Not too long ago, DESA Heating Products moved most of its Bowling Green operations to China where it was becoming cheaper to make their product.

But a weakened US dollar and higher Chinese wages has brought the manufacturer back to Bowling Green.

"For too long this state and this country has watched jobs go overseas. Well folks, we're now bringing jobs from China back to Bowling Green and Warren County," Governor Steve Beshear told a audience of DESA employees Monday.

"This announcement would always be significant, I think this announcement by DESA is even more significant when you put it in context with what's going on in the country and whats going on in the world right now," says Jim Hizer of the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce.

Yet the announcement from DESA seems to underly a trend thats happening here in South Central Kentucky.

"Just since December of last year, we've brought almost 1000 new jobs to this South Central Kentucky area with about 90 million dollars worth of new development. So we've hit the ground running," continues Beshear.

Still, the governor says bringing in new business isn't the only thing the state should be concentrating on.

"It is important to work with companies that we already have. We can always try to attract new companies here and thats fine, but we can create more jobs faster by paying attention and taking care of our own," adds Beshear.

Now that DESA's bringing a major investment and jobs with it, that also gives job security to many working at their local plant.

"So for those working in the facility, its a chance to see that buffer of new people that are coming in that are between them and any kind of layoffs or shortfalls later. As a result of that, they feel a lot more secure about their job security and thats good for our business and good for them too," says DESA Vice President of Operations Don Humphreys.

The expansion will mean a $6.4 million dollar capital investment in the Commonwealth and should add several hundred additional jobs to our area.