Ask your kids how they want to live, not what they want to be. Let’s change the dynamic of what that job/career or college looks like by framing it with what kind of life does the next generation want? And how to find out what kind of life? Internships are a great way for students to figure that out. Is your high schooler a night owl? Mornings grim around the house? Maybe a second-shift job is where they will shine. How will they know?

By experiencing those jobs as an intern with the potential for second-shift hours. Jobs/careers include hospitality/restaurant, manufacturing, robotics, hospital 2^nd shift, and overnight careers such as nursing, CNA, respiratory therapist, technology, maintenance and repair, and on and on. Many of these jobs have vocational certifications, on-the-job training, and apprenticeships as well as the traditional college route.

But back to the question: “How do they want to live?” This question has so many avenues of discussion including housing, marriage, work, travel, life/work balance…. You get the picture, yes? Let’s face it: Ponca City, like many other communities, is currently in the workforce attraction and retention business. To keep our future workforce right here in Ponca City is going to take alignment to school, to work, and to play. Internships are a great way to expose your student to the jobs that best fit their wanted lifestyle, so ask them “How do you want to live?” and let’s get to work on that. Right here in Ponca City.

Dalin Sacket (left) and Annie Leaming have internships at Integris Health this semester. They are scheduled in two-week rotations in each hospital department.  

Annie is a junior at Ponca City High School interested in pursuing a career in medicine. This is her first semester in the Wildcat Internship Program at Integris Health. The internship program at Integris Health sets up bi-weekly rotations in many different departments.

Annie says “I have experienced so many interesting things through my internship at Integris and I’ve only been there for three weeks! One of my most memorable experiences is scrubbing in for a C-section my first week in Labor and Delivery. I will never forget the energy and excitement I felt that day. I’ve learned so much and so quickly by being immersed in the environment every day during school. I can’t wait for the upcoming weeks and my new rotations!”

If you have always wanted to start a business or are currently running a hobby business that has potential, there are some free resources out there for you. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has several free resources from writing a business plan to valuing a business to buy.

The PCDA Business Plan Competition is right around the corner in April. If you want to pitch your business plan for the chance at $5000 in incentives, here is your roadmap. Click here to find out more about building a business plan and see below for the Pitch-off information sheet. Business Plans are due on Monday, March 18th and the PItch-off is Tuesday, April 2nd. Find out more information at Goponca.com.

If your company is expanding, thinking about capital projects or adding more capacity, you need to attend the meeting on Tuesday, March 5th hosted by PCDA at Pioneer Technology Center. Jeremy Stoner from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce will be presenting information on the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program (OIEP).

Last year eight local companies including Centerline Inc., CSE Bliss, Custom Mechanical Equipment, Head Country, Heather Cannon Honda, K&C Manufacturing Inc., M J & H Fabrication, and Rick Scott Construction were awarded a combined amount of $450k from the (OIEP). This program's application period begins on April 1 and ends on April 12, 2024. This event will be held at Pioneer Technology Center on Tuesday, March 5th in room B131, and attendees will go through the cafeteria line for lunch. PCDA is sponsoring the lunch.

RSVP to [email protected] if you would like to find out more about this program. Application is easy, but there are stipulations including number of employees (you need some) and of course, the deadlines.

City Central is proud to welcome Work Ready Oklahoma (WRO), in Suite #307 to the City Centrla building. WRO is open for business, with an official Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on March 14th at 10 am. WRO delivers integrated services to help Oklahomans rapidly regain employment, mitigate their risk of future job loss and advance along career pathways.

All of that to say, this office has the best people to assist Ponca Citians find, and keep, employment in quality jobs. Training; temporary remote office space and more. Give them a call at 580.718.4237 or just stop by their office and see what they are all about. Fae, Cena and Dondi are ready to assist you.

Sunny Creek Trading Post, a local new business has entered the Pioneer Tech Business Incubator. Spearheaded by entrepreneur Elizabeth Threlkeld, Sunny Creek Trading Post brought Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) produce and value-added boxes to the Ponca City area in the summer and fall of 2023.

Now in the second year of Sunny Creek, Elizabeth and Courtney (pictured here) are hosting pop-up shops at City Central and working with local producers to bring together the best food and supplies Kay County agriculture can grow and manufacture. Just ask them. Congratulations on being accepted in the Pioneer Tech Incubator and for passing their health inspection with flying colors. Onward! Find them on Facebook at Sunny Creek Trading Post.

This week, the PCDA February Board of Trustee meeting agenda was jam-packed with discussion items such as the upcoming Desigh 2 Part show happening in March, the process for finding PCDA's next fearless leader, and of course, discussion on housing, retail, childcare and workforce attraction and retention. Spec Building Duke was talked about, as pretty, ready-to-be-leased buildings often are as well as updates on the elevator project at City Central and flood plains in the AIP. January staff reports included 33 contacts with new industry, 62 "how you doin?" with regional partnership and over 125 "How can we assist?" meetings at City Central. There were three leads which brought total projects to three. One major announcement that staff proudly shared with Trustees and visitors, was the fact the PCDA's Accredited Economic Development Organization (AEDO) visit last month went very well. So well, that PCDA has been resoundingly approved for accreditation by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for another three years.

