DOING BUSINESS
Almost every industry relies on building relationships with local regulators, leadership and with the factory just next door. Our manufacturers will tell you there are certain intangible factors of doing business in a small town.
You can attend a local high school sporting event and be just as likely to sit next to a city councilman as you would a stranger. But by the end of the first quarter, you’ll probably know their name and their connection to the game. Within a few months, it would be impossible to go to lunch and dinner and not run into several people you know and work with.
For those times when you want the taste of bright lights and big city entertainment, the Tulsa metro area is just a 30 minute drive. But you’ll still probably run into someone you know. Business relationships are just part of who Okmulgee is.
​
Workforce Pipeline
Okmulgee has a unique advantage for workforce development very few cities in America enjoy. We have a technical university that can confer both bachelor's and associate degrees, Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology.
​
The local and state workforce organizations and our customized higher education and CareerTech training systems work together to ensure that your business will have access to a pipeline of talent to get you started and keep you going.
Cost of Doing Business
You won’t find a state in the US that beats Oklahoma’s renowned business environment.
#1 State Business Tax Burden Rankings - Lowest Tax Burden (Anderson Economic Group)
#5 States by Fiscal Condition (Mercatus Center)
#5 2017 Kaumann Index: Startup Activity
#5 Best States to Start a Business (Wallethub)
#7 Best States for Business: Business Costs (Forbes)
#7 Lowest Industrial Electricity Rates (Business Facilities Magazine)
#12 2018 America’s Top States for Doing Business (CNBC)
Demographics
Economic development in Okmulgee is not a numbers game for us (but we do understand that demographics are important in the overall analysis). We want quality companies to join us. We’re looking for innovators and entrepreneurs who have great ideas. We’re partial to CEO’s who can see a few decades down the road. Small companies, medium companies, mega-companies—it doesn’t matter. With our local network, proximity to market and a fabulous metro area right next door, we’re a great place for any company to call home.
Major Employers & Key Industries
Okmulgee has a large manufacturing base for a community of our size, with nine value-added manufacturers in Okmulgee County. Five of those manufacturers are dominant leaders in their industry and ship their products globally.
Both Ardent Health Services (Hillcrest Hospital, Henryetta and The Creek Nation Community Hospital in Okmulgee) have major state-of-the-art medical facilities located in Okmulgee County, providing advanced emergency, medical services and preventive medical care in addition to 24/7 emergency room availability.
Transportation & Infrastructure
Okmulgee is halfway between Dallas, Texas and Kansas City, Missouri, and also midway between the east and west coasts. This makes Okmulgee ideal for moving goods and services in any direction in the United States, as well as to international locations.
Small Business Assistance
In addition to a variety of organizations and resources that are committed to small business startup and support, there is also a consortium of development organizations working together to develop a business incubator site in Okmulgee with a target opening of 2021.
Local Industrial Success
The Okmulgee area has a large manufacturing base for a community of its size. Five of our manufacturers ship their products globally. Over 4,000 workers commute into the Okmulgee area for work each day from surrounding areas--over 20 Oklahoma counties, from as far as 185 miles. The average US city has about 7-8 percent of their workforce in value added manufacturing. Okmulgee has 11 percent of its workforce in manufacturing. Our manufacturers are very supportive of each other and welcome additional plants in the area. We are very proud of our high profile, global manufacturing companies.
Okmulgee County has four officially designated Industrial Parks/Areas as well as
private industrial/commercial sites and buildings.
To get the inside scoop, drop us an email at info@ChooseOkmulgee.com.
Let us know what you are looking for and how we might be able to help.
We may have more inventory than what you see here.
​