TULSA, Okla. — The year 2024 means big business in the state and Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell said the economic forecast is one to watch.
Pinnell said Oklahoma is starting to give neighboring states big competition.
“We are really making a play right now for young families around the country, but in particular the Dallas Metroplex area, that hey listen, the quality of life in Oklahoma is as good."
From restaurants, and nightlife to entertainment, the sooner state is making big gains. Top it off with affordability, and the desire to move to Oklahoma is becoming more of a thought to those outside Oklahoma's borders.
“That affordability is a big deal for companies as well,” Pinnell said.
He adds the economic forecast for the state is strong. He said oil and gas continue to be a leading industry.
"The innovation that we are seeing in the oil and gas industry is very strong,” Pinnell said. “Hydrogen play into the future, I think, will also be something that could create a bunch of jobs inside the state of Oklahoma.”
Oklahoma is now deemed a renewable state with wind and solar, which Pinnell said is adding to the job market.
The second leading industry of focus is aerospace and aviation.
“Oklahoma inside our high schools, we are offering more aviation curriculum than any other state in the country, so that's a good list to be on."
Pinnell said he expects the aerospace, aviation, and defense industry to grow exponentially in the sooner state in the next decade. Already, Oklahoma boasts defense jobs through Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and the largest maintenance repair facility in the world, American Airlines, which is based in Tulsa.
“Tulsa is leading the way when it comes to tech with the federally recognized tech hub we have inside the city of Tulsa,” Pinnell said. “There hasn't been a bigger more important announcement really for the state of Oklahoma I could argue."
The recognition is a driving force behind new businesses as well, ones the state hopes turn into Fortune 100 companies with home-grown entrepreneurs.
To drive business in Oklahoma, the Lt. Governor said the SITES program, or Supporting Industrial Transformation and Economic Success, has $780 million available for site infrastructure.
“We have hundreds of industrial parks across the state that just need a little bit of help,” Pinnell said. “They need an investment, so they are shovel-ready when companies come calling.”
It is a big boost for rural Oklahoma to draw in big companies. The state is not only on the radar of big companies but also filmmakers.
“What Killers of the Flower Moon has done for the state of Oklahoma really has put us even further on the map when it comes to a beautiful place in a pro-business place to film a movie,” Pinnell said. “It is opening up a whole lot of doors for us in Hollywood."
Pinnell also touted the accomplished sovereign nations, particularly the Cherokee, with the Cherokee Film Institute incentivizing film or television productions layered with the state's rebate.
In turn, Pinnell said tourism amplifies and the state benefits. It is a trend Oklahoma hopes to see for years to come.
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