Entrepreneurs Head to Hometown of Whitesburg for Next Round of Revitalization
Josh and Whitney Howard hope they are part of a new trend – Eastern Kentucky natives who return to their hometowns not just to work but to invest in and revitalize the downtowns where they grew up. They are using a microloan program from Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation to finance their latest project in Whitesburg, which will be patterned after successful redevelopment in Pineville and Harlan, where they have rehabbed several buildings and converted them to condos, apartments, office and retail space, a bed and breakfast, a laundromat, and a tavern...
Growth Spurt: Kentucky Highlands Innovation Center Clients Expanding
Kentucky Highlands Innovation Center helps local entrepreneurs and business owners grow, meet and collaborate. What does success look like? How about three tenants needing more space – all in the same year? Inquiry Technologies (InqTech) and PrivateLabelLawyer.com moved into bigger space within the center, and Symbiosis Media Group relocated to downtown London...
Entrepreneurs in their 20s: Young Couple Buys Pet Lodging Business to Realize Dream of Being Their Own Boss
The new owners of Somerset Pet Lodge don’t fit the traditional mold of business owners. Drew Miniard is just 24 years old. He formerly was the inventory manager for guns at The Castle Jewelry. His fiancée, Callie LeMaster, is 25 and previously worked as an entomologist for a company that was funded by the CDC to help eradicate diseases spread by mosquitoes...