OIEP recipient BC Steel Buildings hosted executives and staff from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to talk about its operations and how the company will utilize funding through the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program (OIEP). BC Steel Buildings was among 123 projects awarded funding through the program from the 2022 application period. The company was awarded $175,000 which will support both the creation of new jobs and significant capital investment. BC Steel Buildings plans to add up to 15 new jobs with approximately $600,000 in new payroll, in addition to investing more than $500,000 at the facility to implement a complete enterprise resource planning solution to integrate all business functions from quote to delivery.
“I am very proud of the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program and how it supports Oklahoma companies,” said Brent Kisling, Executive Director, Oklahoma Department of Commerce. “With the funding, companies are diversifying their operations and growing, creating more jobs and investment in our state and offering an incredible ROI on the state’s investment.”
“The funding awarded through the OIEP program will allow BC Steel Buildings to continue our remarkable growth by increasing production and capacity across our entire organization, most notably in our manufacturing operations,” said Ron Welch, Owner, Partner and CFO, BC Steel Buildings. “As a result of the program, we are investing in additional equipment and software to implement the ERP solution allowing us to eliminate manual processes and redundancies in all our production departments and shorten supply chain lead times to better serve our customer base, expand our operations and create additional jobs for Oklahoma workers.”
“It is a privilege to work with many great Oklahoma companies through OIEP,” said Michael Davis, President and CEO of Oklahoma Finance Authorities. “And even more rewarding to have the opportunity to visit with them and see firsthand how they are utilizing the awarded funds to increase capabilities, address supply chain bottlenecks, diversify revenue streams and grow their workforce.”
Founded in 1972, BC Steel Buildings manufactures quality pre-engineered metal buildings. Through engineering and special design capabilities, the company can service most segments of the market, from hangars and schools to churches and shopping centers.
OIEP utilizes funds set aside by the Oklahoma Economic Development Pooled Finance Act (62 OS 891.1 et seq). Participating businesses are required to provide quarterly reports verifying employment levels and expenditures, as well as submit verification of purchase and installation of machinery and equipment. The full list of OIEP recipients can be found on the Commerce website at www.okcommerce.gov/OIEP.
