A week or so ago we attended the OKC Regional Partnership meeting, which we are proud to be a member of.  Nationally known site consultants and marketing experts Audrey Taylor and Allison Larsen of Chabin Concepts were there. They were gracious in sharing their vast knowledge about what we could do to enhance the readiness of our community in attracting or retaining business, and the marketing efforts on our web and social media sites.

While the main topic on their mind was marketing, they also highlighted the fact that it is critical in this day and age to focus on retaining and creating jobs. After all, it is those “people” that shop in our stores, buy our housing and pay the lions share of the taxes, along with the businesses that employee them.

Another national perspective they shared was to be honest in a self-evaluation to determine if we were being innovative in how we measured our business friendliness.  In the bigger picture this covers a lot more than just the ability to quickly gain a building permit, or have friendly public employees. From a site selectors perspective they believe it is readily easy for outsiders or others to determine if the mentality by ALL in the community buys in to that being friendly concept.

They asked us to honestly determine if we, as a community, really wanted to create and retain jobs, and to look inward into what we could do to facilitate such activities. Similarly to what we have preached here before, we think growing, retaining and attracting jobs is a team sport, not just the efforts of a few.

While the marketing work of these two is mostly directed at those who undertake economic development activities, we believe it can be applied to almost any businesses’ marketing efforts.  Unless you have too much business and don’t need any more customers, we would encourage you to apply any of their thoughts and comments to your own company.

Our two newest best buddies suggested that we make sure we focus our marketing more on the content of the sites, rather than just pretty images. They offered that we make sure our sites tell our story and include things about us that separate us from the pack. It was suggested that we should have a marketing strategy for our website, hard copy and even our social media formats.  If we aren’t focused on what we are hoping to represent, how will anyone else understand what we have to offer.

In their comments they challenged us to make sure we share our experiences, have a clear message, state who our targeted customers are and be certain that our sites include information others could not seek elsewhere.   All of this hits home as the SEDF is in the midst of refreshing our website content and hope to be able to provide new and relevant data about this place we call home.  While we are undertaking our own overhaul, have you considered doing the same on your web and media sites?  

Wait a minute, they have outstanding character traits, skills AND I can get some training money?

If you still haven’t met Joe Porter at the local Workforce Center, you are really missing out. A few days ago Joe sent me some information that you might just want to take a look at.

If you are a HR professional, or responsible for hiring at your organization, chances are that you are familiar with WOTC or the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.  This tax credit is common for companies to receive when they hire job seekers who have received government assistance.

Last year, Obama signed into law a different type of tax credit for Veterans and military.  It’s referred to as the VOTC or the Veterans Opportunity Tax Credit.  Also known as the Returning Heroes Tax Credit, it is designed for companies to receive a tax credit of up to $5,600 per veteran.

The Wounded Warriors Tax Credit is another piece of this program.  Companies who hire disabled veterans can receive a maximum credit of $9,600 per veteran.  These are all pieces of the American Jobs Act , which was signed into law November 21, 2011.

One last thought, what are you waiting for?  Hire a Vet…..

Websites You Should Visit:

Chabin Concepts: http://www.chabinconcepts.com/

American Jobs Act

Summer Fun for your Kids:

Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art:  http://www.mgmoa.org/calendar/

Shawnee Public Library: http://host4.evanced.info/pioneerok/evanced/eventcalendar.asp

OBU: http://www.obubison.com/f/Summer_Camps.php

YMCA: http://www.shawneeymca.org/

Important Dates:

Wednesdays & Saturdays, mid April-October:  Pott County Farmers Market

8am-2pm at Hwy 177 & Hardesty

For more information go to http://pottcomarket.com/

Week of May 14:  National Police Week:  http://www.policeweek.org/

May 19:  Walk on the Art Side

10am-10pm in historical downtown Shawnee

For more information go to: www.seffinc.org or call 405-409-8509

May 19:  Community Art Day

1-3pm at Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, 1900 W. MacArthur Drive, Shawnee OK 74804

Make foam prints with artist, Linda Dixon.  It’s free and open to the public.

For more information call 405-878-5300 or visit www.mgmoa.org

May 24:  Meeting for general contractors, trade contractors and concerned parties of the City of Shawnee

8:30-11:30am at City of Shawnee Commission Chamber

Kelly Parker of Guaranteed Watt Savers will be discussing the upcoming code changes as required

by the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission.  He will also give insight into compliance

techniques.

Refreshments will be served.

June 1:  First Friday Shawnee

4-9pm on Main Street between Oklahoma & Minnesota

For more information go to: www.firstfridayshawnee.com or facebook.com/firstfridayshawnee

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF

You know we are part of the OKC Regional Partnership because we have mentioned it several times and most likely, even if you didn’t know what it was called, some of your neighbors commute on a regular basis to that BIG CITY to the west of us to earn their paycheck.  Like it or not, we ARE part of the Greater OKC metropolitan area.

In a recent meeting with our counterparts from Moore, they shared with us a defining moment in the history of their community of 50k +.  The community saw their retail sales tax collections vanish as the larger communities around them became more aggressive in their recruitment and retail development strategies.

They weren’t just leaking retail sales, they were hemorrhaging due to limited consumer choices.   That loss of business was dramatically affecting the ability of their city government, which has to operate off of sales tax collections.  These real world scenario’s led them to a wake up call, and showed that they needed to undertake a different strategy.

First they looked at their location, and realized that they were land locked on three sides, had very few choices on expanding their population base and that the honest to goodness reality of their situation was, they were a bedroom community.  In fact a HUGE amount of the population left their community each day to work somewhere else.  Rather than dismiss the obvious, they elected to deal with it and make some changes in their approach to retail recruitment.

The City of Moore decided to get into the retail recruitment arena and actively start helping retailers make capital investments in their community.  Rather than take a wait and see mentality, they took a “lets get in the game” approach.  What some might have called “corporate welfare” or helping a developer get rich, has paid off in a hundred of times over return on investment.  In their own words, “We did not throw money at anyone, instead we invested in public infrastructure improvements that led to the development of more retail choices for those who live and shop here.”

Our friends in Moore concluded their story by saying, “We made a consensus decision to attract more retailers, by undertaking public improvements, which led to the greater good for our community.”  Possibly there are some lessons to be learned in the efforts of our neighbors to the west.

Code breaking…..

Sometimes it’s hard to understand just what the job experiences and skills of a person in the military might have been.  Thanks to the help of Joe Porter and another Veteran who is passionate about putting Vets back to work, you can now get additional help doing just that.

