go ponca

Weekly Update

05/23/08

SPEAKING OF PCDA....thank you, we don't mind if we do. Last week, PCDA spoke to the Board of Realtors. The week before that, we spoke to the Kiwanis. We also thank Pioneer Tech's Teresa Smith for discussing PCDA doins at the Kiwanis last week as well. Here's the pitch, if you would like PCDA to come speak to your group, club, foursome, whatever, let us know. The fact that we're making this pitch just two months before the special election to consider extending the economic development sales tax is, naturally, just a coincidence. Call the PCDA office at 580.765.7070 or email us at infor@goponca.com to schedule someone.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS HOPEFULLY WON'T STAY THERE...The Chamber of Commerce, hizzoner the Hominator, Bowker Properties and PCDA were in Lost Wages this week for the annual International Council of Shopping Centers show. This is the big confab that brings together retailers and shopping center developers and provides an opportunity for communities to get in front of retailers and tell their stories. PCDA cannot provide assistance for retailers but we can support the Chamber and the City in the effort and we can meet with the development community to promote a number of things beyond retail. This is a tough year for retailers but the show population was strong and interest in Ponca City was high. Also, many chains are closing stores this year, not opening them, but a few others are still looking at new markets. As in the past, we often have to sell Oklahoma before we can start selling Ponca City and we were joined by Duncan in our booth and Oklahoma City just down the aisle to do just this. Retailers need to have a certain mass of stores in an area before they will consider extending that reach due to supply chain issues. This is a long term process so no company sits at the show and says, "I want to open a new store, if only someone would tell me where." The retail environment, hit hard by high gas prices and very tight labor markets may take a while to recover but we must position Ponca City specifically and Oklahoma in general now.

PCDA JUNE MEETING DATE CHANGED...the date for the June meeting of the PCDA Board of Trustees has been changed from June 12th to June 13th...for those keeping score.

SPEAKING OF KEEPING SCORE...the current PCDA project list has 16 jobs and two leads so we'd thought we share a little about them. Two are aviation projects, (that is they would be at the airport); two are business services projects and twelve are manufacturing projects. One of the leads is a business services project and the other is in manufacturing. Of the manufacturing projects, seven and attraction projects and three are expansion projects. Expansion projects have a much higher success rate for reasons you can no doubt guess.

UPCOMING...

 Mon. May 26th: Memorial Day; PCDA offices closed

 Fri. May 30th: OK Gateway Regional Meeting, 10:30 a.m., Tonkawa

 Tue. June 3rd: UML Grand Opening Ceremony

 Fri. June 13th: PCDA Trustees June meeting, (changed from June 12th)

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