Greater Louisville Inc.

In 1862, 220 firms paid $1 each to join the Louisville Board of Trade. Prior to that, there was a Merchants Exchange that met monthly during the 1850s on the southeast corner of Second and Main. In 1913, a Convention Bureau was formed. And, in 1943, a convention Bureau was formed. By 1950, these groups and the Retail Merchants Association incorporated into the Louisville Chamber of Commerce. It was renamed Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce, and was one of the first such groups accredited by the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Kenneth Vinsel was named the first chief executive officer of the chamber. The first issue of Louisville Magazine was unveiled on March 1, 1950. The offices were located on Fifth Street, between Jefferson and Liberty. In 1951, the chamber moved to the Courier-Journal and Louisville Times Building at 300 West Liberty. The chamber also played a key role in attracting General Electric to Louisville.

In 1966, Charles Herd succeeded Vinsel as The chamber's executive vice president. Herd held a similar position with the Knoxville, Tennessee, Chamber of Commerce. In 1967, the official name of the organization was changed to the Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce. In 1968, the chamber's convention Bureau was split off as a separate organization.

In 1970, the Louisville Development Committee was formed. Its corollary, the Louisville Development Association, later funded a study that paved the way for the creation of the Kentucky Center for the Arts. The foundation also established offices in New York to generate national publicity for Louisville.

In 1972, Chamber efforts began to help revitalize the Kentucky Derby Festival. The minority Business Resource Center was also launched. This chamber-backed effort to assist minority-operated companies still exists today under the title of the Tri-state Minority Supplier Development Council.

In 1974, the chamber began the Bicentennial Corporation. An offshoot, Heritage Corporation, ran Heritage Weekends until 1988 from the chamber offices. In 1978, Leadership Louisville was launched at The chamber. This program, designed to broaden the horizons of local leaders, continues to grow and now operates out of separate offices. In 1979, the chamber's Visitors Bureau was split off and joined the Convention Bureau, opening an office in Founders' Square. Russel Anderson was hired as president.

In the early 1980s, the chamber started a new program for small to medium-sized businesses, which evolved into the Center for Small Business and later, the Inc. Tank. In 1983, James O. Roberson, an economic development executive, most recently from Maryland, was appointed chamber president. Also in 1983, the chamber moved to One Riverfront Plaza. In 1984, the Development Finance Center was created at the chamber to help provide venture capital for emerging businesses.

In 1986, the Government and Public Affairs division of the chamber helped Louisville businesses save millions of dollars by leading the charge to repeal the antiquated "Unitary Tax." The chamber was also instrumental in phasing out the city and county inventory tax, saving businesses $4 million a year. In 1987, the chamber launched the Campaign for Greater Louisville, a $10 million quest to create new jobs in the Louisville area. Later renamed the Greater Louisville Economic Development Partnership, it became the major business attraction agency in the area.

In 1988, Charles H. Buddeke lll became the fourth chamber president. The chamber/partnership was named one of the nation's 10 best economic development programs by the Industrial Development Research Council. In 1990, the chamber's Kentuckiana Education & Workforce Institute published its first annual Labor Day Report, establishing a model for bridging the gap between education and the needs of employers in Louisville.

During the 1990 State Legislative session, the chamber successfully lobbied for 12 of its 15 priorities, including the Airport Expansion and Education Reform. The chamber, the partnership and the Office for Economic Development won an award from the American Economic Development Council for forming a successful partnership in economic development efforts.

In 1991, Mary Anne Cronan served as acting president as a nationwide search for a new chamber president was conducted.

In May 1991, at the initiative of the mayor, the county judge, the partnership and the chamber, a regional economic development strategic plan involving a broad-based, 230-person planning committee was developed. As a result of this process, the following priorities for implementation were established: state and federal relations, Jefferson County governance, comprehensive land use and infrastructure planning, African American and minority economic development, workforce development, and coordinated economic development.

Robert H. Gayle, Jr. was named president and CEO in June 1991.