Why is this accreditation important? Several reasons. Accreditation from the IEDC unequivocally proclaims PCDA as an excellent and high-functioning economic development office. Which in turn showcases Ponca City as a community ready and able to participate in the highest levels of economic development. Examples include supporting a new company such as Trailer Butler or Century Products. And assisting an existing company to grow and diversify such as CPM Bliss. Log10 or Dorada Foods. All of these companies were showcased during the AEDO Team site visit in January. Staff loves to talk about our companies and projects, but when we can show them off in person: that is showstopping! Special thanks to our AEDO Team visitors Fred Welch, Executive Director from Copperas Cove, Texas (right) and Jim Fram, Community Growth Strategies from Columbia, Missouri (far left). And a round of applause for all our companies, City officials, Pioneer Technology peeps, and all who participated in this visit.

PCDA Trustee Erik Peitz was able to watch his son make Friends this week at a school signing. Evan Peitz signed to play football at Friends University in Kansas. And we all need friends, right? Trustee Peitz was heard saying at the PCDA Board of Trustee Meeting this week that Friends University is a good fit for his son who intends to study business.

Perhaps Ponca City has a third generation getting ready to steer Custom Mechanical Equipment in future decades. Gotta love a legacy family business! Congratulations to the Peitz Family and especially to Evan.

The Link First Friday's February presentation by Cindi Carter of the SBA was a wealth of information for those attending. These entrepreneurs enjoyed a little lunch and a whole lot of financial program overviews available from the Small Business Administration.

Make sure to mark your calendar for the return of Business on the Balcony, Tuesday, April 9th in the PCDA office and balcony. Invite new to Ponca City individuals as this networking breakfast is a great way to find your tribe here in Ponca City. And of course, don't forget the avocado sourdough toast. We won't. If you need more information on SBA programs, please do not hesitate to contact our local representative Ben Evans at Pioneer Tech at 580.716.4262.

Shawndra Sheik, owner of Waymakers Floral was the small business presenter this week at 1 Million Cups. Shawndra started a silk floral business for event rentals during COVID and was approached by the owners of Grand Flowers to purchase their business located at 111 E. Grand Ave. And the rest, makes for a wonderful business story.

Take a few minutes and listen to Shawndra's business presentation as well as the great Q&A session. She is being presented her very own 1MC cup by Brook Lindsay, PTech Business Solutions Coordinator.

The legendary college basketball coach John Wooden, who won ten NCAA national basketball championships (think March Madness) at UCLA, was famous for his focus on fundamentals. Wooden would start each season by making sure that players knew how to tie their shoes correctly. Now you don’t have to be a college basketball fan to know that few people ever got famous for their ability to tie their shoes. It doesn’t make the papers but if your shoes don’t support you when you are pivoting to the basket, you’re not going to be successful.

This long-winded commercial for fundamentals is brought to you because at next week’s PCDA Board of Trustees meeting, there are two stark examples of PCDA’s support of business fundamentals that will be on the agenda. Neither are Facebook fodder or media magnets but they are very important to how an economy is grown. The first is PCDA’s co-sponsorship of a trade show mission with three Ponca City companies to Texas in March. This mission provides a chance for Ponca City companies to get in front of a wider audience of potential customers. A machine in Ponca City does not care if it makes a product for the oil and gas industry or if it makes a product for the automotive industry. But you have to meet the potential customers in the automotive industry to get that work (and provide more local jobs). Not super sexy but super meaningful in terms of economic growth.

The second is providing an incentive to a local manufacturing company to get an industry certification. These certifications tell potential customers that you follow all of the dos and don’ts in making a product and make your business oh-so-much-more attractive to new customers who don’t know you. If a trusted third party is vouching for you (aka: the certification) their risk in doing business with you is so much less and gives you a clear advantage over competitors who do not have that industry certification. This kind of business fundamentals don’t make the front page but they are helping local businesses pivot to new customers, which successful businesses must constantly do. They also put upward pressure on Ponca City paychecks…and produce more of them.

Staff was excited about Duke receiving occupancy status with the City. But a pretty building is worth a thousand words. With the painting of the railing and some soon-to-be-laid sod, the spec building Duke is ready and waiting for its new tenant. Do you know a company seeking a 39,000 square foot building, with office space, storage and some really nice overhead doors? Have we got a building for you!

Tours scheduled when needed. Laurence would love to show you all the features and talk all things manufacturing for this new build in the Airport Industrial Park. Contact the office at 580.765.7070 or shoot Laurence an email.

The PCDA Job Fair held this week in The Link Coworking area was a resounding success from a participation standpoint. 15 employers chatted with, received applications and even conducted some interviews during the five-hour job fair.

Staff will report later on how many were hired (we hope a lot) when we get those stats back. The Kanza Job Fair will take place on Thursday, February 29th in the Summit at City Central, 11 to 3 pm.. Make sure to check out open positions at Goponca.com. Let's get to work!

Start your February off with some coffee and networking at One Million Cups, on Wednesday, February 7th at Pioneer Technology Center. The business presentation is at 8:30 am, but head over a little early for some conversation with local business people and resource coordinators. You will learn stuff and be working at the same time.

The location is in the atrium by the cafeteria and there will be coffee and conversations. Need breakfast? The PTech cafeteria serves until 8 am. This month's business is Waymakers Floral with owner Shawndra Sheik telling her business story.