2015 Issue 5 by New Pioneer

2015 ISSUE 5 Develop, Innovate, Prosper

Rural School Creates New Learning Opportunities with OneNet’s Help

OneNet is State Regents for Higher Education’s statewide Internet service provider Just a few years ago, Butner Public Schools had almost nothing — not even an address. Today, they still don’t have an address, but it’s hard to find a student without an iPad in their clutches. The World Wide Web has not always been so accessible to the young students of Cromwell, Oklahoma — a remote, rural community where more than one in five people live below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. So what’s changed? For starters, the school received a million dollar grant from the Oklahoma State Department of Education. “We were lucky to receive all of this money, which we spent on computers, tablets and a slew of online learning tools,” Butner Public Schools Superintendent Bobbette Hamilton said. “But there was a sense of despair, because we couldn’t use any of it.” Butner Principal Melissa Allensworth-

Baughman said the school’s connection was too slow to handle streaming a single video on YouTube, let alone 240 students trying to better themselves. After months of staring at her shiny new toys, Hamilton brought her predicament to OneNet. OneNet is a division of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and Oklahoma’s only statewide Internet service provider. OneNet offers advanced Internet and

networking services to Oklahoma’s education, research, health care and public service communities. OneNet made the connections needed, but it still wasn’t enough. New fiber routes had to be built from scratch to give Butner students the broadband to match their educational needs. “We negotiated with AT&T to build the last stretch of fiber needed,” OneNet’s

IN THIS ISSUE Economic Indicators

Business News

Community News

Upcoming Events

GRDA’s Impact in Oklahoma p. 2

OSU Student Startup Billy Goat Ice Cream in Stores Now p. 3

Community Partnership with USA Tank Creates Jobs in Wewoka p. 7

State Capital Publishing Building Request for Proposals p. 8

Continued on page 5

Oklahoma State of Success

Economic Indicators: Oklahoma State of Power

Oklahoma, at 5.06 cents per kilowatt-hour, is 23% lower than the national average ME

MT ND

CT MI

WY NE

IA NV

IL UT

MA RI

NJ DE

SC GA

< 5.8 cents/kWh

MS TX

5.81 to 7 cents/kWh

E CONOMIC I MPACT OF THE G RAND R IVER D AM A UTHORITY

7.1 to 9 cents/kWh

9.1 to 23.7 cents/kWh

www.eia.gov/state/data.cfm?sid=OK#Prices

M ARCH 2015

GRDA: New Substantial Economic Impact Numbers in Oklahoma

X E C U T I V E S U M M A RY ThetheOklahoma Commercecompleted (ODOC) 2012, OklahomaDepartment Department of of Commerce recently completed an economic impact analysis for n economic impact study of the Grand River Dam Authority the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA). Producing GRDA), and this report provides an update those is impacts. reliable, sustainable and low-cost power,ofGRDA a vital RDA component continues toofinvest in power generation in Oklahoma, and Oklahoma’s energy infrastructure.

th its sizeable investment in a new gas plant at the Grand RivEconomic usually include derived from Energy Center,impacts the considerable impactimpacts that GRDA already employment; as in direct the state will grow. however, GRDA also contributes to

Oklahoma’s competitive advantage by producing low cost power – this was included in a broader measure of the RENDERING OF THE COMBINED CYCLE GAS PLANT e operations, construction and positive externalities from economic impact report. With the construction of a new RDA gas-fired result in acombined-cycle signicant economic impact forwill in continue Oklahoma. turbine, GRDA to If you have questions, please contact Jon Chiappe, cusing on the operational impact alone, GRDA’s economic is projected to be: & Economic Analysis Services at have sizeable impacts in Northeast Oklahoma and impact the Director, Research • state $541asmillion in economic activity (output) in 2016, a whole. ODOC, jon_chiappe@okcommerce.gov or 405-815-5210

• •

2,870 jobs in 2016, and $150 million in real disposable income in 2016.

2,870

2,870 jobs in 2016

$150M

$541M

$150 million in real $541 million in GRDA supplies disposable income economic activity energy to 75 of G R A N D R I V E R D A M A U T H O R I T Y B AC KG R O U N D in 2016 (output) in 2016 the countiesdistrict, in enate Bill 395 was passed in 1935 as the Enabling Act for the Grand River Dam Authority. It created a77 conservation http://www.grda.com/economic-impact-of-the-grda e purpose of which was to harness waters for power generation and also for ood control within theOklahoma district. Construction arted on the Pensacola Dam in 1938 and it was operational by the end of 1940 at a cost of $28 million. Some of the ancing originated from the Federal Government as a New Deal Public Works Administration project. In current dollars, it ould cost more than $470 million to reconstruct the Pensacola Dam.