In 1992, a new program was launched – the Area Councils, as a grassroots effort to make the chamber more accessible, responsive and representative to the entire community. Also during 1992, Business Advocates merged with the chamber. This group, composed of approximately 60 businesses, decided on merger because it believed that the chamber was beginning to address the needs of its members.

In 1993, the chamber moved to West Main, a five-story cornerstone building in the heart of the revitalized West Main Street district. Joining the organization in this renovated facility were the Greater Louisville Economic Development Partnership, the Kentuckiana Minority Supplier Development Council, the Louisville/Jefferson County Office for Economic Development and the Louisville Development Authority. The chamber also sold Louisville Magazine in 1993. Also during 1993, the chamber began implementation of the Regional Economic Development Strategy, a four-year initiative designed to improve the competitiveness of the Louisville region.

In 1996, the chamber and the Greater Louisville Economic Development Partnership hired M. Ross Boyle, a nationally renowned consultant, to do a comprehensive study of the region's economic competitiveness. Boyle's conclusion: Louisville is a “nice, average town." Also in 1996, Bob Gayle, Chamber president, resigned to take a new position with the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce. Jim Ratcliffe served as interim president as a nationwide search for a new Chamber president was conducted.

In 1997, a 30-member community task force worked with consultant Boyle to produce an economic Visioning Report for the community. Goal: Transform Louisville from a “nice, average town” into an “economic hot spot”. In August 1997, Tricon Global Restaurants, a Fortune 500 company, chose Louisville for its corporate headquarters, a project coordinated by the Economic Development Partnership.

In September 1997, as a first step in achieving the Economic Vision, the chamber merged with the Economic Development Partnership. Doug Cobb was named president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., the new name for the newly merged organization. In October, GLI organized the nation's largest chamber-sponsored trade show, Showcase Greater Louisville.

In 1998, GLI signed a contract with the City of Louisville and Jefferson County to provide business expansion services – in effect merging Greater Louisville Inc. with the City/County Office for Economic Development. Also in 1998, GLI launched The Enterprise Corporation to assist fast-growth, entrepreneurial companies, and a new Workforce initiative to retain and recruit qualified workers for the region.

In 1999, GLI, working with state and local governments, helped attract UPS Hub 2000, a billion-dollar, 6,000-job expansion that was the largest economic-development project in the nation that year.

In 2000, Steve Higdon was named president and CEO of GLI, succeeding Cobb, who returned to the private, for-profit sector. In November, voters overwhelmingly passed a GLI-supported referendum to merge city and county government – a prime goal of the Economic Visioning Report.

In 2001, GLI and the State of Kentucky co-hosted the Inc. 500 Conference in Louisville, bringing in more than 1,000 CEOs of the nation's fastest-growing companies. In 2002, GLI moved into its new headquarters building at 614 West Main St. GLI's agreement to become an anchor tenant sparked construction of the six-story office tower, filling in the “tooth gap” in the historic West Main district.

In 2003, GLI and Metro Louisville hosted the Great Midwest Capital Venture Conference, which drew more than 40 venture capital firms and more than 25 companies seeking funding. In 2003, GLI, in partnership with the Jefferson County Public Schools and Metro Louisville, kicked-off “Every 1 Reads”, an initiative designed to get every public school child reading at grade level within 4 years.

In 2004, GLI received recognition as the 2003–2004 American Chamber of Commerce Award of Excellence winner. In 2005, Joe Reagan is named president and CEO of GLI, succeeding Steve Higdon, who returned to the private for-profit sector. In 2005, GLI published Passing the Torch – Lessons Learned, Wisdom Shared, a book profiling 54 of the community's most outstanding leaders, including conversations with them about life, leadership and service.

In 2005, GLI published Passing the Torch – Lessons Learned, Wisdom Shared, a book profiling 54 of the community's most outstanding leaders, including conversations with them about life, leadership and service. In 2005, GLI published Passing the Torch – Lessons Learned, Wisdom Shared, a book profiling 54 of the community's most outstanding leaders, including conversations with them about life, leadership and service.

One Southern Indiana (OSI), the combined Economic Development Council and Chamber of Commerce for Floyd and Clark counties on the Indiana side of the Louisville, Kentucky metropolitan area, launched in 2006 under the leadership of Michael Dalby. OSI and GLI enter a strategic partnership to work more closely together on behalf of the entire region.

