Leadership Notes: Pratt & Whitney announcement a product of relationships and reputation

Rendering of Pratt & Whitney's $255 million sustainment center coming to Oklahoma City (Photo courtesy Pratt & Whitney)

What an exciting day it was last month when Pratt & Whitney announced they are investing $255 million in a new 845,000-square-foot sustainment facility. This center will serve as a hub for depot operations for the company’s military engines, which power several aircraft stationed or maintained at Tinker.

The decision to expand operations at Tinker is a testament to the strong bond Oklahoma City forged over the years with the Department of Defense and the prime contractors. This project developed over several years of working with the company to understand how Oklahoma City could best align with their strategic goals.

Every economic development project differs by timeline, but they all thrive on relationships. Announcements like this one take hard work, patience and, above all else, partnership. The Chamber is fortunate to have partners like the City of Oklahoma City, The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, who understand the value and importance the aerospace industry has on our city and state.

I want to give a special recognition to the City of Oklahoma City and the Alliance for Economic Development. Their work on the site for this project, former water trust land, was fundamental to our success.

The aerospace industry is recognized as the second largest industry in Oklahoma, thanks in large part to the nearly 300 aerospace companies in and around Oklahoma City. With almost 45,000 workers and an estimated $7.2 billion in goods and services produced annually from Oklahoma City companies, this economic engine we call aerospace continues to soar to even greater heights in OKC.

Christy Gillenwater
President & CEO
Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

This article originally appeared in the April 2023 edition of the VeloCity newsletter.