Approved Ponca City projects for the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program (OIEP) were announced earlier this month. Four companies were accepted into the program for employee tax funding projects for new equipment and construction in the amount of $380,365.00 One of the applicants was bumped up to a bigger program and received $200,000 for their project. The total funding of $580,365.00 will result in an economic impact of $1.9 million for Ponca City. This program is open to......

The New Worldclass Phillips 66 Safety Training Center had its official ribbon cutting this week. Carl Perkins, Refinery General Manager gave a huge thank you to all involved getting this training facility from concept to reality in about a year. The project team is pictured behind him. "This new training facility is world class," Perkins stated. "Phillips 66 is investing not only in our employees and contractors, but all facilities these contractors go on to work at when they leave Ponca City." Boasting a halocave for training (very cool), hazard simulations, an 80 seat training room and much more, this training facility will bolster the Ponca City reputation of safety in the refining/midstream world.

PCDA Staff and Mayor Wagner braved Las Vegas to attend the International Council of Shopping Center (ICSC) tradeshow. This massive show attracts international retailers, countries and communities to connect with each other for three days each May in Las Vegas. The Christmas ornament they are pictured in is not even the biggest one! Meetings were met; Ponca City was talked about, questions were answered and 25,000 steps a day were done to get to all the booths. Exciting times for Ponca City! Stay tuned for new developments.

While a large part of the U.S. workforce is employed for a traditional 40-hour a week schedule, according to Statista, approximately 34% of the workforce is made of gig workers, with half of that number being employed part time. This includes those who work as independent contractors of freelancers, as well as those who use online platforms for gig work. One of the many reasons for this high number of gig workers is childcare. Another, but right in line with childcare, is flexibility. There are many pros and cons for the rise of gig work and workers, both for those that choose to engage and businesses looking to recruit gig workers. Could your company need some gig workers? Find out what makes it so attractive....

Taking place from May 12–16, the week recognizes and honors the dedicated work of economic developers and their contributions to communities around the world. Ponca City Development Authority is proud to be part of this great international organization and participate in the 2025 Economic Development Week, a global initiative led by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). This year PCDA celebrates our partners....

The Ponca City Main Street hosted Tools for your Business on Tuesday this week, bringing together small businesses and local resources. The local resources may have done more networking, but that benefits all of us, yes? SBA, Pioneer Technology Business & Industry, Oklahoma Department of Commerce and many others were in attendance. Thank you to everyone who participated, and special thanks to Ponca City Main Street for hosting the event.

Staff love visitors to City Central. With the addition of Sunny Creek Trading Post, field trips and out of town visitors are a regular thing now. Last week there was also the Young Artists Display which was AMAZING! Such talented kiddos we have here in Ponca City.

FYI. Sunny Creek Trading Post will be closed next Thursday, May 15th. They are receiving an award in OKC! More news on that to come!

Economically speaking, a vibrant downtown makes for a vibrant city but also serves as a hub for commerce. We pay our bills downtown. Grandparents mail packages to their grandchildren downtown. My husband is gonna buy me that ring I really want in the jewelry store downtown, I just know it. And we still have fun things to do downtown like Main Street Ladies Night, Ice on the Plaza and Crazy Days. We still have parades for the rodeo, Veterans Day and Christmas. Hundreds of people work downtown, we shop downtown, we eat downtown...... 

One of PCDA's favorite months is May! Small business is the backbone of most economies; Especially in Ponca City. Only two companies exist locally that fall outside the small business definition. We love both of them, but May is to celebrate the other 95% of industry, retail and service small businesses.

Earth Day, Arbor Day, Spring Cleaning.....all the springtime feels are in the air as April comes to a close. Staff was opening mail (insert bills) when the ONG bill insert caught our attention. It was dedicated to digging and how to be safe. Which, if you don't know, call 811 to find out what is on your property (gas, water, electric lines) before you dig. But the other interesting item was about Cross Bores. Yes, we find these things interesting. Read more about why your sewer problem may not be a sewer problem.....

