02-17-2014
Shawnee Economic Development Foundation
What’s on the horizon?
If there is anyone who wants to share with you what is new, different, exciting or possibly going to happen in our center of quite a lot, you should be fairly certain that would be the Shawnee Economic Development Foundation.
We would LOVE to share with everyone who reads our weekly memo all the great things that we are working on, but that isn’t something we can do, as any preliminary announcement can kill a project and potentially mess up the opportunities that are before us. We know none of you would want that.
But what we can tell you is the types of projects we are working on, which would have a positive impact on job creation, capital investment, sales tax collections and in general, growth in our community. So where do we begin?
Currently we are working on a call center/regional corporate office project. This prospect would employee in excess of 150 individuals and offers our local residents an employment option that is currently not available in this community. The prospect is currently looking at various sites in the area to house their facility, with a whole lot of details to be worked out. Like anything else, the devil is in the details.
Discussion between the developer of a large retail center and government entities are still in the works. Which precludes the finalization of land contracts, concluding engineering and design of the development, permitting, plus the agreements between the tenants and the developer. Details, details, details. We know you all could care less about all that and want to know when you can buy your “stuff” from a new national retailer located in this community. Believe us, we are anxious as well to get this going.
We have an industrial manufacturing prospect that has narrowed down the location choices of their new facility down to Shawnee and some foreign country called Texas. This won’t be a huge job creator, but would be a great addition to the manufacturing base we already have, as they manufacture products we currently do not produce here. Diversity is a word we like to hear when referencing what our area businesses are producing and selling to the world.
We have numerous one of a kind, stand-alone retail projects that we are still following to see how we might be able to help them decide that Shawnee is the place to be. While these aren’t huge projects, they are areas that will fill gaps in what is offered to our local consumers and help stimulate the local economy. Big or small, we love them all.
Recently we have been working with a national company that is seeking a location for distribution of building products. So far we haven't found a site that “wows” them, but we will keep looking to determine if what trips their trigger is available in Shawnee or the immediate region.
We are in the early stages of discussing the development of a market rate apartment project, which by all early estimates is sorely needed in the community.
Possibly the most exciting things we can’t talk about, is the work we are doing with our area manufacturers that are expanding. While we can’t share specific names, we can tell you they have jobs available RIGHT NOW, if you or someone you know has the skills that they need. Here is a hint on who those companies might be… look at the bottom of this Monday Memo to see who has job openings posted…. That might be a clue, but doesn’t include all of the companies we know that are growing.
So you’re thinking, “That’s it?” Of course not. Almost every month we have around four to eight new prospects thatcross our desk along with around ten existing projects in various stages of ongoing activity.
As any project develops, some of them move faster than the others, and each one seems to have a life of its own. In the past, projects we felt were dead, have resurfaced and gone on to be a success for the community, which in the immortal words of Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
NEED SOME BRIGHT YOUNG TALENT?
For those of you who have job openings that you want to share with the students at Oklahoma Baptist University, here is the link to their job board:
Send them your job postings, so they can screen them and they will be happy to share them on their website.
JOB OPENINGS:
A-1 Staffing & Recruiting Agency: Visit or contact Brandy Helm at or 405-788-0001
City of Shawnee: Visit
Dickson Industries: Visit
Gateway Pipeline LLC: Visit or contact Brent Doggett at 405-752-0272 or
GE Oil & Gas: Visit or contact Jaime Monreal at 405-395-0404
Georg Fischer: Visit email or call 405-878-3978
Global Production Solutions: Visit or contact Greg Patton at
Indaco Metals: Contact Jordan McLaughlin at 405-273-9200
Mills Machine Company: Send resume to Mills Machine Company at 201 N. Oklahoma Ave., Shawnee OK 74801 or email it to
OU Heath Sciences Center: Visit Requisition number 17603
Primrose Retirement Community: Visit
Shawnee Milling Company: Visit call 405-273-7000
St. Gregory’s University: Visit Development Director and Systems Analyst - All interested candidates should submit their cover letter, resume and references to .
United Dynamics, Inc.: Visit or contact Michelle Needham at 405-275-8041
Vyve Broadband: Visit or call 405-395-1132 or email
IMPORTANT DATES:
March 4: Green & Gold Gala
7pm at National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 N.E. 63rd, OKC, OK 73111
Visit for additional information or call 405-878-2703
March 4: On The Road Family Perspective Conference
8am-1:30pm at GCTC, One John C. Bruton Blvd., Shawnee OK 74804
Register Online at - registration ends February 28th.
For more information, call 877-441-0434 or email
March 11: COHRA Quarterly Meeting
3-5pm at CPN Heritage Center, 1899 S. Gordon Cooper Dr., Shawnee OK 74801
For more information, contact Darci Williams at 405-395-1143
April 2: OBU Spring Career Fair
10am-2pm at Geiger Center, Upper Level, 500 W. University Dr., Shawnee OK 74804
April 2: Build a Blue Ribbon Tree for Kids Deadline
For more information, go to
September 20: 2nd Annual Shawnee Music Festival
For more information, go to
Sweet Earth Studio Classes
For more information, visit
English as a Second Language Class
6-8pm every Tuesday and Thursday, Pioneer Library, 101 N. Philadelphia, Shawnee OK 74801
Call Janie Davis at 405-273-3334 to register.
Shawnee Little Theatre 2013-2014 Season of Shows:
Steel Magnolias: Feb. 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15
How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying: April 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12
Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jr.: June 26, 27, 28, 29
For more information visit
C-Bar Horsemanship
If you are looking for a special place to make a difference in the lives of others, please contact us. There are opportunities to work with children and/or adults with special needs, opportunities to work with horses, and/or opportunities to serve with social networking, marketing, classroom assistants, facilities upkeep and stable chores. We provide educational and therapeutic horsemanship classes for children and adults with special needs as well as teaching Principles in Horsemanship in partnership with OBU and group horsemanship classes. Visit us at or contact us at ."
* * * 405-273-7490 * facebook.com/shawneeEDF