tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80526459275976899752024-03-08T05:02:00.562-08:00Oklahoma City News BureauJill Harrison- OKC Chamberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003879804685513175noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-39240564087133279232011-09-01T11:48:00.000-07:002011-09-01T11:49:10.171-07:00Oklahoma City Ranks No. 6 on List of Job Growth LeadersOklahoma City has been ranked No. 6 on the list of Top 10 Job Growth Leaders, for cities with an average employment between 250,000 and 750,000, by Business Facilities magazine. Oklahoma City was placed on the list for having job-creating activities built around sure-growth industries. Other cities in the top 10 include Rochester, NY; Toledo, OH; and Charleston, SC.
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<br />“Job growth is one of our top priorities at the Chamber, so this ranking is especially satisfying,” said Roy Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “Our efforts are very intentional, so I’m glad others are taking notice of the work we are doing.”
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<br />This ranking comes on the heels of other impressive recognition that Oklahoma City has received this summer.
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<br />Oklahoma City has been in the spotlight as a great place for young adults, being named the No. 3 City for Recent Grads (Daily Beast), the No. 20 Fastest Growing Area for 5 – 17-year olds (New Geography) and the No. 7 Best Place for Young Adults to Get Started (Business Journals), all in the month of June.
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<br />Oklahoma City’s economy has also been consistently recognized this summer, ranking the 11th Best State for Business (Chief Executive Magazine), No. 6 City with the Strongest Economy (Parenting Magazine), One of the Top 20 Strongest Performing Metro Areas (Brookings Institute), the 2nd Highest GMP growth among 100 Largest Metros (Global Insight's 2011 US Metro Economies Report, 2009 – 2010), and continues to have the No. 1 lowest unemployment rate in the nation.
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<br />“Oklahoma City has not received these high rankings by luck,” said Williams. “Many of our leadership in both the public and private sector have worked tirelessly to create such a strong economic environment. We should all be proud of that.”
<br />Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-70445946383315418792011-08-26T09:17:00.000-07:002011-08-26T09:21:06.627-07:00Sen. Inhofe Looks Toward Oklahomans to Help Protect Servicemen OverseasImprovised explosive devices (IEDs) account for more than 60 percent of coalition casualties in Iraq and Iran. Senator James Inhofe is looking toward Oklahomans to help fight the loss of life IEDs are causing in the war effort. Sen. Inhofe and the Chamber are hosting the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) Technology Outreach Conference Tuesday, Aug. 30 at the Skirvin Hotel. Individual tickets are just $20 and include lunch.
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<br />“As Oklahomans, we have seen firsthand the devastation and tragedy IEDs cause for our soldiers and their families,” Sen. Inhofe said. “This has been an especially somber month for Oklahomans fighting overseas and it shows the impact of IEDs can be felt far away from the battlefield. Hopefully some ideas generated by Oklahoman ingenuity at this conference can help combat these devices.”
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<br />Members from JIEDDO will lead a discussion on the current counter-IED strategy and the need to develop future strategies and technologies to provide future counter-IED solutions. JIEDDO will also be available for one-on-one sessions starting at 3:30 p.m., for those who have an idea, technology or concept that might be of interest to the military.
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<br />Faced with the escalating use of IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan, the office of the Army Chief of Staff established the Army IED Task Force in October 2003. In 2006, the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) was officially established with an established mission to attack and defeat the IED threat.
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<br />“This is a chance for Oklahoma entrepreneurs or anyone who might have some insight on this issue to get one-on-one face time with military officials to have their ideas heard,” Greater Oklahoma City Chamber President & CEO Roy Williams said. “They are prepared to hand out grants at this conference if they hear ideas they like.”
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<br />All local military personnel, scientists, engineers, technicians, companies and academia are invited to take part in this important conference.
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<br />For more information on the event call the Chamber at (405) 297-8900 or click on the JIEDDO Technology Conference <a href="http://www.okcchamber.com/page.asp?atomid=632">link</a>. For more information on JIEDDO <a href="https://www.jieddo.dod.mil/">click here</a>.
<br /><a href="www.okcchamber.com/events "></a>Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-21514607774183551742011-08-05T12:16:00.000-07:002011-08-05T12:17:00.724-07:00Oklahoma City Recognized as a Top 10 Place to Live by RelocateAmericaThis week, RelocateAmerica announced its annual “Top 10 Places to Live for 2011” and Oklahoma City made the list at No. 10. This is the second consecutive year Oklahoma City has made the Top 10, making it one of only three cities to repeat.<br /><br />“We received thousands of submissions and connected with leaders from all of the Top 100 communities that were vying for Top 10 distinction,” said Steve Nickerson, RelocateAmerica president and CEO. “Oklahoma City demonstrated the enthusiasm and attributes that make a community great.”<br /><br />RelocateAmerica uses a variety of data from the local economy to real estate and recreation to compile their annual ranking. Feedback from local resident also played a key role in the ranking. Citizens were asked to visit RelocateAmerica’s website to tell them why their city was the best place to live in America.<br /><br />Just in the last month, Oklahoma City has been named a “Top 20 Boom Town in the U.S” by Forbes and “Second Best City to Start a Small Business” by Fiscal Times.<br /><br />The complete 2011 ‘Top 100 Places to Live’ List along with archives of previous years’ winners can be viewed by visiting http://top100.RelocateAmerica.com. You can read a full list of Oklahoma City’s latest accolades at http://www.okcchamber.com/page.asp?atomid=1789.Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-82162244846198179992011-07-25T11:30:00.000-07:002011-07-25T11:32:30.035-07:00Oklahoma City Recognized as a Top 100 Place to Live by RelocateAmericaRelocateAmerica named Oklahoma City one of its “Top 100 Places to Live” in its 14th annual listing of the top communities in America. With help from area residents, it could also receive recognition as a Top 10 overall community. <br /> <br />“We are looking for a strong show of support among local residents, community and business leaders as the Top 10 breakout category winners are now determined through a special nomination process,” Steve Nickerson, President of RelocateAmerica said. “Community pride is a good indicator of great leadership and a mark of what makes it a great place to live, work and play.” <br /><br />Voting for Overall Top 10 is new for 2011 and is part of a year-long initiative to give local residents and leaders direct input about how their community rates in various quality of life categories. There will be six different breakout categories released throughout the year, including the top areas for education, recreation, and places to retire as well as several others. <br /> <br />Area residents have until July 31 to visit <a href="http://top100.relocateamerica.com ">http://top100.relocateamerica.com </a>and cast their vote for Oklahoma City. The results will be released on August 2. <br /><strong></strong>Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-67785280598085432882011-07-22T08:40:00.000-07:002011-07-22T08:45:21.892-07:00Headlines of the Week<strong>Office market thriving in downtown Oklahoma City, observers say </strong><br />BY STEVE LACKMEYER <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />After going through the scare of losing a major corporate anchor like Kerr-McGee Corp., downtown Oklahoma City is set to witness the biggest convergence of energy companies since the oil boom of the early 1980s.<br /><br />Downtown observers, however, are predicting a different outcome this time around compared to the crash that ensued in 1983, which saw the collapse of hundreds of small petroleum firms and the emptying of one office building after another.<br /><br />Larry Nichols, executive chairman of Devon Energy Corp., is enjoying witnessing a complete reversal of fortune for downtown now that his company's neighborhood has grown to include SandRidge Energy Inc., which took over the Kerr-McGee campus. They soon will be joined by Continental Resources Inc. and Enogex, an OGE Corp. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3586245">Read the full story.</a><br /><br /><strong>ACM@UCO building purchase could put freeze on openings of new bars and clubs along Bricktown Canal </strong><br /><em>The University of Central Oklahoma's purchase of a building in Bricktown for the Academy of Contemporary Music will trigger a law that will prohibit the opening of new clubs and bars in the entertainment district. </em><br />BY STEVE LACKMEYER <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />Up to half of Bricktown could see a freeze on development of any new bars or clubs as the University of Central Oklahoma prepares to complete its purchase of the Oklahoma Hardware Building.<br /><br />The warehouse along the Bricktown Canal is already home to the Academy of Contemporary Music, but the school becoming a landowner next month unintentionally triggered a law that prohibits issuing licenses to new bars or clubs that derive more than 50 percent of sales from liquor if they are within 300 feet of a church or school.<br /><br />That law, if enforced, would prohibit the opening of any new bars or clubs on the Bricktown Canal between the Bricktown ballpark and the BNSF Railway viaduct. It also would affect properties between Sheridan and Reno Avenues.<br /><br />John Maisch, counsel for the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission (ABLE), said questions also surrounded the ACM@UCO performance lab at 323 E Sheridan Ave. Enforcement around that location as well would extend the prohibition against new bars and clubs throughout most if not all of original Bricktown, which is the state's busiest urban entertainment district.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3586776">Read full story.</a><br /><br /><strong>Mercy Health Center to open school for autistic children in Oklahoma City </strong><br />BY SONYA COLBERG <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />Children with autism and patients who need rehabilitation will find help in a new multimillion-dollar Mercy Health Center school and hospital.<br /><br />The state's first school for autistic children, The Good Shepherd Catholic School at Mercy, initially will provide special services for 20 children when it opens Aug. 22 on the hospital campus. <br /><br />The number of people with autism is estimated at 1 percent of the population. The numbers have been increasing nationally and statewide, with a state study showing Oklahoma's incidence more than tripled from 2003 to 2007, whether from increased prevalence, improved reporting or diagnoses.<br /> <br />“It's overwhelming, overwhelming,” said Mary Sweet-Darter, the director of the University of Central Oklahoma behavioral and learning clinic.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/mercy-health-center-to-open-school-for-autistic-children-in-oklahoma-city/article/3586759?custom_click=lead_story_title">Read the full story.</a><br /><br /><strong>Oklahoma City Arena to be renamed Chesapeake Energy Arena </strong><br /><em>Chesapeake Energy Arena will be the new name of Oklahoma City's downtown arena formerly known as the Ford Center under a new naming rights agreement jointly announced Thursday by the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association and Chesapeake Energy Corp. </em><br />BY RANDY ELLIS <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />Chesapeake Energy Arena will be the new name of Oklahoma City's downtown arena formerly known as the Ford Center under a new naming rights agreement jointly announced Thursday by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chesapeake Energy Corp.<br /><br />Under the 12-year naming rights agreement, Chesapeake will pay the Thunder $3 million the first year, with a 3 percent annual escalation clause for each year, thereafter. The agreement includes Chesapeake branding throughout the building including on the basketball court, prominent premium placement on the high-definition scoreboard and new state-of-the-art interior and exterior digital signage.<br /><br />Most of the signage is expected to be in place by the start of the Thunder's 2011-12 season.<br /><br />“On behalf of the entire Thunder organization, we are extremely proud to enhance our already strong partnership with Chesapeake Energy,” said Clayton I. Bennett, Thunder chairman. “Besides being a leader in the national and international energy industry, Chesapeake is a dynamic business and community leader in Oklahoma. Together with the Thunder's commitment to the community, it makes the naming rights partnership a natural fit. The Thunder looks forward to many exciting years ahead playing in Chesapeake Energy Arena in downtown Oklahoma City.”<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-city-arena-to-be-renamed-chesapeake-energy-arena/article/3587871?custom_click=lead_story_title">Read the full story.</a>Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-33419722323011338292011-07-15T14:36:00.000-07:002011-07-15T14:37:56.499-07:00National Radio Features Oklahoma CityYesterday, Michael Cross of KOSU reported on Oklahoma City’s unemployment rate and economy for Marketplace, a national radio program. The story also highlights the construction of the Outlet Shoppes. To listen to the story clink the link below. <br /><br /><a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/07/14/am-why-oklahoma-citys-unemployment-is-under-5/">Listen.</a>Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-87110619289026564302011-06-29T07:06:00.000-07:002011-06-29T07:07:11.978-07:00News Bureau Meeting: July 12Please join us for the second News Bureau Meeting of 2011!