Annual Report 2018

Annual Report 2018

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 8

As a business owner, how do you know when you have the right banking relationship? Does your bank understand your business and help nd ways to grow your prots? WE’LL HELP YOUR BUSINESS THRIVE At Arvest, you’ll understand that you are top priority right from the beginning, when our bankers get to know you personally and understand the details of your business. We’ll help nance your success and build the right solution to meet your very specic needs.

Ready to help your business thrive? We are!

(405) 677-8711 arvest.com

Member FDIC

L E T T E R F R O M T H E C H A I R

When I became chair of the Chamber in 2017, I gained a deeper appreciation for the role that the Chamber and its members play in the success of our region. Representing our organization was one of the highlights of my career, and my interactions with people throughout our organization demonstrated that it is the passion of our members who make the work of the Chamber possible. Throughout the 2018 Annual Report, you will read more about our Chamber’s accomplishments alongside thoughts from members about what their Chamber membership means to them. While we all have different reasons for joining, we are collectively building solutions that will push Greater Oklahoma City to the next level. It is my hope that our organization continues to move forward in the spirit of collaboration as we pursue ongoing growth, and that each member will deepen their engagement with the Chamber so that we can truly make a difference in the community. Sincerely,

R HONDA HOO P E R , C H AMB E R C H A I R P R E S I D E N T A N D C E O , J O R D A N A D V E R T I S I NG

TABLE OF CONTENTS About the Chamber ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 Economic Development..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Advocacy ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Community Initiatives ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Hospitality........................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Membership........................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Education ............................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Marketing ........................................................................................................................................................................... 19 2018 Executive Committee ............................................................................................................................................ 20 2018 Board of Directors ................................................................................................................................................. 21 Leadership Investors .........................................................................................................................................................22

123 Park Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73102 405.297.8900 Fax: 405.297.8916

www.okcchamber.com twitter.com/okcchamber facebook.com/okcchamber

2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T

1

Members of the Oklahoma City community celebrated the December grand opening of the OKC Streetcar, one of many positive developments found in the region in 2018.

A B O U T T H E C H A M B E R Since its founding 125 years ago, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber has been the voice of the business community and the visionary organization of Oklahoma City. Throughout its history, the Chamber has worked to encourage new industry, support existing businesses and drive the momentum of the region. The Chamber’s list of contributions to the

• Supporting community efforts that enhance opportunities and amenities for residents HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018 Throughout 2018, the Chamber and the Greater Oklahoma City region experienced success on various projects, including: • The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber continued to pursue economic development opportunities for the region. In 2018, the Chamber worked on 124 successful economic development projects with 7,380 announced jobs and more than $495 million in capital investment in the Greater Oklahoma City region. • Oklahoma City saw significant progress on several MAPS 3 projects, including the groundbreaking of the convention center and the completion of the OKC Streetcar and the Pete White Senior Health and Wellness Center. • Oklahoma City re-entered the world of aircraft production with the grand opening of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ unmanned aerial systems engineering facility in Oklahoma City. • The state of Oklahoma saw a historic teacher pay raise enacted at the State Capitol, which has been a top Chamber priority for two years. The annual teacher pay increase of $6,100 (on average) was the largest teacher pay increase in state history, and it was funded by the first tax increase passed by the Legislature since State Question 640 was adopted in 1992. • The OKC Schools Compact, of which the Chamber is a founding member, launched a new program focusing on the mental health outcomes of students in the Oklahoma City Public School District. The initiative seeks to place evidence-based social and emotional learning programs in the schools that need them the most.

growth of Oklahoma City spans the city’s history and includes providing utilities to the community at the city’s founding, securing airmail service in the 1920s and recruiting an air depot that later became Tinker Air Force Base to locate in Oklahoma City in the ‘30s. More recently, the Chamber has rallied the community around the Metropolitan Area Projects elections and championed criminal justice reform in Oklahoma County. No matter the generation, the Chamber has worked tirelessly to bring new industry to the region, speak on behalf of business at all levels of government and improve the quality of life for all residents. Throughout the 2018 Annual Report, it is evident that the Chamber’s principles are driving its work on economic development, criminal justice reform, advocacy and more illustrate the pioneering spirit still at work in Oklahoma City. At the heart of the Chamber is the more than 3,200 members who invest in the growth of the region with their time and resources. GOALS: The Chamber seeks to increase Greater Oklahoma City’s ability to rapidly seize new and expanding economic opportunities by: • Creating a business climate and positive image that are strong foundations for economic development • Attracting new businesses, supporting the growth of existing businesses and fostering entrepreneurship • Enhancing the region’s attractiveness for visitors and events • Ensuring the region’s talent base for the future through improvements in education and attraction/retention of talent • Providing value-added opportunities and benefits to our membership

2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T

3

Kratos Defense & Security opened its combat jet drone manufacturing facility in November, where members of the Oklahoma congressional delegation, Gov. Mary Fallin and local business leaders gathered to welcome them to the region’s aerospace industry sector.

