Kentucky State Seal

*OFFICE OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JACQUELINE COLEMAN*








*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*




*Contact:*?

*JT Henderson
*502-226-0766**
*[email protected]*



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*Lt. Gov. Coleman Joins MyXR Leaders To Cut Ribbon?on New Regional Headquarters at WKU Innovation Campus*

"Augmented reality, engagement company brings more than 60 full-time jobs to Bowling Green"

*FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 29, 2023) *? Today, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, along with state and local officials, joined executives from augmented reality and engagement software company MyXR Inc. to cut the ribbon on its new regional headquarters at the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Innovation Campus in Bowling Green, a project that is expected to create over 60 full-time jobs.

?As MyXR becomes a part of Kentucky?s business community, the company?s dedication to driving innovation and growth is going to benefit the entire Bowling Green community,? said *Gov. Andy Beshear.* ?MyXR leadership?s decision to establish a presence here further enhances the commonwealth?s growing reputation as a center for forward-leaning enterprises and technological advancement, including cutting-edge developments in artificial intelligence.?

?Kentucky?s economy is booming because of companies like MyXR investing and believing in what the commonwealth and our people have to offer,? said* Lt. Gov. Coleman*. ?I am thrilled to welcome MyXR to Team Kentucky and the Bowling Green area.?

In April, Gov. Beshear announced MyXR planned to locate in a 1,200-square-foot space at the WKU Innovation Campus, adding to the region?s growing business community within the emerging technology sector. MyXR will benefit from the new Immersive Experience Innovation Lab at the Innovation Campus, which focuses on creating immersive environments for various industries. The lab will help the company continue to develop its augmented reality technology and explore new applications. The new headquarters will allow the company to expand its MyXR Engage software, which integrates across digital platforms to increase engagement with gamification and rewards technology.

?For our team, our prospects and our shareholders, selecting the WKU Innovation Campus and the state of Kentucky was an easy decision after a long review process,? said* Hans Koch, chairman and CEO of MyXR Inc.* ?The Kentucky public and private communities have given us both a welcome mat and a playbook for growing our business, delivering better service and software and an opportunity to create a world-class corporate hub for our company. We can?t wait to get started in Kentucky. We?re grateful to Gov. Beshear, the city of Bowling Green and everyone at the WKU Innovation Campus.?

San Francisco-based MyXR is a software company founded in 2017. In the years since, MyXR has acquired new technologies, built new augmented reality prototypes and engaged in beta testing and global pre-sales across industries. The company is releasing its latest MyXR Engage 2.0 platform in September 2023 to gamify and engage audiences from brands/entertainment, professional sports, nonprofits, universities and more. The company also formed the MyXR Foundation Fund and identified a sales support/technology integration center as a crucial corporate need for 2023 and beyond. MyXR searched for a location to fuel the next level of growth and expand its sales support for and innovative engagement technology to customers worldwide. MyXR selected Kentucky after a six-month selection process.

*Buddy Steen, CEO of the WKU Innovation Campus*, said that he is excited to see companies like MyXR Inc. join the storytelling and emerging tech ecosystem of the region: ?Applied artificial intelligence and extended reality technologies are helping shape our professional, personal, family and civic lives. We want to attract and retain companies who focus on creating immersive experiences that combine new technologies with strong transmedia storytelling and that are committed to improving all facets of our lives. We are excited to have MyXR Inc. as part of that focus.?

*Warren County Judge/Executive Doug Gorman* is excited to welcome a company like MyXR to the region?s growing tech industry: ?The addition of MyXR Inc. to our thriving business community is a testament to the opportunities that Bowling Green offers to companies seeking to innovate and thrive. We?re excited to celebrate their growth and contribution to our region.?

*Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott *is thrilled to bring another high-tech company to the community and see the opportunities it creates: ?This is a great opportunity for Bowling Green to showcase its emerging technology and storytelling scene, and we are thrilled to have MyXR Inc. join our community. We can use XR Technology to create immersive experiences that promote community engagement and cultural exchange.?

