’s regional partnership, which includes a marketing program and the menu of services. All nine counties participate in the marketing program and four counties – Hart, Butler, Edmonson and Monroe – now participate in the menu of services program.

However, all nine counties now have access to an economic development professional – a goal the chamber has been trying to reach. The five counties that do not rely on Slaughter’s expertise have their own economic development coordinator.

The smaller counties, “they don’t have anybody on a full-time basis,” Slaughter said. “So they have contacted the Bowling Green chamber … (which can) provide economic development services they otherwise could not afford to bring in themselves.”

Through the program, Butler County recently landed two new companies – Kentucky Copper and Blackhawk Composites – with a total of more than 130 initial jobs. Chamber professionals are working on another project in Hart County and a project in Edmonson County, Slaughter said.

The menu of services program also recently picked up an international award. The International Economic Development Council gave the chamber top honors in its category during an October conference. The program was rewarded in the regionalism and cross-border collaboration category.

Local officials previously worked with Slaughter and wanted to bring some additional economic expertise to the area, said John Bunnell, chairman of the Hart County Industrial Authority.

“We think it’s a good opportunity for Hart County to show the world what we have and to gain some additional help,” he said.

Hart County’s biggest employers have remained stable during the recession, Bunnell said. Its biggest employer is Dart Container Corp., with about 1,500 employees.