Cleveland County Economic Development in the News

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 [May 24, 2023] NORMAN - The building was purchased for $1.65 million, said NEDC President and CEO Lawrence McKinney, and it will receive up to $3.5 million in updates and renovations before reopening in about a year.

McKinney’s office is funding much of that cost through $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act money provided by the city of Norman and Cleveland County. The grants come in addition to support the economic development agency receives from the city of Norman, the University of Oklahoma, Moore Norman Technology Center and the Sooner Centurions, an organization of private businesses.

[Mar 30, 2022] NORMAN – An international company’s plan to open a customer care center in Norman will bring hundreds of new jobs to the city and a potential direct and indirect payroll impact in the range of $50 million annually, officials said Wednesday.

The company, Advanced Call Center Technologies, or ACT, is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Norman Economic Development Coalition Chief Executive Officer Lawrence McKinney said the “ripple effect” of ACT’s Norman site selection will be even greater. In all, he said it could result in creation of more than 1,000 jobs.

[May 19, 2020] NORMAN – An April survey to assess the sentiment of business owners in Norman found that 64.6% of respondents applied for the federal Paycheck Protection Program.

More than 380 business owners participated in the survey by the Norman Economic Development Coalition, in collaboration with the city of Norman, Chamber of Commerce and Visit Norman.

They distributed the survey to assess the sentiment of business owners in Norman and to gather input and perspectives of business owners on the path to a safe reopening.

[Oct 17, 2018] NORMAN – The last time the city of Norman created an economic development strategic plan, one of the byproducts was the Norman Economic Development Coalition.

That was more than 20 years ago.

The coalition on Oct. 12 launched the Team Norman initiative, an economic development effort that is part of a five-year plan to establish more businesses in Norman. As part of that effort, the coalition is seeking input from civic leaders and about 2,000 Norman residents. NEDC is about a year into the process and hired Atlanta-based Market Services Inc. to study the city, its assets and its business needs.

[Nov 17, 2017] NORMAN – The Norman Innovation Challenge is scheduled Dec. 5 at the Studio of Sooner Theatre in Norman.

Sooner Centurions and the Norman Economic Development Coalition will partner with the University of Oklahoma and Moore Norman Technology Center to present the challenge.

The Innovation Challenge was organized through a subcommittee of the NEDC Entrepreneurship Council. Sooner Centurions is a committee of the Norman Chamber of Commerce created to support economic development efforts through NEDC.

 [Oct 5, 2017] NORMAN – The National Science Foundation recently awarded the University of Oklahoma a $1.5 million grant to study heavy rainfall and the devastating effects it can have on communities inundated by prolonged precipitation.

Research money from sources outside Oklahoma has an enormous effect on the community, said Jason Smith, president and CEO of the Norman Economic Development Coalition.

Renee McPherson, a lead researcher on the project, said the school applied for the grant before Hurricane Harvey but hopes their study will find new ways to better predict similar heavy rainfall events.

[May 13, 2016] NORMAN – The Norman Economic Development Coalition selected VI Marketing and Branding to provide services for the coalition’s marketing efforts.

VI will initially be involved in branding, marketing strategy and marketing research to develop programs to promote the benefits of doing business in Norman.

“Our new marketing focus will be on the community of Norman and what it offers,” said Jason Smith, president and CEO of NEDC.

The Norman Economic Development Coalition is a joint effort of the University of Oklahoma, the city of Norman, Moore Norman Technology Center and the Sooner Centurions, a committee of the Norman Chamber of Commerce.

Oklahoma City-based VI Marketing and Branding also has offices in Colorado Springs and Kansas City.

[Apr 23, 2016] NORMAN - Norman education, civic, and business leaders are worried about employee recruitment and college student retention. They outlined their concerns Thursday at the Norman Economic Development Coalition’s annual summit.

Norman Public Schools Superintendent Joe Siano said he understands that the school district is an important part of economic development. But the district needs quality teachers to remain attractive to families and businesses... 

Norman Regional Health System Interim President and CEO Richie Splitt said the company needs nurses and physicians to replace retiring Baby Boomers. With the University of Oklahoma in the city, it would seem like the city has young talent. But Norman Economic Development Coalition President Jason Smith and Chamber of Commerce President John Woods said the city needs to do a better job of retaining OU grads.

[Jun 17, 2015] NORMAN - Norman Economic Development Coalition’s eTec, or emerging technology entrepreneurial center, this year’s Journal Record Incubator of the Year, has graduated a dozen companies from its business accelerator program since it opened in 2001. In 2009, the eTec program added a second center to provide additional space for technology entrepreneurs in the Norman area.

By being associated with NEDC, companies have options of growing into their own facilities or one of the business parks operated by the economic development group. The best example of this is SouthWest NanoTechnologies Inc., or SWeNT.

“A lot of startups are technical people that have an invention or idea and don’t’ have the full package in terms of resources,” SWeNT CEO Dave Arthur said. “Having a place to go that has office space and some infrastructure, that was the type of thing SWeNT benefited from at eTec.”

[Aug 22, 2011] NORMAN - Don Wood, executive director of the Norman Economic Development Coalition, or NEDC, said the park – on the south side of Norman just off State Highway 9 – offers 1,000 jobs. Science-based companies like SouthWest NanoTechnologies and Immuno-Mycologics are in the park, along with Sitel, a business process outsourcing provider, and OfficeMax. The diversity of job types and qualifications was intentional, he said.

The NEDC also owns 43 acres just east of the park, where Saxon Publishing was formerly headquartered. 

In addition, the NEDC has acquired 30 acres of the University North Park Corporate Centre near the Embassy Suites in north Norman. An advanced manufacturing center is planned for the area, Wood said. Another 30 acres will accommodate an office park.

[Jan 25, 2010] NORMAN — Gov. Brad Henry joined with Norman and Cleveland County economic officials Monday to help Hitachi Computer Products of America Inc. break ground on a $15 million, 200,000-square-foot expansion project that will accommodate manufacturing and configuration-to-order operations for both its North and South American customer bases.

Hitachi’s renewed commitment to Norman and Oklahoma came on the heels of its decision to establish a new distribution center in Singapore, which it said drove a need to consolidate its U.S. operations. Until now, a facility in Indianapolis, Ind., has been the base for its Americas and Asia distribution activity.

More specifically, he said Hitachi’s decision to consolidate its Americas supply chain operation in Norman was a direct result of the leadership of the Norman Economic Development Coalition and the support of the Oklahoma Economic Development Pooled Finance Program, which was put in place by the state Legislature last year.

[Mar 14, 2008] NORMAN - In 2007, the coalition took a giant leap of faith in what may well become a national model for partnering with a start-up company. When Norman-based SouthWest Nanotechnologies Inc., a leading producer of single-wall carbon nanotubes, needed to dramatically expand its manufacturing capabilities, NEDC came up with a proposal that would enable the company to do just that.
With the help of the coalition committing its resources, SouthWest Nanotechnologies will complete its 18,000-square-foot, $3.9 million manufacturing plant on eight acres at the Norman Business Park this spring. The company’s target markets include displays, military and aerospace, energy, medicine, automotive and semiconductors. Combined, these represent a multibillion-dollar market opportunity for carbon nanotubes.
Through this partnership, the NEDC has secured the company’s prosperity as well as created much local wealth and opportunity. It will serve as the hub for further growth and expansion of Oklahoma’s emerging nanotechnology industry.