E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T

The Chamber leads business efforts to grow existing industries, recruit new companies and develop an active entrepreneurial environment, resulting in quality job creation and a diverse economy. ADDING JOBS TO THE ECONOMY In 2018, the Chamber engaged with 124

companies that are planning to relocate or expand in the Oklahoma City regional market. Of those companies, 11 are new companies the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber helped recruit to the local market. In total, both new and expanding companies are projected to create approximately 7,380 new jobs and $495 million in new investment in the region. The average wage for announced positions is $47,086 with more than $347 million in new annual payroll coming to the Oklahoma City metro. Several of the companies making significant investments or announcements during 2018 include: CACI International Inc., a company that provides cyber-security and information services to intelligence, defense and federal civilian customers, centralized some of its business operations in Oklahoma City by opening a shared services center. The center is expected to employ 550 people when fully staffed. Oklahoma City was also announced as the location for the state’s first Amazon fulfillment center, a 2.4-million-square-foot facility that will create more than 1,500 full-time jobs by the end of 2019. Employees at the fulfillment center will pick, pack and ship small items to customers. Heartland, the U.S. division of Global Payments and the fifth-largest payment processor in the United States, broke ground on its headquarters in downtown Oklahoma City in December 2018.

The company will expand its workforce by 345 and build a new 100,000-square-foot headquarters on Automobile Alley at Fifth Street and Broadway Avenue to accommodate that growth. The new building, which will bridge the physical gap between the business district and Automobile Alley, will have six floors plus a ground-level lobby that will have space for two restaurants open to the public. Adding to the downtown development was HoganTaylor, a company that announced plans to relocate its Oklahoma City office to an expanded space along Automobile Alley and in the Innovation District. In addition to being closely connected to the innovation-minded companies in that district, the new location’s proximity to the OKC Streetcar and the future home of Oklahoma Contemporary adds additional benefits to employees. Echo Energy also announced plans to move its 100 employees to downtown Oklahoma City in an office building adjacent to Kerr Park. Rural Sourcing, a software development company, announced their first Oklahoma location with 150 employees located at the Rock Island Plow building in Bricktown. The location is set to be the

2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T

5

“I want to make an impact in the city just as much as I desire to improve individuals’ personal lives with real estate. Considering the Chamber’s role in the economic development of our city, I fully believe if the Chamber isn’t doing well, the city is negatively impacted and my business won’t be thriving either. All businesses should support the driving force of our city if they want to continue to grow.”

has the right knowledge and expertise to support planning for the bomber’s depot maintenance. The decision to use Tinker marks the next milestone in the development and eventual deployment of the B-21, a long-range and highly survivable aircraft capable of penetrating air defenses and conducting a range of critical missions. The plane is expected to be delivered in the mid-2020s. BOOSTING THE REGION’S WORKFORCE With programming and events throughout the year, the Greater Grads program continued to connect regional businesses with Oklahoma college students and recent graduates, encouraging Oklahoma’s brightest to stay in the area after graduation. New to the Greater Grads suite of programming in 2018 was RecruitOKC, a networking event where more than 250 students connected with 44 employers from throughout the region. Greater Grads also continued to host its career fair and the InternOKC program. In 2018, InternOKC hosted 348 interns from 73 employers for three educational sessions that included professional development tips, information on the region’s culture and business environment and networking opportunities. In addition to its work strengthening Greater Oklahoma City’s young workforce, the Chamber’s talent team hosted several events to better connect newcomers to Oklahoma City’s opportunities and further strengthen key sectors. The Chamber continued to partner with Leadership Oklahoma City to host two OKConnect classes, where more than 90 new company leaders received behind-the-scenes insight into Oklahoma City’s story. The Chamber also hosted a reception for people who recently relocated to Oklahoma City. The talent team continued its work to help companies have the skilled, trained workforce they need to succeed. With a focus on strengthening and better connecting the manufacturing industry in Oklahoma City, the Chamber hosted more than 50 people for a manufacturing networking lunch with the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance and OCAST.

