Gov. Beshear tours Pratt Paper facility in Henderson

HENDERSON, Ky. (WFIE) - Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman toured Pratt Paper in Henderson on Friday afternoon.

Beshear was all smiles as he spoke with project leaders and employees working on the building’s construction.

“This changes everything for this area of western Kentucky,” Beshear said. “This was the largest project in the history of western Kentucky when it was announced, and it will be for a time.”

More than 500 people have been working day and night on the facility which includes a recycled paper mill, box factory and water treatment plant.

“This is being built by a lot of local contractors,” Beshear said. “I’m so appreciative that Pratt and its general contractor made that decision. They wanted as much of the work done locally and talking about the quality of it. Then, I got to meet the first group of process engineers, all from Henderson.”

Beshear says Pratt has already hired 90 people and is looking for hundreds more. Those jobs pay upwards of $30 per hour.

“That’s some of the highest wages I have ever seen and been able to announce,” Beshear said. “This is a game changer.”

Beshear says that money can change lives for generations.

“It isn’t just going to change lives right now, it’s going to change the lives of people’s kids, people’s grandkids,” Beshear said. “It’s going to be the cleanest, greenest most technologically advanced recycled paper mill on planet Earth.”

Henderson’s newest paper mill was the first of two stops in the Tri-State for Beshear.

He traveled to Owensboro later in the day, continuing his day-long campaign bus tour.

As construction continues at Pratt Paper, crews say they’re hoping to start production in October.

Beshear praised the project for not only being state-of-the-art, but also for staying on time in their construction.

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