*Ron Bunch, CEO of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce*, noted that the project reflects the growing potential of the tech community of Bowling Green and the surrounding region: ?MyXR?s presence at the WKU Innovation Campus serves as a testament to the dynamic potential of our local tech ecosystem. The Grand Opening event for MyXR?s regional headquarters marks a significant step forward in positioning Bowling Green as a hub for innovative enterprises. Following their successful launch just three months ago, MyXR continues to make waves, marking their progress with a celebratory event that highlights their commitment to the community and growth in the region.?

*John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of economic development*, said he supports the company?s growth in the region: ?TVA and Bowling Green Municipal Utilities congratulate MyXR on its decision to locate in Bowling Green. The creation of quality jobs will have a positive impact in Warren County, and we are proud to support this company and our partners, Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, Bowling Areas Chamber of Commerce, and Bowling Green Municipal Utilities, in finding continued success in the valley.?

MyXR?s investment and planned job creation furthers recent economic momentum in the commonwealth.

Earlier this month, Gov. Beshear reported [ [link removed] ] that General Fund receipts for July 2023 totaled $1.1 billion, marking the 11th straight month with revenues over $1 billion. The Governor also recently_ _announced [ [link removed] ] that his administration secured the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund, as well as the most jobs filled in state history.

The General Fund budget surplus at the end of fiscal year 2023 was more than $1.55 billion. Nearly all of the $1.55 billion surplus will go into the commonwealth?s Rainy Day Fund, bringing the fund to a record balance of $3.7 billion ? a 2,700% increase since Gov. Beshear took office in 2019.

Gov. Beshear also announced [ [link removed] ] an increase of 6,400 jobs filled, bringing the commonwealth to 2,015,600 filled jobs in June.

This year, the Governor announced [ [link removed] ] that Kentucky set the record for the longest period with the lowest unemployment rates in state history. On May 18, Gov. Beshear announced [ [link removed] ] that Kentucky set a new historic low unemployment rate of 3.7%, which is the lowest rate ever recorded in the commonwealth.

Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 870 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling approximately $26.8 billion in announced investments.

The robust job creation has been accompanied by rising wages across the commonwealth. The average incentivized hourly wage in 2022 was $26.78 before benefits, the second-highest mark since 2010 and an 11.5% increase over the previous year.

The Governor also secured the best two-year period in state history for economic growth and announced the two largest economic development projects in state history. In September 2021, Gov. Beshear and leaders from Ford Motor Co. and SK On celebrated [ [link removed] ] a transformative $5.8 billion investment that will create 5,000 jobs in Hardin County. In April 2022, the Governor was joined by leadership at AESC to announce [ [link removed] ] a $2 billion investment that will create 2,000 jobs in Warren County. These announcements solidify Kentucky as the EV battery production capital of the United States.

That position was strengthened even further in May 2023, when the Governor and leaders at Toyota announced [ [link removed] ] a $591 million investment across multiple projects as the company?s largest manufacturing operation in Georgetown introduces its first battery electric vehicle. Growth within the EV sector continued into June as Gov. Beshear joined INFAC North America to break ground [ [link removed] ] on the company?s $53 million investment to support EV-related production in Campbellsville.

Over a two-month period this year, Kentucky secured two credit rating increases from major agencies. On May 12, Gov. Beshear announced [ [link removed] ] that his administration obtained the first state-level credit rating upgrade in 13 years and the first-ever upgrade from Fitch Ratings. On June 29, Gov. Beshear announced [ [link removed] ] the commonwealth received its first-ever rating increase from S&P Global Ratings.

Site Selection magazine recently placed Kentucky first in the South Central region and top-5 nationally in its 2023 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects. The publication also placed Kentucky second nationwide and first in the South Central region for its annual Governor?s Cup ranking for 2022, which recognizes state-level economic success based on capital investments.

Gov. Beshear announced a new ?Supply Kentucky [ [link removed] ]? initiative with the goal of boosting job growth, reducing costs and providing more security in the supply chains of our Kentucky companies.

For more information on MyXR, visit MyXR.com [ [link removed] ].

A detailed community profile for Warren County can be viewed here [ [link removed] ].

Information on Kentucky?s economic development efforts and programs is available at "CED.ky.gov" [ [link removed] ]. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion at "facebook.com/CEDkygov" [ [link removed] ]", on Twitter ""@CEDkygov" [ [link removed] ]", Instagram ""@CEDkygov" [ [link removed] ]" and ""LinkedIn" [ [link removed] ].

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