The military has job titles that are codes called MOS (Military Occupational Specialty).  There are plenty of sites on the web that can translate these job specialties from military lingo to English and tell you the jobs for which veterans would be best suited.  This has raised the question, “Is that the employer’s responsibility, or the responsibility of the applicant to do this research?”  The correct answer is both.

If businesses want to tap into the overlooked and under-employed veteran market, they should conduct some research and know which veterans to target.  On the flip side of that coin, veterans should know that civilians don’t speak in acronyms.  They should research their own MOS and translate it on a resume in order to find companies that require those skills.  Too easy.  We would like to thank Joe Porter and Aaron Daniels for passing this along and you can easily do that yourself by hiring a Vet…

Websites You Should Visit:

Military Occupational Specialty: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjobs/tp/armyenlistedjobs.htm

Important Dates:

May 9:  SEDF Board Meeting

9am at the SEDF Board Room

May 10:  COHRA Meeting

11:30am-1:00pm at YMCA, 700 W. Saratoga, Shawnee OK  74804

Lunch will be provided and our speaker will be Joseph Black discussing I-9’s.

COHRA welcomes you to bring a friend!

May 11 & 12:  The Ritz Theatre presents “Buttercup & Company”

7-9pm at The Ritz Theatre, 10 W. Main Street, Shawnee OK 74801

This high action impact comedy is presented by South Rock Creek After School Drama Department

For more information contact Norman Wagner at 405-409-8509

May 19:  Walk on the Art Side

10am-10pm in historical downtown Shawnee

For more information go to: www.seffinc.org or call 405-409-8509

May 19:  Community Art Day

1-3pm at Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, 1900 W. MacArthur Drive, Shawnee OK 74804

Make foam prints with artist, Linda Dixon.  It’s free and open to the public.

For more information call 405-878-5300 or visit www.mgmoa.org

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF

Over the past few weeks there has been a lot, scratch that, more than a lot of activity on the retail front.  Our little slice of paradise has seen two visits by out of state retail brokers, who wanted to know as much about everything related to Shawnee that we could share with them.

They were seeking factual data on traffic counts, property values, ideal spots for new retail stores, land sale prices, census data, retail leakage, companies growing or expansions, workforce, top twenty employers and everything else you can imagine.  It just so happens that we have that data and were able to provide a pretty quick turnaround. Hey it’s just how we roll up here.

We have also recently received the latest marketing piece from one of our larger area retail developers, which helps use provided a clearer snapshot of where some of the larger retail property exists and how we can use that to attract more nationally know retailers.

Who knows where these contacts, visits and materials will lead, but each item is a great second step in the process of working toward our area being selected as a potential site for a retailer.  But lets not all get giddy about a couple of visits, as we still have to meet the prospect’s list of requirements and prove that we are a better location than all the other places they could select.

What is up next is to review the draft version of the comprehensive retail study and implementation plan being done by Catalyst Commercial.   This new “retail roadmap” will certainly play a critical role in how and who we purse in retail attraction in the coming months.  We are excited about what the report will validate for us and how we can use it to improve the choices for our consumers.  Stay tuned.

A glimpse into the future…

It had already been a long week, with day after day meetings in the City, a long city commissioner’s meeting, a down and back trip to work a trade show in Dallas and then trying to pack a week’s worth of unanswered emails, calls and projects into a few short hours. The last thing I wanted to do was spend six hours working at a contest to judge speeches, specifically on a subject that I knew very little about.

And was I ever WRONG.  After six hours of seeing what the youth of Oklahoma can offer to our future I couldn’t have picked a better way to spend my time.  I heard speech after speech from bright young individuals from all over Oklahoma who shared their opinions in a judged format. They focused on issues from terrorism, to use of our water resources, how to encourage more added value to Oklahoma grown crops and livestock, and even the atrocities that have been committed to those who undertake agricultural efforts in southern Iraq.  Their topics were relevant, timely and so appropriate for the world we live in.

So why should any of you care?  Many of our media sources seem to always bombard us about what is wrong with today’s youth, and we might believe that is our future. But when we get to see first hand that there are new leaders, who have a passion for our nation, who understand they can make a difference and are taking the necessary steps to develop their own leadership skills, well it just warms the cockles of our hearts and gives us reflection that our future might just be okay after all.   Keep up the good work FFA students, know that we think we need to clone more just like you…and it was an honor to spend time with you. What started out to be something I was dreading, turned out to be an event I wish had lasted longer…

Websites You Should Visit:

Catalyst Commercial: http://www.catalystcommercial.net/

Oklahoma FFA: http://www.okffa.org/

Important Dates:

April 30:  Shawnee Police Foundation Annual Fundraiser/Awards Banquet

Social Hour:  6:00pm – Banquet:  6:30pm at the Shawnee EXPO Banquet Center

Tickets are $25 each or $250 per table of eight and can be purchased at the Shawnee Police

Foundation or Shawnee Chamber of Commerce

May 4:  First Friday Shawnee

4-9pm on Main Street between Oklahoma & Minnesota

For more information go to: www.firstfridayshawnee.com or facebook.com/firstfridayshawnee

May 5:  Pott County Fallen Heroes Poker Run

10am-5pm at Woodland Park

For more information contact Jimmy Brewer at 405-880-1243

May 5:  Free Workshop: Pond Build

10am-1pm at The Pond Shop, 7901 N. Kickapoo, Shawnee OK  74804

For more information call 405-273-8363 or visit www.pondproshop.com

May 11 & 12:  The Ritz Theatre presents “Buttercup & Company”

7-9pm at The Ritz Theatre, 10 W. Main Street, Shawnee OK 74801

This high action impact comedy is presented by South Rock Creek After School Drama Department

For more information contact Norman Wagner at 405-409-8509

May 11-13:  1^st Annual World Series at Firelake

The Ball Fields at Firelake, 18160 Rangeline Road, Shawnee OK  74801

For more information contact Jason O’Connor at 405-659-8828 or go to

www.theballfieldsatfirelake.com

May 19:  Walk on the Art Side

10am-10pm in historical downtown Shawnee

For more information go to: www.seffinc.org or call 405-409-8509

May 19:  Free Workshop:  Plants, Fish & Algae

10am-1pm at The Pond Pro Shop, 7901 N. Kickapoo, Shawnee OK  74804

For more information call 405-273-8363 or visit www.pondproshop.com

May 19:  Community Art Day

1-3pm at Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, 1900 W. MacArthur Drive, Shawnee OK 74804

Make foam prints with artist, Linda Dixon.  It’s free and open to the public.

For more information call 405-878-5300 or visit www.mgmoa.org

May 26:  25^th Birthday Celebration for Pott County Farmers Coop Market

Live music, free cupcakes, balloons for the kids, cooking demo and more!

