State begins approving `Reboot' funds

Some Oklahoma manufacturers are getting a taxpayer-funded boost to help expand and retain employees during the COVID- 1 9 pandemic.

Starting last week, the g over nor a nd Department of Commerce began awarding up to $150,000 each to manufacturers in industries like aerospace, energy, traffic hardware and food.

More than 30 com pani es were selected for the Manufacturing Reboot Program launched in April. Using money from the

Oklahoma Quick Action Closing Fund, the program was designed to prop up manufacturers so they can hire new workers, retain employees and secure capital investments like new machinery and site expansion.

As of Wednesday, the Department of Commerce had signed contracts with 19 of the more than 30 companies picked to receive Reboot funds. Those contracts promise t he creation of 95 new jobs and more than $15 million in capital investment, but certain benchmarks must be met before the funds are disbursed.

Those figures do not include data from contracts that haven't yet been signed and publicly released, so the final tallies will be higher.

State officials said they wanted to prioritize companies that make products for the health care industry, but all manufacturing types were eligible to apply. So far, four of the 19 companies with signed contracts indicated they will manufacture products for hospitals or health care needs.

Manufacturers receiving the full $150,000 include the following:

• ACME Engineering promised to retain 243 employees through January 1 and use the cash to bolster a $500,000 investment to produce an enhanced, energy efficient and compact version of air handling equipment for customers who manufacture mobile hospital units and other equipment for hospitals, clinics and medical labs.

• Advantage Controls will hire two new people and spend $245,200 within the next three years to support its water treatment equipment business.

•Ahrberg Milling will add two employees and purchase equipment to add new product lines. The company agreed to invest $430,000 in capital expenditures.

• A S C I n c . , wh i c h manufactures electrical utility equipment, agreed to expand its workforce by 25 people and spend nearly half a million dollars on machinery. “This allows us the ability to more quickly produce utility poles for natural disasters in our region as well as new national markets,” the company said.

• Ferra Aerospace will add 10 employees and spend nearly $4 million to purchase and install three CNC machines for expansion of aircraft parts production.

• Hill Manufacturing and Fabrication agreed to add 12 employees and $300,000 in capital spending.

• Aerospace manufacturer Mint Turbines will use Reboot funds to support $1.5 million in capital investment and the addition of five workers.

• Newell Coach Corp., w h i c h ma n u f a c t u r e s luxury recreational vehicles, agreed to add two employees and invest about half a million dollars to expand its facility.

• No Man's Land intends to repurpose a vacant building into a manufacturing

plant, increasing its beef jerky production capacity. While retaining 74 jobs, the company pledged to invest $4.3 million.

• OGI Process Equipment promised two new jobs and $400,000 in capital investment.

• Oklahoma Custom Coating will create two jobs and spend $250,000 on expanding its capacity to serve more clients in critical industries like energy, manufacturing, water and chemical.

• Parrish Enterprises pledged to add six jobs and spend $750,000 at its metal fabrication facility.

• Pelco Structural will hire 10 new workers and invest $425,000 to fabricate products that are currently outsourced. The company manufactures traffic utility hardware.

Not every company, however, was awarded the full $150,000. State officials said the Manufacturing Reboot Program would include awards up to that amount, but no less than $25,000.

• Cosmetic Specialty L a b s w a s a w a r d e d $130,000. The company makes cosmetics and overthe-counter drugs for its customers, but said it would add equipment for hand sanitizer production and

retain 59 jobs. The contract also requires the company to invest $300,000 on capital improvements.

• Discovery Plastics will receive $26,075 from the program in exchange for retaining 125 workers and spending $125,000 on capital improvements.

• F a c t o r y D i r e c t : $ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 f r o m t h e Manufacturing Reboot P r o g r a m . T h e c o m - pany promised t o add one employee and capital investment of $260,000 while spinning up production on a new line of surgical masks.

• MST Manufacturing has plans to add 10 workers and spend $150,000 launching a new product line and a second company to supply products to an undisclosed new market. They were awarded $130,000 from the fund.

• Parks Manufacturing wi l l a d d o n e j o b a n d $300,000 in capital investment to expand training and production at its boat manufacturing facility. The Commerce Department awarded t he company $130,000.

• Southern Machine Works agreed to receive $100,000 in exchange for hiring five new employees and spending $100,000 on equipment upgrades.