PCDA is proud to congratulate Sunny Creek Trading Post on their store's One Year Anniversary in the City Central location. This is a big, local deal! PCDA staff and the building tenants are happy to support this locally stocked and produced Farm Hub Store. If you haven't stopped in, what are you waiting for? Some of the items available are local food and house plants, jams, jellies, flour, syrups, health/wellness supplies, sourdough bread, snacks, cookies and so much more! Take a few minutes and drop by to wish them a happy one year, support one or more of their 50 producers and see what is new. Hint: Sunny Creek Eats!

Everything! Staff has hosted well attended focus sessions with partners, local leaders and the Ponca City Leadership Alumni over the past few months. And they have been great! The consensus from all the groups was Ponca City needs to keep moving forward; and all the great events, programs, recreation available here in Ponca City need a more effective platform. Everyone receives information differently: paper, media, reading, listening, word of mouth, etc...

This week was the Internship & Career Fair held at PoHi for Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. The "Career" part of this event was for the Seniors. Mostly. For Sophomores and Juniors who are pretty sure they know what they want to be when they grow up, this is an opportunity to chat up businesses in their areas of interest. And those students still exploring options, a chance to ask questions. And with over 45 local companies, organizations and military recruiters participating this year, it was a packed house, errrr, gymnasium.

It is that time of year: time for companies to apply to the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program. Jeremy Stoner presented to a group of businesses, most of them new to the program. Those who are part of these fantastic numbers already plan to apply for the program for upcoming capital investment projects. The applications open next Monday, March 31st and will close on Friday, April 11th.

Business on the Balcony is back for its sixth year! If you want to meet local business people, get to know the City Central tenants or are just new to town and looking for your tribe, this is the place to be. On the Balcony. Tuesday, April 8th is the first B on the B for 2025. 7 to 9 a.m. Yes, A.M. In the morning; at sunrise; before work. A little bit of breakfast; and a whole lot of networking. Bring your business questions and some business cards and let's see what we can create; On the Balcony.

You might have heard of the Business Plan Competition Pitch-off that PCDA holds each year to offer incentives and support to start-up and young new businesses in Ponca City. PCDA Staff and Trustees are proud to announce another small business support program called PHASE II, which supports second-stage funding needs. Sunny Creek Trading Post, with the assistance of Janet Schwabe, the PTech Incubator Manager, applied for and received a grant from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry (ODAFF) to purchase new equipment. Here was the "but for" that triggers PCDA programs......

The Kaw Nation has their Kanza Human Development Division in the City Central Building. KHDD's mission is to nurture growth from cradle to college and beyond for their tribal members and extended community. This office assists with tutors, employment and training, summer camps, college readiness and education resources such as school supplies to support their members and beyond. Kanza participates in Ponca Works Job Fairs and other Kaw Tribal services have events in the building. Make sure to check out their website for all the details.

Congratulations to our new Mayor Elect Kelsey Wagner. And good job Ponca City for getting out there and voting. With almost 2000 votes for Mayoral Candidates Kelsey Wagner and Diane Anderson, Ponca City showed how much they care about community leadership. Make sure to check out Mayor Elect Wagner's Thank you video by clicking below.

Mayor Nicholson will preside over his last meeting on Monday, February 24 and swear-in our new Mayor. Come out to his Celebration Reception at 4 pm that day and stay for the meeting to watch him bang the gavel one last time.

One of the legacies of Mayor Nicholson will be the Santa Fe Depot Restoration Project here in Ponca City. Mayor Nicholson has been at every meeting, championed the passenger rail coming back to Ponca City and been loud and proud about bringing the depot back to life and service.

Make sure to attend the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Depot Restoration on Monday, Feb 17 at 1:00 pm. Kudos to the City of Ponca City and especially the Grant Department gurus Rhonda Skrapke & Kacey Flanery.

Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program (OIEP) representative Jeremy Stoner will present information at the PCDA hosted meeting at Pioneer Technology Center on Thursday, February 27th. Be in the Conference Room at 11:30 to grab some lunch and get a funding tutorial on the OIEP opportunities for your company. Lunch is on PCDA. The project is up to you. Check out this information sheet and RSVP for the luncheon presentation to Kat by Wednesday, February 26th at 580.765.7070 or [email protected].

