Officials in Radcliff, Kentucky announced that a representative for the Kentucky APEX Accelerator has co-located with the Knox Regional Development Alliance (KRDA) in the city-owned Elmer L. Hargan Building on North Wilson Road.
The Kentucky APEX Accelerator team helps companies pursue local, state and federal business with the government, including Fort Knox Mission Installation Contracting Command, with services that include but are not limited to contract readiness, compliance and market research to identify growth opportunities.
Named for the city’s first mayor, the Hargan family donated the Elmer L. Hargan Building to the City of Radcliff with the stipulation it be used for municipal needs as determined by city government. KRDA relocated offices in 2022 when notified that rent at their former location would more than quadruple.
Radcliff Mayor J.J. Duvall said in the announcement that when KRDA approached him about the opportunity to co-locate with the Kentucky APEX Accelerator, he knew it was a win-win for Radcliff and the surrounding region.
"Bringing KRDA and the Kentucky APEX Accelerator under one roof creates a one-stop shop for local companies that want to do business with Fort Knox and other government agencies,” Duvall said in the announcement. “It will help our local businesses and our regional economy.”
The Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation (KSTC) manages the Kentucky APEX Accelerator for the commonwealth, with funding from Kentucky and the U.S. Department of Defense.
“KRDA has been our long-time partner in our work to help local businesses tap into government and defense contracting, and we know that Fort Knox alone awards more than $350 million in federal contracts annually. Therefore, we have a great potential to support local businesses in growing through winning government contracts,” said Nancy Brown, executive director of the Kentucky APEX Accelerator, in the announcement. “Since we already regularly share referrals with KDRA, they were the most obvious choice for us in Hardin County.”
The local representative for the region is Shawn Rogers. A procurement consultant with nearly 20 years of experience in small business and economic development, Rogers brings expertise in community development financing, business planning and supporting government contracting efforts.
“KRDA helps our clients better understand the missions on Fort Knox and where opportunities may exist for them to do business,” Rogers said in the announcement. “They are an invaluable resource for our clients.”
KRDA President and CEO retired Col. Lance O’Bryan called the partnership a perfect fit.
“One of KRDA’s four objectives in maximizing the economic impact of Fort Knox is to grow defense-related business in our region,” O’Bryan said in the announcement. “When we encounter a company at the nascent stages of pursuing government contracting, the first person with whom we connect them is Shawn. We couldn’t think of a better office mate. We appreciate the mayor’s and the city’s support in maximizing this for the betterment of local businesses, our region and Fort Knox.”
This partnership between the Kentucky APEX Accelerator and KRDA underscores their commitment to growing the regional economy by supporting businesses accessing government contracts. To learn more about scheduling appointments, go to kyapex.com or growknox.org.
(This article was originally published in The News-Enterprise. View it here.)