<br /><br />The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber has launched a national image campaign aimed at changing misperceptions about Oklahoma City. Come learn about the campaign, how you can get involved, and help us spread the positive messages of our city.<br /><br />Please join us for networking, drinks and hors d'oeuvres at Matthew Kenney OKC (formerly 105 Degrees) at Classen Curve, followed by a presentation on the new Oklahoma City Image Campaign.<br /><br />Tuesday, July 12<br />Matthew Kenney OKC at Classen Curve<br />5820 N. Classen Blvd., Suite 1<br />4 – 5:30 p.m.<br /> <br /><br />Built from the ground up with sustainability and the preparation of raw cuisine in mind, Matthew Kenney OKC provides a warm and modern setting in which to savor the unique and innovative menu crafted by renowned Raw Food Chef and author Matthew Kenney.<br /><br />RSVP to Marcus Elwell at melwell@okcchamber.com of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber <br />if you plan to attend!Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-64047332949502336822011-06-24T09:38:00.000-07:002011-06-24T09:42:51.852-07:00Chain Store Age Highlights OKC's Retail Prospects<em>From the Chain Store Age Blog</em><br /><a href="http://chainstoreageblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/theres-no-stealing-oklahoma-citys.html">Visit the full blog.</a><em></em><br /><br /><strong>There’s no stealing Oklahoma City’s Thunder </strong><br />Chain Store Age<br /><br />I readily admit that I’m a sports-aholic. While football and basketball -- college and pro -- are my favorite sports, I’m also a die-hard LSU baseball fan and am even learning to appreciate a little NASCAR and professional golf now and then.<br /><br />Lately, my focus has been, understandably, on the NBA basketball playoffs. Because I live just 60 miles from New Orleans, I’m a Hornets fan and thoroughly enjoyed the team’s short-lived run toward the championship. But I’ve also made no secret about my affinity for the Oklahoma City Thunder, which ignited Oklahoma City as it marched ever so close to a showdown for the big prize. In fact, at the International Council of Shopping Centers’ annual RECon real estate convention in Las Vegas May 22-25, Oklahoma City was thunderous in its support of the team. The City’s booth sported player posters and mascot cutouts, and the mayor made the team a focus in his on-site interviews.<br /><br />“We are all so proud of our team and are praying for a win tonight against Dallas,” Mayor Mick Cornett told me on May 23 from his Las Vegas convention center booth. “The fact that we have filled the arena game after game has proven how vibrant a market Oklahoma City is.”<br /><br />Cornett doesn’t have to sell me. I traveled to Oklahoma City last year to meet with the business development group and Chamber of Commerce about the city’s plans to attract more major retail. What I saw and heard that day convinced me that OK City has plenty to offer -- and retailers are listening. The Outlet Shoppes at Oklahoma City, slated to open this summer, has brought in Saks Off 5th, Brooks Bros., Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and more. Word on the street is that Crate & Barrel has been sniffing around the market. And so has The Container Store. When I was in the booth, it was packed with retailers who appeared to be in some pretty serious discussions about what the city has to offer.<br /><br />According to the mayor, destination retail is still absent, however. “I’m talking about retailers such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom,” said Cornett. “That high-end retailer is missing from Oklahoma City, and we have a lot of respect for the draw of a destination retailer of that caliber.”<br /><br />I had queried both Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus last year about any potential interest in OK City. Neiman’s was a flat ‘no,’ as the retailer believes its Dallas offerings will pull shoppers from Oklahoma, which is likely true. Nordstrom, however, appeared to have a little more wiggle room. “We wouldn’t absolutely rule it out,” a spokesperson for the Seattle department store told me. I can’t help but wonder about Saks, as well. With Off 5th opening at the Outlet Shoppes in August, perhaps a strong showing from its off-price arm might get the full-price sister’s attention.<br /><br />“Who knows? Maybe the outlet concepts could be followed by the full-price models,” mused the mayor. And the basketball team, which by the way lost its bid for a world title at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, has helped to draw more attention to Oklahoma City. “The Thunder has generated plenty of noise,” said Cornett.<br /><br />I, for one, am listening. Are you?<br /><br />-- Katherine Field BoccaccioMarcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-24202689479532929512011-06-16T13:01:00.000-07:002011-06-16T13:02:09.285-07:00Oklahoma City Sees Major Tourism UpswingOklahoma City has added 2,500 jobs to the tourism industry since April 2008, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly 60,000 people (59,700) are employed in leisure and hospitality jobs as of April 2011, compared with 57,200 in April 2008. This puts Oklahoma City in the No. 11 spot on the list for growth in tourism employment in the nation’s 100 major markets, ranking ahead of major metropolitan areas such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Charlotte. <br /><br />“The Convention and Visitors Bureau aggressively promotes Oklahoma City as an ideal meeting and leisure destination, and the job growth in this industry reflects those efforts,” said Mike Carrier, president of the Oklahoma City Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Thanks to the growth, a buzz has been created around our city. This is a place people want to visit for meetings, special events and fun.” <br /><br />Between FY 2008 and 2010, the Convention and Visitors Bureau achieved a 16 percent increase in hotel rooms nights booked, and secured 895 groups to visit the city, up from 474 – an 89 percent increase. There has also been a 24 percent growth in available hotel rooms. <br /><br />“Oklahoma City’s tourism industry is continuing to grow year after year, thanks in large part to the dedicated efforts of the CVB staff,” said Roy H. Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “The fact that we will soon have a new state-of-the-art convention center to support this industry is going to set us apart even further.”<br /><br />Only one-third of the nation’s 100 major markets have more jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector today than before the onset of the recession, according to the study. The leisure and hospitality sector includes hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, casinos, museums, performing arts companies and professional sports teams. The sharpest three-year decline was seen in the Chicago area, which lost 15,900 jobs in this sector.Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-86828131719294951672011-06-06T14:54:00.000-07:002011-06-06T14:56:41.762-07:00Two OKC Corporations Ranked in Top 10 as “Best Large Companies to Work for in America”Two of Oklahoma City’s largest and fastest growing corporations, Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Devon Energy Corporation,were named to the top 10 list of “Best Large Companies to Work for in America,” which also included Google, Intel and Whole Foods. Published by the national employment website AOL Jobs, which partners with Careerbuilders.com, Chesapeake is ranked No. 7 and Devon is ranked No. 9. <br /><br />In order to be named to this list, a company must rank in both the FORTUNE 500 “Largest Companies in America” and FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” lists. Devon and Chesapeake were among only 27 companies to claim a spot on both lists. <br /><br />“This designation is further proof that Oklahoma City is a place where headquarter companies thrive,” said Roy H. Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. “Our stable economy and quality workforce make this a great place to do business. Leaders such as Aubrey McClendon and Larry Nichols, who founded and grew their companies right here in Oklahoma City, and are committed to taking care of their employees, exemplify the success a company can have here.”<br /><br />“We are honored to be included among a notable group of leading American companies recognized for their business success and workplace excellence,” said McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy. “Oklahoma City has grown significantly the past decade, led by a vibrant local energy industry. Our citizens have invested in a series of economic development initiatives, known as the Metropolitan Area Projects, or “MAPS”, which have sparked more than $5 billion in public and private investment over the past 15 years. The result is that Oklahoma City has become one of the most vibrant cities in America and one of the best in which to do business.”<br /> <br />“It is always an honor whenever our company is recognized for the way we do business and treat our employees,” said Nichols, executive chairman of Devon Energy. “Having two Oklahoma City corporations named to this list is a testament to how far our city has come. This is a place people want to live. The quality of life is high and the cost of living is low. Devon, along with Chesapeake and other national energy companies headquartered in Oklahoma City, are making sizable investments in our respective corporate headquarters because we are confident in the future of Oklahoma City as place where our companies can be successful.”<br /> <br /> The top ten “Best Large Companies to Work for in America” as compiled by AOL Jobs and reported by CNNMoney.com, which is part of FORTUNE Digital, are as follows:<br /> <br />1. Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), based in Mountain View, CA<br />2. USAA (not publicly traded), based in San Antonio, TX<br />3. Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO), based in San Jose, CA<br />4. Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), based in New York, NY<br />5. Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ:WFM), based in Austin, TX<br />6. NuStar Energy (NYSE:NS), based in San Antonio, TX<br />7. Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:CHK), based in Oklahoma City, OK <br />8. Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), based in San Diego, CA<br />9. Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN), based in Oklahoma City, OK<br />10. Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), based in Santa Clara, CA <br /><br />The ranking is based on a company’s presence and position on both the FORTUNE 500 “Largest Companies in America” and the FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work For” lists. Devon ranks No. 231 and Chesapeake ranks No. 263 in this year’s FORTUNE 500. Chesapeake ranks No. 32 and Devon ranks No. 41 on this year’s FORTUNE “100 Best Companies to Work” in America.Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-25467541594862340162011-05-27T12:15:00.000-07:002011-05-27T12:25:57.829-07:00Headlines of the Week<strong>Kevin Durant gives Oklahoma City another reason to love him </strong><br /><em>Thunder fans may have been upset with Kevin Durant after Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. But when he says things like, “I let the city down,” how can you stay mad at him? </em><br />By Jenni Carlson <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />DALLAS — He clanged one shot after another off the iron and dribbled the ball off his big, goofy feet and chucked the ball to the wrong team and tried to draw a foul on his rip move though it was obvious the refs weren't buying it, and you wanted to strangle Kevin Durant.<br /><br />Admit it, Thunder fans. You were miffed at your superstar Monday night. You were peeved. You were hacked.<br /><br />How could he play so poorly in so big a game?<br /><br />Then Durant walked into the postgame interview room in the bowels of the Oklahoma City Arena looking like someone had stolen everything out of his signature backpack. He sat down, propped his head in his hand and told the world that he'd disappointed an entire population.<br /><br />“I let the city down,” he said.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3571020 ">Read more. </a> <br /><br /><strong>Anthropologie clothing store coming to Classen Curve </strong><br /><em>Women's retailer Anthropologie will join Whole Foods in the Triangle at Classen Curve development in Oklahoma City. </em><br />By Jennifer Palmer <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />Anthropologie is bringing its sophisticated, stylish clothing and accessories to Oklahoma City's Classen Curve. <br /> <br />The women's retailer will open its first metro-area store in February in the Triangle at Classen Curve, anchored by Whole Foods. The 60,000-square-foot shopping center at Western Avenue, NW Grand and N Classen Boulevard was developed by Chesapeake Energy Corp. <br /><br />It is the first metro-area store for Anthropologie, owned by Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters. The retailer, known for its eclectic assortment of women's clothing and accessories, has 153 U.S. stores including one in Tulsa at Utica Square.<br /><br />“When we toured Classen Curve and the Triangle at Classen Curve, we knew this was a special opportunity for Anthropologie to be part of a very unique and exciting retail development with tremendous architectural style and character,” said Lorraine Adney, director of Midwestern region for the McDevitt Company, international real estate consultants for the Urban Outfitters brands. “Our research confirmed that a vibrant and savvy local retail scene is expanding in Oklahoma City, propelled by a stable economy driven by the consistent creation of well-paying jobs the past three years.”<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3569764 ">Read more.</a> <br /><br /><strong>Students concepts could help shape what lies ahead for Oklahoma City's Cox Convention Center </strong><br /><em>The debate over where to locate a new convention center in Oklahoma City isn't over yet, but that isn't stopping architectural students at the University of Oklahoma from proposing concepts for redevelopment of the current Cox Convention Center. </em><br />BY STEVE LACKMEYER <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />The debate over where to locate a new convention center isn't over yet, but that isn't stopping architectural students at the University of Oklahoma from proposing concepts for redevelopment of the current Cox Convention Center.<br /><br />The ideas presented by students led by architecture professor Hans Butzer and Blair Humphreys, a fellow with the Institute for Quality Communities, all call for the existing convention center to be eliminated, though some suggest looking at maintaining the underground parking garage.