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Weekly Updates

02/26/10

Development Authority
WEEKLY UPDATE
February 26, 2010

THIS WEEK....in addition to the above, or perhaps we should say the above supported this, PCDA did submit one new proposal this week. We also lined up a very important piece to a proposal we submitted before this week started. PCDA was also in OKC talking about renewable energy and important state steps to position Oklahoma for this critical future industry. We also met with some utility people from a quasi state agency who talk a good game about renewable energy but then excused themselves because 1980 called and wanted their perspective back. PCDA was also active with census activity in advance of the April 1st census day rallies that will occur throughout the county, (and, no, we're not foolin and we didn't pick the date). We toured two different companies through buildings this week to see if there was a fit for these companies. We also talked some people off of the ledge due to a business announcement last week that will likely be good news for Ponca City, (more later) but that some people were concerned about, given the lingering national and local recession.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...START YOUR BUSINESS...if you know or are an entrepreneur, you will laugh at the idea of one attending a conference on how to be one. Nevertheless, there is a wide support network of support for entrepreneurs who do seem to respond better to conferences then a real businessperson and such a gathering was held in OKC this week. PCDA was there because, well, we fall into that latter group and we really do want to make sure the environment for entrepreneurial support is firmly established in Ponca City. Entrepreneurs need mentor networks which is fancy hotel conference talk, (fhct) for someone to ask, "How did you do that?" They also need linkages to the supply chain, fhct lingo for "where do I buy that." They also need understand compliance issues, fhct for the right forms at the right time. They also need to identify and access funding opportunities, fhct for "Money." Most use family, friends and credit cards but some can actually get loans. The OKC conference helped PCDA and other big helpers identify some of these resources.

HARD TO BELIEVE...that the news out of our nation's capitol this week was about a car company and a health care summit when PCDA was in town. We managed to duck the reporters in Washington, forcing them to cover the less interesting stories, while we walked the halls meeting with the Oklahoma Congressional delegation about the UML and a specific grant for which PCDA has applied in order to grow jobs here. We also attended the annual Oklahoma State reception at the capitol, another opportunity to corner important people as they reached for that second brownie, (you need to have dirt on these people). The mood in DC is political, as you might guess, and we did have the opportunity to apologize for once thinking that we might want a Toyota plant here. One does not go the "the Hill" (fhct) and bring back a hide for the wall but the indications were that the trip will produce results.

UPCOMING...

 Thur. Mar 4th: Census Assembly, Pioneer Technology Ctr, 9 a.m., Call 765.7070 for info
 Fri. Mar 5th: Tonkawa Business Park Certification Celebration Ceremony, 11 am, Tonkawa
 Thur. Mar 11th:: PCDA Trustees March meeting, 7:30 am, Chamber of Commerce

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