Ardmore, OK: A cost-effective, total quality community midway between Dallas and Oklahoma City.

Circuit City's and Michelin's Distribution Centers anchor
Westport Industrial Park with immediate access to to I-35.

Ardmore, Oklahoma is strategically located on Interstate 35 that allows access to markets from Mexico to Chicago with same day service. Located midway between two major metropolitan areas, Ardmore is also a more cost-effective location than Dallas or Oklahoma City.

The Ardmore Development Authority (ADA) has numerous sites ready to build in four industrial parks that are located adjacent to or within five minutes of I-35. Westport Industrial park fronts the Interstate and has access from either end of the 190-acre park. Michelin Tire Corporation's manufacturing facility and its distribution center are located in this area.

The ADA's ownership of prime industrial sites and buildings is a prime cost-saving advantage for companies considering a new location. When coupled with a unique build-to-suit and sale or lease program, industries have experienced a fast, painless and cost-effective way to enter a new market.

ADA owns buildings ranging from a small office to a 750,000-square-foot distribution facility. Their portfolio also includes a variety of industrial buildings and, in an innovative approach to cost savings, even some major industrial machinery which is leased, tax-free, to the tenant.

Perhaps the greatest asset is the ongoing relationship between the ADA and local industries. Ardmore has a decided non-union attitude and the ADA takes the lead and spends their time and money to help companies remain union free. There have been only two elections in the last twenty years and in each election the ADA-led "vote no" effort prevailed with overwhelming margins.

The organization also teams with the Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence to provide technical expertise, ISO 2000 assistance, engineering analysis, marketing support and other services that help local companies succeed.

Another innovative program is called TASO (Training Alliance of Southern Oklahoma). The members of TASO include local industries, the Manufacturer's Alliance, ADA and the local Technology Center. Currently, TASO is training Industrial Technicians in an employer-led apprenticeship-type program. Extensive (college-credit hour) training is provided in electricity, electronics, mechanical, programmable logic controller, pneumatics and hydraulics. The TASO program provides local industries with a steady stream of qualified and hard to find industrial technicians.

Ardmore, an All American city, is well-known for outstanding community amenities and is the prime tourist area of Oklahoma. The growing industrial sector is diversified and ranges from silicon wafers and biotechnology research to heavy equipment manufacturing.

The success of the Ardmore Development Authority has been widely recognized, having been twice named to the Nations Top Ten Developers list and, last year, garnering the distinction of the Best Regional Economic Development Group in the Nation. The recognition is a result of many successful industrial locations and the numerous types of companies as well as the unique partnerships that are formed between existing industries and the Ardmore Development Authority. In Ardmore it's called service after the sale and among the many benefits and incentives offered to industries, this one is perhaps the most valuable.

Learn more about Ardmore by visiting their web page at www.ardmore.org or call Wes Stucky at 580-223-7765. You may email Wes at wstucky@ardmore.com.