GROW in a VIBRANT REGION Table of Contents
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GROW IN A VIBRANT REGION table of contents Introduction 3 Key Industries 4 Quality Of Life 14 Investing In The Tulsa Region 22 I II TULSA AT A GLANCE In northeast Oklahoma, you’ll find the right mix of business productivity and quality of life. You’ll also find an educated workforce, low cost of doing business, central location and ease of transportation. We are proud to be a welcoming and active community that’s ideal for employees and their families or visiting business associates. The Tulsa region is the right place to grow your business — just look at the rankings. • No. 1 city among top 25 most affordable cities to live & work in 2019 (BusinessStudent. com 2018) • Gathering Place named country’s best new attraction in 2018 (USA Today 2019) • Broken Arrow ranked first among most livable small cities in the U.S. (City Livability Awards 2018) • No. 3 among top U.S./European cities for innovative municipal problem solving (Cities of Service 2018) • No. 4 best city for traffic (CarRentals.com 2019) • No. 5 top metro for job creation (Site Selection Magazine 2019) • No. 6 among top 7 most recession-proof U.S. cities (Livability.com 2019) • No. 7 among America’s best small cities (Resonance Best Cities Index 2018) 3 4 44 AEROSPACE The recent Oklahoma Aviation and Aerospace Economic Impact Study found that the aviation and aerospace industries have an annual economic impact of $11.7 billion. American Airlines’ Tulsa maintenance base is the largest of its kind in the world, and three of the region’s largest employers include industry leaders NORDAM, Spirit AeroSystems and Broken Arrow’s BizJet. ENERGY Once known as the “Oil Capital of the World,” Tulsa has a rich history in the energy sector. The industry continues to be a staple in the regional economy, employing thousands of people. Several well-known energy companies have significant operations in the region, including Williams and ONEOK in Tulsa and Baker Hughes in Claremore. 5 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Due to Tulsa’s urban lifestyle and the region’s sophisticated telecomm and data transmission infrastructure, many IT companies have selected Tulsa for their new and growing organizations. Google has invested more than $2 billion in its data center at Pryor’s MidAmerica Industrial Park. Entrepreneurial hubs like The Forge and 36 Degrees North foster the region’s emerging IT presence, and programs like the University of Tulsa’s Institute for Information Security and Coding Dojo, a web development boot camp, continue to grow the area IT workforce. 6 7 7 8 108 HEALTH CARE Health care is a fast-growing contributor to the regional economy, with a yearly economic impact of more than $7 billion. Tulsa has nine nationally recognized hospitals and two medical schools: the University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine and Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, which will open a second campus with the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah. Saint Francis Health System has invested throughout the region, with multimillion-dollar facilities in Glenpool and Sand Springs. MANUFACTURING Manufacturing is a cornerstone of northeast Oklahoma’s economy and employs one in nine area workers. Sofidel Group, an Italian manufacturer of tissue paper, invested $360 million in a 1.8-million-square-foot plant in Inola. Greenheck Group recently completed phase one of its $100 million Tulsa campus, which will employ 600 people after the completion of phase two. Whirlpool, a long-time investor in the region, is further expanding its operations with a $55 million capital investment that will create 150 jobs. 9 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Northeast Oklahoma is home to a number of corporate headquarters, including BOK Financial, QuikTrip and CymSTAR, which recently added 100 jobs in Broken Arrow. Ingredion, a leading global ingredients solutions company, recently chose Tulsa as the location for its shared service center. Numerous accounting, engineering, architecture, insurance and finance companies call the Tulsa region home as well. 10 11 11 12 12 TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS Northeast Oklahoma’s central location makes access to most parts of the country cost- effective and timely, which is why major companies locate key distribution centers here. Macy’s Owasso fulfillment center is the largest of its kind in the company’s network. Amazon recently broke ground on a 2.6-million-square-foot fulfillment center in Tulsa that will employ 1,500 people. 13 14 14 DOWNTOWN TULSA Downtown Tulsa is bustling with new development and a vibrant arts and music scene. The Tulsa Arts District offers art galleries, shops, restaurants, bars and historic music venues. The award-winning BOK Center brings the nation’s top artists to the region. Downtown also showcases the city’s stunning Art Deco architecture rivaled only by New York and Miami. 