Somerset-based CoreTrans is one of three companies highlighted by the Ford Foundation, which also focused on its relationship with Kentucky Highlands.

“Relationships are the heart of any successful business, but those relationships don’t just exist between the business and its customers. CDFIs in Appalachia can have unique understanding of the historical and local contexts of a family business, and the relationships they build can last through multiple generations. They can also provide extra services like financial planning and general management support. For Brian Whitaker, CEO of CoreTrans—a trucking company based in Somerset, Kentucky—the connection he and his team have with the people at Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, a longtime ACC member, goes back more than 20 years and offers far more than just financial support.

Whitaker comes from a three-generation trucking family, and he relies on services like financial planning and general management from Kentucky Highlands to allow him to focus on long-term stability and ensuring good wages for his employees.”