The Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (KAM) Board of Directors has elected its 2026-27 officers, led by new Chairman Jeremy Ballard, General Manager of the Production Division of Toyotetsu North America in Somerset, KY. Ballard, who also chairs KAM’s Automotive Council, succeeds Kerry Creech, the former President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in Georgetown, KY. Creech recently retired from Toyota and concluded his service on the board.

The task force will bring together leaders from manufacturing, economic development, and several sectors of Kentucky’s business community to review the effectiveness of Kentucky’s existing incentive programs for both prospective and existing employers.

Hyster-Yale military forklifts defeated the precision cover glass for consumer electronics made by Corning Inc. in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, in the Tournament finals that concluded April 12.

KAM leaders and executives were joined by Lieutenant Governor Coleman to announce the tip-off of the 2026 Tournament in a press conference in Frankfort today. The tournament showcases the extraordinary range of products made across Kentucky and the hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians who make them.

Rejecting bad legislation is always better than enacting a bad law. That’s why Kentuckians should be thankful for the wisdom shown during this year’s General Assembly session by the leaders of our House of Representatives, who stood firm against bad legislation that many of their well-intentioned colleagues considered a good idea.