DUNCAN – The Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation was cited by the state Department of Career and Technology Education as a “Center of Workforce Excellence,” the Duncan City Council was informed Tuesday night.
“We appreciate our partnership with our educational partners and business community for this distinct privilege,” said Lyle Roggow, president of the DAEDF. “We were the only community south of Interstate 40 to be acknowledged,” he added.
The foundation plans an expansion just east of its current facility and seeks a variance from the city’s Board of Adjustment. “Our request is to reduce the setback, which would allow us to build closer to the street in the North Industrial Park,” Roggow said.
“This is to accommodate and maximize the growth needs of PGM to be prepared for future plans to build an additional building with a height of 50 feet and have room for a fire lane.” The company, which has been in Duncan since 2015, is adding a second smelter inside the existing building, “as was originally planned,” Roggow said.
"The next step will be to go out for bids on construction of an expansion of the new facility,” he said. “The original building started out as a spec shell building,” he noted.
“Now that we have all the civil plans in place, at some point we will go back out for bids for two additional lab buildings but currently PGM is the priority,” Roggow continued. “Then the need for a new spec shell building is something that should be done within the next two years.”
The DAEDF has secured a contract for purchase of the Rockwater facility in the North Industrial Park and will close on that acquisition “in the next few weeks,” Roggow said.
DAEDF “has a steady flow of prospects that we are sending RFPs to and are engaged in conversation about the projects that are presented,” he said.
The DAEDF board of directors hosted its annual meeting Monday and gave appreciation plaques to retiring board members Dr. John McArthur (Cameron University) and D.B. Green (Marlow). New members who will serve three-year terms are Kevin Stewart (Halliburton), Chad Simpson (Dream Team) and JP Peacock (BK Equipment).