“Kentucky’s outstanding spirit of cooperation has been one of the keys to our success.”

Ambrake began producing automotive brakes in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, in 1988. Since that time, Ambrake and its parent company, Akebono Corporation, have expanded their Kentucky operations non-stop, now employing nearly 2,000 people in the manufacture of brake systems and related components for many U.S. and Japanese automakers. Our Kentucky experience has been so positive that in 2006 Akebono decided to move its North American headquarters to Elizabethtown.

When the Japanese leaders of Akebono first started looking for a location, one of the main criteria was a strong sense of acceptance from the state and the community. From the get-go, they found Kentucky and the city of Elizabethtown to be extremely warm and receptive.

Akebono also found a workforce with a very strong work ethic – a step above what we find in other states. The vast majority of the people involved in our operations are local, and we’ve been delighted with how hard they work and how willing they are to take on new opportunities and challenges. We’re very proud that we were named one of the “Best Places to Work in Kentucky” in 2005.

Kentucky’s training programs are excellent. The Bluegrass State Skills Corporation is a particularly good program. Our associates undergo pre-employment training for two weeks, and through BSSC’s funding, Kentucky helped make this training possible. Kentucky also helped send some of our associates to Japan for a “train the trainers” program.

Ambrake’s sales volume continues to set new records every year, reaching $334.8 million in 2005, and I believe the outstanding spirit of cooperation we enjoy with the people of Kentucky is one of the keys to our success.

Carl Lay
Vice President of Corporate Relations
Akebono