Prospects ‘surprised’ at Lawton’s offerings, Cooksey says
LAWTON — Oklahoma’s economic development workload nearly doubled in four years as more businesses looked to relocate, according to a top state commerce department official.
Amy Walton, deputy director of the agency’s business development department, told the audience at the Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce luncheon last week, that the commerce department had 327 economic development projects “in the pipeline” during 2022. Four years earlier, the agency worked 171 projects.
“There’s a huge movement right now with businesses expanding or companies coming from out of country into country,” she said. “What is special is we have land and lots of land. We also have an excess of energy, 60% which is unutilized.”
Walton boasted that Oklahoma had 64 project “wins” in 2022 with 52% of those companies going to rural areas, including three in the southwestern portion of the state. Many of the projects are centered on aerospace and the defense industries, automotive and energy.
Oklahoma has been successful in attracting new businesses because of its competitive wages, affordable housing, low tax rates and other incentives, Walton said. State commerce officials also promote the state’s transportation system including the major interstates and the Port of Catoosa.
Most companies also seek green energy for its operations, Walton said.
“Fifty percent of our grid is made up of renewable energy and we’re continuing to grow that percentage,” she said.
The commerce department’s proposed mega and industrial sites include Lawton, Duncan and Altus. Those sites are presented to potential economic development targets when considering expansion or relocation, Walton said.
Lawton’s plans
Despite challenges with the national banking system and increasing interest rates, Lawton remains solid with its economic development plans, according to Brad Cooksey, president of the Lawton Fort Sill Economic Development Corporation.
Cooksey made his comments during last week’s chamber luncheon.
“The single most important thing we do is nurture existing industries,” he said, with references to Fort Sill and the city’s manufacturing base.
In addition, the LEDC pursues new businesses to locate in more than 1,000 acres of Lawton’s industrial land.
“People are surprised at what Lawton offers,” Cooksey said.
The LEDC records the number of official site visits and interest in Lawton and Comanche County.
“In economic development, you don’t win often,” Cooksey said. “On a state level, you’ve seen names like Tesla and Panasonic, and we were involved in some of those deals. Even though we didn’t win, we were still in the game.”
Although Cooksey wasn’t specific about the company, he told the chamber audience that the LEDC had a distribution facility is under contract to locate on 12 acres that is located a block from Interstate 44.
“We have over 1,000 acres that we market,” he said. “The Lawton advantage is our existing industry, our public schools, Cameron University and Great Plains Technology Center.”
Some of Lawton’s largest private industries include tires, cosmetics, food and sheetrock products.
Cooksey and Walton stressed that patience is a highly valued virtue for economic development projects.
“Projects linger, so it takes time,” Cooksey said. “You can’t preach patience enough.”