Homeland grocery store in Northeast Oklahoma City. This is the first new store Homeland will build from the ground up in 30 years and will provide a vital solution to the food desert problem facing that area. HI STOR IC YEAR FOR AEROSPACE The aerospace industry has been critical to our region’s economy for years and 2019 was no different. Several historic projects were announced or began that will not only add jobs and further diversify our economy but also diversify our local aerospace sector itself. The construction of the new KC-46A Pegasus maintenance hangers is the single-largest construction project to hit Tinker Air Force Base since the 1940s and this year the first two hangers were opened. The 156-acre campus will eventually hold 14 hangers for maintenance of the Air Force’s next-generation aerial refueling aircraft. The land for the facility was purchased from BNSF Railway through a partnership between the U.S. Air Force, City of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County. The Chamber led the coalition to support the acquisition. In total, the project will bring 1,232 new jobs to Oklahoma City. Work associated with the KC-46 program also led to Cobham Missions Systems opening a facility in Greater Oklahoma City. Cobham, a U.K.-based aerospace company, produces several components for the KC-46 Tanker. Also this year, Boeing was awarded the contract to modify and modernize the weapons systems on B-1
and B-52 bombers. That work will be performed in Oklahoma City and further strengthens Boeing’s growth in the Oklahoma City community. At the Paris Air Show in June, with delegates from the Chamber present, Pratt & Whitney announced plans to expand in Oklahoma City. The company said it will be making a significant investment to upgrade its Military Aftermarket Services, which supports sustainment operations at Tinker. The expansion will create 100 jobs over the next several years. 2019 also marked the year Kratos Defense & Security Solutions produced their first MQM-178 Firejet drone in Oklahoma City. At the event honoring the occasion, Kratos announced Oklahoma City will also be the future home of the XQ-58A Valkyrie. Kratos’ presence is an important step towards Oklahoma City being a home for more aerospace production, not just maintenance, overhaul and repair operations.
G R E A T E R O K L A H O M A C I T Y C H A M B E R / 2 0 1 9 A N N U A L R E P O R T 5
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