State posts $1.4B in business projects this year

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce assisted on new business projects in the state totaling more than $1.4 billion during the first half of 2019, the agency has announced.

During that time, the department recorded 38 business announcements, which it defines as a decision to add jobs and/or investment to the state.

“We have been working hard to deliver a turnaround that ensures a better future for all Oklahomans ,” Gov. Kevin St it ts aid in a statement .“One of the ways we' re moving toward that goal is by getting out and telling the world that Oklahoma is open for business.

“I am proud of the hard work being done by the Commerce team. We have set some tough but measurable goals, and they have been up to the challenge of bringing new jobs and investment to Oklahoma.”

From the governor' s 2019 inauguration through June 30, the Department of Commerce's recruitment staff met with 2,881 companies and site selectors over the course of 40 call trips, events and trade shows.

Many of those business announcements in 2019 involved northeast Oklahoma.

Alabama-based Milo's Tea Co. said it was spending $60 million to build a production facility in an extension of the park just east of the Macy's Fulfillment Center in Owasso. The 108,000- square-foot center will create 110 j obs, marking the first out-of-state expansion for the familyowned beverage maker.

Over the winter, KimberlyClark announced that it was making at l east a $ 120 million investment that will add more than 50 full-time jobs to

its facility in Jenks. The multiphased project will install new assets for manufacturing Kleenex folded tissue products and Scott bath tissue.

Also, Google last month said it was investing $600 million into expanding its data center at the MidAmerica Industrial Park between Chouteau and Pryor.

“The reception and interest we've experienced with companies and site selectors is very encouraging, and I am confident we will continue to see more companies choosing to expand and invest in Oklahoma,” Sean Kouplen, Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development, said in a statement.

The business growth in the state announced this year is projected to generate 3,111 new direct jobs whose average salary is $61,333, which is onethird above the state average.

At least 17 counties in Oklahoma recorded business announcements to date this year.