OSU Student Startup Billy Goat Ice Cream in Stores Now

Incubator success at Meridian Technology Center for Business Development Billy Goat Ice Cream Co. makes ice cream from goat’s milk rather than cow’s milk. The advantage of using goat’s milk is the ice cream can be consumed by people who are lactose intolerant. It is estimated that one-third of all Americans have some degree of lactose intolerance. Billy Goat Ice Cream Co. is the creation of RaShaun Robinson and Caleb Neil, master’s in Entrepreneurship students at Oklahoma State University. The business was launched in OSU’s Student Startup Central, the program’s student accelerator, after placing first in the Riata Center’s Big Idea Pitch and Poster Competition. Assistance was Photo: Billy Goat Ice Cream Co., Choate House provided along the way by the Spears School of Business marketing department which gave mentoring and support. a desire for seeing success in that community,” Rickelman said. The business has now transitioned to Meridian Technology Center for Business Development which has an FDA- Rickelman said Billy Goat Ice Cream Company is approved commercial kitchen. Along the way, the business innovative and dynamic, which makes it interesting for raised $95,000 for equipment via a USDA grant. the community. RaShaun Robinson, founder/CEO of the company, said Meridian Technology played a big role in The Center for Business Development offers marketing helping the company secure a grant for manufacturing and networking assistance to clients. It also provides equipment. The equipment will be used to produce their guidance and someone to talk to about business ideas product on a commercial scale. without having to pay a large amount. There is no fee for entrepreneurs who just want to come in and discuss their business and ask questions. Virtual tenants/clients who work with the center regularly but don’t rent a space, pay a monthly fee of $150. Residents rent a space at the center to conduct business and pay a monthly fee plus rent depending on the size of the office they choose.

“That’s kind of been one of the larger puzzle pieces of our progress so far and Meridian Tech has assisted us greatly in identifying a nonprofit agency to facilitate that grant,” Robinson said.

Other benefits from the center include being able to bounce ideas off of others and receiving guidance from professionals in the industry. The facility was also a perk of partnering with the Center for Business Development. In order to become a client at the Center for Business Meridian Technology already had a suite outfitted for Development, certain criteria must be met. This includes commercial food production. a description of the business, an application, background check and interview. Assistant Director Brad Rickelman “It was nice to come here and see that portion of the puzzle said it is also important potential incubator clients have a already taken care of,” Robinson said. “This was perfect willingness to learn and work together with the center. compared to some of the other places we were looking at. “There has to be a desire in some way to work with us on their business, or at least to be able to have us help with their business,” Rickelman said. He describes the Center for Business Development as the “oil in the engine” of entrepreneurship for local communities.

We were trying to make cost-efficient decisions as far as looking into renting out other spaces.”

Billy Goat Ice Cream is now available in Food Pyramid grocery stores in Stillwater as well as at Aspen Coffee, and a number of local hotels. They are adding more locations and looking for greater distribution.

“One of the things we provide small business owners and a prospective entrepreneur is the ability to talk to someone Find out more at: bgicecream.com about their business, who’s from the community and has

Q&A with Marcie Mack of CareerTech

Preparing students and growing communities How do CareerTech, common education and higher education work together to develop a pipeline of talent? Preparing students to be college and career ready is a goal of the complete education system. The seamless partnership of each education branch provides simultaneous enrollment options and opportunities for students to progress through their educational career path. Various partnerships exist to continue to build in areas such as cooperative alliance agreements which allow students to obtain college credit for their technical training, OKPromise, and working to streamline a student’s educational process to help them be productive in the workforce in a timely manner.

Marcie Mack, State Director for CareerTech Systems

What future careers is CareerTech anticipating will be popular or necessary? Oklahoma has 1,670,046 jobs by industry. The number is projected to grow 12.3 percent between 2014 and 2023, out-pacing the nation’s job growth. This aggressive growth projection reinforces the need for all Oklahomans to have the skills and knowledge necessary to be productively engaged in the workplace. CareerTech provides programs and services that support Oklahoma’s job growth for each of the key business ecosystems identified by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

How can local communities work with CareerTech?

A few examples of those programs and services:

Local community support is vital to the success of CareerTech. Community members can serve on local advisory boards for specific program areas, serve on educational foundations, serve as board members, provide business information to students, partner with all the schools in the area to education on industry in their local community, participate in student organization activities, encourage individuals to learn more about CareerTech, and provide input to CareerTech needs they see are important to the growth of Oklahoma’s economy.