Louisville, Then & Now, a book produced by GLI in partnership with Butler Books and the University of Louisville Archives, was released in November 2006. The book was named the #1 top seller in local bookstores and the first printing sold out prior to the end of the year.

In 2007, GLI was recognized as the “Chamber of the Year” by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. The competition included 105 chambers. In 2007 the 4-year-old “Every 1 Reads” initiative got a big boost when the James Graham Brown Foundation announced it is giving $1 million to the city's literacy effort.

Tobacco product titan Philip Morris USA has given GLI a $120,000 grant in 2007 to help fund a master plan for the redevelopment of the Park Hill Corridor in West Louisville and establish a new economic development position in the University of Louisville's Signature Partnership program.

In 2008, Metro officials and GLI unveiled a program designed to raise the area's grad rate. As part of the new “Go for Graduation” program, the city and GLI worked with local companies to get them to help their employees to complete degree work. In 2008 GLI, in partnership with Humana Inc., launched a wellness program for area businesses that offers incentives to motivate members and their employees for taking control of their health.

Louisville received the 2008 Community Competitiveness Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for a Competitive Workforce. The award recognizes the work done by GLI and its demonstration of leadership to construct top-notch public education and training systems.

Louisville received the 2008 Community Competitiveness Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for a Competitive Workforce. The award recognizes the work done by GLI and its demonstration of leadership to construct top-notch public education and training systems.

In 2009 The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) honored GLI's Enterprise Corp with an honorable mention for its innovative entrepreneurship programs aimed at increasing the number and quality of fast-growth companies headquartered in the region.

Also in 2009, GLI launched the G.L.I.P. (Greater Louisville International Professionals) program to attract and retain international talent in our community. The first of its kind in the nation, the program creates networking, professional development, mentoring, and attraction opportunities for international professionals across the region.

GLI's 2009 expansion and attraction efforts helped create 2,544 new jobs, fostered more than $408 million in new capital investment and completed 56 company expansion and relocation projects.

In 2010, GLI began work on its new regional aspiration: to transform Greater Louisville into the idea capital of the world, where imaginations and individuals thrive. This long-term commitment will drive strategic thinking, investment and engagement for the entire community in the decade to come, and position Louisville to nurture the entrepreneurs poised to create the majority of tomorrow's jobs.

In 2010, GLI helped lead a coalition of business, government and civic leaders in the creation of a new initiative, called 55KDegrees, aimed at dramatically increasing the number of working-age adults with post-secondary degrees in Louisville by 55,000 by 2020.

In 2010, GLI worked with its government partners to keep Ford Motor Company in Louisville. Ford announced its plans to transform the Louisville Assembly Plant into one of the company's most flexible assembly operations in the nation, enabling Louisville to play a key role in Ford's future growth and innovation. The announcement includes $600 million in investments at the plant and 1,800 new jobs.

In 2011, GLI CEO, Joe Reagan, was named to the board of the Bluegrass Economic Advancement Movement Board (BEAM). BEAM is a joint effort between Louisville and Lexington to create economic development opportunities for the state, especially related to advanced manufacturing initiatives.

GLI hosted Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally as its keynote speaker for its 2010 annual meeting. Mulally was also in Louisville to highlight the $600 million investment Ford has made at its Louisville Assembly Plant. Once the retooling is complete, Mulally said Louisville will be the company's “center of excellence” for the most technologically advanced manufacturing in the U.S.

December 2011, Joe Reagan, president and CEO of GLI, resigned from the organization to accept a position as president and CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association. His resignation will be effective January 26, 2012.

In January 2012 GLI's executive committee announced an executive search committee to find a successor for outgoing GLI president and CEO, Joe Reagan. Local, national, and international candidates will be considered for the post.

In 2012, Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of General Electric Co., was the keynote speaker at GLI's annual meeting. He engaged the audience with his positive impressions of growth and development at GE's Appliance Park as well as his reflections on his years living and working in Louisville.

