Off-Road, On the Job
A company built for rough terrain is putting down roots in Eastern Kentucky. Speed Kentucky is bringing a $1.47 million manufacturing and distribution operation to Owsley County, along with 60 full-time jobs.
A New Gear for Owsley County
The project marks Speed Kentucky’s first major operation outside California and the largest investment and job-creation announcement on record for Owsley County. The new operation will serve as the company’s Eastern U.S. hub for final assembly and distribution.
Speed Kentucky is a joint venture between Kentucky businessman Jimmy Lewis and motorsports champion Robby Gordon. Once up and running, the facility will handle models from Speed UTV, including the Bandit, Diablo, El Jefe, and Bambino.
The location makes sense for more than shipping logistics. Eastern Kentucky already has deep ties to off-road recreation, and Backroads of Appalachia helped attract the company to the area. That connection between the region’s outdoor culture and a growing powersports market helped put Owsley County on Speed Kentucky’s radar.
For the county, though, the bigger number may be 60. The new full-time positions are targeted to average $26 per hour including benefits, bringing manufacturing jobs to a community where this project sets a new local benchmark for both investment and employment.
From the Trail to the Worksite
Recreational riding is only part of Speed Kentucky’s plans. The company is also developing an enclosed, air-conditioned utility side-by-side designed with working conditions in mind.
Potential uses range from farming, construction, and forestry to firefighting and municipal work. That puts the company’s vehicles in a different lane from machines built solely for a Saturday on the trails, with an eye toward people who need off-road capability as part of the workday.
That combination gives the Owsley County project an interesting Kentucky fit. A region already familiar with rugged terrain and powersports will now have a hand in assembling and distributing vehicles made to tackle both recreation and work.
For Owsley County, the arrival means a record-setting investment, dozens of jobs, and a new connection between Eastern Kentucky know-how and an industry already at home on its backroads.
See who else is building, assembling, and keeping Kentucky moving at https://www.guidetokentucky.com/motor-vehicle-motor-vehicle-part-manufacturers!