<br /><br />While construction of a new convention center is almost a certainty with residents having voted to provide $280 million for its construction as part of MAPS 3, city leaders have not determined the ultimate outcome for the Cox Convention Center.<br /><br />Butzer noted that on previous studies on connections between downtown districts, students repeatedly encountered the Cox Center as the single biggest hindrance to bringing everything together.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3570689 ">Read more.</a> <br /><br /><strong>NBA team is OKC's big draw at retail convention in Las Vegas</strong> <br /><em>City officials, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber representatives and others gather at the International Council of Shopping Centers convention this week. </em><br />BY JENNIFER PALMER <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />Business was booming at the Oklahoma City's Thunder-themed booth at RECon, the International Council of Shopping Centers annual convention in Las Vegas. <br /><br />Giant cutouts of basketball star Kevin Durant and the team mascot Rumble the Bison were attracting a lot of attention at the convention, which began Sunday and continues through Wednesday. Retailers, developers and investors were more receptive than ever to meeting with Oklahoma City, said Mayor Mick Cornett, who attended the convention Monday. <br /><br />He said in years past, it was difficult to get a meeting with the type of developer they wanted. “Now, we struggle to fit everybody in that wants to talk to us,” Cornett said. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3570752 ">Read more.</a><br /><br /><strong>Oklahoma City's economy will benefit as two major horse shows agree to stay </strong><br />BY RANDY ELLIS<br />Oklahoman<br /><br />Two major horse shows have extended agreements to keep their events in Oklahoma City, officials of State Fair Park and the city announced this week.<br /><br />The National Reining Horse Association has agreed to keep the NRHA Futurity & Adequan North American Affiliate Championship Show at State Fair Park through 2013, while the American Quarter Horse Association has agreed to keep the Built Ford Tough AQHYA World Championship Show at State Fair Park through 2014.<br /><br />The NRHA Futurity is the largest show in the sport of reining worldwide, with nearly $2 million in cash and prizes awarded annually.<br /><br />'10 shows brought in $26.9M<br />Last year, the futurity featured about 1,500 horses, attracted more than 125,000 spectators and produced more than $16.9 million in direct spending into the Oklahoma City economy, officials said. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3571037 ">Read more. </a>Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-38664205264712087572011-05-19T09:15:00.000-07:002011-05-19T09:18:16.337-07:00The Better Life: Giving You the 411 on the 405In an effort to reach new residents and help them learn about their community, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber- “The Better Life: Giving you the 411 on the 405.” The Chamber is partnering with local businesses to gather e-mail addresses of new employees and helping these individuals become better acquainted with our city. <br /><br />The program includes two components – weekly e-mails and a weekly blog. The Chamber gathered e-mail addresses from companies who have a large number of new employees from outside the Greater Oklahoma City region. These employees received an e-mail introducing them to the program and, if they choose to continue their subscription, will receive e-mails every Tuesday alerting featuring a tease of the week’s blog post. <br /><br />The blog features an event or location in Greater Oklahoma City, as well as a calendar for upcoming events in the area. It is available on one of the Chamber’s new websites, www.abetterlifeokc.com. The website highlights aspects of Oklahoma City including housing, education, employment, activities and more to show new and potential residents the many advantages of living and working in Oklahoma City. A comment feature has been enabled to let readers discuss the topic of the post or other things to do and see around Greater Oklahoma City. <br /><br />The website highlights aspects of Oklahoma City including housing, education, employment, activities and more to show new and potential residents the many advantages of living and working in Oklahoma City. A comment feature has been enabled to let readers discuss the topic of the post or other things to do and see around Greater Oklahoma City.<br /><br />Sign up for the <a href="http://www.abetterlifeokc.com/the-better-life">blog</a> and be sure to follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/betterlifeokc">Twitter</a> and like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/#!/pages/TheBetterLifeOKC/116683945081453?sk=wall">Facebook</a>.Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-48727628417852723752011-05-11T09:06:00.000-07:002011-05-11T09:07:23.971-07:00Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Launches National Image CampaignThe Greater Oklahoma City Chamber has launched a new image campaign aimed at changing misperceptions about Oklahoma City. Ongoing research completed by the Chamber shows that there is a serious disconnect between the impressive amenities Oklahoma City offers, and what the national audience perceives to be available. In many cases there is a complete lack of awareness of the city’s cultural, lifestyle and business amenities. The campaign features print advertisements, an online channel and digital magazine, along with additional online components, aimed at boosting the city’s national image.<br /><br />“We consistently research and study Oklahoma City’s image among a national audience,” Greater Oklahoma City Chamber President & CEO Roy Williams said. “A large portion of our national audience either has misperceptions about what is available in Oklahoma City, or has never considered us as a place to live or work. We want to start tackling this image issue, because an improved image is a win for all of us.”<br /><br />Print advertisements began running in the west coast edition of the Wall Street Journal in March. These ads highlight Oklahoma City’s biggest success stories, from the Thunder to Oklahoma City’s robust business climate to the high quality of life. The print aspects of the campaign are targeted to business publications like the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Chief Executive.<br /><br />The print and online ads will direct people to a new online channel, <a href="http://www.greaterokc.tv/">www.GreaterOKC.tv</a>. This site features nearly 1,000 videos, provided by the Chickasaw Nation, about the region’s business community and cultural climate.<br /><br />The new website will also feature Velocity- a 64-page digital magazine that brings the story of Oklahoma City to life. This interactive publication, which can be viewed at <a href="http://www.velocityokc.com/">www.velocityokc.com</a>, features in-depth content with embedded videos and links. It highlights the city’s diversity, accolades, recreation options, business climate, lifestyle amenities and more.<br /><br />“Velocity and the website were designed so people could easily share these resources with their friends, family, coworkers and peers,” Williams said. “We are asking that people please share these links both inside and outside our community. We want to tell our story to as broad an audience as possible, and the more we work together, the more widely we can share the story of Oklahoma City’s renaissance.”Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-90422874754356652992011-04-29T13:33:00.000-07:002011-04-29T13:41:17.412-07:00Headlines of the Week<strong>Arts festival's thread weaves through Oklahoma City's history </strong><br />The Oklahoman Editorial <br /> <br />The Festival of the Arts helped save downtown Oklahoma City. How it did so is a story worth retelling.<br /><br />The arts fest is a bona fide institution. Its run is nearing 45 years, and its presence is as much of a rite of spring in Oklahoma City as anything. During its six-day run that began Tuesday, it will attract up to three-quarters of a million people, from all over the country. It's a signature event that helps define our city in the best possible way.<br /><br />And the festival is the link — in some ways, the only link — to three eras of Oklahoma City. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3562202 ">Read the full story.</a><br /><br /><strong>Dignitaries cheer Boeing's new operation in OKC </strong><br />BY STEVE LACKMEYER <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />Officials with Boeing, accompanied by Gov. Mary Fallin, Rep. Tom Cole and City Councilman Pat Ryan, celebrated the start of construction Tuesday on a 320,000-square-foot, six-story building that will house the company's expanding local workforce.<br /><br />The building at SE 59 and Air Depot is being designed and built by the Gardner Tanenbaum Group, a commercial real estate company based in Oklahoma City.<br />The building is expected to open in the second quarter of 2012.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3562289">Read the full story.</a><br /><strong><br />Thunder quickly becomes Oklahoma's team</strong><br />By Mark Kiszla<br />The Denver Post<br /><br />DURANT, Okla. — As thunder rattled the windows of Smokey Allen's BBQ, the friendly waitress cleared my basket of rib bones and cracked a joke about a new topic of conversation on the plains of Oklahoma: NBA basketball.<br /><br />"That was clever Kevin Durant named himself after our little town. Pretty cool, don't you think?" said Norma Jean Hider, in a voice as sweet as the peach cobbler offered for dessert.<br /><br />The state of Oklahoma has wrapped its arms around its fresh, young NBA franchise. Believe it or not, the love of Thunder might be a more crucial element in this first-round playoff series than a bushel of missed free throws clanked by the Nuggets.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/kiszla/ci_17936247 ">Read the full story.</a> <br /><br /><strong>Thunder's loss in Game 4 of the NBA playoffs is a win for Oklahoma City </strong><br /><em>Playoff games bring in an added economic punch for the community estimated at $1.2 million each </em><br />BY STEVE LACKMEYER <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />No Oklahoma City booster would be likely to admit to having rooted for the Thunder to lose Game 4 of the NBA playoffs earlier this week — but some are quietly celebrating the team's return home.<br /><br />Tom Anderson, special projects manager in the city manager's office, said each game played by the Thunder has an estimated $1.2 million direct economic impact on the city.<br /><br />Consider Wednesday night's game to be a bonus $1.2 million.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3562589 ">Read the full story.</a><br /><br /><strong>Jobless rate declines in all 77 Oklahoma counties </strong><br /><em>Oklahoma City jobless rate of 5.2 percent lowest among all large U.S. cities. </em><br />BY DON MECOY <br />Oklahoman<br /><br />Unemployment rates fell in March in all 77 Oklahoma counties while the number of people employed grew in the state's three largest metropolitan areas, according to figures released Wednesday by the state Employment Security Commission.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3562552 ">Read the full story.</a>Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-61095610573743547872011-04-11T13:44:00.000-07:002011-04-11T13:51:53.449-07:00April Meeting LinksThanks to all of those who came out for last week’s News Bureau Meeting. It was a great group and we especially thank Elizabeth Laurent of the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation for giving us a tour of the new Devon Boathouse facility and more background on the Boathouse District. For more information on some of the topics visit the links below.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.greaterokc.tv/#/home">New Oklahoma City Marketing Campaign</a><br /><br /><a href="http://boathousedistrict.org/">Boathouse District</a>Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-69050161370143282512011-04-04T09:44:00.000-07:002011-04-04T09:45:08.702-07:00REMINDER: News Bureau Meeting this WeekPlease join us for networking, drinks and hors d'oeuvres followed by an exclusive tour of the new Devon Boathouse. RSVP to Jill Harrison at jharrison@okchamber.com of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber if you plan to attend!<br /><br />Thursday, April 7<br />Devon Boathouse<br />725 S. Lincoln Blvd.<br />4 – 5:30 p.m.Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-90591163185236926382011-04-01T09:15:00.000-07:002011-04-01T09:33:57.755-07:00Headlines of the Week<strong>Arrival of Continental Resources expected to boost downtown housing, office market, restaurants and retail </strong><br /><em>BY STEVE LACKMEYER <br />Oklahoman</em> <br /><br />When Joe Jungmann and his partners opened up the Whole Enchilada Cafe a year ago on the first floor of the Santa Fe Parking Garage, they knew they were taking a risk.<br /><br />The retail space had seen one restaurant operator after another open and close in quick order. To make matters worse, more than half of the surrounding workforce was set to move further west along Sheridan Avenue upon completion of Devon Energy Center late next year. <br /><br />Jungmann's manager at the restaurant, Melissa Dixon, estimates about 40 percent of their daily customer base consists of employees from the current Devon Energy Corp. headquarters across the street and in the neighboring Chase Tower. <br /><br />“We were hoping that we would get them hooked with us before they move and they would still come back,” said Dixon, who added her restaurant also does occasional catering for Devon. <br /><br />Jungmann and Dixon both are celebrating news that Devon's headquarters won't go empty for long with Enid-based Continental Resources Inc. set to make the 19-story building the company's home next year. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3552170">Read the full story.</a> <br /><br /><strong>Recent actions provide glimpse of downtown Oklahoma City, 2020 </strong><br /><em>Steve Lackmeyer <br />Oklahoman</em> <br /><br />No decisions are finalized, but some key moves in recent weeks by various MAPS 3 and MAPS for Kids committees provide a hint on the future development of downtown. <br /><br />Indeed, four sites are still in contention for a new convention center. But even those sites, when listed with the preferred route for a streetcar system and preliminary site for a downtown elementary school, show density may be winning out over sprawl. <br /><br />One downtown observer, urban designer Blair Humphreys, commented early on in this latest version of OKC Sim City the choice was to either make downtown bigger or better. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3552643">Read the full story.</a> <br /><br /><strong>Oklahoma City monitoring company on track for growth </strong><br /><em>BY RICHARD MIZE <br />Oklahoman </em><br /><br />US Fleet Tracking is on the move to an upgraded corporate headquarters five times bigger than its present location. <br /><br />The company, which provides GPS-based tracking devices and services to trucking companies and for special events such as the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics and Final Four, officially opened its new 18,000-square-foot residential-style office building Wednesday. Carriage Homes built the $2.3-million building. The company will move in next month. <br /><br />Gov. Mary Fallin and former Florida governor Jeb Bush, who was in Oklahoma to visit with lawmakers and business leaders on behalf of his Foundation for Excellence in Education, and numerous local and state dignitaries helped owners Jerry and Cindy Hunter unveil the new digs for their growing 5½-year-old business at 2912 NW 156 just west of May Avenue. <br /><br />US Fleet Tracking is leaving some 4,500 square feet of leased space in Quail Creek North, an office building constructed at 11032 Quail Creek Road, northwest of Hefner Road and N May Avenue. Commercial Assets Inc. handles leasing for the 36,124-square-foot building, which was listed as 98 percent occupied counting US Fleet Tracking.<br /><br />Cindy Hunter recalled working “back to back” with her husband making sales calls from their home office when they started the business. She told Mayor Mick Cornett before a ribbon-cutting ceremony that they moved to leased commercial space at first mainly to get access to commercial-grade fiber optics. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/article/3553940">Read the full story.</a> <br /><br /><strong>Oklahoma City Museum of Art to feature ‘Passages,' an exhibit of rare biblical texts and artifacts </strong><br /><em>BY CHRIS CASTEEL <br />Oklahoman</em> <br /><br />WASHINGTON — The Oklahoma City Museum of Art will be the first stop for a worldwide traveling exhibition of historic biblical texts and artifacts collected by Hobby Lobby President Steve Green, who announced here Thursday that the exhibition, marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, would open May 16. <br /><br />“It will have some of the most incredible rare biblical artifacts in private hands in the world,” Green said. “It will tell the story of the history of the English Bible.” <br /><br />Green unveiled plans for the traveling exhibition at the Vatican Embassy, where business, government, academic and religious leaders gathered to view some of the items that will be in Oklahoma City next month. <br /><br />The interactive exhibition, called “Passages,” will encompass 14,000 square feet and be the worldwide debut of the Green Collection, one of the world's largest privately held collections of biblical texts and artifacts. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-city-museum-of-art-to-feature-passages-an-exhibit-of-rare-biblical-texts-and-artifacts/article/3554273?custom_click=lead_story_title">Read the full story.</a>Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-85609765620160240082011-03-25T11:42:00.000-07:002011-03-25T11:43:05.879-07:00Next News Bureau Meeting SetPlease join us for the first News Bureau Meeting of 2011!<br /><br />The Devon Boathouse is the newest structure to grace the banks of the Oklahoma River. The $10 million facility is home of the OCU Rowing and Canoe/Kayak, and headquarters for the OKC National High Performance Center. <br /><br />Thursday, April 7<br />Devon Boathouse<br />725 S. Lincoln Blvd.<br />4 – 5:30 p.m.<br /> <br /><br />Please join us for networking, drinks and hors d'oeuvres followed by an exclusive tour of the new Devon Boathouse. RSVP to Jill Harrison of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber if you plan to attend!Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-71177427875569957502011-03-18T08:53:00.000-07:002011-03-18T08:58:08.477-07:00Headlines of the Week<strong>Cytovance to expand with $22.5M investment</strong><br />By Brianna Bailey<br /><em>Journal Record </em><br /><br />OKLAHOMA CITY – Local biotech company Cytovance Biologics plans to expand with the help of a $22.5 million investment from a Connecticut private equity firm.<br /><br />The investment from Greenwich, Conn.-based Great Point Partners LLC will allow the company to keep pace with a growing demand for its clinical trial and pharmaceuticals manufacturing services.<br /><br />Cytovance specializes in producing therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies from cell cultures. The company manufactures biologic products for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.<br /><br />Cytovance will use the funding to expand its research and manufacturing operations at Oklahoma City’s Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park. Cytovance will move from its home at 840 Research Pkwy. to the former home of fellow biotech firm Genzyme. Genzyme closed the doors of its Oklahoma City offices in the PHF research park late last year and laid off 26 employees.<br /><br />As part of a separate transaction, Cytovance has acquired Genzyme’s analytical and bioprocess equipment to outfit its newly expanded operations.<br /><br />Great Point Managing Directors Dr. Jeffrey R. Jay and David Kroin and Senior Vice President Noah F. Rhodes III will join Cytovance’s board of directors as part of their investment in the company.<br /><br />“This transaction marks a transition of the company from angel investors to professional investors,” said Dr. William Canfield, Cytovance chairman.<br /><br />Canfield successfully raised $9 million to bring Cytovance back from the brink of bankruptcy in 2005. The recapitalization was partially funded by Chesapeake Energy Corp. co-founders Aubrey McClendon and Tom Ward.<br /><br />Canfield founded the company Novazyme, which Genzyme acquired in 2001. Novazyme gained acclaim for its groundbreaking research and treatment of the genetic disorder Pompe disease.<br /><br />The Presbyterian Health Foundation also will become an equity investor in Cytovance as part of the transaction with Great Point Partners.<br /><br />“Cytovance is a signature company and brings global prominence to the (Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park) and Oklahoma City’s biotech industry,” said Carl Edwards, chairman of the Presbyterian Health Foundation, in a written statement. “We are grateful to the local investors who have supported the company to date and we welcome today’s news, which validates that our biotech industry is gaining the attention of respected professional investment firms as a viable place to invest.”<br /><br /><strong>Oklahoma City among nation's top performing cities </strong><br />BY LAURIE WINSLOW<br /><em>Tulsa World </em><br /><br />Oklahoma City remained among the 20 strongest-performing metropolitan areas based on data from the beginning of the recession through 2010, and the Tulsa metro did well also, according to a report released Monday by the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution.<br /><br />The March MetroMonitor, which analyzed data through the fourth quarter, is the eighth in a series that tracks the recession and recovery in the nation's 100 largest metros. It looks at various indicators, including changes in employment, the unemployment rate, output and housing prices.<br /><br />The latest report describes the nation's recovery since the recession began in December 2007 as “slow, uneven and inconsistent.” Technically, the recession ended in June 2009.<br /><br /><strong>Boeing: Relocation from California on track</strong><br />By April Wilkerson<br /><em>Journal Record </em><br /><br />OKLAHOMA CITY – The second floor of the Oklahoma City Boeing facility is being transformed to welcome the first of several hundred new positions being relocated to the state.<br /><br />Since Boeing moved into its building at 59th Street and Air Depot Boulevard in 2007, the second floor has remained empty. Now, workers are putting the finishing touches on its 50,000 square feet to house about 225 of the 550 jobs moving from Long Beach, Calif., to Oklahoma City. Those jobs center on upgrades being made to the C-130 Hercules and the B-1 Lancer aircraft.<br /><br />Jennifer Hogan, spokeswoman for Boeing, said the first program, the C-130 work, will begin transitioning to Oklahoma City next month. About 150 positions are expected to be added this year. All 550 jobs for both programs should be in place by the end of 2012. Relocation offers have been made to existing employees in Long Beach, but the company doesn’t yet know how many will accept and how many positions will be filled locally, she said.<br /><br />When Boeing built its facility, it didn’t know about the new positions, but it felt like the second floor would be put to use before too long, Hogan said.<br /><br />“We just knew that this is a low-cost services business here in Oklahoma City, and we were fairly certain that low-cost services were going to grow,” she said. “The Department of Defense budget is not growing, so we’re trying to accommodate that by offering low-cost services for maintenance and defense and government-type services.”<br /><br />The addition of 550 new positions also means Boeing will have to expand its presence. Hogan said the facility’s second floor will hold about 225 people.<br /><br />Additional space also will be necessary to hold the full mock-ups of the cockpits that are being upgraded. Until that extra space is determined, personnel will be working with smaller models.<br /><br />“We’ll have to do something within the next 18 to 24 months,” she said. “Boeing is looking at all its options,” although nothing has been announced.<br /><br />Boeing’s work on the C-130 aircraft involves turning its old analog cockpit into a digital display with flat-panel, full-color monitors. Boeing also is adding a “head-up display” – a clear piece of glass that folds down in front of the pilot’s face with pertinent data on it. That panel allows the pilot to focus more fully on flying without having to look down at his instruments, Hogan said.<br /><br />The B-1, which marked its 25th anniversary last year, continues its evolution from nuclear bomber to conventional weapon. The Oklahoma City work will help the B-1 become more proficient in that transformation, Hogan said. Its upgrades include flat-panel displays and a new Link 16 data communication system in the aft cockpit, which will allow officers to receive target coordinates electronically. Previously, coordinates were relayed over the phone, then verified repeatedly to ensure accuracy, Hogan said.<br /><br />“That takes time, and sometimes the targets would be gone by the time they actually know they’re correct,” she said. “The Link 16 system should save a lot of time and will be very accurate.”<br /><br />The B-1 also is receiving a new computerized system that monitors everything on the plane and sends alerts if something goes wrong. The planes are equipped with a similar system now, Hogan said, but with the other upgrades it is receiving, an updated version is needed.<br /><br />Boeing is expanding its work in other ways. Last year, it won an SE2020 contract with the Federal Aviation Administration. That large umbrella contract allows Boeing, along with a handful of other companies, to compete for small orders the FAA needs, Hogan said.<br /><br />“We’ll be constantly bidding on those proposals the FAA puts out,” she said. “One of the largest FAA facilities is right here in Oklahoma City, and Boeing is starting to look for business there. Our core business for so long has been maintaining the airplanes out here or modifying them like we are on the C-130 and B-1. We also do a lot of sustainment to keep them flying. So branching out into a defense or government service like the FAA is a little different.”<br /><br />Dave Lopez, secretary of Oklahoma’s Department of Commerce, said the new Boeing positions in Oklahoma are a perfect example of the supplier chain focus that the governor has underscored for the state’s economy.<br /><br />“With Tinker, we have contractors like Boeing and the quality jobs they bring,” Lopez said. “So it’s not only the number of Boeing jobs that is impressive, but the quality of individuals who will fill them. The education levels and payroll make it a home run, or in this case, it’s closer to a grand slam.”<br /><br />Some of Boeing’s new hires will be entry level, meaning graduates from Oklahoma’s accredited engineering universities will be considered. Lopez said it’s important for the Commerce Department to continue working with higher and common education to bolster the state’s engineering work force pipeline.<br /><br />“That will be critical,” Lopez said, “because it will be how we can have another arrow in our quiver when we ask companies that are here to expand or when we go out to recruit.”<br /><br /><strong>Gradual recovery continues in Oklahoma, tax revenue report shows </strong><br />BY MICHAEL MCNUTT<br /><em>Oklahoman</em><br /><br />State tax revenue continues to outpace expectations and the amount taken in the previous year, but still pales compared with three years ago before effects of the national recession were felt in Oklahoma, according to figures released Monday.<br /><br />Sales tax revenue for February is up 10.9 percent compared with the same time period a year ago, and it's nearly 5 percent above the official estimate, according to figures released by the state finance office.<br /><br />“We had double-digit growth again in sales tax receipts, compared with February a year ago, and it came when sales tax collections of other states trailed off,” state Finance Director Preston Doerflinger said.<br /><br />Monthly state revenue collections have topped previous-year collections for 11 of the past 12 months.<br /><br />Income tax collections were expected to dip in February, but Doerflinger said personal income tax collections rose by 141 percent in February compared with the previous year. Collections of personal and corporate income taxes brought in $27.7 million, or $16.2 million more than the same month a year ago.<br /><br />“These numbers should be kept in context, understanding income tax collections are still 32 percent below collections in February of 2008 before the recession,” Doerflinger said.<br /><br />“They do, however, indicate that we are experiencing a gradual recovery. The figures emphasize the importance of job creation to continued economic growth.”<br /><br />‘A positive trend'<br />A report released last week by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission showed the state's unemployment rate fell to 6.6 percent in January, down from 6.8 percent the previous month.