In 2012, a group of more than 100 business, government and civic leaders got an up-close view of the transformational power of a local option tax during a two-and-a-half day GLIDE visit to Oklahoma City. GLI public policy priorities support enabling state legislation for a constitutional amendment allowing local communities the ability to vote on a local option sales tax for specific projects.

In 2012, GLI facilitated several expansion and attraction projects. Notable among these: Ford Motor Co. announced plans to add 1,300 more new jobs at its Louisville Assembly Plant; automotive supplier, Dynacraft, expanded its Riverport facility, adding 300 new jobs. CafePress Inc., a publicly-traded e-commerce company relocated its headquarters from California to Louisville, creating 600 new full-time jobs over the next decade. Louisville has been home to CafePress's premier production facility since 2005.

In November 2012, GLI chose Craig J. Richard, Chief Economic Development Officer with the Houston Partnership, as its new president and CEO. Mr. Richard assumed his new position on January 7, 2013.

In February 2014, Craig J. Richard, president and CEO of GLI, resigned from the organization. The GLI office of the chair conducted a search for a successor. Eileen Pickett was named acting president and CEO. In June 2014, GLI named Kent Oyler as president and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc.

In 2015, the Regional Air Coalition was formed to explore the possibility of getting more non-stop flights in and out of Louisville International Airport. A study was completed in February 2016 and next steps are being created to make this goal a reality. In 2015, the Advance Greater Louisville Regional Partnership was formed, consisting of 15 counties in both Indiana and Kentucky. The goal of the partnership is to spur economic development throughout the region under the operating principle that when one county wins they all win.

In 2015, Where Opportunity Knox placed 2500 veterans in jobs within the Greater Louisville area. This program in connection with GLI is filling a workforce gap in the area by drawing upon retiring military veterans from Fort Knox and keeping these talented individuals local.

In January 2016, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini and Humana CEO Bruce Broussard gave speeches at GLI's annual meeting. Both discussed the changing landscape of the health care industry and their companies' pending merger. Bertolini committed to Louisville that Aetna would keep the company's government-funded (Medicaid and Medicare) health insurance programs within the region.

The completion of two new Ohio River Bridges in 2016 marked the fulfillment of 30 years of work by GLI, business leaders, and elected officials from two states to improve Greater Louisville's infrastructure.

The Greater Louisville Foundation (GLF) received $1.2 million in grants to fund GLI's talent attraction, retention and development initiatives during summer 2016. In late 2016, GLI launched and operationalized “Live in Lou”, a talent attraction campaign with the goal of bringing more people to Louisville to combat decades of stagnant population growth.

Papa John's Pizza founder, John Schnatter, addressed GLI's annual meeting in January 2017 with a focus on innovation and risk-taking to build not just an internationally recognized brand, but a better community. The Metro Chamber also honored Muhammad Ali with the Thomas A. Edison Award posthumously.

2017 saw the Kentucky and Indiana Legislatures pass multiple long-term legislative priorities of GLI. Those included right-to-work, public benefit corporations, an appeal bond bill, and a bistate water authority. GLI also won the formation of the Louisville Metropolitan Caucus, a bicameral, bipartisan group of state lawmakers to discuss the unique issues impacting the region and work to make legislation that benefits the interests of their constituents.

With the assistance of GLI, JCPS launched 11 Academies of Louisville—based on the Ford Next Generation model to better transition high school students from the classroom into careers.

In January 2018, Kindred Healthcare CEO Ben Breier addressed GLI's annual meeting and spoke about the opportunities for Louisville to become a hub for aging care. Bill Samuels Jr. was awarded the Gold Cup for his decades of service to Greater Louisville, becoming the 21st business leader to receive the award.

• K. P. Vinsel (1950–1966)
• Charles F. Herd (1966–1983)
• James O. Robertson (1983–1991)
• Robert H. Gayle (1991–1996)
• Douglass Cobb (1996–1997)
• Steven Higdon (2000–2005)
• Joe Reagan (2005–2011)
• Craig Richard (2012–2014)
• Kent Oyler (2014–present)

• Economy of Louisville, Kentucky

• Official website