BACKGROUND & PASSION
Entrepreneurial Instincts
Many of my naysayers have spoken about the businesses I have owned and operated throughout my life, so I want a chance to respond and to address this topic in my Judge’s Corner.
Over the years, I have worn many hats and gained invaluable experience. Every failure was a learning opportunity that made success even sweeter. I have owned and operated the following businesses:
Convenient Grocery Store #162 – The first store in Adair County to stay open until midnight, and one year later, the first to operate 24 hours a day.
Columbia Development Corporation – Focused on meeting residential housing needs.
Lakeland Apparel – The only business in Adair County to employ 230 people on a single shift.
Creekside Drilling – A company I founded from the ground up and owned for 15 years. At the time, oil drilling was the only big game in town.
Bull Run Auto Salvage – A side business while I waited for my next venture, which still pays dividends today as neighbors and friends come looking for needed parts.
Comtrax Motor Speedway – An adventurous business where I made many friendships that I still value to this day.
Bryanco Boring – Provided auger drilling for waterline contractors across Kentucky and Tennessee. I was also one of the first in Kentucky to offer directional drilling, primarily for fiber optics.
Before becoming a business owner, I paid my dues working pipeline jobs while putting myself through college. It was extremely hard work, but it paid a premium salary at the time. If you truly have the desire to make something happen, you will.
Before becoming your current Adair County Judge Executive, I worked under two previous Judge Executives—Joe England and James Brock—as Deputy Judge Executive. During that time, I learned the importance of nurturing relationships with people and organizations such as Lake Cumberland Area Development and HUD to better serve the citizens of Adair County. The grants I secured from HUD for water tanks, sewer systems, and miles of waterline helped form what is now the Adair County Water District. I later went on to serve on the same water board under Judge Executive Ann Melton where I saw the need for new leadership. To date as acting Judge Executive, I have appointed four new water district board members that have already made a positive impact.
I also served four years on the Adair County School Board. Some of my proudest accomplishments during that time included pushing for computer technology for our students after learning Adair County ranked 120th in the state. With the support of like-minded board members, we built a new gymnasium and refurbished the old high school with a new roof, ceiling tiles, floor tiles, and lockers—still in use today—along with a fully functional refurbished gym. I still have a plaque hanging in my office recognizing these achievements.
My entrepreneurial instincts helped me survive the early 1980s, when interest rates reached 18%, 19%, and even 20%. During that time, survival was more likely if you had a small business and a strong nest egg. Meeting payroll for 230 employees was beyond tough—it was nearly impossible at times. Fortunately, I had youth on my side. Even with record-high interest rates, oil exploration was the only opportunity available, and with help from friends, I jumped through every hoop necessary to secure financing for my first drilling rig.
I will never forget the $12,750 payment that came due every 30 days—and that didn’t include insurance, fuel, salaries, vehicles, maintenance, or other overhead expenses. I learned very quickly that there is no substitute for hard work and personal responsibility. The success or failure rested solely on me.
This brings me to the members of the Fiscal Court who, over the years, made decisions—or failed to make them—that led our county to its current financial position. Their unwillingness to make hard decisions to increase revenue—because they feared “political suicide”—was selfish. They protected their own pay and insurance while neglecting the growth and needs of Adair County and its employees. Many proudly claim they “controlled the budget,” yet county employees struggled for years without cost-of-living raises, and the county had to borrow money just to make it to the next fiscal year before I took office. Conservatism is good—unless it cripples everyone around you.
The traits that made me successful were simple: finding work I loved, setting my own goals, being my own boss, maintaining drive, staying “under construction,” recognizing and refining my abilities, and—most importantly—recognizing opportunity.
Adair County has lagged behind long enough. We need progressive, aggressive, and common-sense leadership in our Fiscal Court. The status quo is not good enough. Several candidates are now asking for your vote—many of whom have already had their chance and produced no significant accomplishments.
This primary election is your opportunity to demand better. Ask the candidates what they have personally done for this county. Ask who has done the bare minimum just to keep collecting a salary from a municipality, school system, or self-taxing district—while holding over a million dollars in CDs at our hometown bank and campaigning on how “conservative” they are with taxpayer money. They seem conservative when it comes to employee pay—but not their own.
Ask them how many economic development meetings they have attended. If they say more than they can count on one hand, they’re not being truthful. Economic development is the backbone of Adair County’s growth and prosperity. Ask how many other board meetings they attend.
Thank you for your encouragement and continued support. I am still working toward better-paying jobs and recreational opportunities through economic development—just as the citizens have asked me to do. Before I became Judge Executive, the county had no tourism strategy, and economic development was stagnant.
Be careful with your vote. Choose leaders who will make sound decisions, move Adair County forward, and give us all pride in being Adair Countians—living in one of the best places on the planet.
My office is always open to answer any questions or concerns you may have about any statements I have made. I will be glad to provide a more in-depth explanation about any statement I have made.
Your Judge,
Larry Russell Bryant