<br /><br />Oklahoma's unemployment rate peaked at 7.3 percent during the recession.<br />Doerflinger said high oil prices continue to bring in money for the state's general fund, but the lag in natural gas prices is bringing down total gross production tax receipts.<br /><br />The general fund, the principal funding source for state government, receives a larger percentage of natural gas taxes than oil taxes.<br /><br />Collections of gross production taxes on oil produced $31.7 million, or 26.9 percent more than the same month last year; February gross production taxes on natural gas totaled $20.8 million, or 30.7 percent below last year.<br /><br />“The best thing we can do in government is to be good stewards of taxpayers' money and make sure we do all we can to enact policies that grow our economy,” Gov. Mary Fallin said.<br /><br />“It's great news that our state is slowly recovering from this recession, but we need to do everything we can to speed up our recovery by continuing to promote growth in Oklahoma.”<br /><br />The report showed collections for the general fund were $247.1 million in February.<br /><br />That was $25.7 million, or 11.6 percent above the same month last year, and $8.7 million, or 3.6 percent, above the estimate for the month.<br /><br />“With yet another month of growth in general revenue collections over the prior year, we are seeing the continuation of a positive trend for Oklahoma's economy,” state Treasurer Ken Miller said.<br /><br /><strong>Boeing starts new $40 million building in Oklahoma City </strong><br />BY RICHARD MIZE<br /><em>Oklahoman</em><br /><br />Boeing Co. has started building a new place to land in Oklahoma City.<br /><br />The company said Friday that it had started construction on a second office building at its location near SE 59 and Air Depot. Gardner-Tanenbaum Group is developing the six-story, 320,000-square-foot building, expected to cost nearly $40 million, as a build-to-suit project for Boeing, which will lease the space.<br /><br />The new building, to open in the second quarter of 2012, is needed to house Boeing's Oklahoma City work force due to company growth and relocations, the company said. Boeing is bringing several hundred mostly high-paying jobs here.<br /><br />Boeing announced plans last August to move its B-1 program and C-130 Avionics Modernization Program here from Long Beach, Calif. In addition, Boeing said a $1.7 billion Federal Aviation Administration research-and-development contract it was awarded early last year is being managed out of Oklahoma City.<br /><br />“By moving B-1 and (the) C-130 (program) to Oklahoma City, we are able to lower our operating costs and extend an increased value to our customer,” said Mark Bass, Boeing vice president and general manager of maintenance, modifications and upgrades. “Boeing appreciates the positive business environment created by the state of Oklahoma and its county and city governments. This environment contributes to our affordability, and the well-trained aerospace work force already in place will be key to our success.”<br /><br />Developer Richard Tanenbaum, who developed Boeing's existing facility here, declined to give details about Boeing's lease.<br /><br />“It's a good lease. It's a very good lease. The lease terms are very favorable to a developer in these ... times,” he said.<br /><br /><br /><strong></strong>Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-224983974408907472011-03-11T12:08:00.000-08:002011-03-11T12:12:53.529-08:00Headlines of the Week<strong>OKC receives triple-A S&P rating</strong><br />By Brian Brus <br /><em>Journal Record </em><br /><br />OKLAHOMA CITY – The difference of a single letter A will likely mean a better interest rate for Oklahoma City and the difference of attracting about a dozen institutional investors for the upcoming issuance of bond debt instead of in the single digits, authorities at City Hall said.<br /><br />Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services recently assigned its AAA long-term rating to Oklahoma City’s series 2011 general obligation bonds and affirmed the city’s triple-A long-term rating and underlying rating on the city’s outstanding general obligation debt with a stable outlook.<br /><br />The municipal government received a similar triple-A bond rating from Moody’s Investor Service. Both ratings are the highest offered by the services, putting Oklahoma City in an elite group of the best municipal credits in the marketplace that include Austin, San Antonio, Denver, Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis and Seattle. It also tops Tulsa’s double-A S&P rating.<br /><br />About $43 million in general obligation bond debt will be put up for sale Tuesday, finance business manager Kenton Tsoodle said. When the city issued $64.4 million in G.O. bonds last year, it received an effective rate of 3.47 percent over 20 years.<br /><br />The practical outcome of S&P’s highest rating means the city will be able to fund more capital projects such as streets, bridges, sidewalks and trails and park improvements, Tsoodle said. But it also affirms City Hall is treating its finances as efficiently as possible.<br /><br />When S&P issued its latest review, the reporting service said Oklahoma City earned its rating because of an expanding regional economic base, ongoing downtown redevelopment and political stability. The service also cited “consistently strong financial performance and position that includes strategic business planning, multi-year forecasts, balanced budgets, long term capital plans and compliance with reserve policies.”<br /><br />Tulsa has only two A’s according to S&P. In 2008, Tulsa voters approved the issuance of $285 million for street work, a total which has not yet been fully sold. The city has sold $140 million over three issues since then, with an interest rate of 3.8 percent for 20-year bonds and 1.93 percent and 2.26 percent for 10-year bonds. The public has authorized the city to issue bond debt of $145 million more before another election is necessary.<br /><br />In S&P’s overviews of the two cities, similar strengths are noted for both – a deep and diverse economy that helps drive the state’s economy, for example, and strong financial reserves.<br /><br />And also to Tulsa’s benefit, the analysts wrote, “Tulsa posted operating surpluses in three out of four fiscal years from 2004-2008, which increased the unreserved general fund balance to $37 million for fiscal 2008, or 13.6 percent of expenditures, a figure we consider very strong.”<br /><br />Both cities’ financial management practices are also considered “strong” under S&P’s financial management assessment methodology, indicating practices are well-embedded and likely sustainable.<br /><br />But differences between the cities’ assessments are subtle and difficult for city officials to gauge. For example, Tulsa is noted as having a debt management policy; “however, the policy is not comprehensive,” S&P analysts said.<br /><br />Also noted as a mitigating factor in Tulsa’s overview is “a reliance on sales taxes for the majority of operating revenues, subject to economic cyclicality.” But Oklahoma City also relies heavily on sales tax revenues.<br /><br />In Tulsa’s case, “Income levels remain adequate, with median household income at 96 percent of the state, but 81 percent of the nation,” S&P analysts wrote.<br />For Oklahoma City, “We consider median household effective buying income only adequate, at just 103 percent and 88 percent of state and national levels.”<br /><br />“They don’t offer guidance on the subtle difference between one rating level and the next,” said Tulsa Treasury Analyst Matt Cooper. “So I don’t know exactly what they’re expecting us to do differently.”<br /><br />The diversity of the municipal market defies easy generalization, S&P’s Credit Analyst Gabriel Petek wrote in January. And within that diversity, governments have been making difficult policy and budget choices in an effort to balance their budgets. Most public finance issuers were able to remain stable in 2010, and none of the defaulted bonds of the S&P/Investortools Municipal Bond Index in 2010 were of the type of traditional G.O. debts of states and municipalities.<br /><br />“But because of the slow progress of recovery from the Great Recession, we believe that continued revenue decreases for state and local government may increase fiscal strain on budgets, and monitoring of liquidity will be especially important in 2011,” Petek wrote.<br /><br />“We also believe, however, that fundamental credit performance throughout the market – as measured by default rates relative to debt outstanding in the market – will likely remain mostly stable with the possibility for a modest uptick,” he wrote.<br /><br /><strong>Open Beta 6: Startup showcase seeks Southern exposure</strong><br />By Brian Brus <br /><em>Journal Record </em><br /><br />OKLAHOMA CITY – A dozen Oklahoma businesses are traveling to Texas for the annual South by Southwest entertainment and interactive conference that begins this weekend. <br /><br />The companies are participating in Open Beta 6, a business startup showcase that normally is held in Oklahoma City and organized by some of the same people involved in the Oklahoma City Coworking Collaborative environment, or OKC CoCo.<br /><br />Open Beta has proven popular and successful in Oklahoma, organizer Derrick Parkhurst said recently while he was on a preparatory trip to Austin, where SXSW will be held.<br />And given the expanded emphasis on interactive technology at the conference in recent years, it made sense for Oklahoma’s interests to tap into resources in attendance for their own development goals.<br /><br />“What we do in Oklahoma City is grow and strengthen our community, and Open Beta is about showcasing the excellence that we have in Oklahoma,” Parkhurst said. “South by Southwest is a huge conference expected to attract about 17,000 people just for the interactive portion. The music and film portions will draw about 25,000 for a two-week period. … So you can see there’s a lot of money there to invest in online startups and mobile companies.”<br /><br />OKC CoCo, 723 N. Hudson Ave., is a work environment of about 7,500 square feet that provides co-working areas, conference rooms, a board room, a social area, office suites, a classroom and event space. It’s designed as an alternative for small company operators who don’t have an office of their own, such as freelancers, entrepreneurs and telecommuters.<br /><br />Parkhurst first started organizing Open Beta with fellow entrepreneurs Chad Henderson and Tommy Yi before OKC CoCo was established. This year they’re partnering with other startup support groups such as i2E Inc. and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.<br /><br />This will be the sixth Open Beta event, providing opportunities for so-called lightning talks or elevator pitches for businesses that include website designers, keynote presentation organizers, grocery coupon databases, and even a crime-solving social network.<br /><br />“In Oklahoma City it’s been a good opportunity for these creative people to get together and show off what they’ve done. In one aspect it’s a pure networking event, but in another it’s an opportunity to present themselves by the work they’ve completed and ideas that they’re developing and getting ready to launch,” Parkhurst said.<br /><br />“The state film and music commission has been going to South by Southwest for the last couple of years, and this year they reached out to the chamber, which contacted us to collaborate on the interactive aspect of the conference,” he said. “So we’ve got some excellent talent going down there to promote Oklahoma businesses and our Oklahoma brand to a national audience that might not normally associate technology strengths with our state.”<br /><br /><strong>Transformation of downtown Oklahoma City lures many to live there </strong><br />Public relations and marketing firm Saxum makes statement by moving into old Kirkpatrick Oil Building at NW 12 and Broadway Drive, and young professionals follow to live in heart of city. <br />BY STEVE LACKMEYER <br /><em>Oklahoman</em><br /><br />I forgive Chad Previch. I forgive him for abandoning the pursuit of journalism and going over to what some in our industry jokingly call “the dark side” of public relations.<br /><br />His recent move back to downtown, meanwhile, makes for a great case study at his expense of how even a small firm can make a splash on the neighborhood.<br /><br />My friend Chad isn't a stranger to downtown. When he started at The Oklahoman eight years ago, he lived in Deep Deuce. He's one of those likable guys who seems to have a circle of friends always nearby — which might explain why he was lured away a few years ago by Saxum, a public relations and marketing firm.<br /><br />By the time Chad switched to the dark side, he was living in one of the many cookie-cutter apartment complexes in north Oklahoma City. But when Saxum decided to move into the old Kirkpatrick Oil Building at NW 12 and Broadway Drive (last home to the Oklahoma City Community Foundation), Chad made a move of his own to the nearby Aberdeen Apartments across the street.<br /><br />Now, let's extrapolate this a bit. Saxum founder Renzi Stone readily admits that when he opened his firm a few years ago, his choice of setting up his office at Waterford was quite deliberate. He was making a statement that his firm was for real — that he had big ambitions.<br /><br />And indeed, the firm has grown and now has 22 full-time employees in Oklahoma City and Tulsa (most are in Oklahoma City). Eight of the employees are under 30 (Chad is an old guy — he's about to turn 31). And while the firm also employs people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, it is fair to say Saxum has a good representation of the young creative class.<br /><br />Stone is making another statement. This time he's saying that if one wants to be in the heart of the community and the middle of the city's renaissance, it's not a bad time to be downtown. <br /><br />The immediate impact of Saxum's recent move is easy to list; downtown sees another historic building renovated and life is brought to an area that has long been run down. But what influence will Chad's new “walk to work” lifestyle have on his friends?<br /><br />Will co-workers soon decide they too will want to live nearby to not just walk to the office, but also to nearby restaurants, shops, clubs and entertainment venues?<br /><br />And now that he's back living downtown, will friends making trips to hang out with Chad be attracted to the urban lifestyle and make a similar move? Will they begin to gravitate more toward patronizing downtown restaurants and shops?<br /><br />Saxum isn't the only creative-class firm to move downtown. Ghost Advertising opened up this past year in a 91-year-old former dealership at NW 9 and Broadway that had been used as storage. deadCenter Film Festival, meanwhile, has called Steve Mason's 1015 N Broadway Building home for the past year.