• Aerospace and Defense Ecosystem: Project Lead The Way pre-engineering academies, technology engineering, aerospace maintenance and aircraft mechanics programs • Agriculture and Biosciences Ecosystem: Agriculture education, Project Lead The Way biomedical science and medicine academies, biotechnology, licensed practical nursing, surgical technology, radiologic technology, dental hygiene, respiratory therapist, diagnostic medical sonography, and prosthetic technician programs • Energy Ecosystem: Wind energy and turbine technician, welding and metal fabrication and pipe welder programs • Information and Financial Services Ecosystem: Business and administration, finance, marketing education, information technology, database administration and development, network systems, programming and software development, cybersecurity, and web and digital communications programs • Transportation and Distribution Ecosystem: Automotive repair and maintenance, medium and heavy duty diesel truck repair, truck driver training, automotive CNG/ LPG fuels, heavy equipment repair and warehousing and distribution center operations programs

What are some of the newer or most successful programs CareerTech offers for students? Programs: • STEM Academies (Pre-Engineering, Biomedical, Biotechnology and our middle school Gateway to Technology programs) including AP and upper level science and math courses • Cyber Security • Information Management • Digital Graphics • Alternative Energy-Wind/Solar/CNG Initiatives: • Career Development • CareerTech Student Organizations

For more information visit: okcareertech.org

Claremore Startup NXTGEN Invests $10 Million

Creates new market opportunities for nano-fiber technology The idea for NXTGEN Filterworks started on the back of a napkin at a patio restaurant in Denmark. Two short years later, they have invested $10 million in production processes and have nearly 40 employees. The company develops innovations for the nano-fiber creation process bringing new market opportunities to a technology that has been around for more than 50 years. Their immediate focus centers on supplying filter cartridges to gas turbine inlet customers in the global power generation market. NXTGEN’s pipeline of product development is extensive. The company finalized two manufacturing lines late in 2014, entering this year by ramping up production. Sights are set on sustainably growing their innovative production processes to create new market opportunities.

Pictured Left to Right: Cary Jester, Mike Fry, Kaleigh Lynch, Andrew Ralston, Kian Kamas, Jim Igarta, Jim Lund, and Dennis Altendorf

For more information visit: nxtgen.com

Rural School Creates New Learning Opportunities with OneNet’s Help

OneNet is State Regents for Higher Education statewide Internet service provider Continued from page 1

Director of Network Services Robert Nordmark said. “They agreed to partner with us to upgrade Butner to the highspeed connection the school needed.” The new and improved network enabled the school to use all of its fancy toys and revolutionized student feedback, Allensworth-Baughman said. Thanks to programs like Odysseyware and My Big Campus, Butner now boasts an arsenal of online classes for every type of student: engineering, technology, advanced placement, remediation, foreign languages. Some people remain skeptical about technology in the classroom, but staffers will quickly vouch for their gear. For example, take the app Sushi Monster — a game where students have to complete mathematical equations in order to feed their creature uncooked Eastern delicacies. An entire class raised their math IQ a whole grade level in six weeks, Allensworth-Baughman said. The bandwidth upgrade touched students in ways beyond academics; ask Butner Eagle Radio teacher, Tim Russell.

“We were able to create this student-run radio station, but all the kids were nervous,” Russell said. “Finally, we had this anxious little girl volunteer to do a news show to get over her fear of public speaking.” The school’s goal is to make sure that the children of Butner School are able to have every opportunity students in larger cities have. With support from OneNet, Butner has reached their goal. For more information, visit: OneNet.net

Oklahoma State of Success

Meet Our Staff Manager of International Trade and Foreign Investment at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Jennifer Springer helps expand Oklahoma’s trade footprint. Springer works with global offices in China, Mexico and Israel, as well as with industry leaders and partners from across the globe. She provides leadership and expertise related to the agency’s mission to recruit international businesses. Springer has been at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for over three years, previously an Economist in the Research division. She was awarded a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Oklahoma in 2010, specializing in emerging economics. Springer is studying to become fluent in Portuguese and has extensive biotechnology research experience. She offers the Global Team at Commerce a balance of international business knowledge and strategic research targeting. “Jennifer has done a great job ramping up into her role as Manager of International Trade and Foreign Investment,” said Charles Kimbrough, ODOC Director of Business Development. “She continues to grow in her new role of assisting companies making a decision with site location and with their international trade needs. She delivers a high level of customer service.” Professional services offered to Oklahoma businesses include: international trade consulting, foreign market research, export assistance and trade mission and trade show assistance. In addition, Springer assists local Oklahoma businesses with export financing and international trade resource referrals.

