“Building” people in Bardstown
Thai Summit Kentucky expands its plant and its employees’ horizons
WHEN THAI SUMMIT KENTUCKY this summer announced plans to double its Bardstown sheet metal stamping plant, the firm also stressed its commitment to create new opportunities for local people and the state’s economy.
Since opening in Bardstown in 2016, TSK’s workforce at the plant has more than doubled to 155 employees. Over the next three to four years, employment is projected to nearly double again, thanks to the $131 million expansion, which will sharply increase its ability to build electric vehicle components and other parts for Ford, Stellantis, Tesla and Rivian.
The announcement said TSK and its parent company—Thailand based Thai Summit Group—are committed to helping Kentucky become the North American hub for electric vehicle manufacturing and building people by matching employee goals and talents with company needs.
“The philosophy of our founders (Thai Summit Group’s Juangroongruangkit family) has always been that before we build parts, we build people,” says Kanishka ‘Kenny’ Ghosh, executive manager of administration, treasurer and secretary for TSK. “We give them a platform to maximize their potential. We have seen it in Bardstown. We send them to train at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, and we fund many of their studies. That’s how we attract, promote and retain people.”
By the end of next year, the Bardstown plant will more than double from 200,000 square feet to over 520,000 square feet. Ghosh says TSK plans to increase employment to almost 300 people there by the end of 2026.
As the worldwide market continues to grow for electric vehicles, he believes the plant is well-positioned because of its expertise in building the lightweight aluminum body exterior parts and structures that EV manufacturers need to achieve their sustainable mobility goals.
Ghosh predicts the plant’s expansion will provide positive economic benefits to Nelson County and surrounding areas for years to come.
“It’s going to be huge,” he says. “Kentucky has become a magnet to attract EV investments to the state.” The $5.8 billion BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, which will produce electric batteries for Ford and Lincoln EVs, “proves that point,” Ghosh adds.
