May 12, 2023

5/12/2023

LEADS…If you look at the PCDA log right now, the number of leads this year is big. It goes along with some of the headlines you may have seen about big projects that came close to coming to Oklahoma only to end up in Kansas or Ontario. With the pandemic now officially behind us, a lot of companies are looking to capitalize on the many shifts that the last several years have brought. All of the leads that resulted in news stories which you have heard about have been leads that PCDA has seen. Most, particularly the big ones, wanted stuff that Ponca City does not have. You do not go, for example, to Lowe’s for bread. When a company wants 100 MW of electricity everyday (more than the current use in Ponca City on a hot August day), they are not going to come to Ponca City.

Perhaps more significantly, if a company projects that they will employ 3,500 people, they are going to go somewhere that has those people available (think close enough to an urban center). This is not a “build it and they will come” situation. You can do that with a spec building, but you cannot simply create people or install massive infrastructure on speculation. So what does work? You have probably not heard about the small manufacturing company from another state that just moved in downtown. You have heard about NextGen, the new tenants of the big hangar at the airport. You may also know about expansions at existing Ponca City companies. These do not generate headlines but they do generate jobs and they have been regular occurrences in Ponca City. The local economy is quite healthy right now. The goal, of course, is to keep it that way, not to create headlines just to pat ourselves on the back.

CORRECTION FROM LAST WEEK

TRADE SHOW BRIGADE.....last week staff chatted about collaboration and then dropped the ball by not giving a shout-out to Centerline (also pictured below). Centerline has been participating in this trade show collaboration since its inception and staff apologizes for the miss. Thank you Centerline!

Precision Tool/Cadrex; Source Fabrication; K&C Manufacturing, Centerline Inc. and Moonlight Machine.

WILL WELD FOR.....ice cream. The annual two-day Weld to Work program, sponsored by MJH Fabrication, wrapped up on May 11. Ten Career Tech students from around the region competed in this year’s event. The top winners received very nice welding, equipment and supplies, and were also offered a job upon completion of their school’s program.

As a treat for a job well done and in recognition of teachers, appreciation, week, the Welding Program instructor, Ian Freeman,(R) received a delivery of an ice sandwich from Pioneer Tech Administrative Staff members (L-R) Kendra Knight, Kahle Goff, and Ryan Burkett. The camera person did not receive an ice cream sandwich (which was disappointing).

YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO ATTEND....Motivational speaker and author Kevin Brown is passionate about helping people and organizations embrace a simple philosophy that separates world-class organizations and high-performance people from everybody else - he calls it The HERO Effect®. Through his books and presentations, Kevin entertains, inspires, and challenges people to show up every day and make a positive difference at work and in life! Tickets are $20 each or you can purchase a table of 10 for $200. Contact 718-4222 for more information. Thank you to the sponsors Bobby Garrett, Renfro Family Foundation, First National Bank, PCDA, Quality Pools & Spas, RCB Bank, Evans & Associates, & Pioneer Tech.

B ON THE B.... had some new faces show up on the Balcony and also in the office area. If you are new to the area or just want to get a little networking in before 8 am, make sure to mark your calendar for Tuesday, June 13 to attend the next Business on the Balcony @City Central, suite #200. And yes, there really is a balcony. There were a few non-believers about the whole "balcony thing".

Pictured: L to R: Samantha Goodno, Brook Lindsay, Pioneer Tech and Jackie Blackwell.

HEAR FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES..... and ask them how Ponca City can support their growth. 1 Million Cups happens the first Wednesday of each month. This month Grand Mental Health presented their business story to local community leaders and business owners. If you would like to tell your story or attend 1 Million Cups,click here to see the presentation. Call Brook Lindsay at Pioneer Tech to get more information or get signed up. This is another marketing/networking opportunity. And did we mention it is free? We even have coffee.

Pictured: L to R: Samantha Goodno, Brook Lindsay, Pioneer Tech and Jackie Blackwell.

TACOFEST......a celebration of Cinco de Mayo was this past Saturday in Central Fare and Central Courtyard. Traditional tacos were available for purchase al fresco, along with murals for the kids to paint, games, music, some great salsa and other traditional Hispanic foods. The Hispanic Oklahoma Latino Association (HOLA) of the North Central area hosted and over 400 people attended. City Central and PCDA are proud to be the location of this type of culturally inclusive event and look forward to hosting Hispanic Heritage Festival on Sunday, October 15th here at City Central.