Farmers Market, Hwy 177 & Hardesty Road, Shawnee OK  74801

Open every Wednesday & Saturday from 8am-2pm from May through October

For more information call 405-613-1636

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF

One of our not so secret ideas to save, or at least bolster, the Social Security System is to put more people to work and less on an entitlement program.  We know that there are those who will vehemently disagree with that idea, as long as it doesn’t interfere with their own income stream. Funny how that works isn’t it?

Almost every day we hear from someone who is either seeking work or is seeking more skilled employees.  We are happy to act in any capacity to help those looking for assistance to connect the dots.  On that same note, we ran across an article this past week that we believe should be shared with every parent or student who is considering the future of employment.

First a brief disclaimer:  We strongly believe that anyone who has the aptitude and where-with-all should attend college and achieve as much advanced education as possible.  There is no doubt that this is a way to increase an individual’s quality of life and future income.

Information related to that type of thought process was highlighted in a recent Agurban publication which focused on a Pathways to Prosperity Project report, completed by the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The report is subtitled “Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21^st Century”.

• 27 percent of people with post-secondary licenses or certificates – credentials short of an associate’s degree – earn more than the average bachelor’s degree recipient.

• Demand for middle-skilled professionals is exploding in the nations’ hottest industry, healthcare, which has added over half a million jobs during the Great Recession. Openings for registered nurses and health technologists – positions that typically require an associate’s degree – are expected to grow by more than 1 million by 2018.

• There will be a huge number of job openings in so-called blue-collar fields like construction, manufacturing, and natural resources, though many will simply replace retiring baby boomers. These fields will provide nearly 8 million job openings, 2.7 million of which will require a post-secondary credential.

• The Georgetown Center of Education and the Workforce projects there will be 47 million job openings in the decade ending in 2018, many of which will be replacements for workers who have retired or quit. While they predict that a record 63 percent of these openings will require some college education or better, they say that nearly half of these post-secondary positions will only require an A.A. degree or less. And virtually all of the sub-B.A. jobs will require the kinds of real-world skills students master in career and technical education. These include positions in nursing, health technology, commercial construction, manufacturing, and natural resources.

All of which helps us conclude that not all students are college bound, and a path they may wish to consider can be obtained right here in Shawnee at Gordon Cooper Technology Center.

While other states keep hoping that their communities would offer more vocational education courses in high schools, or develop more technical schools and community colleges to help fill this void, we will keep watch to see what others around the nation do in this area.

In the meantime, you don’t have to wait and can take advantage of what is already here.

The Marines have landed…

If you are an employer who doesn’t believe there are any qualified people to hire, people who are trainable and understand what teamwork is or how a chain of command works, or who can show up on time, look you in the eye and say yes, no sir, or have the willingness to learn new skills and do difficult tasks….. well, think again.

As we continue to see companies struggling to find qualified and suitable employees, some of you are ready to call in the Marines and that is EXACTLY what the local Oklahoma Workforce Center has done. If you are ready to hire some folks who are top notch and willing to be your next star employee, then you need to contact the new Veteran’s representative at the Oklahoma Workforce Center.

Fresh from his tour of service is one of Pottawatomie County’s own and his name is Mr. Joe Porter. Staff Sergeant Joe is the guy who can put you in contact with the military personnel who are highly desired and ready to resume life in this place that we call home. We think having a Pott County guy who understands that you are looking for a few good employees to add to your workforce and has access to a database that covers all branches of the service is exactly what our companies need.

We think that hiring a Vet isn’t only the patriotic thing to do, but that it makes good business sense as well. Our military branches of service have spent your tax dollars on training these individuals to perform their duties, often time in highly stressful situations, and to do those jobs well.  These individuals have more cross training than the average employee and are ready to get back to a normal routine again and you need to get them before others do.  Trust us, they won’t be unemployed long.

Those who have and are concluding their service to our country possess such a wide variety of skills that can range from helicopter repair staff, to medical personnel, mechanics, logistics specialists, heavy equipment operators, accountants, engineers and of course, those with excellent leadership skills.

Pick up the phone right now and call Staff Sergeant Joe Porter at the Oklahoma Workforce Center and find a time to meet with him.   Put him to work at helping you find a Vet to fill those workforce needs, and while you’re at it, thank him for his service to our country.  “Semper Fi” Mr. Porter and we are very happy you are on our side…

Joe Porter

Local Veteran Employment Representative

Oklahoma Employment Security Commission

2 John C. Bruton Blvd., Shawnee, OK

405/275-7800  Ext.  2499

joe.porter@oesc.state.ok.us

Websites You Should Visit:

Gordon Cooper Technology Center: http://www.gctech.org/

Oklahoma Job Link: https://servicelink.oesc.state.ok.us/ada/

Important Dates:

April 25-27:  Central Oklahoma Science & Engineering Festival

10am-2pm each day at Rose State College at 6420 S.E. 15^th, Midwest City, OK  73110

25^th is for Elementary age, 26^th is for Middle & High Schoolers, 27^th is for Tech/College Students

For more details and to register a participant or attendee, please visit

www.rose.edu/centralokscienceandengineeringfestival.com

April 26-28:  Shawnee Little Theatre presents “Rabbit Hole”

7:30pm at the Shawnee Little Theatre, 1829 Airport Drive, Shawnee OK  74801

Tickets can be purchased at the SLT Box office at 405-275-2805 from 5:30-8:00pm Monday

through Saturday, or online at www.shawneelittletheatre.com

April 28:  Kids First Golf Tournament

8am check-in at Firelake Golf Course

Contact Dee VanDuser at 405-371-0417 or 405-214-4105 to pre-register or sponsor a hole.

April 30:  Shawnee Police Foundation Annual Fundraiser/Awards Banquet (RSVP by 4/25/12)

Social Hour:  6:00pm – Banquet:  6:30pm at the Shawnee EXPO Banquet Center

Tickets are $25 each or $250 per table of eight and can be purchased at the Shawnee Police

Foundation or Shawnee Chamber of Commerce

May 4:  First Friday Shawnee

4-9pm on Main Street between Oklahoma & Minnesota

For more information go to: www.firstfridayshawnee.com or facebook.com/firstfridayshawnee

May 19:  Walk on the Art Side

10am-10pm in historical downtown Shawnee

For more information go to: www.seffinc.org or call 405-409-8509

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF

If I told you the sky was falling, you would probably think, “Well he’s finally lost it.”  If I told you that we were headed for an economic collapse of biblical proportions, I’m sure you would be highly skeptical and dismay those comments as merely the early morning rants of a person who needs more caffeine.

