Kenton County is getting its first Goodwill store. Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries broke ground Friday, July 18, on a nearly 18,000-square-foot retail and donation center in Independence, near the intersection of KY-17 and McCullum Pike.
The project will convert a long-vacant property into a retail and donation center with an updated layout, improved accessibility, expanded stockrooms and a drive-up donation area. Haglage Construction, which has built prior Goodwill locations in the Tri-State area, is the general contractor.
"Today is about much more than breaking ground on a new building. It's about creating opportunities for the people of Northern Kentucky," President and CEO Mark Hiemstra said at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Hiemstra said every donation and purchase at the Independence store will help fund job training, employment services, housing support and other community programs. According to the organization, roughly 85 cents of every dollar spent in its stores supports that mission.
The Independence location will be Goodwill's third store in Northern Kentucky and its first in Kenton County. Ohio Valley Goodwill currently operates 22 stores across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
Part of a $230 million expansion
The new store is one piece of a $230 million, five-year plan to grow to 30 locations across the region by 2030. Based on comparable recent openings, each new store is expected to create 25 to 30 jobs, according to Hiemstra.
When the expansion campaign launched in 2024, Hiemstra said it speaks "directly to our organization's mission of helping people with disabilities, military veterans, individuals challenged with homelessness and others get the chance they deserve."
Ohio Valley Goodwill, headquartered in Woodlawn, Ohio, served more than 2,100 individuals with disabilities, veterans and others facing barriers to employment in 2023, and helped place more than 400 people into community jobs, according to the organization.
What's next
No opening date for the Independence store has been announced. Construction is underway as of the July 18 groundbreaking. Residents interested in donating items or applying for jobs can visit Ohio Valley Goodwill's website for updates as the project progresses.