Jennifer Springer, Manager of International Trade and Foreign Investment for the Global Division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Phone: 405-815-5158 Email: Jennifer_springer@ okcommerce.gov

FOR NEW PIONEER SUBMISSIONS AND STORY IDEAS CONTACT:

NEW PIONEER A product of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce

Kimberly Hickerson Editor in Cheif - New Pioneer Oklahoma Department of Commerce 900 N. Stiles Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73104 (405) 815-5240 kimberly_hickerson@OKcommerce.gov

EDITOR:

Kimberly Hickerson, Project Manager

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CONTRIBUTORS:

@OKcommerce

Stefanie Appleton, Bryan Boone, April Goode, Scott Myers, Stillwater News Press

PHOTO CREDITS:

Choate House, Scott Myers, OneNet

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Community Partnership with USA Tank Creates Jobs in Wewoka The grand opening of USA Tank in Wewoka took place on April 10, 2015. USA Tank Company is a producer of steel tanks manufactured in Wewoka and transported to customers in Oklahoma and across the United States. At the event, Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ODOC) staff presented a plaque recognizing USA Tank and the City of Wewoka for their strong partnership that has led to the creation of 31 new well-paying jobs. The City of Wewoka, led by Mayor Paige Sheffield and City Manager Mark Mosely, with the help of Grant Consultant Millie Vance, submitted an application to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for Community Development Block Grant-Economic Development Infrastructure Financing (CDBG-EDIF) funds. Under this program, grant funds can be utilized by local governments for public infrastructure and other improvements necessary for a business to create new jobs, primarily for low and moderate income persons. For the community to receive these fund, the benefitting business of the public-owned infrastructure must commit to creating a certain number of new jobs. The average wage of all jobs created must meet or exceed 110% of the average county wage. Wewoka was awarded $1 million in grant funds to construct a 24,000-square-foot building to house USA Tank.

Pictured left to right: Scott Myers and Glenn Glass associates with ODOC with Ron Gould, Jr of USA Tank Company

The company contributed almost $1 million in new equipment and rolling stock. USA Tank leases the building from the City of Wewoka. At this time USA Tank has reported the creation of 31 new jobs. USA Tank projects an annual payroll of $1.3 million dollars with a projected increase in annual tax revenues from the new positions of $349,000. Providing a foundation for rural communities to create jobs is a challenging endeavor. It is well documented that there is a strong link between good infrastructure and economic expansion. The City of Wewoka and USA Tank Company show that a strong partnership between the community and the business is the catalyst that makes a project work and creates new jobs.

City of Durant Receives Block Grant Award Overland Materials and Manufacturing, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Overland Corporation headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., and was established in 1982. Overland Materials and Manufacturing manufactures, transports and installs asphalt to construction sites located across Southeast Oklahoma and Northeast Texas. Due to The award will be used for roadway improvements increased production, the company needs to expand, to support the expansion of Overland Materials and thus requiring road improvements to the company facility. Manufacturing, Inc. This award allocation will help support Oklahoma’s continuing commitment to job creation and The CDBG-EDIF award will permit Overland Materials and diversification of Oklahoma’s economic base. ODOC Manufacturing to create a labor force of approximately 15 manages the federally-funded CDBG-EDIF program in the new positions over the next 36 months with 15 of those state. Additional funding for the project will be provided positions made available to low and moderate income by the Durant Industrial Authority and the Overland persons. Corporation. To request a CDBG-EDIF application, contact Karen Adair, The CDBG-EDIF program helps eligible cities, towns and Oklahoma Department of Commerce, counties with the financing of infrastructure improvements Karen_Adair@OKcommerce.gov or call 405-815-5363. for new companies or industries locating to Oklahoma or expanding Oklahoma businesses. The program’s purpose is to stimulate long-term job creation and investment. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ODOC)/ Community Development announced that the City of Durant is the recipient of a Community Development Block Grant - Economic Development Infrastructure Financing (CDBG-EDIF) award totaling $525,000.

(PRSRT STD) US POSTAGE PD OKLA. CITY, OK PERMIT NO.41

900 N. Stiles Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73104-324

Upcoming Events & Important Dates USING HOUSING DATA WORKSHOP Tuesday, May 26, 2015 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Community Service Council, 16 East 16th Street (use Baltimore entrance), Tulsa.

This workshop will be presented by two experts from HUD. Training is free but Community Service Council asks for $10 to cover catered lunch and snacks. Register by emailing Melanie Poulter at mpoulter@ csctulsa.org STATE OFFICES CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF THE FOLLOWING STATE HOLIDAY: Monday, May 25 Memorial Day SAVE THE DATE: OKLAHOMA’S 27TH ANNUAL STATEWIDE PRESERVATION CONFERENCE Wednesday, June 3-5, 2015 Bartlesville okhistory.org/shpo/conference.htm

State Capital Publishing Building Request for Proposal for purchase or lease

301 W. Harrison, Guthrie, Oklahoma Registered by the National Register of Historic Places Designed by Joseph Foucart • 50,000 SF • Year Built: 1902 • 4-Story Corner Tower • Corner Lot • Parking Lot • Basement • Fabulous City Views

Proposals must be received by 5 p.m., November 2, 2015 For more information please call Jennifer Ramsey Real Estate and Leasing 405-521-3819 Inforeals@omes.ok.gov