September 2017
Ingredion announces downtown location with 60 finance jobs
An Illinois-based company plans to hire 60 people in Tulsa to provide financial services for the company’s food, beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical products. Ingredion, a leading global ingredients solutions company, is expected in November to open a shared-services center in downtown Tulsa, 810 S. Cincinnati Ave. Ingredion sited numerous reasons for selecting Tulsa, including established service centers, several universities and a skilled, stable workforce.
Merger to create one of the region’s largest accounting firms
Oklahoma-based Hogan Taylor and Arkansas-based JPMS Cox will merge Jan. 1, creating one of the region’s largest independent accounting firms. The combined firm will operate under the name Hogan Taylor and employ about 300 across Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Little Rock and Fayetteville, Arkansas. JPMS Cox bring increased capacity and specialized services like cybersecurity to the merger.
DMI Cos. holds ribbon cutting for Wagoner facility
A Pennsylvania-based HVAC-component manufacturer cut the ribbon in September for a $4.5 million investment it recently made to a 198,000-square-foot facility purchased earlier in the year. Initial investment in the facility, largely for roof replacement, will be about $2.5 million, with another $2 million being spent on new equipment. Manufacturing at the plant is scheduled to begin later this year with more than 75 employees at full employment.
Oseco celebrates opening of Broken Arrow plant
Broken Arrow’s pressure-relief-device manufacturer Oseco celebrated the grand opening of its newest facility in late September. The $5 million, 40,250-square-foot building houses manufacturing and production of Oseco’s energy- and fire-division products. It is the third building on the company’s campus, 1701 W. Tacoma St., doubling the company’s manufacturing and office space.
Performing Arts Center to sell parking lot for new downtown development
The Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust has agreed to sell its parking lot for a downtown development that would include housing, retail and a parking garage. The trust voted to sell the lot to Flaherty & Collins, an Indianapolis-based developer for $5.5 million. The developer plans to build The Annex, a 12-story, mixed-use building that could feature downtown Tulsa’s first grocery store in more than two decades. It would also include more than 200 apartments and about 600 parking spaces. Construction is planned to begin next summer.
TDA to negotiate loan agreement for downtown parking garage
The Tulsa Development Authority unanimously approved plans to negotiate an agreement that would lend $1.67 million to a local developer for the construction of a downtown parking garage. Headed by First Place LLC and developer Stuart Price, the project would create a 519-spot parking garage and at least 3,000 square feet of retail space. Work on the $13 million project has already begun.
Jenks breaks ground on widening of Main Street
A massive $10.5 million undertaking began in early September to expand Main Street in Jenks from two lanes to four. City and county officials broke ground to celebrate the start of the project, which is scheduled for completion in June 2018. The project involves widening Main Street to four lanes from Elm Street to U.S. 75. It will also add improvements to intersections, merging zones, drainage and signage.
Tulsa Public Schools STEM Center to be part of Discovery Lab at Gathering Place
The Tulsa Public Schools STEM Center, a $4.5 million TPS bond project, will be built as part of the Tulsa Children’s Museum Discovery Lab at A Gathering Place for Tulsa. The school district will own five classrooms in the STEM Center on the second floor of the 50,000-square-foot Discovery Lab. The Tulsa Children’s Museum staff will operate the STEM Center for the school district.
Tulsa to receive Talent Hub grant
Tulsa was designated a Talent Hub by Lumina Foundation in September, qualifying for $350,000 in grant funding for education efforts among 17 other communities across the country. Each Talent Hub community will receive the grant funding spread over more than three years. The grant funding targets community and post-secondary education leaders to better meet the specific needs of residents. The Tulsa Talent Hub specifically aims for a 5-percent increase of post-secondary enrollment for adult Hispanic and low-income students.
University of Tulsa still ranked among the best national universities
The University of Tulsa came in at No. 87 nationally, placing it as the best national university in Oklahoma, according to new rankings by U.S. News and World Report. U.S. News and World Report’s annual Best Colleges ranking is designed to help prospective students and their families research more than 1,800 U.S.-based universities. The rankings focused on academic excellence and student outcomes.
TCC and Union launch program offering associate degrees in high school
Tulsa Community College and Union Public Schools officials unveiled Early College High School, a pilot program that will first roll out with 60 students before hoping to expand across the Union school district, the Tulsa metro area and the entire state. Union and TCC have long offered concurrent enrollment that allows Union students to earn college credits. This program takes it further leaving students with 60 college credits at the end of high school.
Tulsa Zoo sets attendance record
The Tulsa Zoo set a new attendance record with more than 705,000 visitors during the most recent fiscal year. The zoo broke the previous attendance record of 669,928 visitors — set nearly 20 years ago. The jump in visitors is attributed to increased attendance at special events and the opening of the Lost Kingdom exhibit which features Asian animals, including tigers, snow leopards, siamangs and Komodo dragons.
