LEXINGTON, Ky. — First Lady Britainy Beshear joined state and local officials in celebrating the grand opening of decorated apparel manufacturer Artisans Inc.'s new $8.4 million facility on Mercer Road, a project creating 55 new jobs for the region.

The facility, which officially opened after nearly two years of buildout, consolidates operations previously split between Artisans' original base in Glen Flora, Wisconsin, and an existing Lexington location that the company acquired through its 2023 purchase of Tri-Five Holdings.

"This project is bringing great new job opportunities for Kentuckians in the Lexington region," Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement. "I want to thank the leaders of Artisans Inc. for their commitment to our state and welcome them to their New Kentucky Home."

The decorated apparel supplier serves resorts, colleges and schools, and retail shops nationwide, producing custom-branded clothing and accessories. Artisans manufactures products including screen-printed t-shirts, sweatshirts, ribbons, buttons, decals, emblems and banners.

The facility expansion underscores Artisans' transition to Kentucky as its primary manufacturing hub. The company relocated production and warehouse operations to Kentucky with a target date of July 2026, marking the end of operations at the Wisconsin facility where the company was founded in 1963.

Kyle Foster, president and CEO of Artisans Inc., emphasized the company's commitment to employee ownership in the announcement. "As a 100% employee-owned company, this investment in Lexington is an investment in our employee-owners and in the future of our business," Foster said.

Artisans has been 100% employee-owned since 2017, when employees purchased the company from its founders Bev and Gordie Dukerschein under an Employee Stock Ownership Plan structure.

Nick Nicholson, Commerce Lexington's 2026 Board Chair, called the expansion significant for the region's manufacturing sector. "Manufacturing is one of Commerce Lexington's strategic targets, and this new facility in Fayette County further strengthens a key sector of our economy," Nicholson said.