<br /><br />The impact of this emerging creative class cluster can't be fully measured. But walk into nearby coffee shops like Coffee Slingers or Beatnix and you might just see some of these folks gathered around a small table, hatching the next great idea to transform downtown in the years to come.<br /><br /><strong>Myriad Gardens won't be complete for Oklahoma City's spring arts festival but the show will go on </strong><br />Delays caused by blizzards and late material shipments will present a “challenge” with reduced capacity for the spring Festival of the Arts, but Oklahoma City officials and festival organizers say the $36 million makeover will be worth any temporary pain. <br />BY STEVE LACKMEYER <br /><em>Oklahoman</em><br /><br />Delays caused by blizzards and late material shipments will present a “challenge” with reduced capacity for the upcoming Festival of the Arts, but Oklahoma City officials and festival organizers say the $36 million makeover will be worth any temporary pain., and City Manager Jim Couch acknowledged all parties will be challenged with the festival being restricted to the west half of the gardens. City council members, meanwhile, marveled at the progress to date during a soggy tour Tuesday morning.<br /><br />Those being given an update on the work later Tuesday included Devon Energy Executive Chairman Larry Nichols, who made the gardens a priority in his company's tax increment financing agreement with the city that is funding Project 180.<br />‘Totally different'<br /><br />Project 180 engineer Laura Story said that despite setbacks in the completion schedule, dramatic changes are being seen week to week.<br /><br />“Last week the entire north side of the gardens was filled with plants,” Story said. “They are gone now — they're already planted. Each week it looks totally different.”<br /><br />Likewise, the 40-foot band shell that will serve a new 2,500-seat amphitheater is almost complete after arriving two weeks ago. The entryway sidewalk along Sheridan, lined with trees on both sides, greeted council members at the start of their tour.<br />Story said the sidewalk is different from regular concrete and consists of a mix of “lithocrete” and “aggregate” (stones within the lithocrete).<br /><br />The sidewalk is a light shade, Story said, that “takes a lot of professional judgment by landscape architects to get the mix right.”<br /><br />Oklahoma materials<br />Crews on Tuesday also were completing construction of a new granite fountain just south of Sheridan Avenue. Nearby visitors could see the nearly completed rock waterfall built from materials brought in from northeast Oklahoma.<br /><br />Much work remains inside the Crystal Bridge, which was achieving iconic status in the opinion of area architects before the work was started. Voters in 2007 approved a bond issue that included $12 million to replace the botanical tube's glass exterior skin. (The remainder of the $36 million gardens makeover is funded by the Devon tower tax increment financing district.)<br /><br />Council members touring the Crystal Bridge saw familiar palm trees and other plantings, though vast empty spaces still awaited final plantings. A new south entry will not be ready for the public when the festival starts April 26, but festival visitors should be able to see the main botanical area, Story said.<br /><br />Open and closed<br />New multicolored LED lighting in the Crystal Bridge's skin was successfully tested last week, but Story could not say when the first light show will be performed for the public.<br /><br />Story said every effort is being made to ensure sidewalks surrounding the gardens will be open in time for the festival, set for April 26 through May 1, though Sheridan Avenue will remain closed. <br /><br />Other areas that won't be ready next month include a restaurant facing Robinson Avenue. The restaurant is awaiting a delivery of glass. Nichols and others were shown photos of the view diners will enjoy of the Crystal Bridge and gardens when it opens later this year.<br /><br />Most of the gardens remain an active work zone, with dozens of construction workers putting together the rebuilt Water Stage on Tuesday morning while other groups worked on a fountain near the new children's area near Hudson and Reno avenues.<br /><br />Resuming concerts<br />Angela Cozby, Festival of the Arts director, told The Oklahoman she has communicated often with project coordinators and is confident a successful 2011 festival can be held in the part of the gardens that will be opened next month. With offices located in the McAlpine Center across the street from the gardens, Cozby has kept a close eye on the project's progress.<br /><br />“They started last May, and I had things still in the park when they began tearing it down,” Cozby said. “The construction they've gotten done is remarkable.”<br />In addition to staging the festival in the gardens, Cozby said the Arts Council of Oklahoma also is looking forward to resuming summer concerts at the Water Stage and adding children's performances at the new band shell.<br /><br />She also believes the gardens, when fully completed, will provide the Arts Council of Oklahoma City with greater opportunities to stage events throughout the year.<br />Nichols, meanwhile, is enjoying seeing the transformation of the gardens with the new Devon Energy Center rising into the air across the street. <br /><br />“Having toured the gardens very recently, it's very exciting to see how those plans have materialized from mere dreams and aspirations to real trees, concrete and waterfalls,” Nichols said. “It lives up to my wildest dreams and expectations. I think all of Oklahoma City will be very excited to see it.”<br /><br /><strong>Oklahoma City's Devon Energy celebrates 40th anniversary</strong><br />Devon Energy Corp. celebrated its 40th anniversary with a luncheon for its Oklahoma City-based employees at the Cox Convention Center.<br />BY JAY F. MARKS <br /><em>Oklahoman</em><br /><br />Larry Nichols never expected the company he and his late father, John, established in 1971 to grow into one of the country's leading independent oil and natural gas companies.<br /><br /> “Forty years ago, we never dreamed that Devon would someday become the company it is today,” Nichols said. “It's great to pause and celebrate.”<br /><br />Devon celebrated its 40th anniversary Thursday at Cox Convention Center, feting its 1,500 Oklahoma City-based employees with lunch and a performance by sand artist Ilana Yahav.<br /><br />Yahav, the Israeli artist featured in many Devon television commercials, created a landscape dotted with pump jacks on a light table.<br /><br />She used her hands to skillfully transform the image into a pair of birds, then two hands gripped in a handshake.<br /><br />Yahav ended another performance with a picture of a three-tiered cake in honor of Devon's anniversary, earning a standing ovation from the company's employees.<br /><br />Yahav, who was making her first visit to Oklahoma City, said she was impressed by the people of Devon.<br /><br />Nichols, the company's executive chairman, said employees have worked hard to turn Devon into the company it is today.<br />Jeff Hall joined Devon in 1989 because he wanted to work in Oklahoma for an independent oil and gas company with growth potential.<br /><br />Devon has been through 27 mergers and acquisitions in the last four decades, as the growing company became known for its innovations in coalbed methane production, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.<br /><br />“It's been a remarkable ride,” said Hall, a geologist who is vice president of exploration for the central division.<br />Nichols maintains the best is yet to come.<br /><br />“While we are gratified with Devon's accomplishments of the last 40 years, we are even more excited about the possibilities ahead,” he said.<br /><br />Nichols touted Devon's “fabulous assets” and plans to invest nearly $1 billion this year on production and drilling operations in Oklahoma.<br /><br />He said Devon started the same year as coffee giant Starbucks.<br /><br />“While they're better known than we are, we're a whole lot bigger,” he said.Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-21983027040192007152011-02-16T10:04:00.000-08:002011-02-16T10:06:43.365-08:00USA Today Highlights OKC's Population Growth<strong>Oklahoma City, suburbs see 'significant growth'</strong><br />By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY<br />Feb. 16, 2011<br /><br />Oklahoma's big metropolitan areas — especially Oklahoma City, the state capital — are attracting new residents from across the nation and the rural areas of the state.<br /><br />Census data released Tuesday showed that the state's biggest cities and counties enjoyed robust population growth nearly everywhere from 2000 to 2010. <br /><br />The big winner was Oklahoma City. It added 73,867 residents over the decade — a 15% increase — to a population of 579,999. It remains the state's largest city. Suburban counties just outside the city grew enormously, too, pushing the metro area to 1,252,987. <br /><br />"People are moving to the metro areas," says Steven Barker, a senior researcher with the Oklahoma Commerce Department. "We're looking at very significant growth."<br /><br />Newcomers are being lured by the state's relatively strong economy, he says. College graduates are staying and arriving to work in the oil and gas business, aerospace and other industries. <br /><br />The state's unemployment rate in December was 6.6%, far below the national average. It's even lower in the Oklahoma City area, thanks to government and university jobs.<br /><br />All six of the fastest growing counties were located in the suburbs of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Barker says. The state's fastest growing big county, Canadian, grew 32% during the decade to 115,541 residents. It's located on Oklahoma City's west side.<br /><br />Lawton — the center of the state's other official metropolitan area and home to the Army's Fort Sill — grew 8% during the decade. That reversed previous Census estimates that its population had been flat.<br /><br />Eric Long, economic researcher at the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, says his area has prospered because it has 18 universities, including the University of Oklahoma. It also avoided the housing boom and the economic fallout from its collapse, he says.<br /><br />The move to the cities left 23 of Oklahoma's 77 counties in population decline. Cimarron County — in cowboy country, the far west of the Oklahoma Panhandle — suffered the biggest drop among the rural counties. The county, home to the highest elevation in the state, saw its population decline 21% to 2,475.<br /><br />Other Census findings:<br /><br />•Hispanic population. The Hispanic population soared 85% during the decade to 332,007 in 2010. That increased the portion of Hispanics in this largely non-Hispanic white state from 5.2% of the population in 2000 to 8.9% in 2010.<br /><br />• Diversity. Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton and Muskogee had the most ethnically diverse populations. The Asian population also grew swiftly, mostly in metro areas.<br /><br />In a rare downward trend, Tulsa suffered a slight population drop during the decade. It lost 1,143 residents to post a population of 391,906 in 2010. Those losses were made up by big gains in the suburban counties of Rogers and Wagoner. The total Tulsa metro area grew by more than 75,000. Tulsa had a 7.4% unemployment rate in December, the most recent figure available, worse than the state and Oklahoma City's 6.1% rate. <br /><br />http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2011-02-15-oklahoma-census_N.htm?loc=interstitialskipMarcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-75279786151132986532011-02-11T09:47:00.000-08:002011-02-11T09:48:14.794-08:00Bioscience Industry Contributes More than $6.7 Billion to the Local EconomyThe Greater Oklahoma City Chamber today released a study that analyzed the economic impact of the Bioscience Industry to the Greater Oklahoma City region. The study showed the Bioscience sector contributes $6.7 billion in economic activity to the region, supports 51,000 jobs earning $2.2 billion in employee compensation, and generates $227 million in state and local taxes.<br /><br />“The economic impact this industry provides to our region is staggering,” Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Chairman Carl Edwards said. “The truth is we are still in the early stages of developing this important sector of our economic engine, and we are already generating a great return on our investments.”<br /><br />The study, completed by Battelle Technology Partnerships Practice, was commissioned by the Chamber in combination with an update of the organization’s Bioscience Strategic plan. “We have a commitment to helping see the biosciences grow as a key driver of our economy,” Edwards continued. “Battelle is a leader in the field, both for strategy development and sector analysis. Their work has given us guidance, and the analysis shows that we are making progress -- the region has a vibrant and growing bioscience sector.”<br /><br />Greater Oklahoma City’s bioscience sector showed estimated revenues of $4.1 billion and directly employed 27,800 workers, earning an estimated $1.5 billion in employee compensation in 2008. The 51,000 total jobs created or supported by the bioscience sector accounted for more than six percent of all employment in the region.<br /><br />Direct jobs with the bioscience sector accounted for three percent of total jobs in the region. The total impact of the region’s non-hospital bioscience sector, i.e. private bioscience companies, was $1.9 billion. Academic Life Sciences R&D contributed $186.9 million in direct economic activity and $344 million in total activity.<br /><br />“As the legislative session draws near, there has been talk about cutting programs, such as OCAST, EDGE and research institutions that are critical to this industry’s survival,” Greater Oklahoma City Chamber President & CEO Roy Williams said. “We are now starting to see what this industry means to our region, let alone our state and we think it would be foolish to impede this growth when we are starting to see real, quantitative results.”Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-37792501127654250652011-02-04T09:16:00.000-08:002011-02-04T09:20:57.631-08:00Headlines of the Week<strong>OKC area builders build like it's 1996 </strong><br />BY RICHARD MIZE <br />Oklahoma<br />Published: January 29, 2011<br /><br />Last year was like the mid-1990s for metro-area homebuilders.<br /><br />Builders in Oklahoma City, Midwest City, Edmond, Moore and Norman took out construction permits for 3,466 single-family homes in 2010. That was 2.5 percent more than 2009 — a small increase. But it wasn't a decrease.