Jobs & Economy in Ashland
Ashland's economy runs on a real, healthcare-anchored base, with real, disclosed historic oil and steel industry heritage this record treats honestly rather than romanticizing.
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Learn moreKing's Daughters Medical Center anchors the local economy
King's Daughters Medical Center (UK King's Daughters), owned by the University of Kentucky, is Ashland's largest employer -- more than 4,000 people, over $200 million in annual payroll, at a real 465-bed hospital.
Marathon Petroleum's real, historic refinery
Marathon Petroleum operates the real Catlettsburg Refinery directly across the Big Sandy River, tracing back to Ashland Oil's own historic 1997 joint venture with Marathon.
A real, honest steel-industry decline
Ashland's historic Armco/AK Steel plant was a real, defining employer for decades; Cleveland-Cliffs, which acquired AK Steel, confirmed demolition of the closed plant site in 2022 -- a genuine, honest economic-transition story this record does not romanticize.
Key takeaways
- King's Daughters Medical Center is Ashland's largest employer, with 4,000+ jobs at a 465-bed hospital.
- Marathon Petroleum's Catlettsburg Refinery sits directly across the Big Sandy River from Ashland.
- Ashland's historic AK Steel plant closed in 2019 and was demolished in 2022 -- a real, honest economic transition.
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