03:53 PM EDT on Thursday, April 29, 2004

More jobs could be coming to Louisville.

The Atria Senior Living Group is considering expanding its headquarters here in Louisville.

Last year, Atria was going to move its headquarters out of Louisville, but Mayor Jerry Abramson and Greater Louisville Inc. officials have been meeting with Atria executives to discuss the company's plans for a $1.1 million corporate centralization and 15,000 square foot expansion.

The plan would add 85 new jobs to the Louisville headquarters, which currently has 105 employees.

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Louisville is also in the running for a new call center.

Accounts Receivable Management, a credit and collection company, is considering opening a facility here.

The company would invest $250,000 in a facility here, and hire 50 people.

Accounts Receivable Management received preliminary approval for up to $500,000 in incentives over 10 years.

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The Kentucky Oaks and Derby will be used by state and city leaders to entertain the executives of a company that’s looking to possibly move to Louisville.

Adam Aircraft of Denver wants to expand to build its new luxury business jet, the A-700.

The company is looking at Louisville and Dallas, and would hire 400 people and pay salaries of around $35,000 a year.

Landing manufacturing jobs would be a twist for the city, which has been losing them, so we asked GE CEO Jeff Immelt what he would tell the leaders of Adam Aircraft about our city.

“When I look at Louisville versus the rest of the GE workforce, it's productive, people are smart, it’s a good state. It’s just the business we're in, it's tough. I've never blamed the people here or the city or the state,” he said.

Immelt also called the city and the state pro-business.

GE employs about 3,000 people in manufacturing jobs at Appliance Park.

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A study by an economic development magazine shows Indiana and Kentucky are the nation's two most competitive states for economic development.

Site Selection magazine considered 10 criteria to rank the states, including last year's economic expansions, business climate and job growth.

Indiana is on the top of the list. Kentucky ranked second.

Texas, Illinois, and Ohio rounded out the top five.

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The Galt House Hotels of the Waterfront have a new sign that's designed to symbolize the new look that's coming to both hotels.

The hotel is undergoing a $50 million renovation of both Galt Houses: the original, and the Galt House East, including complete renovation of lobby areas, hotel rooms and potentially a new restaurant on top of the Galt House.

Furniture from the 1970's is being replaced, and the hotel is being opened up.

The entire project should be finished in 2005.