- M E L I S S A B A R N E T T OWN E R , B A R N E T T R E A L E S T AT E K E L L E R W I L L I AMS E L I T E

company’s largest and will have a total estimated economic impact of $122.5 million over the first seven years. Other companies announcing more than 100 jobs are Del Real Foods, SYNQ3 Restaurant Solutions, Booz Allen Hamilton, Halliburton Energy Services, American Fidelity Assurance Company, Dell Technologies and TriCorps Technologies. GROWING THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY As one of the region’s strongest industries, the Greater Oklahoma City aerospace industry experienced several successes in 2018. One announcement by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. allowed Oklahoma City to re-enter the world of aircraft production. Kratos opened its manufacturing facility in November, where their company will design and manufacture a new version of its jet drones that will be used in combat alongside manned aircraft. The proximity to Tinker Air Force Base, the high quality of life and low cost of living in the region, the business-friendly regulatory environment and state and local tax incentives all helped attract the company. Tinker Air Force Base also continued to grow with the announcement that it was selected to coordinate the maintenance and sustainment of the B-21 Raider, the next generation long-range strike bomber. The Air Force Sustainment Center at Tinker AFB has an Air Logistics Complex with a deep and accomplished history. In selecting Tinker AFB, Air Force leaders acknowledged that the organization

G R E A T E R O K L A H O M A C I T Y C H A M B E R

6

A D V O C A C Y As the voice of the Oklahoma City business community in the halls of government, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber is committed to pursuing public policies that will improve our business climate and positively impact Oklahoma’s growing economy. HISTORIC TEACHER PAY RAISE ACHIEVED

HOTEL/MOTEL TAX SUCCESSFULLY REPEALED The $447 million revenue package to fund the teacher pay increase originally contained a $5 per night hotel/motel occupancy tax that would have catapulted Oklahoma City from 71st-highest occupancy tax among the 150 largest U.S. cities to the highest in the country (Tulsa would have moved up to No. 3). With Oklahoma City’s state- of-the-art $288 million convention center and 605-room Omni Convention Center Hotel under construction, the imposition of such a tax would have impacted Oklahoma City’s ability to recruit conventions. The Chamber engaged with partners in the tourism and hospitality industries and successfully lobbied for repeal of this $50 million tax, which was replaced in the revenue package by an online sales tax and the allowance of ball-and- dice games at tribal casinos.

The achievement of a teacher pay increase of at least $5,000 per year has been a top priority for the Chamber for the past two years. The pay increase of $6,100 (on average) enacted by HB 1023xx was needed to retain and attract high-quality teachers in Oklahoma. While the Chamber didn’t agree with all the proposed revenue measures, the $447 million revenue plan represented a historic outcome: it was not only the first tax increase passed by the Legislature since State Question 640 was adopted in 1992, but also it funded the largest teacher pay increase in state history. MAJOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE The Chamber has been a strong advocate for legislation and funding for sentencing reform and rehabilitation/treatment programs to ease the financial drain on Oklahoma’s criminal justice system. During the 2018 session, the Chamber worked with Gov. Mary Fallin, legislative leadership, the District Attorneys Council, the State Chamber and others to negotiate and pass legislation that allowed nine key reform measures to be signed into law. The Chamber-backed SB 363, which provides special district court judges clear authority to issue pretrial release orders in appropriate cases, was the first policy bill signed by Gov. Fallin during the 2018 session. These critical bills will reduce the projected 25 percent increase of Oklahoma’s prison population by 2026 that, if left unaddressed, would require Oklahoma to construct three new prisons at a cost of $1.9 billion to taxpayers. REFORM MEASURES SIGNED INTO LAW

2 0 1 8 A N N U A L R E P O R T

7

IRRESPONSIBLE GUN LEGISLATION DEFEATED For the second consecutive year, the Chamber led a group of 50 businesses, associations, law enforcement groups and higher education institutions to oppose irresponsible gun measures. This session began with 83 bills to expand gun rights in Oklahoma. Only one bill opposed by the Coalition was passed by the Legislature, SB 1212, which would have allowed for open or concealed carry without a permit. At the request of the Chamber and others, Gov. Fallin vetoed this harmful legislation. TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT FUNDING PRESERVED The Chamber is a long-standing supporter of maintaining adequate funding for the state’s transportation system and increasing investments in transit options, both important drivers of economic development. After experiencing significant funding cuts in 2017, funding for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation was protected during the 2018 legislative session, allowing a historic number of central Oklahoma transportation projects to proceed. Another key transit connector, Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer, was protected from any loss of funding and received full funding in the final budget agreement. The Chamber continued to support opportunities to extend the Heartland Flyer north to Newton, KS, to connect Oklahoma City with Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago and other destinations on the national system. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES PROTECTED As an economic development organization, the Chamber relies on a number of specific economic and community development programs to recruit

companies to Oklahoma and promote the growth of our existing companies. All programs identified by the Chamber as critical to economic development were protected this year. Most lawmakers now understand their value, and the Pew Evaluation Process, strongly supported by the Chamber, continues to provide a >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32

www.okcchamber.com

Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online