The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s economic development team is flying high after attending some of the world’s largest aviation events. Each appearance is vital to ensuring the industry continues to thrive in the Oklahoma City region. The most recent event, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisc., is billed as the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.” The weeklong event includes nearly half a million aviation enthusiasts from around the world along with 10,000 aircraft and 900 exhibitors. The Oklahoma contingent included aviation-related organizations from around the state, both public and private. Some were there to promote and sell their products, others to promote Oklahoma’s aviation industry in general. Put Jeff Seymour in that latter group. As executive vice president of economic development for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Seymour and his team help grow existing OKC companies, recruit new CHAMBER’S ATTENDANCE AT AVIATION EVENTS HELPS PROPEL OKC’S ECONOMY
ones and develop an active entrepreneurial environment. Attending AirVenture also gave Seymour an opportunity to speak with various aviation leaders, including officials with the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission. “The Chamber has such a good partnership with the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission. They’ve been great partners in developing out the airports in particular. I felt like it was important for us to go to Oshkosh with them and support them as they continue to think about not just promoting the biggest aerospace assets in Oklahoma and Oklahoma City, but also the aerospace economy as a whole and general aviation,” Seymour said. Earlier this summer, Seymour and other Chamber staff joined the Oklahoma Department of Commerce at the Paris Air Show. The trip was full of meetings with companies who already have a presence in Oklahoma, and those who could have one in the future. “We get to sit down with senior leadership from companies like Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon and Boeing and others and really talk to them about their growth plans, and how we can be supportive and help them with workforce and facilities, etc.,” Seymour said. Chamber staff also attended MRO Americas, the world’s largest aviation MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) event in Chicago in April. “It’s a good place for us to go and engage different military and nonmilitary leaders,” Seymour said. Later this month, the economic development team will attend Tinker and the Primes in Midwest City. The three-day conference focuses on the needs of prime contractors, Tinker Air Force Base and the U.S. Department of Defense. The aviation industry is responsible for nearly 44,000 jobs in Greater Oklahoma City.
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