The Tulsa Regional Chamber expects more projects — and jobs — in the near future.
The chamber is optimistic about projects from out-of-state and international companies in targeted industries: advanced manufacturing, aerospace, health care, logistics and information technology.
Chamber Senior Vice President of Economic Development Brien Thorstenberg said Tulsa is holding its own competing for projects against cities like Dallas, Austin and Atlanta because they don’t have the capacity for much more development or many more people.
"It’s affecting infrastructure issues, quality of life, commute patterns, various things like that to where midsize cities have a great opportunity to go after those projects that, say, maybe 10 years ago that we wouldn’t have been competitive in," Thorstenberg said.
Wisconsin-based fan company Greenheck and Italian paper goods maker Sofidel recently announced new plants in the area, and the Tulsa Regional Chamber expects a couple advanced manufacturing projects will be announced soon. Thorstenberg said the area has an edge among manufacturers because of a low cost of doing business.
"Utilities are very important, especially when you look at things like manufacturing, where electricity, water usage and all that are tremendous costs. And our cost is very, very competitive from a national basis," Thorstenberg said.
Thorstenberg said the region also has a leg up in transportation because it has shipping access to rail, ports, highways and air.
Suzanne Schreiber with the Tulsa Community Foundation said the willingness to forge public-private partnerships is also helping.
"It allows us to do some really creative things and be attractive to future employers, young people coming here, artists, whatever it may be. I think it’s something that is really unique to Tulsa and is very tangible. I mean, you can name project after project that occurred because of that partnership," Schreiber said.
Schreiber pointed to the BOK Center and Gathering Place as examples.
