Chandler praises recovery act during Nicholasville stop

Just one week before Kentucky voters will head to the polls, U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler made a campaign stop at Nicholasville’s McKechnie Vehicle Components on Tuesday morning to tout the accomplishments of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“This is an effort to highlight a positive example of a company doing very, very well here in central Kentucky,” Chandler said during his one-hour stop. “The recovery act was very important to this company’s survival.”

In February 2011, McKechnie received a $5 million guaranteed loan from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development that allowed the business to stay afloat, operations manager Tim Coots said.

Coots said in late 2008, McKechnie was hurting and in danger of ceasing operations, but the loan saved the proverbial day.

“The company was losing a lot of money at that point in time,” Coots said. “Three or four months into this, we were working with the local authorities and the state, and everyone was very supportive of what our intentions were. During that time frame, we started working on some financing options because of the losses that were occurring here; it was not sustainable.”

The congressman, who is in a battle with Republican challenger Andy Barr, called the recovery act an excellent example of the government helping out.

“The notion that the government has no role in this — I think this debunks it on its face,” Chandler said. “You’re looking at people right here who have jobs as a result of this.”

Nicholasville Mayor Russ Meyer, agreed Tuesday.

“In a city of 30,000, the impact of losing 350 jobs would have been devastating,” Meyer said. “The impact not only on industry in saving these jobs but also the impact on small businesses in our community. If you have this many people not working, you suffer economically all the way down the line.”

McKechnie team leader and 28-year employee Evonne Cannady said the loan saved a lot of hardship for herself and her co-workers.

“It’s very important for me,” she said. “I look at the 28 years that I’ve been here, and I’ve seen things change, and I have seen a lot of great things here throughout the plant, and I hope to see more great opportunities to come through for automotive business and trim business.”

Chandler pointed out that the recovery act and the automobile bailout has kept many people across the 6th Congressional District employed and added that Barr is not a supporter of the programs.

“This is a firsthand, personal example of how it affects people’s lives right here in Jessamine County,” Chandler said.

McKechnie is the second-largest private employer in Jessamine County with more than 400 employees.

The plant has been located in Nicholasville for more than 30 years. It makes auto accessories such as molding and trim for Toyota, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and Volkswagen.