go ponca

Weekly Update

04/18/08

April 18, 2008

PAPEL WAVE...PCDA was in Washington DC this week which no doubt was the reason Pope Benedict scheduled his visit for the same time. As his eminence stood at the White House on Wednesday, PCDA was leaving from Reagan Airport, flying just south of where his Holiness was. From 5,000 feet, we weren't sure if the wave was for PCDA but we like to think the best, (calm down Rich, it's a joke). On a more secular note, PCDA met with members of Congress and their staff this week on the hill to discuss the UML, (good), workforce funding cuts, (bad) roads serving Indians nations (good, or at least we want it to stay good), HUB zones, (for ‘em) the Ponca City economy, (good) US 177 widening, (please) and a variety of other federal issues. Those boys and girls are busy back there and they were gracious and interested in Ponca City issues, even Oklahoma congressional members from other districts. Walking the halls, we ran into several other Oklahoma communities and government agencies, including one from Ponca City, doing the same thing. Small world huh?

WE ARE NOT ALONE...Whilst in DC, PCDA met with three different companies, one of whom would like to come here, (Tuesday's dinner) and two others that don't yet know they want to come here, (Monday). One of them, an Arizona company was, (what's the phrase?) ticked off at Arizona's new immigration law. Seems it's patterned after Oklahoma's (he didn't know that) and this business owner is not happy. Hum. Well, we had to tell him that we have a similar law and before he said "see ya," we did tell him about how Ponca City is trying to grapple with workforce issues beyond legislative concerns. He was impressed but not sold.

STICKS IN THE AIR....if you haven't been on the west side of the Airport Industrial Park, what kind of an economic development groupie are you? The sticks in question are the Encompass Tool building going up, literally, like now. The building will be 23,000 square feet when it's completed later this year. So take the camera, grab the kids, go have your picture taken. PCDA is working with three other companies on projects in the same area.

THE QUESTION...if you work in economic development, the question you fear most is the oft asked, "So what's going on?" You don't fear it because of the level of things going on, you fear it because economic development is not a series of announcements waiting to be made, but rather a catalyst for economic growth. For those who value announcements, however, here is "what's going on:" In addition to ongoing construction of the Encompass Tool and Continental Technologies projects, (the latter is the formerly Bob) PCDA is working on proposals for seven companies as you read this. This is not a "this is what we have and this is what it costs," deal but rather "What do you need and how can we help you get that so that you'll do whatever you do in Ponca City," thing. In other words, it's not selling anything, it's crafting a solution that meets their needs and meshes with the goals of Ponca City.

UPCOMING...

 Mon. Apr. 21st: Small Business Day at the State Capitol, 1:00-5:00; Info: 405.235.3669

 Fri. Apr. 25th: Kay County Jail Public Forum. 7 a.m, Poncan Theater

 Fri. Apr. 25th: Taste and Tasteless, 6 pm-Hutchins/8 pm-Ponca Theater. Call 765.0493

Ponca City Development Authority. 102 S. Fifth Street, Ste. 3, Ponca City, OK 74601

580.765.7070/580.765.0969-fax, email dmyers@goponca.com, www.goponca.com