As Oklahoma City’s manufacturing sector continues to expand, a new generation of skilled workers is stepping up to power that growth. On July 7, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber celebrated the latest milestone for its workforce development efforts with a special signing event for Oklahoma’s first chapter of the nationally recognized Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (OKC FAME) program.
The Greater Oklahoma City aerospace industry remains a cornerstone of the regional economy, generating $8.8 billion in goods and services and supporting more than 80,200 jobs, according to the latest Greater Oklahoma City Region Aerospace and Aviation Industry Survey and Economic Impact Assessment released by the Greater OKC Chamber and RegionTrack, Inc.
Dennis Pruitt, senior vice president of economic development at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, brings more than two decades of experience across local, regional and international markets. From city planning in Kansas to foreign investment strategy in Missouri, his background is rooted in collaboration, preparation and results.
Oklahoma City ranked No. 1 lowest unemployment rate in April among the 56 U.S. metropolitan areas with a population of over 1 million, signaling strength in the local economy. The metro’s 2.3% unemployment rate was down from 3.0% in March.
Wheeler Bio announced its successful completion of an oversubscribed Series A-1 financing round, meaning the Oklahoma City-based company attracted more investor interest and funding offers than initially sought, a strong indicator of confidence in the company’s growth and potential. The $35 million round was led by Alloy Therapeutics and Echo Investment Capital (Echo), with additional participation from Mitsubishi Corp. (Americas), Germin8 Ventures and Russell Westbrook Enterprises.
The Greater OKC Chamber research team recently met with Shawnee city leadership to share that more than 1,700 businesses and 16,000 employees may have been impacted by the storm.
The Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program will provide up to $15 million in funding to companies with new projects that lead to diversification, market expansion or supply chain resiliency.
The OKC Latino Accelerator offers local entrepreneurs an opportunity to receive funding and assistance in building up their business. A $15,000 non-dilutive grant, working space at the Oklahoma City Thunder Launchpad and mentorship from industry experts will be awarded to the program’s selected participants.