While it is correct to believe we won’t see chunks of the upper atmosphere laying around on the ground, we need to sound the alarm bell LOUDER and with more vigor at was is about to hit us.  This weekend I started reading a book by an author that I have a great deal of respect for. His name is Mark Lautman and he, like myself, is in the economic development profession.  Mark’s book is called, “When Boomers Bail.”  Boomers, you know folks, just like you and me.

Mark’s book is a workforce horror story, except it isn’t fiction. It is reality and a pretty good indication of what will happen to a lot of the areas around the nation that are overlooking the number one incentive we have, which is a strong and qualified skilled workforce.

Mark bases his thoughts on facts and figures, not hyperbole or voodoo. He hits home the fact that many more of us are going to exit the workplace and there will be less of us to fill those positions and even less of us with the necessary skills to do the jobs we now complete.  When that happens the meltdown will start slowly, then reach an unstoppable downward spiral.  Great news for a Monday morning isn’t it?

About seven years ago, those who make predictions suggested that the great workforce meltdown would occur in 2010. They offered that we would see huge numbers of shortages and that companies would move to where they could secure available skilled workers.  The reality of a recession derailed that meltdown, but as the economy heats back up, the brutal facts of those shortages are already beginning to show up.

In the book, “When Boomers Bail”, Mark speaks to the inverted labor curve and highlights the facts that we have more skilled workers retiring than we can create and less of a population to fill the long term gaps. Solving that problem won’t be easy, if it is even achievable.  Certainly we might suggest that immigration could offset some of the pending shortages, but so far our political leaders in DC can’t seem to agree what day of the week it is, let alone figure out something as complex as workforce shortages.

Several years ago an economic developer in a community in Northern Oklahoma said, “Those communities that consistently develop a skilled workforce will be prosperous for decades to come.”   That’s all well and good for those that are able to rally together to try to stem the tide of what will be a massive reduction of workers. But what about those who ignore the alarm bells?  Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee… My suggestion?  Buy the book and make your own conclusions.

Selling to the RIGHT prospects…..

If we took a poll among those in the community on who and where they thought we should focus our attraction efforts, we are pretty sure we would get a wide variety of responses.  Some believe that we should go after new industries, while others could say that they want us to help find more retail opportunities for the consumers.

Others might weigh in and tell us that we should go after only aerospace or aviation industries and that we should bet the farm on just that industry sector.  There will be those who want us to spend our efforts on entrepreneurs and start ups, and we are fairly certain there would be those who think we are fine, just the way we are.

One thing we are fairly certain about is that we would receive a wide range of opinions and that there certainly won’t be a consensus.  For what ever our two cents are worth, we think selling our current employers on the idea that they should expand here should be our number one focus.  That doesn’t mean we don’t think all of the other ideas mentioned here aren’t worthy of effort or achievable.  It only means the low hanging fruit is those existing businesses that call our region home.

It has been proven repeatedly that over 75% of all new jobs are created by the existing businesses in a community, so by our type of thinking this is naturally an area we should hone in on.  No big surprise?  No we didn’t think so.  When you ponder the different ways we could undertake economic development, and we are sure you do that often, be sure to remember that growing what is already here is a team effort and YOU are part of that team.

What we often take for granted is something another community would love to claim for their own.  So lets show some love to those who call Shawnee home before we have to sing a line from an old Joni Mitchell song, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till its gone.”

Websites You Should Visit:

Mark Lautman Website:  http://www.marklautman.com/

Important Dates:

April 18:  Youth Aviation Adventure Registration – Event to be held on April 21^st from 8am-3:30pm

Location:  Gordon Cooper Aviation Campus (Registration from 8am-5pm)

Contact Rex Hennen at 405-878-1625 or go to http://www.shawneeairport.com/youthaviation/

April 19:  Shawnee Sister Cities International Dinner

6pm-8pm at the Shawnee Middle School Cafeteria

For more information call 405-595-0013

April 21:  Citizen Potawatomi Nation Family Fun Day

1pm-4pm at 419 N. Bell Avenue, Shawnee OK

Contact Kendra Lowden at 405-275-3176 or Kendra.lowden@potawatomi.org

April 21: Arts Trek from 10am-4pm - FREE & All Welcome

Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, 1900 W. MacArthur, Shawnee, OK 74804

For more information, call 405-878-5300 or go to: www.artstrek.org

April 25-27:  Central Oklahoma Science & Engineering Festival

10am-2pm each day at Rose State College at 6420 S.E. 15^th, Midwest City, OK  73110

25^th is for Elementary age, 26^th is for Middle & High Schoolers, 27^th is for Tech/College Students

For more details and to register a participant or attendee, please visit www.rose.edu/centralokscienceandengineeringfestival.com

April 28:  Kids First Golf Tournament

8am check-in at Firelake Golf Course

Contact Dee VanDuser at 405-371-0417 or 405-214-4105 to pre-register or sponsor a hole.

April 30:  Shawnee Police Foundation Annual Fundraiser/Awards Banquet (RSVP by 4/25/12)

Social Hour:  6:00pm – Banquet:  6:30pm at the Shawnee EXPO Banquet Center

Tickets are $25 each or $250 per table of eight and can be purchased at the Shawnee Police Foundation or Shawnee Chamber of Commerce

May 4:  First Friday Shawnee

4-9pm on Main Street between Oklahoma & Minnesota

For more information go to: www.firstfridayshawnee.com or facebook.com/firstfridayshawnee

May 19:  Walk on the Art Side

10am-10pm in historical downtown Shawnee

For more information go to: www.seffinc.org or call 405-409-8509

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF

Over the past few weeks we have had some site visits made by individuals that we made connection with over two years ago and also some new folks who are just now learning about our community.  We love making new friends, and keeping the old ones, especially if it allows us to share ALL of the great things going on in our community.

A common theme among those who have stayed connected with us over the past few years, or our newest BFF’s, is that they want validated proof of the activity in our area.  That’s a place we can excel in and we are more than ready to supply them with the relevant facts about Shawnee and the surrounding area.  The bottom line is that they want to know several specific things about this center of quite a lot.

#1: Why should we, or our clients, make a capital investment in this community?

#2: Will we be able to gain a reasonable rate of return on that investment?

#3: What separates you from the thousands of other communities who want our business?

While some would think that those making investments will do so on their own without any assistance, we believe that it speeds up the process if we help them determine what our attributes and benefits are.  That’s technical speak for “Let’s quickly respond to their need for information.”

These past few weeks we have been burning up the internet tubes with data on our community. Prospects have been asking us about land availability, workforce, utilities, traffic counts, census information, growth facts and figures, lists related to who is already doing business here and where some of our largest opportunities might be, related to their specific interests.

