PRYOR, Okla. — A plant rumored to be in the running to move to the Mid-America park in Pryor is instead going to Canada.
Here is the announcement from the Canadian leaders:
Amazing news! Historic announcement! @VW has chosen Canada for their first-ever North American battery gigafactory.
— François-Philippe Champagne (FPC) 🇨🇦 (@FP_Champagne) March 13, 2023
This is a major vote of confidence in Canada, our workers and our entire battery ecosystem. Canada: green supplier of choice to the world. pic.twitter.com/j39GXlkwhi
This is the second time recently when a company considering Mid-America as a location ended up choosing a different location. The Panasonic Battery plant picked Kansas City over Pryor in 2022.
Leaders across Green Country and in the state capitol say Oklahoma still has potential to be the most business-friendly state in the country, despite Volkswagen's decision to not build the battery production plant in Pryor.
However, Democrats like Tulsa-based State Rep. Monroe Nichols told 2 News that politics could be preventing that.
He speculates that rhetoric and recently-enacted state laws could have influenced Volkswagen’s decision to build its plant in Ontario, Canada instead of the Sooner state.
“If you were to look at the actions that we’ve taken here at the capitol, some of the culture wars that we fight here all the time -- and what that looks like to folks on the outside we look like a very closed-off state certainly for business but also for the diverse employee populations that would be coming here," Rep. Nichols said.
“We spent my entire career here cutting taxes," Rep. Nichols added. "We cut corporate taxes last year if I’m not mistaken to make a better business-friendly economic environment. And we’re still losing out on opportunities.”
2 News Oklahoma reached out to MidAmerica about the decision. CEO David Stewart said, "As the eighth largest industrial park in the world, MidAmerica was among more than 100 sites considered by the site selection team and ultimately chosen as the number one site to represent the United States to compete for this project. We continue to prove our ability to compete at the highest level for a mega project that will generate high-paying jobs for Oklahomans. The continuity of leadership on MidAmerica’s Board of Trustees and our strategic investments in infrastructure, quality of life initiatives, and workforce development strategies have laid the groundwork to successfully bring national and international business prospects to MidAmerica. We are committed to advancing Mayes County community planning initiatives in preparation for our next opportunity.”
The State Department of Commerce also sent a statement, “Oklahoma continues to be in the running for projects of all sizes. We are extremely appreciative of the work our Governor and Legislature continue to do to make Oklahoma the most business-friendly state in the Nation. Currently the Department of Commerce has several major projects in the pipeline that are considering Oklahoma as a site location. While these projects attract lots of media attention, what's less covered is the Department of Commerce's dedication to our existing companies, which receive 70 percent of our business development efforts to help them thrive and expand.”
“While this is not the outcome that we have all been working so hard to achieve, we are endlessly grateful for the ongoing collaboration from the local business community, our regional partners, Governor Kevin Stitt and Oklahoma’s state legislators. The teams at MidAmerica Industrial Park, Grand River Dam Authority and Tulsa Ports are to be commended for their dedication and commitment throughout the lengthy site selection process. Oklahomans should be proud of our growing competitive advantage, which includes not only a collaborative spirit of leadership, but also a strong workforce, plentiful natural resources, and low cost of living. Across multiple industries, Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma are receiving historic levels of global interest as a destination for future projects. Through the work of the Chamber-led Tulsa’s Future regional economic development partnership, we are confident that our region will continue to attract new employers and new investment even as we support the growth of existing companies," said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber.
Oklahoma State Senator Greg Treat wants to know why Oklahoma keeps missing out on companies like this, so he's creating a select committee to take a closer look.
“Oklahoma has abundant resources, qualified employees and a legislature and executive branch that is friendly to the business community,” said Sen. Pro Tem Treat. “We have a history of going out of our way to offer advantages other states cannot. There is no reason for us to continuously lose out to another state in this country on major business developments. That is why I am determined find the common denominator as to why we aren’t being chosen and figure out how we can become more attractive to businesses looking to expand or relocate. We will hear from business experts, company executives, state officials and everyone else to make Oklahoma more attractive to major employers."
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