February 2, 2024

2/2/2024

Friday | February 2, 2024

One, Two: Tie Your Shoes

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.

Ain't She Pretty?

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.

Job Fair Success

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!

1 Million Cups

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.