<br /><br />It was the first time since 2005 that permits didn't go down compared with the year before.<br /><br />Construction last year in the five cities was comparable to the mid-1990s. In 1996, for example, the cities issued 3,413 permits.<br /><br />Feeling for bottom<br />Was 2010 the bottom? Builders hope so — and so do the subcontractors, suppliers and others who have tightened their belts since 2005, the last year of the housing boom.<br />Builder Jim Schuff said subs and suppliers are asking his take on the coming year. <br /><br />In addition to planning for staffing, it helps to have a handle on how much material they might need because they can get quantity discounts.<br /><br />“I wish we had a crystal ball,” said Schuff, co-owner and president of Vesta Homes in Moore and 2010 president of the builders association.<br /><br />Looking back, Schuff said he wished he'd been a little more aggressive in 2010. <br />Looking ahead, he said he has a little more confidence in the economy as 2011 proceeds.<br /><br />Edmond rebounds<br />Recovery in Edmond was the main source of the increase in planned construction across the metro area — “planned” because builders typically have six months to start a house after obtaining a building permit. Edmond's 297 permits, while well less than one-half the city's peak of 695 permits in 2005, represented a 40 percent gain from 212 permits in 2009.<br /><br />The number of permits doesn't tell the whole story, however. Permit numbers rose last year partly because builders responded to the rush of first-time buyers into homeownership by building more starter homes. But even with the incentives to first-timers long over — federal tax credits expired last April — the recession continues to make smaller homes attractive.<br /><br />“There's still a hole in the market up top,” a lack of demand that has many large homes lingering on the market, said Mark Dale, who was Central Oklahoma Builders Association president last year.<br /><br />Dale, owner of Oklahoma City's Carriage Homes, wondered if the recession has caused a generational paradigm shift.<br /><br />Could be, but partly because of the green movement, which puts energy efficiency and the environment above prestige, said Edmond builder Caleb McCaleb, whose Arbor Creek addition of bungalow-size homes signaled the small-is-better trend here when he debuted it in summer 2009.<br /><br />Frugal is ‘in'<br />“Every builder I know has moved to building a smaller home,” said McCaleb, noting that it's not just first-time buyers and young couples who are attracted to his smaller homes, although that's who he had in mind when he developed Arbor Creek. <br />Lots of older folks are through living so large, he said.<br /><br />“When I'm working open houses, we're getting a ton of move-down buyers but still looking for the amenities,” he said. “It's ‘we've lived beyond our means.' It's the frugal-is-the-new-cool deal.”<br /><br />McCaleb said the Millennial Generation, also called Generation Y — people born as early as the 1970s but mostly in the 1980s and 1990s — wants nothing to do with an overly large footprint, whether for a house or carbon.<br /><br />“Millennials, they totally don't think it's cool to live in a big house. They're all about everything green,” he said.<br /><br /><strong>Chamber forecasts job growth next two years </strong><br />FROM STAFF REPORTS <br />Oklahoman <br />Published: January 29, 2011<br /><br />The report was commissioned by the chamber and prepared by Russell Evans, director of the Center for Applied Economic Research at Oklahoma State University.<br /><br />“This forecast is very positive for our region,” chamber President Roy Williams said. “Our economic stability and continued growth is vital to our local businesses and in continuing to attract jobs and investment.”<br /><br />The report indicates the Oklahoma City metro will gain approximately 20,000 jobs from 2010 to 2012, accounting for an expected 3.8 percent job growth over the next two years.<br /><br />The forecast also showed positive momentum for the city's retail market and sales tax collections. Retail sales growth is forecast to grow 2.5 percent in 2011 before aggressively growing to 5.7 percent in 2012. <br /><br />“The retail sales data is great news,” Williams said. “It shows that while one-time factors like the hailstorm did have an impact, sales tax collection in Oklahoma City has bounced back and should continue to grow. The stability of our sales tax base is important to the economic health of our city government and the continued improvements in our infrastructure.”<br /><br />Continued population growth also is expected through 2012. The Oklahoma City metro is forecast to add 175,000 individuals which should account for half the state's growth. The total population is projected to exceed 1.28 million.<br /><br />The official forecast also looks for gross metro production to grow at just over 5 percent annually through 2012 with personal income expanding about 4.5 percent per year.<br /><br />The report also looks at trends in economic development and highlights that over the past five years, Oklahoma has experienced the fourth-highest percentage gain of leisure and hospitality jobs in the nation at 9.6 percent.<br /><br />The national shift in economic development strategy toward expansion of existing companies is expected to continue. <br /><br /><strong>OCAST is good for Oklahoma </strong><br />Oklahoman Editorial<br /> <br />No state agency has its vision firmly trained on the future quite like the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. The state is better off for it.<br /><br />Michael Carolina, executive director of OCAST, recently reported that for every dollar of state investment, $19 is returned to the state through federal and private investments. That's a phenomenal record — one that's been the hallmark of the agency since its inception in the late 1980s.<br /><br />Unfortunately, what's also been common since its creation has been OCAST's need to constantly educate policymakers amid a consistent fight for funding. That's not easy, especially at a time when many basic services have been cut or are struggling to maintain the status quo. But OCAST has a powerful testimony.<br /><br />OCAST's opportunity to help diversify the state's economy is indeed critical to the state's future. Through its funding of promising research projects, OCAST not only draws more money to the state, it draws smart people, ideas and, of course, jobs. <br /><br />The payoff often isn't immediate; research and development take precious time. But the agency's return on investment demonstrates the time is clearly worth the wait.<br /><br />OCAST, the EDGE endowment and research efforts within the higher education system are key to Oklahoma prospering in a global economy eager for creativity and innovation. At such a critical time for our state's economy, policymakers face many tough decisions in funding state government for the coming year. But they can't afford to ignore the future, either.<br /><br /><strong>Super assignment: OKC company to keep track for football extravaganza</strong><br />By April Wilkerson <br />Journal Record<br /><br />OKLAHOMA CITY – Before the Packers and Steelers ever take the field or the first witty Super Bowl commercial airs on Sunday, the eyes of an Oklahoma company will be watching over the yearly extravaganza. <br /><br />For the fifth year, Oklahoma City-based US Fleet Tracking is keeping a watchful eye on the people and equipment crucial to the Super Bowl. The company’s tracking and navigational devices have been placed on buses, limos and other vehicles that carry players, their families and the media, ensuring that each stays on course.<br /><br />Jerry Hunter, chief executive officer of US Fleet Tracking, said his technology has changed significantly in five years’ time.<br /><br />“When we started doing the Super Bowl, the equipment had to physically be installed in the vehicles with wiring hooked up,” Hunter said. “Things have evolved and now we have a battery device that we check out to the driver just like it was a cell phone. Installation is quick and easy – they plug it into a cigarette lighter in the limousines or buses. It’s gotten to the point where it’s very streamlined. Early on, because it took so long to install and uninstall equipment, we had maybe 25 or 30 units being tracked. At this point, we have about 320.”<br /><br />US Fleet Tracking’s efforts at the Super Bowl and last weekend’s National Hockey League All-Star game represent its high-profile work, but not the majority of its customers. About 80 percent of the company’s business is with small business – delivery companies, tow trucks, medical trailers hauling expensive equipment – anyone who wants to track the whereabouts and efficiency of a fleet and the employees driving them, Hunter said. Another 10 percent of his business is with the government, such as U.S. marshals and the FBI, and emergency responders like ambulance, police and fire. The rest of his business is split between parents tracking teenage drivers and people tracking cheating spouses.<br /><br />Because snow and ice are a problem across the nation right now, his technology is getting particularly high use.<br /><br />“A lot of snow-removal companies are working right now using our equipment,” he said. “The equipment allows them to see which roads have been done and which haven’t. Small businesses are where the money is because they have to have a way to manage their mobile resources.”<br /><br />US Fleet Tracking has continually improved its technology since Hunter launched the company about six years ago. His navigation-class devices not only let companies see where their employees are in real time, but they can be used to send messages to and from drivers, he said. The technology accomplishes that in a way that is more user-friendly than more traditional navigation services, he said.<br /><br />“If you’ve got a fleet of plumbing trucks, you can send out a message to Jim and Bob and Ken that says, ‘Which one of you guys has three 90-degree plumbing elbows and a three-quarter-inch PVC pipe?’ Bob and Jim say no and Ken says yes, so you can dispatch him on that call,” Hunter said. “This allows you to dispatch that driver through your PC so it pops up on his screen and guides him all the way to his customer’s doorstep.”<br /><br />US Fleet Tracking has flourished in a post-Sept. 11 world in which organizers of major events like the Olympics and Super Bowl want to ensure the right people get to the correct places and the wrong ones stay out. And in a troubled economic time, businesses are looking for ways to save money through efficiency, and tracking US Fleet Tracking provides that tool. Hunter said Ditch Witch is starting to place his devices on its equipment right after it is manufactured.<br /><br />Bill Eichhorn, director of operations for US Fleet Tracking, has been in Dallas since Jan. 24 preparing for the company’s Super Bowl role. Nothing is left to chance for such events, he said, which is the reality of today’s world.<br /><br />“It’s peace of mind,” he said. “The NFL wants to make sure that the buses going to the stadium are the buses that are supposed to be going there. Also, if the driver veers off course, we can correct him.”<br /><br />US Fleet Tracking also worked last year’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and it will track athletes again next year during the Summer Olympics in London, Eichhorn said.<br />All of that points to the company’s growth. Hunter said his staff has grown to about 30 people, twice what he had last year, and he’s shipping many more products.<br /><br />He also is moving the company into a new building next month near 156th Street and May Avenue.<br /><br />“It’s 18,000 square feet we need badly,” Hunter said. “The data center will be 24 feet by 36 feet, the walls are cinder block that are ‘rebarred’ into the concrete slab … it’s like a storm shelter inside the building, just for the computer room. It gives us a lot more space and room to grow.”Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-4776715476495459132011-01-28T13:37:00.000-08:002011-01-28T13:39:10.271-08:00Employment Gains Predicted in 2011 Greater Oklahoma City Economic ForecastThe Greater Oklahoma City Chamber released its 2011 Greater Oklahoma City Economic Forecast today and the study predicted 1.8 percent job growth in 2011 with continued momentum in 2012 at 2 percent growth. The report was commissioned by the Chamber and prepared by Russell Evans, Director of the Center for Applied Economic Research at Oklahoma State University.<br /><br />“This forecast is very positive for our region,” Greater Oklahoma City Chamber President & CEO Roy Williams said. “Our economic stability and continued growth is vital to our local businesses and in continuing to attract jobs and investment.”<br /><br />According to the report the Oklahoma City MSA will gain approximately 20,000 jobs from 2010 to 2012. This accounts for the expected 3.8 percent job growth when you combine 2011 and 2012.<br /><br />The forecast also showed positive momentum for the cities’ retail market and sales tax collection. Retail sales growth is forecasted to grow 2.5 percent in 2011 before aggressively growing to 5.7 percent in 2012. These numbers reflect Oklahoma City specifically and not the MSA.<br /><br />“The retail sales data is great news,” Williams said. “It shows that while one-time factors like the hail storm did have an impact, sales tax collection in Oklahoma City has bounced back and should continue to grow. The stability of our sales tax base is important to the economic health of our city government and the continued improvements in our infrastructure.”<br /><br />Continued population growth is also expected through 2012. The MSA is forecasted to add nearly 175,000 individuals which should account for half the state’s growth. The total population is project to exceed 1.28 million.<br /><br />The official forecast also looks for gross metro production to grow at just over 5 percent annually through 2012 with personal income expanding at roughly 4.5 percent per year.<br /><br />The report also looks at trends in economic development and highlights that over the past five years, Oklahoma has experienced the fourth-highest percentage gain of leisure and hospitality jobs in the nation at 9.6 percent.<br /><br />The national shift in economic development strategy towards expansion of existing companies is also expected to continue. This emphasizes the importance of focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship as part of the region’s economic development strategy.<br /><br />“The continued shift towards expanding our local companies and promoting entrepreneurship is especially important right now,” Williams said. “We cannot afford to cut programs like EDGE and OCAST and stay competitive with the way economic development is trending nationally.”