story building altered the skyline view for anyone traveling into downtown from Interstate 235 and added density to a stretch of Automobile Alley that comprised surface parking. The company then announced another 400 new positions that will be located in the Mideke building in Bricktown. Heartland joins a growing list of technology companies with operations in Oklahoma City, including software development company Rural Sourcing and Paycom. HELPING AEROSPACE SOAR The Chamber has been actively developing the aerospace and aviation industry in Oklahoma City since 1919. This century of strategic economic development created a dynamic industry that is continuing to attract aerospace companies. Skydweller Aero, Inc. made it official in July that it would establish its corporate headquarters and engineering operations in Oklahoma City. Skydweller’s plans will increase its operations to 120 aerospace engineering and field technician jobs in Oklahoma by 2024. Skydweller owns solar design technology that uses un-manned aircraft capable of circumnavigating the globe using only solar power. It will convert the design and technology to an autonomous drone, capable of “dwelling” over a location for months at a time with no refueling or maintenance work. The technology has applications that will enhance commercial and government telecommunication, geospatial, meteorological and emergency operation efforts. One of Oklahoma City’s biggest aerospace employers, Boeing, started construction on a new high-bay addition at its facility. The expected work inside will create more engineering positions to support its B-52 modernization and sustainment efforts. Five years ago the Greater OKC Chamber led a coalition of local and state government leaders in the acquisition of 158 acres of land on the west side of the Tinker Air Force Base to house maintenance of its next-generation aerial refueling aircraft, the KC-46A Pegasus. The vision became a reality in 2020 as Tinker maintenance crews welcomed their first KC-46 mid-air refueling tanker in September.
Eventually, Tinker will host 90 of the aircraft each year on a rotating maintenance schedule. Construction is ongoing to accommodate the mission. When complete, there will be14 hangars to house the aircraft with an estimated 1,300 workers assigned to the job. Construction costs are projected to be $600 million over the next 10 to 12 years. Kratos Defense and Security Solutions arrival in OKC dates back to 2018. Now in two years the company now doubling in size at its Will Rogers Business Park plant. The company will use the expansion for manufacturing and integration of the XQ-58 Valkyrie tactical aircraft and two other classified projects. In 2018, Kratos began manufacturing its “target” drones, which advanced UAVs programmed to mimic hostile aircraft and missiles. The company added Valkyrie production last year after announcing all of its tactical drones would be built in Oklahoma. Kratos CEO Steve Fendley said the plant production will continue increasing for the foreseeable future with additional quantities and vehicle types. North Star Scientific (NSS) Corporation, a Hawaii- based company, announced plans to expand to Oklahoma City. The company will ramp up to 40 jobs once its manufacturing site is fully operational. “NSS chose the state of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City as the site of our expansion because of the favorable business environment and the availability of personnel and other resources that benefit aerospace companies, especially those focused on radar and electronics,” said Dr. James Stamm, CEO of North Star Scientific Corporation. “We are excited about the opportunities we see for our business in this environment and look forward to being a part of the community in Oklahoma City.” NSS designs, develops, and qualifies state of the art electronic systems for Department of Defense applications and delivers reliable high-performance products and services. They specialize in radar frequency systems designs and rapid research & development/custom solutions.
E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T
The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber helps existing businesses grow, recruits new companies and develops an active entrepreneurial environment, resulting in quality job creation and a diverse economy.
BOOSTING ECONOMY WITH BACK OFFICE/ SHARED SERVICE OPERATIONS Greater Oklahoma City has proven that its world- class business climate, reliable workforce and diverse real estate options give companies located here an edge against their competition. Whether it is an expansion to introduce or enhance lines of business, or being identified as the pilot site for innovative technology, our region has a proven track record supporting the success of shared services operations. The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber’s economic development team recruits new businesses to the region, helping them to: find available real estate, meet with local leaders to help them get an understanding of the market, complete their incentive applications and to gather any data they might need. Oklahoma City’s established relationship with Costco paid off in May when the multi-national company announced that it will locate a large part of its back-office operations in Oklahoma City. Costco considered several locations before selecting Oklahoma City for this investment. The Oklahoma City center, located in the former Hertz corporate offices, will support Costco’s travel and e-commerce business units. Costco is expected to generate a capital investment of $25 million and employ more than 1,500 people. Heartland continued their growth as they opened their new headquarters in downtown. The seven-
SMALL BUSINESS CONTINUITY PROGRAM The Chamber partnered with the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City and the City of Oklahoma City to create an aid program that quickly put funding into the hands of Oklahoma City small businesses at the outset of the pandemic. The Small Business Continuity Program (SBCP), launched on March 31, helped small businesses with with cash reimbursements for keeping employee payroll, grants, funds for retrofitting businesses, and technical assistance for pandemic-related business challenges. After the success of the initial program, additional rounds of funding helped more area businesses, including programs targeting minority-owned businesses and event venues. The programs provided more than $32.5 million to more than 1000 applicants.
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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
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
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