15 GATHERING PLACE More than 65 acres of the Arkansas River waterfront were transformed for Gathering Place, a $465 million multi-purpose park in the heart of Tulsa. From gardens and meadows to skate parks and sports courts to dozens of acres of adventure-themed playgrounds, Gathering Place has something for everyone. The park was named the nation’s best new attraction by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. 16 17 17 18 18 A WELCOMING COMMUNITY A region’s greatest asset is its people, and northeast Oklahoma is proud to be a diverse, world-class community. The New Tulsans initiative created a plan to welcome immigrant residents to Tulsa through civic engagement, economic development, education, health and public safety. Ultimately, the plan will allow new residents to bring fresh perspectives and new business to our vibrant city. Whether you choose Tulsa, Muskogee, Okmulgee or any other city in the region, you’ll feel part of a vibrant, friendly community. 19 ACTIVE LIFESTYLE Northeast Oklahoma is renowned for its miles of trails, parks and outdoor spaces. Twenty-six miles of trails run along the Arkansas River, connecting downtown to south Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks and Sand Springs. Events like Tulsa Tough, a three-day cycling festival, bring thousands of racers, riders and spectators to town each summer, and visitors come from all 50 states to participate in races like the Tulsa Run and Route 66 Marathon. 20 21 21 22 22 WORKFORCE PIPELINE The region’s workforce pipeline is supported by several postsecondary institutions. The numerous colleges, universities and technical schools graduate thousands each year to contribute to the area’s workforce. Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OSU-Tulsa, OU- Tulsa, Northeastern State University in Broken Arrow, and OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee all offer higher education and graduate degrees. Tulsa is also home to two private universities, The University of Tulsa and Oral Roberts University, as well as Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology. Tulsa Community College, the state’s largest community college, has four area campuses, and Tulsa Tech is the largest tech school in the Oklahoma CareerTech system, which also includes Northeast Tech in Pryor, Green Country Technology Center in Okmulgee and Indian Capital Technology Center in Muskogee. 23 REGIONAL ECONOMIC PROSPERITY Cities throughout the region are investing in their downtowns. Muskogee’s Katy District, Broken Arrow’s Rose District, Jenks’ Main Street and Owasso’s Redbud District are all focal points of redevelopment for their communities. MidAmerica Industrial Park is not only Oklahoma’s largest industrial park; it is also one of the largest in the nation. MidAmerica houses more than 80 businesses, including Fortune 500 companies like Google, Chevron and DuPont. The park is strategically located in Pryor, with easy access to major markets. Northeast Oklahoma is home to the Cherokee Nation capital in Tahlequah, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation capital in Okmulgee, and the Osage Nation capital in Pawhuska. These tribal nations regularly partner with counties and economic development organizations to attract new jobs and create wealth for their citizens. 24 25 25 26 TRANSPORTATION Located in the heart of the country, northeast Oklahoma is a convenient location by air, rail, ground and water - a true intermodal region. Seven airlines offer direct flights to 19 destinations from the Tulsa International Airport. Other airports in the region, such as the Richard L. Jones Airport in Jenks and the Okmulgee Regional Airport, make travel to and from northeast Oklahoma easy and efficient. Tulsa also boasts one of the shortest average commute times in the country, making travel throughout the region incredibly convenient. The Tulsa Port of Catoosa and the Port of Muskogee, both located within the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, are two of the largest, most inland river-ports in the country. The Port of Catoosa offers year-round barge service and has an annual economic impact of $300 million. 27 TULSA’S FUTURE Tulsa’s Future is an ongoing public-private regional economic development partnership led by the Tulsa Regional Chamber. The plan leverages diverse strategies to enhance the Tulsa region’s standing as a place for business, residents, visitors and students of all ages. More than 185 public- and private-sector investors – including 37 regional partners –support the economic growth and vitality of northeast Oklahoma through Tulsa’s Future. 28 • Bixby Metro Chamber of Commerce • Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce • Broken Arrow Economic Development Corp. • Grand River Dam Authority • Cherokee Nation • INCOG • City of Bixby • ITC Great Plains • City of Bristow