The combination of the state’s strategic location in Middle America, abundant skilled and low-cost labor, a pro-business environment along with a relatively low cost of living provides an impressive slate of benefits on which to build and establish a business.
Here are just a few of the many opportunities that businesses looking to move into the Sooner State should consider:
The Iron Horse Industrial Park near Shawnee boasts two unique aspects — its designation as a Foreign-Trade Zone (a satellite site of the Port of Greater Oklahoma City’s Foreign-Trade Zone No. 106) and its location on Native American trust land owned by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
The John T. Griffin Industrial Park in Muskogee enjoys a distinct advantage not often found in Oklahoma. Its access to the Port of Muskogee and points on the Arkansas River and the Mississippi River all the way down to New Orleans provides an efficient and inexpensive method to move cargo. Paired with easy access to major highways such as I-44 and US 69, the park’s location in the central US allows speedy shipments to anywhere in the continental US. The 526-acre park currently has 294 acres available.
MidAmerica Industrial Park, located just outside of Pryor, boasts the state’s largest park and one of the largest in the nation. Its strategic location, just 40 minutes east of Tulsa and midway between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Kansas City, provides ready-access to almost a million people within a 40-mile radius. Thanks to the available access to major interstate highways, an estimated 23 percent of the total US population can enjoy next-day delivery and 89 percent of the population within three days. The park, with 3,500 acres available, has already attracted a number of Fortune 500 companies.
John Cantrell, former president of Power Soak, sings MidAmerica Industrial Park’s praises. “We were attracted to MidAmerica because of the low operating costs we found there and finding an existing building that would suit our needs. We also liked Oklahoma’s business-friendly environment and the assistance we received from MidAmerica leadership in helping us work out all the details.”
Jason Smith, president and CEO of the Norman Economic Development Coalition, points out that aerospace, information technology and federal government contracting have recently taken advantage of the spaces offered in Norman’s industrial parks.
Smith said the largest and most visible location is the University North Park Corporate Centre located on the northwest side of Norman near the Max Westheimer Airport.
“It’s a place to live, work and play. There are new apartments and retail establishments, restaurants and hotels going up nearby,” Smith explains.
A 30-acre office park and 30-acre manufacturing center are also featured, with ready access to Interstate 35 and some 1,300 parking spaces available.