Those who are interested represent manufacturing, aviation, retail, oil and gas service companies, landscaping supply firms, military complexes and everything in between.  To say the list has been diversified would be an understatement.  And it is exactly what we would hope to see in a community with as diverse of an economic base as ours.

The key need of every one of our prospects, or should we say the communities prospects, is the need to gain access to relevant, validated and accurate data, quickly. In today’s fast paced global economy there are only two types of businesses – the quick or the dead. In case you couldn’t tell, we like the quick version best.

If you are contemplating whether to expand your business, make additional capital investments, determining if you should handle a new product line or simply have the desire to look at a larger picture of the economic base of this area, please feel free to contact us to see if we can provide you with the data you can use to make a well informed decision.   Data, it’s how we roll.

Three out of four…?

A few weeks ago we had the privilege to be in the room with a site selector who cut through some of the uncertainty about how companies select a location. In fact, this professional told the group in attendance that the majority of site selection comes down to four needs.  Those items were:

• Workforce:

Do you have what the company wants related to their workforce needs, can you deliver it, sustain it and keep training it to meet the demands of an ever changing global economy?  Our answer was: For certain companies, yes we can do all of that.

• Location:

Do your sites have easy accessibility, is your infrastructure in place to serve the prospective companies, do you know what you have related to property, utilities, costs, zoning, building permits and can you provide that information, NOW?  Our answer was: For the companies that fit our region, yes we have all of that.

• Lower operational costs:

How do our utility and labor costs stack up against the rest of the US?  What is our tax structure compared to other state’s? Can we provide training for employees at a low or lower cost than others?  What separates us from the crow when it comes to taxes, overhead and labor costs?  Our answer was:  Show us the project and we will prove to you how competitive we can be.

• Dollars:

Do you have any incentives or cash that you can put in the mix?  Does your state, county or community offer anything to help make our site a better deal, lower the overall costs and help close the deal?  Our answer was:  We have some unique items to offer such as New Market Tax Credit areas, Enterprise Zone, Former Indian Land Tax Credits, the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program and other state programs which apply to qualified companies.  That is a long way to say, cash no, other programs that offer a bonus to the right companies, yes.

The take away from this highly knowledgeable site selector was that while not everything fits our state or area, we do have the attention of many around the US, and they are starting to ask questions about how we might fit into a relocation or expansion strategy.   Our answer was:  Bring it!

Websites You Should Visit:

Our website is full of information about our community:  www.sedf.biz

Smart Business – Retail Site Selection: http://www.sbnonline.com/2008/03/retail-site-selection-how-real-estate-advisers-make-a-complicated-process-less-painful/

Important Dates:

Beginning April 1:  Safe Corridors Program – Slow down speeders!

For more information go to:

http://www.news-star.com/news/x872947974/Areas-set-for-extra-enforcement

April 11^th:  SEDF Board Meeting

April 12^th:  Young Area Professionals

Attend this networking event hosted by the Chamber and invite guests to come with you!

4:45-6:45pm at Shawnee Country Club

April 13:  Bowl for Kids Sake by Big Brothers Big Sisters

Help us reach our $25,000 goal by going to www.bfksshawnee.org to register your team.

For more information, call Alfonso Nieves at (405) 275-3553 or go to www.bbbsok.org

April 18:  Youth Aviation Adventure Registration

Location:  Gordon Cooper Aviation Campus from 8am-5pm

Event to be held on April 21^st at Gordon Cooper Aviation Campus from 8am-3:30pm

For more information contact Rex Hennen at 405-878-1625 or go to: http://www.shawneeairport.com/youthaviation/

April 21:  Citizen Potawatomi Nation Family Fun Day

1pm-4pm at 419 N. Bell Avenue, Shawnee OK

Contact Kendra Lowden at 405-275-3176 or Kendra.lowden@potawatomi.org

April 21: Arts Trek from 10am-4pm - FREE & All Welcome

Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, 1900 W. MacArthur, Shawnee, OK 74804

For more information, call 405-878-5300 or go to: www.artstrek.org

April 25-27:  Central Oklahoma Science & Engineering Festival

10am-2pm each day

Location:  Rose State College at 6420 S.E. 15^th, Midwest City, OK  73110

April 25^th targeted audience is Elementary School Students

April 26^th targeted audience is Middle & High School Students

April 27^th targeted audience is Technology Center/College/University Students

For more details and to register a participant or attendee, please visit

www.rose.edu/centralokscienceandengineeringfestival.com

April 28:  Kids First Golf Tournament

8am check-in at Firelake Golf Course

Contact Dee VanDuser at 405-371-0417 or 405-214-4105 to pre-register or sponsor a hole.

May 4:  First Friday Shawnee

4-9pm on Main Street between Oklahoma & Minnesota

For more information go to: www.firstfridayshawnee.com or facebook.com/firstfridayshawnee

May 19:  Walk on the Art Side

10am-10pm in historical downtown Shawnee

For more information go to: www.seffinc.org or call 405-409-8509

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF

When we started thinking about those two subjects in correlation with Shawnee, we couldn’t hold ourselves back from cranking out a few thoughts.  Like it our not, we all are in the relationship building business. Some people are better at it than others and some people simply don’t care.  We think that to grow the local and region’s economy, we really should focus on the first part of the equation noted in the heading, so we can gain more of the second part.

Simply put, people and businesses want to be where they feel welcomed, can obtain success for their business or themselves, have pride in their location and know they have a reasonable chance for a good life.  Without doubt we realize that there will be a lot of different ideas of what those tangible items might actually be, but for now that is beside the point.

For us, capital investment is what truly drives our economy.  Those investments are like fruit trees in that they take time to develop, blossom and produce fruit.  Capital investments made in our region bring more opportunities for us to offer a wider variety of services, industries, housing options, retail opportunities, educational selections and even entertainment choices.  In the most simplistic terms it allows us to have more to offer.

Merely hoping for more capital investment is like putting the cart before the horse and saying “giddy up”.  Attracting or retaining those who you hope will make a capital investment in your future begins by building a relationship, not a demand or halfhearted attempt to be their buddy.  It takes more of an investment on our part, which is truly about developing a community that is willing to help build social capital among us, first.

A wise woman once told me, “If we can build the emotional bank account of the average citizen in this community, then there will be nothing that we can’t accomplish.”   Pretty philosophical thoughts and possibly more reflective of which communities are destined to prosper and those that simply maintain their status quo.   The message?  Be nice, others are watching.

Smart people…

A really intelligent person once told me that I didn’t need to be the smartest person in the room, only know who they were.  That holds true in the world of economic development as well and we thought it might be of interest to you if we share the list of who we think some of those smart folks are.

