Campus News

Kinetic Breaks Ground on New Kentucky Headquarters at UK Coldstream Research Park

Kinetic executives break ground with dignitaries including Congressman Andy Barr; State Senator Majority Leader Damon Thayer; Ashli Watts, president/CEO of the Ky Chamber; Bob Quick, president/CEO of Commerce Lexington and UK President Eli Capilouto.
Kinetic executives break ground with dignitaries including U.S. Rep. Andy Barr; Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer; Ashli Watts, president/CEO of the Ky Chamber; Bob Quick, president/CEO of Commerce Lexington; and UK President Eli Capilouto.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 23, 2022) — Kinetic by Windstream broke ground on its new regional headquarters located in Lexington today. When complete, the building will support operations across the company’s 18-state footprint. Kinetic executives were joined by local dignitaries including U.S. Rep. Andy Barr; Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer; Ashli Watts, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber; Bob Quick, president and CEO of Commerce Lexington; and Eli Capilouto, president of the University of Kentucky.

“When we say, ‘High Speed for Here,’ we’re talking about investing for the long term in the communities that hold so much history for our company and also represent our future,” said Tony Thomas, president and CEO of Windstream. “That means deploying fiber, the best technology to future proof our network, and it also means investing in the workforce. We are pleased to be moving to the University of Kentucky’s high-tech research campus.”

As a result of Kinetic’s multistate network expansion, the company either has or will have fiber in every county it serves in Kentucky over the next couple of years. From 2019 through 2021, the company invested more than $211 million to expand broadband access in the Commonwealth.

The 30,000-square-foot, energy-efficient building by Denham and Blythe will be located at 920 Citation Blvd. in the University of Kentucky’s Coldstream Research Campus. The building, under a long-term lease by Kinetic, will also be equipped with charging station capabilities for electric vehicles.

“We often tell people that the Coldstream Research Campus is the gateway to Lexington’s high-tech, higher education corridor with connections to downtown Lexington and the University of Kentucky,” said Capilouto. “Through scholarship donations and hiring our graduates, Kinetic has shown their commitment to both education and developing the future leaders of our area. We are pleased they will be located in Coldstream Park.”

Approximately 160 employees will office at the building, and it will house training and reporting for field operations.

“I am honored to be part of the groundbreaking ceremony today,” said U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (KY-06). “Kinetic by Windstream is a great community partner with Lexington. Their new offices located in Cold Stream Park will be an asset to the high-tech businesses located here. Access to high-speed broadband is key to a community’s economic success, and I am happy to celebrate Kinetic’s commitment to our community and state.”

Thayer agreed. “Thank you to Kinetic for inviting me to participate in this announcement,” he said. “Economic development is vital to every community in the Commonwealth. With more people working from home, it’s great to recognize Kinetic’s ongoing investment in our community with their new regional headquarters building in Lexington and ongoing capital commitments to projects across the state.”

Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.

About Kinetic

Kinetic by Windstream is a business unit of Windstream Holdings, a privately held Fortune 1000 communications and software company. Kinetic provides premium broadband, entertainment and security services through an enhanced fiber network to consumers and businesses primarily in rural areas in 18 states. The company also offers managed communications services, including SD-WAN and UCaaS, and high-capacity bandwidth and transport services to businesses across the U.S. Additional information is available at GoKinetic.com. Follow Kinetic by Windstream on Twitter at @GoKineticHome.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.