400-job data center outfitter coming to Glasgow, KY amid AI boom
A manufacturer that outfits the massive data centers powering artificial intelligence announced Wednesday it was opening a 400-job facility in Barren County.
Tate, a company specializing in the interior infrastructure of data centers, said it will make a $61.2 million initial investment in a 764,000-square-foot facility in Glasgow, according to a release from Gov. Andy Beshear’s office.
Beshear joined company leaders at the Irish firm Kingspan Group PLC, the parent company of Tate, for the announcement. The governor is currently touring Europe this week meeting with business leaders.
“We are thrilled that Tate plans to make Glasgow their New Kentucky Home with the largest job creation project we’ve seen in Barren County in almost 20 years,” Beshear said in a news release. “Kentucky has secured our place as a manufacturing leader with our skilled workforce and prime location, and companies across the globe are taking notice.”
According to the release, the facility will focus on manufacturing “high performing thermal management and airflow solutions” for data centers.
Equipment used to cool the servers housed at data centers is essential due to the high amount of heat the servers generate. Data centers use fans, liquid cooling systems and raised floors to mitigate the intense heat.
Tate, per its website, focuses on raised floors, airflow, specialized ceilings and more.
Capital expenditures on artificial intelligence reached an estimated $368 billion through August this year, according to Goldman Sachs. Companies like Tate aimed at serving the AI data centers popping up across the country, including construction-related firms like Caterpillar and energy suppliers of all stripes, have thus far been eager to expand to capitalize on that investment.
No massive data centers have begun operation in Kentucky yet. One is being built in South Louisville and another is being discussed in Mason County, where officials say they are working with a “Fortune 100” company to land a $1 billion data center.
The release claims the 400 jobs planned at the Tate facility marks the highest job total announced in Barren County in 18 years.
“This project brings 400 high-quality jobs, significant capital investment, and new energy to our growing industrial community. We look forward to partnering with the Tate team as they establish and expand their operations, creating lasting opportunities for our residents and strengthening our local economy,” Maureen Carpenter, president & CEO of the Barren County Economic Authority, said in the release.
The Glasgow location won’t be far from the two highest-job announcements during Beshear’s tenure, though those electric vehicle battery ventures have faced uncertainties due to lower demand than anticipated and tariffs levied by President Donald Trump.
The $5.8 billion plant in Glendale, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and South Korean firm SK On, is expected to employ 5,000 people at full production; a $2 billion plant in Bowling Green from Japanese company Envision AESC is expected to employ roughly 2,000 people.