If you are tired of playing solitaire on your iPad during a meeting or ignoring what is going on by responding to emails (yes, guilty as charged), there are some great blogs, newsletters and other online publications that we believe you may find interesting and will get you in touch with some VERY intelligent folks.

Here are a few of our favorites.

Jeff Thredgold’s Tea Leaf:     http://www.thredgold.com/tea-leaf/

Kristen Zhivago’s Revenue Journal:   http://www.zhivago.com/

Ed Morrison’s, Ed’s Garage:  http://edmorrison.com/

Dee Davis’s, Daily Yonder:   http://www.dailyyonder.com/

Eric Bergeson’s, Country Scribe:   http://countryscribe.com/blog

Innovation Daily & Innovation Weekly:  http://www.innovationamerica.us/

Important Dates:

Beginning April 1:  Safe Corridors Program – Slow down speeders!

For more information go to:

http://www.news-star.com/news/x872947974/Areas-set-for-extra-enforcement

April 4^th:  Kiwanis Pancake Feed

7am-7pm at the Municipal Auditorium

April 11^th:  SEDF Board Meeting

April 13:  Bowl for Kids Sake by Big Brothers Big Sisters

Help us reach our $25,000 goal by going to www.bfksshawnee.org to register your team.

For more information, call Alfonso Nieves at (405) 275-3553 or go to www.bbbsok.org

April 18:  Youth Aviation Adventure Registration

Location:  Gordon Cooper Aviation Campus from 8am-5pm

Event to be held on April 21^st at Gordon Cooper Aviation Campus from 8am-3:30pm

For more information contact Rex Hennen at 405-878-1625 or go to: http://www.shawneeairport.com/youthaviation/

April 21:  Citizen Potawatomi Nation Family Fun Day

1pm-4pm at 419 N. Bell Avenue, Shawnee OK

Contact Kendra Lowden at 405-275-3176 or Kendra.lowden@potawatomi.org

April 21: Arts Trek from 10am-4pm - FREE & All Welcome

Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, 1900 W. MacArthur, Shawnee, OK 74804

For more information, call 405-878-5300 or go to: www.artstrek.org

April 28:  Kids First Golf Tournament

8am check-in at Firelake Golf Course

Contact Dee VanDuser at 405-371-0417 or 405-214-4105 to pre-register or sponsor a hole.

May 4:  First Friday Shawnee

4-9pm on Main Street between Oklahoma & Minnesota

For more information go to: www.firstfridayshawnee.com or facebook.com/firstfridayshawnee

Websites You Should Visit:

Oklahoma HR Blog:  http://www.okhr.org/blog/2012/03/getting-the-most-from-your-people-everyday/

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF

In our world of economic development our best is never enough and while the last project we worked on was important, the next one is just as important, as will be the one after that.  Just like our website, if we ever think it is done, so are we.

So what’s coming down the roadway that may be of interest to you?  It’s that time of year that we are assembling our yearly budget, which includes making our annual report to the City Commission.  We think we do a pretty good job of keeping them informed, but there is always room for improvement.

We are also deeply engaged with our retail consultant who is assembling the facts about our retailers, and those that we wish to recruit. Soon we will have more relevant and validated data in this area than ever before. Coupled with the consultants efforts and the arduous task of gathering the commercial and retail land data, we believe we will have most of the tools we need to state our case to new retailers.  Facts will trump feelings everyday and that is where we are focusing our efforts.

The majority of our local manufacturers are facing two serious issues related to workforce. One is a short-term need in that they are seeking competent and skilled employees today. Additionally they are also looking at the age of their existing workers. Soon many of them will exit the workforce and they will need to replace them.

Advances in production techniques and equipment, and a much smaller pool of skilled workers will also certainly affect our area employer’s long-term employee needs. One of our goals is to heighten the awareness of those employment opportunities by letting others know what skills are needed and that a GREAT job can be found here in Shawnee.

If you’ve missed hearing about it, the world has discovered that one of the best places to do business in the US, is in a area that we are part of. The OKC metro area is growing and partially that is due to the activity at Tinker AFB.  Whether you call those changes growth, re-alignment, or simply shuffling the deck of how the military operates, our area will be part of those modifications.

Our task is to see how we can better prepare ourselves to take advantage of the opportunities that will present themselves and if we can heighten the awareness of our area to companies that wish to be close to the marvel of activity that we call Tinker.   We have a series of action steps planned that can help us advance these efforts and we are hopeful we can help grow the number of those who are engaged in Oklahoma’s Aerospace and Aviation industries.

That’s it?  No, not by a long shot. We are going to stay focused on the reopening of the rail line between here and McAlester, plus keep working with local businesses to explore the use of New Market Tax Credits.  Our efforts in our Business Retention and Expansion program are the main reason we exist, and we are seeing more and more entrepreneurs asking for assistance and it seems we are seeing more individuals who are seeking to find the RIGHT JOB.  Mix in our passion for letting the world know more about what we have to offer here in our center of quite a lot, and well, our plate gets pretty full.   And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Common Wisdom?

Among my favorite blogs is one by an economic guru named Jeff Thredgold.  He publishes a review, dashboard snap shot and futurist outlook of the economy. You can find out more about him by visiting his Tea Leaf website at; http://www.thredgold.com/tea-leaf/

This week his topic is about manufacturing and the collective wisdom that some of America believes we are all washed up in that area, in that our overseas competition is doing manufacturing better, cheaper and faster.  Balderdash is what we say.

Without a doubt, some of the things we once made in this nation are being produced elsewhere, but we are far from being a nation of simply burger flipper’s and service jobs, regardless of what the various media sources would like us to believe.

Here’s a bit of a secret, we have been on the shop floors of many of our area manufacturers and this is what they tell us.

“We tried doing the work overseas, but their workers couldn’t hold our strict tolerance requirements, so we brought the work back here.”

“Our customers are demanding better quality, with fewer do overs and they wanted their products now. We can meet our clients needs here, much faster and at a much greater value.”

“The demand for our products is strong and we have a backlog of orders that we are trying to fill. We need more skilled employees, now.”

Very quietly, as many in this great nation were wringing their hands and saying “Oh woe is me”, our local manufacturing folks were retooling, expanding, retraining, developing new products, and all the while improving their production capabilities.

While they will always face global competitors, our bet is on the folks in our own backyard to come out on top. No doubt we and they will win some and lose some, but the odds of beating American ingenuity, know how and stick-to-itiveness are pretty hard for us to bet against.  We like our odds…

Important Dates:

Beginning April 1:  Safe Corridors Program – Slow down speeders!

For more information go to:

http://www.news-star.com/news/x872947974/Areas-set-for-extra-enforcement

April 4^th:  Kiwanis Pancake Feed

7am-7pm at the Municipal Auditorium

April 13:  Bowl for Kids Sake by Big Brothers Big Sisters

Help us reach our $25,000 goal by going to www.bfksshawnee.org to register your team.

