City celebrates economic success
Published 6:00 am Sunday, March 9, 2025
City and county officials gather to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year during a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Vice Chairman of the Board Julie Milam, Atmos Energy Vice President of Marketing and EDA Board Member Danny Bertotti, Chamber Executive Vice President Meredith Rozanski, Chamber CEO and President Ron Bunch, Mayor Todd Alcott, Chamber Board Chairman Travis Keller, U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie and Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman gather together at a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025, to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Attendees of a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025, listen as Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Ron Bunch speaks as city and county officials gather to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Atmos Energy Vice President of Marketing and EDA Board Member Danny Bertotti speaks at a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025, to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce Vice Chairman of the Board Julie Milam speaks at a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025, to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman speaks at a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025, to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Bowling Green City Manager Jeff Meisel looks at a list of business expansions as Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Ron Bunch speaks at a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025, to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce CEO and President Ron Bunch speaks at a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025, to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
Mayor Todd Alcott speaks at a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025, to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Bowling Green, speaks at a ceremony at the NCM Motorsports Park on Friday morning, March 7, 2025, to celebrate Bowling Green and Warren County earning the No. 1 spot among high-performing metros under 200,000 in the U.S. for corporate facility investment and job creation by Site Selection magazine for the second consecutive year. GRACE MCDOWELL / DAILY NEWS
“We’re going to take a victory lap.”
This is how Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott described a gathering Friday of business leaders and representatives from local and federal government at the National Corvette Museum’s NCM Motorsports Park to recognize Bowling Green’s latest selection as a top metropolitan area nationwide for business development.
Bowling Green was ranked by Site Selection Magazine as the number one performing economic city in the country with a population of 200,000 or less. This year’s announcement marks the 13th consecutive time Bowling Green has placed in Site Selection’s top six spots, and the second time in a row the city has hit the number-one spot.
Bowling Green was ranked No. 1 in two categories for the overall designation, total projects and number of projects per capita.
According to a press release from the chamber, Site Selection chooses communities based on of a ten-factor index that judges a community’s ability to attract “significant investments.” According to Site Selection’s website, Bowling Green attracted 24 economic investment projects over the past year.
“Corporate leaders find themselves committed to the community, as expansion investments made up the majority of project activity,” the article states.
Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman said Friday that locally, everyone “has so much to be thankful for.” He credits this win to the collaboration that goes on between different local entities.
“We’ve had tough times, but we have the people in place … the community of people who want to roll their sleeves up and make a difference,” Gorman said.
Quoting Site Selection’s findings, Alcott said Bowling Green’s back-to-back wins demonstrate how Bowling Green can be a “beacon of light” to other communities nationwide.
“By focusing on what unites us, we built a thriving economy attracting companies that are committed to investing in our community,” Alcott stated. “They’re each investing in their community in ways they never dreamed they could. That is the best American story there could be.”
Sioux City, Iowa, filled in the number two spot with 12 projects, followed by Burlington, North Carolina, with 11 and Lima, Ohio, with ten.
Owensboro and Paducah, tied at seven projects each, round out the list.
In a video statement played at the event, Gov. Andy Beshear credited these wins to “getting things done together and breaking record after record.”
“Every day, we’re welcoming more businesses, more families and more visitors to our great commonwealth,” Beshear said in the video. “Right now, all eyes are on Kentucky.”
“This achievement is a testament to the dedication, hard work and innovation that is found throughout this room and within our great community,” said Julie Milam, chair of the board for the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. “We cannot thank you, every one of you, enough.”
Jack covers city government for the Daily News. Originally from Simpson County, he attended Western Kentucky University and graduated in 2022 with a degree in journalism.
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