It's Big
Oklahoma's largest industrial park gets down to business
MidAmerica is big. We’re talking 9,000 acres big. But it’s not just about a huge piece of land. MidAmerica is big on savings, accessibility and quality of life.
More than 80 businesses and industries have located in the park – everything from retail and food processing to light manufacturing and precision machining – and most recently, a regional data center that connects to a global search engine server network. They include branches or subsidiaries of Chevron, DuPont, ConocoPhillips, Air Products and SYSCO. Did we mention Google and Gatorade? Yes. They are located at MidAmerica, too.
Land of opportunity
Companies are choosing MidAmerica because the financial benefits are every bit as big as the location itself. They have discovered utility costs here are 20-70 percent below any other location in the United States. Combine that with the fact that the water and wastewater treatment facilities are owned and operated by the park, and a labor pool that is deep and relatively inexpensive, and the savings are substantial.
The incentives program is impressive, too. The Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program (also known as the Cash-Back Guarantee Program) provides quarterly cash payments up to five percent to companies that exceed $1.5 million in gross taxable payroll. The Five-year Ad Valorem Tax Credit allows eligible businesses to take a five-year exemption under certain circumstances. There are also tax credits for new jobs, sales tax exemptions and sales and use tax refunds.
Other MidAmerica benefits include two industry-training centers (Northeast Technology Centers and OSU-Okmulgee MidAmerica, a branch of Oklahoma State University), broadband fiber, high speed DSL and internet wireless services, along with an on-site jet-certified Regional Business Airport.
At America’s crossroads
MidAmerica is located near Tulsa in Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, an area known as “America’s Crossroads.” It’s equidistant from both coasts – an ideal location for national and international businesses. MidAmerica businesses can reach most American cities with same-day and next-day truck delivery, cutting costs and travel time substantially. As a result, more than 70 trucking companies service the companies located at MidAmerica.
Another important transportation point is the park’s accessibility to four of the nation’s largest general retailers. Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney, Dillard’s and May Department Stores all have their headquarters within a 325-mile radius of MidAmerica.
A growing pool of talent
Several job fairs hosted by MidAmerica as a park-driven recruiting effort have been very successful. To date, up to 2,000 people have attended the events and met with representatives of more than 20 companies with positions to fill.
The pool of potential workers has grown steadily over the last decade. More than 100,000 people live within a 20-mile radius of the park and 320,000 reside within a 30-mile radius. Many of those people commute to jobs outside the county – that’s yet another opportunity for companies considering locating at MidAmerica.
A stable local economy
According to the ACCRA Cost of Living Index, MidAmerica’s home community of Pryor Creek seems to “own a position” on the list of cities with a very low cost of living. Fact is, Pryor Creek has been among the top ten low cost communities for years.
Take your pick
There’s no shortage of options for companies that are looking at MidAmerica as a potential relocation or expansion site.
There are numerous shovel ready sites which the park has branded as BuildNow sites. As the name implies, BuildNow sites have all the utilities to the site, ready to connect.
Due to the fact that the park is controlled by a public trust, there is no red tape that can pushback new construction by months or years. Building permits are not required as long as IBC (International Building Code) standards are followed and all necessary insurance to start construction is in place.
In addition to the shovel ready sites, MidAmerica usually has several “spec” buildings available for lease or sale.
More than you’d expect
As you can tell, MidAmerica is about more than just being big. Companies locating here can expect a large, trained workforce, tremendous incentives and a first-class location. All of it adds up to big news for business.
For more information on MidAmerica Industrial Park (www.maip.com), contact Administrator Sanders Mitchell (smitchell@maip.com) or Marketing Director Don Berger (donb@maip.com) at (918) 825-3500.