For more information, call Alfonso Nieves at (405) 275-3553 or go to www.bbbsok.org

April 21:  Citizen Potawatomi Nation Family Fun Day

1pm-4pm at 419 N. Bell Avenue, Shawnee OK

Come to a fun and FREE event fit for the entire family!

Events include inflatables, games & prizes, goody bags, cupcake decorating, face painting,

digital ID kits, FREE child safety seat checkups & vendors with unique items to purchase.

Contact Kendra Lowden at 405-275-3176 or Kendra.lowden@potawatomi.org

April 28:  Kids First Golf Tournament

8am check-in at Firelake Golf Course

2 Player Scramble = $50.00/player (includes entry into all events, 18 holes of golf, cart, BBQ

lunch, raffle tickets, awards & prizes)

Be a Corporate or Business Hole Sponsor – Sponsorship is $100 (includes a nicely printed and

laminated sign with your business name and logo at one of the holes.

Support the efforts to raise awareness and prevent child abuse in Pottawatomie, Seminole,

Hughs & Lincoln Counties.

Contact Dee VanDuser at 405-371-0417 or 405-214-4105 to pre-register or sponsor a hole.

May 4:  First Friday Shawnee

4-9pm on Main Street between Oklahoma & Minnesota

There’s something for the whole family:  art, handmade goods, live music, great food & games

They are currently accepting exhibitor applications

For more information go to: www.firstfridayshawnee.com or facebook.com/firstfridayshawnee

Websites You Should Visit:

www.Potawatomi.org/pubinfo/TNAS/TNAS-Burg031812.mp3 – Left-click on the link to listen to it on your computer. Right-click on the link then left-click on “Save Target As” in the resultant dialogue box to save the 21MB mp3 file to your computer.

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF

An area that has been getting lots of questions from the “new gal” is about how we can help those who are seeking employment, and at the same time those who are trying to find more skilled employees.  Rather than just rattle that off for her to try and absorb, in between everything else, we thought it might be a great Monday Memo topic.

Over the past 60 days we have seen both those seeking employment and employers seeking more employees.  Both of those are areas we like to help with and we just happen to know a whole lot of folks who can help in both those areas.

First of all, we are members of the Central Oklahoma Human Resources Association.  This is the group of professionals in the area whose daily activities are related to anything dealing with employees. When we have an outstanding individual who is seeking work, we often start by passing that individual’s resume on to them. If you are involved in your businesses workforce and human resources efforts and aren’t a member, then you are missing out.  Want to know more?  Contact Rhonda Maston at rhonda.maston@bestwell.com

We are also tied electronically to the staff at the Oklahoma Workforce Center, which is located at Gordon Cooper Technology Center. They are on the front lines of helping employers find employees and employees find employers. Yep, they are in the matchmaking business and if you aren’t using their service we think you should contact either Mindee Duffell,  mindee.duffell@oesc.state.ok.us  or Robin Young, robin.young@oesc.state.ok.us and learn how they can help you.

When it comes to skills training there is no one that does it better, faster and for less cost than the administrators and instructors at Gordon Cooper Technology Center.  Need some customized training?  Call these folks.  Need to refresh your safety training programs?  Call these guys.  Need to tap into the workforce that they generate everyday from their many locations?  Well by now you’ve figure out, CALL THESE GUYS…Bob Perry, bobp@gctech.org or Fran Topping, frant@gctech.org

There are also great non-traditional methods of getting your message out about the employment opportunities that exist at your facility. We don’t wish to mess with your traditional methods of advertising for employees, but think you may wish to consider posting jobs with the folks at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. They have a website that has a section on Hot Jobs where you can post or find those listings.  You can do that by going online to Http://www.okcareerplanner.com/

You certainly don’t want to overlook the latest and greatest electronic matchmaking process that has been created by the Governor’s Council for Workforce and Economic Development Ok Job Match program. You can check it out at https://www.okjobmatch.com/

If recent college graduates is what fills your needs, we think connecting to Hire Sooners, Hire OSU Grads, the OKC Greater Grads program, UCO Career Services and the Career Placement Services at OBU might be areas that you should consider.  Their respective links are as follows.

Hire Sooners:  http://www.ou.edu/career/Employers/index.html

Hire OSU Grads:  http://www.hireosugrads.com/2/Employers/Home.aspx

OKC Greater Grads:   http://www.greatergrads.com/

UCO Hire Bronchos:  http://broncho2.uco.edu/careers/

OBU Career Services:   http://www.okbu.edu/campuslife/studentservices/careerservices/

In addition, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission has a headhunter on staff named Dan Reser and you can reach him at:  dan.reser@oesc.state.ok.us

You can also contact Wolf Gugler who is Shawnee’s own professional in that area at: wolf@wolfgugler.com or visit his website at http://www.wolfgugler.com.

And if one of those independent souls wants to find their own job and only needs to know who to contact, well how about checking out the 2012 Pottawatomie County Manufacturers Directory located at www.sedf.biz

More than you wanted to know?  Great, then our mission is accomplished.

Important Dates:

March 20:  First day of Spring

April 13:  Bowl for Kids Sake by Big Brothers Big Sisters

Help us reach our $25,000 goal by going to www.bfksshawnee.org to register your team.

For more information, call Alfonso Nieves at (405) 275-3553 or go to www.bbbsok.org

April 21:  Citizen Potawatomi Nation Family Fun Day

1pm-4pm at 419 N. Bell Avenue, Shawnee OK

Come to a fun and FREE event fit for the entire family!

Events include inflatables, games & prizes, goody bags, cupcake decorating, face painting,

digital ID kits, FREE child safety seat checkups & vendors with unique items to purchase.

Contact Kendra Lowden at 405-275-3176 or Kendra.lowden@potawatomi.org

April 28:  Kids First Golf Tournament

8am check-in at Firelake Golf Course

2 Player Scramble = $50.00/player (includes entry into all events, 18 holes of golf, cart, BBQ

lunch, raffle tickets, awards & prizes)

Be a Corporate or Business Hole Sponsor – Sponsorship is $100 (includes a nicely printed and

laminated sign with your business name and logo at one of the holes.

Support the efforts to raise awareness and prevent child abuse in Pottawatomie, Seminole,

Hughs & Lincoln Counties.

Contact Dee VanDuser at 405-371-0417 or 405-214-4105 to pre-register or sponsor a hole.