PCDA would like to congratulate Century Products for receiving the 2024 Industry of the Year Award last week at the Ponca City Chamber Banquet. This company is growing by leaps and bounds and staff could not be more proud. Staff is also excited to announce an incentive agreement with Century Products, LLC. This collaboration will support Century Products' $2.5 million expansion project, which includes the acquisition of new equipment....... 

The Ponca City Main Street organization became a City Central Tenant very early after the building opened in May 2019. With offices on the second floor, across the hall from PCDA, Main Street is always available for their downtown merchants to drop by or have one of their investor meetings in City Central.

Find out more about Ponca City Main Street, their Downtown Streetscape Project partnership with the City of Ponca City and much more by clicking below or follow them on FB.

Phase I of the Icon Theater building has been completed. Waldorf Riley Heating & Plumbing won the bid in December to complete work on the Icon Theater HVAC units. Phase II will be roof work to be conducted by American Roofing.

PCDA, as a public trust, put both of these projects out for public bid. Trustees and staff are please with the timeliness of this project and hope to announce some approximate opening dates for Icon Theatres in the near future. Read the complete press release below....

PCDA is pleased to announce that Log10 LLC, a microbiology lab specializing in the production of probiotics, has acquired the spec building it has called home since 2015. This milestone underscores Log10’s commitment to Ponca City and highlights the company’s significant contributions to the local economy and industrial ecosystem.

Log10 LLC was originally recruited to Ponca City by PCDA in 2015 and found its home in a state-of-the-art spec building designed to attract manufacturing companies. Over the past decade, Log10 has transformed the building into a cutting-edge facility with more than $10 million invested...

PCDA would like to welcome Bealls to Ponca City! With over three quarters of a million dollars of improvement to this shopping center location, Bealls willl provide Ponca City with another option for department store merchandise. If you would like to apply for a job with Bealls, managers will be accepting applications and conducting interviews in February here at City Central. Stay Tuned for more information.

PCDA would like to congratulate Century Products for receiving the 2024 Industry of the Year Award last week at the Ponca City Chamber Banquet. This company is growing by leaps and bounds and staff could not be more proud. Staff is also excited to announce an incentive agreement with Century Products, LLC. This collaboration will support Century Products' $2.5 million expansion project, which includes the acquisition of new equipment....... 

With over 125 interns placed throughout the Ponca City community, Staff thought it would be fun to catch up with some of them at their work locations.

First up is Elizabeth Coffman. This PoHi Senior is stretching her artistic capabilities at A+ Printing and Oklahoma Labels. Make sure to click the link below to read all about how A+ is showing her a future in art and design while teaching valuable customer service and media management skills.

If your business is interested in hosting an intern next year, please contact Cristyn Casey, Internship Coordinator at

Ponca City High School, STEM Room A203

(580) 718-4878, [email protected]

As you may or may not know, The City Central building at 400 E. Central Ave is owned and managed by PCDA. Currently at 100% occupancy, staff cannot really market office space, though we encourage everyone to check out other office buildings downtown like Eastin Properties and Jodi Cline's building at 4th and Grand.

Recently, the City of Ponca City opened their court offices in City Central to remain open during their building renovations. Court hours are Monday thru Thursday, 8 to 6 and Fridays 8 to 11:30 am.

Our 30 hour, Soft Skills Certification workshops are Monday-Friday from 9am-3:30pm 

January 20-24 in our Work Ready office

February 3-7 in our Work Ready office 

There is room for more participants than usual, so if you are between jobs, this could be your next job opportunity. Give them a phone call at 580.718.4237 to get signed up or ask any questions you might have. Work Ready Ponca City is located in City Central, 3rd Floor Suite 307.

OUT WITH THE OLD!! New Year, New You! Stock up now! BOGO ____. Whatever the sale, let that be your January Slogan for your business. This is a great time to purge old inventory, mark down things to move and bring new people in the door. What is your marketing theme for the first quarter of 2025? 25 things for sale? Collaborating with another business? Use the news and/or politics. Stock up before the Inauguration. Everything changes; start now.

Make 2025 a great year for your business. Start now.

