Kentucky State Seal

 

*OFFICE OF GOVERNOR ANDY BESHEAR*

*COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY*








*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*




*Contact:* 

*Scottie Ellis
502-401-6933*

*Brandon Mattingly
502-782-2006*






Gov. Beshear: Hines Furlong Line To Expand Operations in Paducah With a Nearly $11 Million Investment, Creating 50 Well-Paying Jobs

""""""""""""""""""""Project is a result of continued company growth and future expansion plans""""""""""""""""""""

*FRANKFORT, Ky. (Dec. 11, 2025) *– Today, Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted exciting new momentum within the state’s maritime transportation and logistics sectors as Hines Furlong Line (HFL) announced plans to expand its current operation in McCracken County, a nearly $11 million investment that will add 50 new, well-paying Kentucky jobs.

“One of Kentucky’s greatest assets is its natural resources and waterways, making our maritime transportation and logistics operations one of the best in the country,” said *Gov. Beshear*. “When quality companies like Hines Furlong Line choose to reinvest in themselves and their communities, it plays a critical role in propelling our state’s economy forward. This is a welcome investment in the Western Kentucky region that will provide 50 high-paying jobs for the local workforce. I am looking forward to HFL’s continued and long-term success.”

In response to continued growth and to prepare for future expansion, HFL plans to construct a new 15,000-square-foot building at their current operation at its Paducah Operations Center. The new facility will provide expanded office space to support increased employees and improve operational efficiency. The project will also include renovating approximately 7,000 square feet of the existing facility to include a modern mariner training center and employee gym. The expansion will more than triple the current operational space of the facility, helping to improve workforce development, safety training and employee well-being. Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.

“This expansion positions Hines Furlong Line for our next chapter of growth,” said *Kent Furlong, president and founder of Hines Furlong Line*. “The partnership between the Commonwealth of Kentucky and local leaders has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life, and we’re grateful for their collaboration as we invest in the facilities, training and operational capabilities that will carry our industry and Kentucky’s economic growth forward.”

Hines Furlong Line is a family-owned company with a legacy spanning more than five generations in the inland river transportation industry. Founded in 2004 by Kent E. Furlong, grandson of river industry pioneer James G. Hines, the company builds on over a century of family experience serving the U.S. inland waterways. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, HFL provides comprehensive marine transportation and logistics services with operations extending across the inland river system. The company operates a modern fleet of towboats and tank barges, maintaining a strong presence in Paducah, which serves as a key operational hub for vessel management, logistics and maintenance. The organization also recently announced its intention to acquire Campbell Transportation Co.’s River Division, a strategic move that will significantly enhance and extend HFL’s operational capabilities along the full length of the Ohio River.

“As a major inland marine transportation and barge-leasing firm, Hines Furlong is a key component of Kentucky’s river economy,” said *McCracken County Judge/Executive Craig Clymer*. “It provides essential capacity for moving bulk commodities on the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee rivers through Kentucky, and particularly Paducah/McCracken County. Its investments in modern vessels, shipyard services, and Kentucky-based crews strengthen regional commerce, support local jobs, and help ensure reliability of river transportation relied upon by many Kentucky industries.”

“Hines Furlong Line’s investment represents a tremendous opportunity for Paducah and McCracken County,” *Paducah Mayor George Bray* said. “This investment reinforces Paducah’s position as the leader in the inland waterways. As a family-owned company, Hines Furlong Line embodies the values of hard work, innovation and commitment that define our region. We deeply appreciate and enthusiastically support Hines Furlong Line’s decision to grow and invest in our community.”

“The additional investment underscores Hines Furlong’s commitment to growing inland waterway transportation with Paducah, McCracken County being a strategic partner,” said *Bruce Wilcox, president and CEO of Greater Paducah Economic Development*. “This additional investment and commitment to grow in Paducah strengthens Paducah’s presence even more in the maritime industry while also complementing Paducah’s community development plan. We are thrilled to see a family-owned company like Hines Furlong succeed and continue to invest in our community.”

HFL’s investment and job creation build on the best five-year period for economic growth in state history.

Since the beginning of his administration, Gov. Beshear has announced more than 1,200 private-sector new-location and expansion projects totaling $44 billion in announced investments, creating 66,000 jobs. This is the highest investment figure secured during the tenure of any governor in the commonwealth’s history and $20 billion more than the next highest total.

The robust job creation has been accompanied by rising wages across the commonwealth. Since 2022, the average incentivized hourly wage has topped $26 in three consecutive years for the first time.

Gov. Beshear has announced some of the largest economic development projects in state history, which have solidified Kentucky as the electric vehicle battery production capital of the United States: Ford Motor Co. and SK On’s transformative $5.8 billion, 5,000-job BlueOval SK Battery Park [ [link removed] ] in Hardin County; AESC [ [link removed] ]’s $2 billion, 2,000-job gigafactory project in Warren County; Toyota [ [link removed] ]’s $1.3 billion investment in Scott County; Ford Motor Co. [ [link removed]:*2F*2Fnewkentuckyhome.ky.gov*2FNewsroom*2FNewsPage*2F20250811_FordEV/1/01000198f24507f8-689b22e9-bbfa-49c0-bf76-0aa132caad4f-000000/y72StB18VncdZSgjiW4rnFokWIaDpJFEZxM3yoxiYoo=420__;JSUlJSU!!Db6frn15oIvDD3UI!gTB2jjeidZCZ6dTEN9I0rq7zgmluFqIjVnIo7xYTYEuQOUlvlwowjev3gLgTdwRvcwT3_0QxUkhPALH6sZWnoDQeBIAcat24DJIUSsc%24 ]’s $2 billion commitment in Louisville; and Shelbyville Battery Manufacturing [ [link removed] ]’s $712 million investment, creating 1,572 jobs in Shelby County, among others.

The Governor’s administration also secured [ [link removed] ] the largest General Fund budget surplus and Rainy Day Fund. In 2023, Kentucky recorded over 2 million jobs filled for the first time ever and has stayed above that number ever since.

Kentucky also secured rating increases from major credit rating agencies Fitch Ratings [ [link removed] ], S&P Global Ratings [ [link removed] ] and Moody’s Investors Service [ [link removed] ].

Earlier this year, Site Selection magazine ranked [ [link removed] ] Kentucky in the top five nationally and second in the South Central region for economic development projects per capita in its 2024 Governor’s Cup rankings. Site Selection also placed [ [link removed]. ] Kentucky second in the South Central region and No. 6 nationally in its 2025 Prosperity Cup ranking, which recognizes state-level economic development agencies for their success in landing capital investment projects.

Gov. Beshear also announced [ [link removed] ] a new initiative, called New Kentucky Home [ [link removed] ], to increase economic investment, attain and attract talent, and increase tourism across the state.

To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) today preliminarily approved a 15-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $1 million in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $10.7 million and annual targets of:


* Creation and maintenance of 50 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 15 years; and
* Paying an average hourly wage of $42.82 including benefits across those jobs.

KEDFA also approved HFL for additional tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act (KEIA). KEIA allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.

By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and/or wage assessments.

In addition, the company can receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.

For more information on Hines Furlong Line, visit hinesfurlongline.com [ [link removed] ].

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

Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at "NewKentuckyHome.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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