May 4:  First Friday Shawnee

4-9pm on Main Street between Oklahoma & Minnesota

There’s something for the whole family:  art, handmade goods, live music, great food & games

They are currently accepting exhibitor applications

For more information go to: www.firstfridayshawnee.com or facebook.com/firstfridayshawnee

Websites You Should Visit:

Listed above

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF

Over the past few months we have seen activity increase from those who have an interest in opening a business here in Shawnee.  Most of those contacts are from individuals who could be classified as small business start-ups, or entrepreneurs that wish to sell their services to the local market.  Either way, we like the trend.

So what can we offer to those who are hoping to make their fortune while pursuing their dream of owning their own business?  Some of those we meet ask, “Where’s my check?”, and for the record, there are no piles of free money or forgivable grants to help someone start a business.  There are resources available to those who help new businesses, AFTER they have created jobs, purchased property and made a profit.  In other words, you have to have money to make money. Doesn’t that sound familiar?  Free doesn’t exist and if you don’t believe me let me sell you my book on that subject for $19.95, plus shipping and handling.

What our organization is able to do is guide them to those who can help them the most, while we explore what else they might need.  Shawnee is very fortunate to have a competent and professional staff at the Gordon Cooper Technology Business and Industry Center, that can help a new business entrepreneur develop their own business plan, figure out which state agencies they need to contact and why, along with sorting through the other list of details they should be considering. Who knew it could be so hard to chase the American Dream…

From our side of the process we try to help the entrepreneur by offering them a list of local resources they may wish to consider.  We can provide them with a list of financial institutions that we are acquainted with as it relates to small business loans, or those who specialize in that area.  Our area is fortunate to have many local sources that reside in Shawnee that can support the needs of these potential impresarios.

We also can help these individuals with research on where buildings are located, which might meet their needs.  Realtors handle some of these properties, and in some cases the owner manages their own properties.   Getting the prospect connected with the right parties as soon as possible is where we believe we fit in.

In a few cases we have to be the organization that brings some reality to the dream.  We share with them the three most prevalent methods of acquiring funds, (friends, family and fools), and highlight the fact that any financial institution will follow the three C’s of lending, which are cash, collateral and character.  The latter of course meaning you must have a good character, not be one.

We are also able to direct them to our friends over at the City offices, which can guide them through the process of building occupancy, or permitting if renovation of a structure is in order.  To those who do work without such items, I’m sure your insurance company will just love you when you have a problem and determine that you have decided to skip these critical steps.

If needed, we also work with the new businessperson to look at marketing and determine where they might get their biggest bang for their limited bucks. There are a wide variety of marketing and advertising venues and picking what works best is vital to any new start up.

Whether the increased number of start up enquiries is a trend or an anomaly is yet to be determined, but regardless, we love the fact that there is increased interest in this area. Mixing big business with smaller ones has served Shawnee well over the past 100 years and the opportunity to continue that trend is always a blessing.

Why Does Manufacturing Matter?

Part of what follows was “borrowed” from the weekly Agracel Ezine, and we thought it was so good, we just had to share it.

A February 2012 study by the Brookings Institute recently looked at American manufacturing and why it matters to the U.S. economy. We have included below highlights from the conclusion of the study.

Manufacturing provides four important benefits to the U.S. economy:

• Manufacturing pays above-average wages to workers from virtually all demographic groups and all occupational categories.
• Manufacturing promotes innovation: it accounts for the lion’s share of R&D spending.
• Manufacturing is a key part of reducing the trade deficit.
• Manufacturing makes a large contribution to environmental sustainability.

Certain whole industries stand out for their contributions on these measures (and have been growing in recent years or have strong growth potential); computers and electronics, chemicals (including pharmaceuticals), transportation equipment (including aerospace and motor vehicles and parts), and machinery are especially important. Other industries, such as food processing, are also likely to grow. The nation would benefit from programs that aid firms in all industries in adopting more “high-road” strategies that advance critical national goals.

Now that we have shared what manufacturing means to the nation, let us focus some attention on what it means to our own center of quite a lot.

Our local manufacturers do more than just employee our neighbors in well paying jobs.  They purchase products and supplies from our area merchants. They buy homes from our realtors and homebuilders, as well as automobiles from the car dealers in the community.  They purchase utilities in large volumes, which in turn helps all of us have an overall lower cost of living, by creating a better scale of economy for those who produce those items.

They eat in our restaurants, pay taxes that benefit our schools, and often give their tithe to a church of their choice.  They support our Little League teams, Boy Scouts, the soccer teams, United Way and just about every other support organization you can think of.

In fact, existing manufacturers supply over 70% of all the new jobs in our area.  These primary jobs are the lifeblood of a strong and vibrant economy and we should thank our lucky stars they are here, PLUS personally do more to make sure they stay here.  Get the picture?

Congratulations to the Oklahoma Baptist men’s team on winning the NAIA swimming and diving championship!  OBU set four championship meet records as well!  The OBU women’s team finished second!

Important Dates:

March 14:  SEDF Board Meeting

March 20:  First day of Spring

April 21:  Citizen Potawatomi Nation Family Fun Day

1pm-4pm at 419 N. Bell Avenue, Shawnee OK

Come to a fun and FREE event fit for the entire family!

Events include inflatables, games & prizes, goody bags, cupcake decorating, face painting,

digital ID kits from CPN police, FREE child safety seat checkups & vendors with unique items to

purchase.

Contact Kendra Lowden at 405-275-3176 or Kendra.lowden@potawatomi.org for more

information.

April 28:  Kids First Golf Tournament

8am check-in at Firelake Golf Course

2 Player Scramble = $50.00/player (includes entry into all events, 18 holes of golf, cart, BBQ

lunch, raffle tickets, awards & prizes)

Be a Corporate or Business Hole Sponsor – Sponsorship is $100 (includes a nicely printed and

laminated sign with your business name and logo at one of the holes.

Support the efforts to raise awareness and prevent child abuse in Pottawatomie, Seminole,

Hughs & Lincoln Counties.

Contact Dee VanDuser at 405-371-0417 or 405-214-4105 to pre-register or sponsor a hole.

May 4:  First Friday Shawnee

4-9pm on Main Street between Oklahoma & Minnesota

There’s something for the whole family:  art, handmade goods, live music, great food & games

They are currently accepting exhibitor applications

For more information go to: www.firstfridayshawnee.com or facebook.com/firstfridayshawnee

Websites You Should Visit:

How do I start a business?: http://www.okcommerce.gov/Start-A-Business/Starting-A-Business

Gordon Cooper’s Business Development Program: http://www.gctech.org/short-term-classes/business-solutions-programs/business-development-program

tburg@sedf.biz   *  scaldwell@sedf.biz   *  www.sedf.biz  *  405-273-7490 *  facebook.com/shawneeEDF