OKLAHOMA (OBV) – A team of Oklahoma Department of Commerce officials toured seven South Central Oklahoma legacy companies that received expansion funds to grow their operations.
The seven companies were awarded a combined $721,000 in funds through the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program (OIEP) and the Business Expansion Incentive Program (BEIP).
“The OIEP and the BIEP are two of Commerce’s strongest resources available to Oklahoma businesses,” said Jon Chiappe, director of Research & Economic Analysis Services for the Department of Commerce. “Commerce is proud to be able to administer these programs in partnership with the Oklahoma Finance Authorities and Oklahoma Tax Commission. And we are excited to see how our legacy companies will continue to diversify the state’s economy and contribute to the growth of our state’s premier workforce.”
The seven awarded companies are as follows:
- Stillwater Milling Co.
- Ardmore Construction Supply
- CNI Manufacturing
- Valco Manufacturing
- Sensia Global Manufacturing
- Circulus Ardmore
- Red River Pallet
The Commerce Department team spoke with each company’s representatives during the tours about how they could best spend the awarded expansion funds to grow or diversify their respective operations.
The companies aim to create a combined 32 new jobs and invest more than $2.4 million. The funds are expected to reduce costs, increase efficiency, increase production or increase their sales.
The following is a breakdown of how each company will use their expansion funds:
- Ardmore Construction Supply will use the awarded OIEP funds to go towards building expansion which will allow the movement of current Floor Truss Equipment into a different location. This transition will allow more fabrication area for other products.
- CNI Manufacturing (Marietta) is using the awarded OIEP funds to support the expansion of its shop capabilities in multiple different areas which will allow for increased efficiency and more services.
- Valco Manufacturing (Duncan) plans to use the awarded OIEP funds to help with the purchase of new aluminum and steel heat treat equipment for heat treating in-house.
- Sensia Global Manufacturing (Duncan) will use the awarded OIEP funds to support the purchase of an additional CNC Mill-Turn machine which will allow the company to bring manufacturing of parts in-house that are currently outsourced to Taiwan.
- Circulus Ardmore plans to use the awarded BEIP funds to support the installation of a dust collection system over the grinder and dry-cleaning machine. The dust collection system will help clean the air in the plant as well as make housekeeping easier creating a cleaner, safer work environment. By removing the dust in the plant, it will also extend the equipment life and quality of the product being manufactured.
- Red River Pallet (Marietta) will use the awarded BEIP funds to help with the purchase of a new wood processing system which will increase output from approximately 1300 lbs. of product per hour to 3000 lbs. per hour. This will allow business expansion as well as remove an estimated 6700 tons of solid lumber waste from the current Oklahoma waste stream.
Pam Moore, president of Stillwater Milling Company, said the OIEP funds her company received will foster multiple years of growth.
“As a first-time participant in OIEP we didn’t know what to expect but the process has been very easy and everyone has been extremely helpful,” Moore said. “The OIEP is a great resource benefitting established Oklahoma companies and the communities they serve. Through OIEP we have been able to start a much-needed project sooner than anticipated. Instead of making a short-term fix, the funding has allowed us to do an entire project that will benefit us for years to come.”
The awarded funds are a boon for workforce development, according to Jonna D. Kauger Kirschner, president of CNI Manufacturing, LLC.
“The OIEP program has helped CNI Manufacturing expand our workforce and equipment capabilities,” Kirschner said. “We have succeeded in both areas. We have added equipment, expanded the tooling on our brakes and increased our workforce. This incentive program has moved CNI Manufacturing toward a more productive future as we continue to increase our capabilities and customer base.”