<br /><br />Read the full <a href="http://www.greateroklahomacity.com/clientuploads/pdf/2011_GreaterOKC_EconomicForecast.pdf">2011 Greater Oklahoma City Economic Forecast</a>.Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8052645927597689975.post-87099252849334557232011-01-21T12:16:00.000-08:002011-01-21T12:21:46.455-08:00Headlines of the Week<strong>Hotel changes reflecting new business plan<br /></strong>BY STEVE LACKMEYER<br />Oklahoman<br />January 18, 2011<br /><br />When relationships change or end, it's not unusual for casual observers to speculate that something between two parties went sour.<br /><br />But in the case of changes taking place with the Colcord Hotel, officials with its owner, Devon Energy Corp., are quick to insist that relations remain strong with the people who risked everything to make the hotel a reality four years ago.<br /><br />It was Paul Coury, who had successfully renovated the Ambassador Hotel in Tulsa, who took the risk and renovated the Colcord from offices to a boutique hotel.<br /><br />Coury, an unsuccessful bidder to redo the Skirvin Hotel, was persuaded by local civic leaders to redirect his efforts at the Colcord, which a few years ago barely qualified as Class C office space.<br /><br />Local restaurant legends, brothers Alain and Michel Buthion, agreed to open an upscale restaurant on the Colcord's ground floor before wall studs went up for any of the future hotel rooms.<br /><br />The first year of operations for the new Colcord Hotel overlapped with the opening of the Skirvin, and combined with miscues at marketing, it was a bit disappointing. But Coury and the Buthions quickly made changes resulting in the Colcord's qualifying as a respectable peer to the Skirvin.<br /><br />Construction of the neighboring 50-story Devon Energy Center tower could have ruined all Coury and the Buthions had accomplished and jeopardized the hotel's operation.<br /><br />But Devon Energy CEO Larry Nichols, who prides himself on his company's focus on oil and gas, did something quite un-Devon-like: he purchased the hotel.<br /><br />In buying the hotel, Devon could assure the hotel's survival, avert hard feelings with Coury by not damaging his financial standing, and invest in improvements Coury was unable to tackle as part of the 2006 renovation. Coury Properties, meanwhile, was retained to operate the hotel with veteran city hotelier Jeff Erwin as general manager.<br /><br />Fast forward a couple of years, and the arrangement was working well. But with two to three restaurants planned as part of Devon Energy Center, Klay Kimker, vice president of administration, realized a “new business model” was needed to streamline the various operations.<br /><br />Looking down the street, Kimker observed John Williams, who had guided the Skirvin as general manager since it reopened in 1997. Williams had decades of experience overseeing restaurants and hotels, and Kimker saw in Williams the ideal person to oversee all of the company's needs in terms of its hotel and restaurant operations.<br /><br />That move ended ties with Coury Properties, though Erwin remains as general manager.<br /><br />Kimker said changes are in store for the Buthions' La Baguette restaurant as well, but he's quick to note that, as with Coury, he's very satisfied with the Buthions' work at the Colcord. The business model may be changing, he says, but no one is rushing the Buthions out the door.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Corpus Christi leaders see local potential after Oklahoma City visit<br /></strong>Group seeks direction in revitalization of downtown<br />By Jessica Savage<br />Corpus Christi Caller Times<br /><br />CORPUS CHRISTI — Local business leaders recently visited Oklahoma City to learn how the city revitalized its downtown, and they say the same results are possible in Corpus Christi.<br /><br />The missing links are a developed bayfront at the site of the demolished Memorial Coliseum and better public transportation to connect downtown with attractions on Corpus Christi Beach and around Whataburger Field.<br /><br />A group of 15 members of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce met in October with Oklahoma City officials. The trip was part of the chamber’s annual field trip meant to educate city and business leaders about ideas that worked for other cities and how some of those could work here. On Tuesday, four of those who went on the trip gave a presentation to City Council.<br /><br />“It showed us what is possible when you have a bold vision and the leadership of the entire community,” said Foster Edwards, chamber president and CEO. “It was so exciting to see what’s possible when that happens.”<br /><br />In the early 1990s, Oklahoma City leaders were trying to revive an economy devastated by the oil bust of the 1980s. They came up with a public-private partnership that called for nine public development projects paid for with sales tax dollars.<br /><br />The partnership has exceeded $3 billion in spending, according to the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. Projects include renovations to the Civic Center Music Hall, building a mile-long Bricktown Canal similar to the San Antonio Riverwalk, a trolley system and opening Ford Center, a 20,000-seat arena home to the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team.<br /><br />John Michael, a Naismith Engineering projects manager who visited Oklahoma City, said the trip helped him see Corpus Christi in a similar light. In the past decade, the city has seen the addition of Whataburger Field, the American Bank Center arena and Packery Channel.<br /><br />“We’ve built a lot of things that they built,” Michael said. “What we haven’t done is packaged it quite like they have.”<br /><br />Over the next several weeks the chamber will compile a list of local attractions and projects the city has financed to enhance local development.<br /><br />“We’re going to use that list as a baseline to determine the things we’re doing right,” Edwards said. “Then that helps you decide what is next.”<br /><br />Edwards pointed to the progress of Destination Bayfront, a grass-roots organization that has proposed a public-private partnership to develop the former site of the coliseum. The group raised $100,000 for a design that includes parks, an extended pier and sites for restaurants and shopping. The group is now estimating the project’s cost and looking at how it should be funded.<br /><br /><strong>Oklahoma's EDGE endowment fund needs to be left whole</strong><br />Oklahoman Editorial<br /><br />ANOTHER challenging budget year awaits members of the Oklahoma Legislature, with a deficit as large as $600 million possible. It's no wonder, then, that there have been whispers about draining the $150 million that sits in a fund designated for the state's long-term economic development.<br /><br />Lawmakers must resist the urge and leave the EDGE fund alone.<br /><br />Formed in 2004 at the urging of former Gov. Brad Henry, who proposed the Economic Development Generating Excellence fund during the first year of his administration, EDGE is just beginning to make an impact in the research and technology fields — where Oklahoma needs to create more jobs.<br /><br />“Oklahoma's EDGE ... parts company with the deluge of past studies aimed at economic development,” Henry wrote in The Oklahoman a few days after EDGE was launched. “This is a call to action, not a call for just another study.”<br /><br />The original goal was to see the EDGE endowment grow to $1 billion, helping to make Oklahoma the “research capital of the Plains.” The Legislature initially seeded it with $90 million in 2005 but didn't protect it, and that money wound up getting used for something else. Legislators came back the following year and made a $150 million deposit, and nothing has been added since.<br /><br />This is unfortunate but also understandable, as Oklahoma's budget picture has soured in recent years and resulted in large cuts to state agencies. That $150 million has been put to good use, though. Earnings from the endowment have been used to provide a total of $24 million to 13 innovators and startups in the past three years.<br /><br />The $5.4 million awarded last year went to three technology companies. The first round of awards, in November 2008, went to assist biotechnology, weather science and aerospace interests. The 2009 recipients were involved in such fields as nanotechnology, science and health.<br /><br />The appeal of the EDGE endowment is clear to those involved in these fields, here in Oklahoma and around the country. Consider that the EDGE policy board, which approves the annual awards, culled the 13 winners from 221 applications.<br /><br />Pulling all or even part of the money out of the EDGE fund would be a real setback. Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, said he hopes such ideas would get scuttled, but that there may be a need to educate newer members of the Legislature about EDGE and its benefit to the state. Raiding the endowment, Bingman said, “would be a one-time, stopgap measure, and that's what we need to get away from in Oklahoma.”<br /><br />It's worth noting that Henry proposed EDGE as the state was pulling itself out from under a large budget deficit. That focus on the future made sense then, and still does.<br /><br /><strong>Four Oklahoma firms make ‘Best Companies to Work For’ list<br /></strong>Chesapeake Energy Corp., QuikTrip, American Fidelity Assurance Co. and Devon Energy Corp. returned to 2011’s list of “Best Companies to Work For” from Fortune magazine.<br />BY PAULA BURKES<br />Oklahoman<br /><br />The 1,495 employees of American Fidelity Assurance Co. were treated to a taco lunch Thursday and were awarded an extra paid day off to use this year.<br /><br />The bonus perks came in celebration of Thursday’s announcement that AFA had made Fortune magazine’s 14th annual list of “100 Best Companies to Work For” — for the eighth straight year.<br /><br />The full list is available online at www.fortune.com/bestcompanies.<br /><br />AFA, which ranked No. 39, was joined by three other Oklahoma companies — Chesapeake Energy Corp. at No. 32, Tulsa-based QuikTrip at No. 34 and Devon Energy Corp. at No. 41.<br /><br />Fortune’s list carries weight in the marketplace, said Sandy Pratt, deputy commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.<br /><br />“It speaks not only to the commitment of our Oklahoma companies to their employees, but also to the quality of the state’s work force,” Pratt said. “By creating this culture of success, it makes Oklahoma a desirable place to live and develop a career.”<br /><br /><em>American Fidelity</em><br />American Fidelity CEO Bill Cameron is anything but passe about his company’s consecutive listings.<br /><br />“We’re excited,” Cameron said. “The competition gets tougher every year as more and more people want to be on the list.”<br /><br />His company ranked 35th on last year’s list; its highest rank was 24 in 2008.<br />Cameron said executives of the 51-year-old family-owned insurance and financial services company run the business conservatively to maintain employee counts and benefits despite the tough economy. He said the company’s spring bonuses — which average about $7,000 per employee — help create a positive work environment.<br /><br />“With the profit-sharing, everybody realizes they’re on the same team, which has a powerful impact on our culture and company’s performance,” Cameron said.<br /><br />San Francisco-based Great Place to Work Institute produces the Fortune list each January. Rankings are based on extensive surveys of hundreds of employees, which account for two-thirds of each company’s score. The other third is based on the companies’ responses to detailed questions about pay, benefit programs, hiring practices, recognition programs, diversity efforts and more.<br /><br />This year, 311 companies were evaluated during the process.<br /><br /><em>QuikTrip<br /></em>It’s the ninth year for QuikTrip to make the Fortune list. The company, which employs 10,936 at convenience stores across the Midwest, moved up seven notches from last year. Its highest ranking was 19 in 2005.<br /><br />Said President and CEO Chet Cadieux: “As our country continues to experience turbulent economic conditions, QuikTrip has stayed true to our culture and core values. The end result,” he said, “has produced tremendous store growth which has allowed us to hire hundreds of new employees as well as give existing employees the opportunity to move up with the company.”<br /><br />QuikTrip averages about 10 percent turnover, compared with an industry average of 110percent, spokesman Mike Thornbrugh said. “When it’s time for new opportunities and advancements, QuikTrip hires from within.”<br /><br /><em>Chesapeake<br /></em>This is the fourth year for Chesapeake and Devon to make the Fortune list. Chesapeake has climbed every year, moving up two notches from 2010.<br /><br />“We have long recognized that our employees are our most valuable asset, and we continue to look for innovative ways to enhance their professional and personal experience at our company,” said CEO Aubrey K. McClendon. “Chesapeake’s unique corporate culture of achievement and innovation, along with cutting-edge benefits, have enabled us to attract and retain what we believe is the best talent in the industry.”<br /><br />Chesapeake has three on-site restaurants for employees at its Oklahoma City headquarters, as well as a state-of-the-art fitness center.<br /><br />The company pays a $1,500 bonus to employees who practice healthy lifestyles.<br />Chesapeake increased its full-time work force by 10 percent over the past year and continues to hire in every facet of its business.<br /><br />The company currently has more than 500 open positions.<br /><br /><em>Devon Energy<br /></em>Fortune praised Devon, among other things, for its recruiting strategies, compensation practices and low turnover rate. Devon’s voluntary turnover rate was 3 percent, among the lowest of any company on Fortune’s list.<br /><br />Fortune’s survey found Devon employees take pride in their work and appreciate the corporate culture, which includes an atmosphere of mutual respect and a commitment to community service.<br /><br />“This tribute recognizes our employees and the positive spirit they bring to their jobs each day. The remarkable corporate culture that has evolved through their work, camaraderie and commitment is at the foundation of our success,” said John Richels, president and chief executive.<br /><br />Employees at Devon’s three largest U.S. offices will celebrate the company’s place on the list Monday at a quarterly social. Smaller field offices will have a catered breakfast.Marcushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10735231966464320300noreply@blogger.com0