First a warehousing facility, now a much-needed cargo hub: Amazon has been steadily changing the economic climate of Northern Kentucky as more and more facilities bearing the brand's name open.
The Amazon cargo hub at CVG airport isn't slated to even be partially up and running until 2020, but it's still having some big impacts on areas of Northern Kentucky.
"We're excited, because typically when you have a company move in -- it's kind of where people want to live," said James Kruspe, owner of Profit Solutions Group, a small business located in Florence. "It'll create a need for hopefully more services. I'm sure there's going to be some construction that's going to have to be done there -- those will all take people, so they'll have to hire for those things."
The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce is already seeing a boom in the demand for new infrastructure and new construction. The cargo hub is already slated to bring thousands of jobs, but with those extra jobs comes added traffic concerns.
"There are dollars for an exit ramp and additional transportation along the 75 corridor as well so we have millions of dollars from the federal government as well as from the state of Kentucky, so that was a big get," said Brent Cooper, president and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
There are already plans to revamp the infrastructure in Boone County to accommodate the growth. Another factor on many minds in NKY has been how the Amazon hub will affect CVG.
Fortunately for Greater Cincinnati, the Amazon hub is actually lowering the cost of many flights through CVG. Cheaper flight options means more visitors to the prospering region, which means more revenue and more tourism.
"We now have the lowest cost flights -- cheaper than Columbus -- Dayton, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville, we have the lowest cost airports and we have the most flights," said Cooper.
He claims Boone County is the fastest growing region in Greater Cincinnati, and much of it can be attributed to the growth brought in by Amazon over the years.
"Hebron is growing by leaps and bounds," said Kruspe. "It's just added services."
