Coca-Cola is coming to town and bringing high-paying jobs with it. The high caliber of students at area colleges helped land the deal.

There are only three dozen jobs right now, but in tough economic times any new job announcement is significant.  Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear boasted Monday, "Kentucky and Louisville are gaining thirty-five new high-paying jobs, jobs averaging about $70,000 a year."

The governor drove in from Frankfort to help announce that by June, Coca Cola Enterprises is expected to have thirty-five full time IT workers at Hurstbourne Green.  It's Coke's first IT office in the U.S. outside Atlanta.

These are the kinds of jobs that in the past have been moving off-shore to countries like India.  But Coke says it's coming to Louisville because the local universities are producing a better-trained workforce.  Eventually the number of such jobs could increase.

Michelle Bellamy of Coca-Cola Enterprises explains, "That would depend upon the community and how succesful this model is.  This is our first time bringing our near-shore mode, near-shore versus off-shore in India.  And we're doing something here in the United States where we have the same local time zone, same local language, so it's very positive for us."

If Coke is successful in Louisville with its IT operation, perhaps other companies will come here.  Bellamy says, "Other companies are expressing interest in Louisville, in what we are doing here, and doing the same thing and locating in Louisville as well."

That gives the mayor cause for optimism, as well:  "There's the old herd effect, other companies hear about the opportunites, great young men coming out of our colleges and universities with a business and technology backround, the opportunity to attract them to work with a company."

As part of the Job Development Act, Coca-Cola received tax benefits from the state up to $730,000 dollars.  Gov. Beshear says, "One of our biggest priorities in the legislative session is to update our incentive programs to bring increased focus on existing businesses, not only to retain jobs, but to grow jobs."

The mayor says it's jobs like these that will help to keep the best and brightest college graduates in Louisville and reverse the so-called brain drain.