June 7, 2024

6/7/2024

Friday | June 7, 2024

Small Businesses Drive The Economy

Big corporations get a lot of press when it comes to creating jobs, but small businesses employ more people and have an easier time pivoting when times get tough. And, if you think about it, all big businesses started small. No one ever opened their doors with thousands of employees. Staff may be repeating ourself, but it bears repeating: 99.9% of all U.S. businesses are made of businesses employing 500 employees or less (SBA's definition of small business).

Now, don't take that the wrong way. We love having Phillips 66 and Lopez Dorada Foods. If you know their origin stories, both of these over 500 employee companies began with a much smaller footprint. And our Ponca City economy applauds their growth. And the growth pattern of all small business in Ponca City.

The Ponca City Chamber does an excellent job celebrating our small businesses in the community. This week, Farm House Kids Co. was awarded June Business of the Month by the Chamber Business Council. Find out more on theirFacebook page or website. Farm House Kids Co ships items all over the United States and has a baby/mama registry online and in-store. Supporting these local companies keeps the Ponca City economy moving on down the road. Beep, beep.

1 Million Cups

Sunny Creek Trading Post was the featured business at 1MC this week at Pioneer Tech. And what a way to close the year than with a homegrown (pun intended) small business, with their eye on food security and local product alignment.

Click here to see the full presentation by Sunny Creek owner Liz Threlkeld. Sunny Creek is a current Pioneer Technology Center Incubator Client, and their Farm Hub store has a storefront at City Central every Monday, 10 am to 6 pm. Sunny Creek participated and received the second high score in the PCDA Business Plan Pitch off competition. For more information on Sunny Creek Trading Post and the Farm Hub Store,find them on Facebook or call Liz at 580.304.3623 or just stop by the store at City Central next Monday.

The Power of Industry Visits

Girl Power Camp is on its ninth year of encouraging Ponca City seventh and eighth-grade girls to explore non traditional careers (for women) at local manufacturing companies. The power of an onsite visit to see the machines, ask questions of the employees and to have the owner of a business like Century Products giving the tour: wow! Jay Fagen, Century Products CEO, showed off equipment by saying "when you work here" and "when you are working with this type of equipment". That is the power of industry right there.

A special thanks to CME, Phillips 66, Century Products, Log10, Cookshack, MakeKings, K&C Manufacturing and WT Architects for taking time to tour your next workforce through all the facilities.

A Good Fix Community

This past week, along with all the other first weekend in June festivities and festivals, The Good Fix crew was back for a fourth time in Ponca City. The numbers for their four days of work are amazing! A big thank you to the Northern Oklahoma Humane Society for being the point person on bringing The Good Fix group to Ponca City.

Big shout out to Ponca City Schools for the use of the High School and to everyone who sponsored, donated or volunteered. PCDA cut loose our two favorite guys to help out one day and we got pictures to prove it. Thanks to everyone for these amazing numbers. Find out all the info on the NOKHS Facebook page.