Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Economy

Louisville's early economy first developed through the shipping and cargo industries. Its strategic location at the Falls of the Ohio, as well as its unique position in the central United States (within one day's travel to 60% of the cities in the continental U.S.) make it an ideal location for the transfer of cargo along its route to other destinations. In the early days, the Louisville and Portland Canal (today, called the McAlpine Locks and Dam) was a crucial link in water traffic on its route from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (and other origins) to the mouth of the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, and beyond. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad was also an important link between the industrialized northern cities and the South. Louisville's importance to the shipping industry continues today with the presence of the world air hub for UPS. Louisville's location at the crossroads of three major Interstate highways (I-64, I-65 and I-71) also contributes to its modern-day strategic importance to the shipping and cargo industry.

Related Topics:
Falls of the Ohio - United States - Louisville and Portland Canal - McAlpine Locks and Dam - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Mississippi River - Gulf of Mexico - Louisville & Nashville Railroad - UPS - Interstate highways - I-64 - I-65 - I-71

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Additionally, Louisville is home to several major corporations and organizations:

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• Brown-Forman Corporation (Fortune 500)
• Hillerich & Bradsby (known for Louisville Slugger baseball bats)
• Humana Inc. (Fortune 500)
• Kindred Healthcare Incorporated (Fortune 500)
• Papa John's Pizza
• Presbyterian Church (USA)
• Yum! Brands, Inc. (owners of KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Long John Silver's and A & W Restaurants; formerly Tricon Global Restaurants, spin-off of PepsiCo) (Fortune 500)

Louisville for a long time was also home to Brown & Williamson, one of the subjects of the tobacco industry scandals of the 1990s. Also located in Louisville are two major Ford plants, and a major General Electric appliance factory.

Related Topics:
Brown & Williamson - Tobacco industry - Scandal - Ford - General Electric

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Additionally, one third of all of the bourbon whiskey comes from Louisville. The Brown-Forman Corporation is one of the major makers of bourbon, which is headquartered in Louisville. Other major distilleries of bourbon can be found both in the city of Louisville, or in neighboring cities in Kentucky, such as Heaven Hill (Bardstown, Kentucky), Woodford Reserve (Woodford County), or Maker's Mark (Loretto, Kentucky, with a restaurant/lounge in Louisville).

Related Topics:
Bourbon whiskey - Brown-Forman Corporation - Kentucky - Heaven Hill - Bardstown, Kentucky - Woodford Reserve - Woodford County - Maker's Mark - Loretto, Kentucky

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Louisville also prides itself in its large assortment of small, independent businesses and restaurants. Some of these local businesses have become known for their ingenuity and creativity. For example, in 1934, Kaelin's Restaurant served the first hamburger with a slice of cheese on top, becoming known as the first cheeseburger. In 1926 the Brown Hotel became the home of the Louisville Hot brown "sandwich". In 1880, John Colgan also invented a way to make chewing gum taste better for a longer period of time.

Related Topics:
Cheeseburger - Brown Hotel - Hot brown - Chewing gum

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The Highlands area of Louisville on Bardstown Road also contains many independent businesses, including but not limited to the popular Ear X-tacy music store, Baxter Avenue Theater, Carmichael's book store, the Wild and Woolly Video store, Heine Brothers' Coffee, Conti Coffee, Wick's Pizza, O'Shea's Irish Pub, among others. Several local brewpubs such as Rich O's Public House of New Albany Indiana, Browning's Restaurant and Brewery, Cumberland Brewing Company, and the Bluegrass Brewing Company offer an assortment of local brewing talent in the area.

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Louisville also has connections to the entertainment industry. For example, 90% of the United States' disco balls are made in Louisville at National Products, Inc. Several major motion pictures have also been filmed in or near Louisville, including Goldfinger, Stripes, The Insider and Elizabethtown.

Related Topics:
Disco ball - National Products, Inc - Goldfinger - Stripes - The Insider - Elizabethtown

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