Brooks Motor & Electric Honored With Business of the Year At 2018 Industrial Authority Dinner

Coach Keith Madison is Guest Speaker: Bluegrass Supply Chain, YAMI, Inc., & Nemesis Arms Also Honored With Awards

L-R: Chris Brooks, Jimmy Childress, David Brooks, Ronnie Brooks.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Another family-owned business in Edmonson County was honored this year at the annual 2018 Edmonson County Industrial Authority dinner, held at The Lodge at Mammoth Cave.

Brooks Motor and Electric, owned by Ronnie Brooks and his two sons; Chris Brooks and David Brooks, received Business of the Year award on Tuesday, December 11th.

The family affair, which specializes in electric power transmission equipment and a host of other related products, began in early 2001 in a home-based business in the Nolin Lake area. Since that time, the company has branched out with new locations in Glasgow and on Veterans Memorial Highway near Brownsville. The company now has 27 employees and ships product to all 50 states and 30 different countries.

Former UK Baseball Coach and EC native Keith Madison was keynote speaker.

This year's special guest speaker was Edmonson County native and former UK baseball head coach Keith Madison, who shared many fond memories of growing up in the county with his family and friends. Coach Madison is a 1969 graduate of Edmonson County High School.

"Down through the years, whenever anyone asked me where I'm from, I never said Bowling Green, or even Brownsville," Coach Madison said. "I always tell them I'm from Lindseyville, Kentucky, which is four miles from Brownsville, and a few more miles from Bowling Green."

Coach Madison's entertaining and inspiring stories all had one common bond, which was what he's learned in life can be credited to God and from the wonderful Edmonson County people that set good examples in front of him many years ago.

Keisuke Nakagawa from YAMI, Inc., accepts "Industry of the Year" from IA Chairman, Jimmie Childress.

Matt Belden (L) VP of Transportation and Mo Jackson, VP of Value Added Warehousing for Bluegrass Supply Chain accepts award from Jimmie Childress.

Industry of the Year was presented to Keisuke Nakagawa of YAMI, Inc., which is a mold-injection facility that manufactures parts for several auto makers. The company now boasts 110 employees and they are looking to expand again as they now are ready to cater to self-driving and electric automobile producers.

Bluegrass Supply Chain Services was presented New Industry of the Year, although the company was presented the same award last year. Bluegrass recently purchased nine additional acres in the county's industrial park and is currently in process of expanding their business with a new facility that could cost near $11 million dollars. The Industrial Authority board said that the expansion alone is larger than many other industries in their entirety.

Nemesis Arms was presented Most Innovative Industry of they Year, but owners David and Kathleen Ives were unable to attend due to a scheduling conflict with an out-of-state trade show. According to the Industrial Authority, the firearm manufacturer now has contracts with the U.S. military for an innovative sniper rifle that collapses into a small carrying case and can be ready to shoot in seconds. The company has also patented an ambidextrous bolt action system for rifles.