News from Enid, Oklahoma

Greetings!
FIRE - READY - AIM...It can be so easy when things are turned upside down, are stressful, are in crisis mode, to make a knee-jerk response to a situation. No doubt, this year has been upside down, stressful, and in crisis. Our challenge is to address the crisis at hand while keeping an eye on the community's long-term development. ERDA Board and Strategic Planning committees have been working diligently to develop a long-term plan for growth.

Despite the current obstacles, there is good news to share!
  • Sales Tax Revenue year is up over 5% compared to this same time last year. This is remarkable!
  • Our recent labor study highlighted the strength of the schools in Enid and our ability to be flexible and creative in delivering the type of training our employers need
  • Entrepreneurship activity is up as people identify ways to take advantage of changes in the market
  • Enid was ranked in the Top 10 places to sell/buy a home - home sales are at record levels
  • Businesses are open, with safety precautions, and unemployment numbers are coming down.

Henry Ford said, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.". The success we continue to see in Enid is due to the fact that we are all working together. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,
Use these links below to find more information:
Visioning Session Committee Meetings Taking Place
Work has begun following the February Visioning Session to refine the ideas from that meeting and to develop actionable, short-term goals in each area.

The committees that have met so far include; Industry Retention & Expansion, Education & Training, and Retail Retention & Expansion.

We appreciate all of the ERDA members who are taking time out of their schedule to set goals and create solutions to move Enid forward!
ERDA Awarded USDA Grant
Enid Regional Development Alliance was recently awarded a $98,000 Rural Business Development Grant from USDA for the purchase of a bagging and palatalizing system to support the growth of Enterprise Grain Company.

Brady Sidwell, President of Enterprise Grain states; “Since starting Enterprise Grain in 2016, we have worked to provide competitive bids for commodities differentiated by quality as well as new specialty market opportunities for producers. From bringing back sesame to the area in 2017 to introducing transparent protein premiums for producers in wheat, we have worked to be on the leading edge of adding value to agriculture. We are very excited to receive the USDA grant for the complete bagging system and consider it a vote of confidence of our strategy to further develop specialty crops and turn local production into food ingredients rather than just commodities. Our food customers just like our area farmers see this as just another step in building a traceable supply chain that brings even more market opportunities to the local farm community. Unlike other programs, Enterprise Grain is not just a throughput facility. We are directly responsible for attracting and negotiating with end buyers and controlling product quality, which we believe will make our programs more sustainable for the long-term.”


The Enid Regional Development Alliance served as the applicant for the grant and will manage the funds for Enterprise Grain.
Supply Chain & Logistics Webinar

Congressman Kevin Hern will be presenting during a free lunchtime webinar regarding Supply Chain and Logistics on July 30th at 12 p.m. Congressman Hern will speak for ~30 minutes and then open up to Q&A from the audience.

Possible Topics:  
  • Global Impact on the supply chain and the US
  • Challenges, innovations, and workarounds experienced by both small and large companies
  •  Legislation and how congress may provide support for companies. Additional stimulus in the works?
2020 Q2 Sourcing Activity Snapshot

Interested in data for the most sourced categories for Quarter 2? Click Here to view a snapshot from Thomasnet.com.

Not surprising, most categories were associated with personal protective equipment. Moving towards economic recovery and growth, we will see new industry trends, opening the possibility of identifying and entering new markets.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Janet Schwabe
Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance Manufacturing Extension Agent
580-823-0300
The State Chamber of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance are seeking feedback from manufacturers and transportation haulers on the permitting process for oversize and overweight loads (OS/OW) in Oklahoma. In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, our goal is to identify existing barriers to business & industry seeking to transport OS/OW loads throughout Oklahoma.
The link below will direct you to a short survey that should take less than 15 minutes to complete. The feedback we collect will be used to determine where improvements can be made in the permitting process to help business & industry in the future. We respectfully ask for your response by Tuesday, August 4 at 5:00 pm.
Labor & Targeted Industry Analysis
Thank you to everyone that participated in ERDA's virtual Annual Meeting & Quarterly Luncheon. We look forward to using the information provided by Chris Schwinden in the Labor & Targeted Industry Study to inform our plans for training and business recruitment efforts going forward.

RENOVATION SPOTLIGHT
The corner of 2nd and East Randolph has been home to few businesses including; KGEO-TV studio, Streets Electronics, and Enid Transmission Specialist. Now, thanks to recent renovation work, the corner is now home to Hann Plummer PLLC and Settlers Brewing Company. Take a closer look into each business and the infield development that took place to bring these two buildings back to life.


Don't forget about the Census!
Have you completed the 2020 Census yet?

If you haven't, don't worry there is still time to respond! Responding to the Census impacts funding for federal programs, representation, and business recruitment and expansion decisions. If Garfield County has a 5% undercount we could lose an estimated $120,735,940 to help fund our schools, hospitals, fire departments, and police departments.

1. Online at  my2020census.gov
2. Text "Respond Now" to 313131
3. Call 1-844-330-2020 (English) or 1-844-438-2020 (Spanish)
4. Complete the questionnaire received in the mail & mail it back

Vibrant Opportunities with Arts & Entertainment in Enid