There are many activities this time of year and only with consumer support, will these businesses be around next year during Christmas. The Poncan Theatre hosts the Evans Children's Performing Arts Group and is showing first-run movies. Find out more at their website www.poncantheatre.org.

A new venue downtown is The Alley with karaoke nights, open mic nights, live music and private party availability. Find out more at their website TheAlleyPC.com.

And don't miss the Ponca Playhouse production of "The Little Prince" coming up January 24th. Find out show times and get your tickets at PoncaPlayhouse.com.

There is always something to do in Ponca City. And this is just the downtown Main Street area. You just have to know where to look.

The City Central building is close to 100% capacity. One of the newest tenants, Sunny Creek Farm Hub Store, continues to grow adding a third day each week. Now Open Mon, Tues & Wed. 10 to 6 pm. Sunny Creek is one of 18 farm hubs in the state of Oklahoma selling hyper local (within 30 miles) and local (Oklahoma/Kansas) products.

Sunny Creek is always seeking new producers for the store. Stop in and chat with Liz or Val about your homemade products that may be a fit for the Farm Hub Store. Check out the locally made sourdough and baked items, jellies, farm eggs and much more.

PCDA commissioned a housing study for the Ponca City area this year. If you want to read the whole thing, check it out here. Basically, it confirmed the need for housing in Ponca City in the $150,000 to $300,000 range with at least three bedrooms and two baths. Got it. With assistance from the City of Ponca City....,

Oklahoma Housing Stability Program provides 0% interest construction loans for the new construction of single-family homes and for single and multifamily rental housing. Again, if you as a construction professional or investor have ever kicked around the idea of building homes, check out this Oklahoma program. Applications are being accepted now. There are still funds in the Ponca City HIP 2.0 program and the PCDA Incentive program for housing. Two more OHFA application due dates: November 20 and January 2025

It's hard to look at your small business objectively. If you own a retail establishment, how is the flow and shop-ability of your store? Do you like it because it looks pretty or because merchandise sells? This is called merchandising and it is why larger retailers "reset" their shelves and move products around at least twice a year. And so should you. Need an extra set of eyes? Give Kat a call and let PCDA help you create more sales.

In May/June of this year, PCDA Trustees and City Commissioners voted to add housing and retail assistance to our trust indenture. This means that PCDA can now work with and incentivize these sectors.  

What does that mean? Keep reading to find out. Click the link below.

For many years, every time staff went to a trade show or conference, the main topic of discussion was "where is the workforce?" Recruiters, companies, industries: all wanted to know where they could find their next manager, next machinist, welder, accountant, etc... This year, at the FabTech show in Orlando, Florida, it appears the topic has changed. Check out what Laurence Beliel has to say about the new conversations......

PCDA is happy to have an PoHi Intern this year. Meet Jordan Varbel. She has fit right in here in our crazy PCDA/City Central office. Jordan has jumped right in with building event calendars, creating Halloween doors and putting together Excel spreadsheets. She may or may not be a bit terrified of answering the phone, but with a little practice, we will conquer her telephone-phobia.

You don't want to miss the Fall Ladies Night tonight, Friday November 1st. Grab some of your gal pals and check out all the shops and pop-ups downtown. Even if you just need to de-stress from the week, get some of your pre-Christmas gift shopping (or at least idea gathering) in while walking around downtown. Food, drink and be merry!

It's hard to see in the graphic, but for the second consecutive quarter in 2024, Ponca City ranked in the top 10 for lowest cost of living in the United States. Oklahoma has three communities in the top ten with Oklahoma City ranking #5, Ponca City ranking #7 and Muskogee ranking #10. Cost of living numbers are based on several things including automotive, housing, food, services and entertainment. Ponca City has an 18% lower cost of living than the normal (100%). Highest cost of living numbers go to the east and west coasts.

For you data wonks out there, let staff introduce you to the many layers of information which can be found on Census.gov. If you want accurate stats from 2024, you are going to have to pay for that information. However, if you want to see what our county looks like from an employed, population and industry standing, click on the link below for the 2022 statistics from the U.S. Census County Business Patterns. Suspense killing you? Click the link below to see Kay County data.