April 2019
Meet our new team
To better assist you, our client, and to ensure the Chamber as a whole remains nimble and innovative as we approach the next iteration of Tulsa’s Future, we have restructured roles within Economic Development. Bill Murphy is now Senior Vice President, Business Attraction.Bill and his team – Holly Foreman, Michelle Ondak, Angie Zaricor, and Joanna Jeffries – will focus on business attraction, workforce development, Tulsa’s Future/external relations, and regional partners. Brien Thorstenberg is now Senior Vice President, Business Retention and Expansion. Brien and his team – Jennifer Hankins, Colleen Almeida Smith, Josh Wiedel, Rusty Linker, Dennis Altendorf and Bob Ball – will focus on business retention and expansion, entrepreneurship/small business, business development/marketing, and lead development/research.Tammie Kolker will continue to serve as Brien’s executive assistant.
Milo’s Tea Company secures land for new facility
An Alabama-based beverage company plans to break ground in early May on a new plant in north Tulsa. Milo’s purchased a 19.59-acre tract for the manufacturing and distribution of their beverage products. Milo’s plans to invest $55 million and construct a 102,435-square-foot building employing 110 people. “We were extremely impressed by the vibrance of the Tulsa community, as well as the advantageous logistical hub for our fast-growing operations,” Milo’s CEO Patricia Wallwork said in a statement. “Much like our Birmingham headquarters, Tulsa is a family-centric, philanthropic community where we can extend our corporate values of Making a Difference for our associates and the region.”
New tech startup allows users to request photos and video from anywhere at anytime
Two Tulsa-area data scientists are hoping to revolutionize on-demand access to information. Asad Molayari and Tilan Ukwatta are the founders of Trivyol, a website and app that allow users to request photos and video from anywhere at any time. The users who respond to the request can earn money by receiving agreed upon payments from the requester. More than 1,000 registered users have signed up with the plan to have more than 10,000 within the year.
Officials dedicate new MST manufacturing plant in Claremore
Local and state leaders celebrated the dedication of the MST Manufacturing building at a ceremony in early April. MST plans to add 100 quality jobs and invest more than $5 million in the expansion. The company employs CNC machinists who make parts used on aircraft for Spirit AeroSystems, Boeing, Gulfstream, Lockheed Martin and Triumph Aerostructures.
Tulsa-based QuikTrip opens 800th store
QuikTrip opened its 800th store in early April. The Tulsa-based convenience chain opened a total of three stores in Texas: two in Dallas and one in San Antonio. The San Antonio location, the sixth in that city, is the official 800th store. QuikTrip also announced plans to enter the Denver market in the near future. Since its founding in 1958, QuikTrip has grown to a company with $11 billion in revenue with locations in 11 states. The company employs more than 20,000 people.
State awards $20 million for I-44 interchange project
The Oklahoma Transportation Commission awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to reduce congestion on Interstate 44 just east of the Tulsa city limits. The commission awarded a contract of slightly more than $20 million to Tulsa-based Sherwood Construction Co. for work on Interstate 44 at the intersection of 165th East Avenue. Widening and work on the interchange is scheduled to begin this summer and take one year to complete.
Tulsa Development Authority grants extension for redevelopment project
The Tulsa Development Authority agreed to move design, planning and construction deadlines to June 2020 for a TDA-assisted Hanson family redevelopment project in the Tulsa Arts District. The authority agreed to give a $2 million, low-interest loan to Mayfield LLC, the listed developer, for the purchase of the L.A. King building at 320 N. Boston Ave. Plans call for the 25,740-square-foot building to house a brewery, studio, retail and office space.
Tulsa ranked among Livability.com’s Top 100 Best Places to Live
Tulsa was ranked No. 66 on Livability.com’s 2019 Best Places to Live list. Tulsa outpaced more than 1,000 U.S. cities with populations between 20,000 and 1 million in the data-driven ranking. The rankings of the 100 best places to live were guided by an exclusive study conducted by Livability.com in partnership with Ipsos. More than 1,000 millennials across the country were surveyed to determine what matters most to them when making relocation decisions. Two of the most important criteria were affordability and job opportunities.
University of Tulsa to reorganize into ‘professional super college’
A reorganization intended to bolster the University of Tulsa’s reputation for undergraduate education while trimming administrative costs and low-demand academic programs was revealed to TU faculty, staff and students. The plan includes grouping the business, health and law colleges together in a “professional super college,” creating a “university studies” program for all incoming freshmen, and additional academic and social supports for students. The reorganization comes with a pay increase for TU employees and a reduction of degree and certification programs from 196 to 112 over a five-year period.
The Meridia high-rise multifamily building wins LEED certification
A downtown multifamily building, The Meridia located at 522 S. Boston Ave., recently received a silver certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. The Meridia is the first LEED-certified, high-rise apartment building in the state according to Molly Jones, LEED consultant for the project and president of Jones Design Studio.
Ground broken for $24 million Davenport Urban Lofts
Local developers have broken ground on the $24 million Davenport Urban Lofts at 405 N. Main St. The nine-story condominium and retail/office project is located in downtown’s Tulsa Arts District just south of Cain’s Ballroom. About 30 percent of the residential space in the building has been sold, and the building is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2020. Units will range from 1,700 to 2,500 square feet and start in the $600,000s.
National report ranks Oklahoma among top states in pre-K education
Oklahoma continues to be a national leader in providing universal access to prekindergarten, according to a recently released report from the National Institute for Early Childhood Education that ranks Oklahoma in a five-way tie for No. 4. As one of the first states to commit to universal access to preschool, Oklahoma has been ranked at or near the top of the annual report for several years. It’s also only one of four states that require pre-K teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate.
Turnpike widening project nearing completion
A widening project of the Turner Turnpike between Sapulpa and Bristow is nearing completion months ahead of schedule. Construction should be done on the majority of the project by late May or early June. The 22-mile, $300 million project involves expanding the turnpike from four lanes to six and adding lighting between Tulsa and Bristow.
