Broke ground adjacent to the Tulsa International Airport for the multi-phase, hot-fire rocket engine test facility. The facility is designed to address a critical shortage of altitude-capable propulsion testing infrastructure for the global space industry.
• Economic development team began working the project September 1, 2024
• The project serves as a catalyst to attract additional space manufacturing and testing companies
Positioning the Tulsa Region in high-value industry conversations and national platforms.
Represented the Tulsa region as part of the Oklahoma delegation at one of the nation’s premier defense, law enforcement, and outdoor industry events. With regional defense activity accelerating, the team leveraged the event to elevate Tulsa’s image and business proposition.
• Sponsored the Oklahoma booth
• Met with companies to explore expansion and relocation opportunities
• Strengthened industry relationships aligned with Tulsa’s growing defense ecosystem
Strengthened relationships with key state economic development teams supporting business recruitment and expansion. Met with the EDGE Team (Economic Development, Growth & Expansion) and the ACES Team (Aerospace Commerce Economic Services).
• Discussed strategic priorities, recent project wins, and current pipeline activity
• Focused on identifying opportunities for deeper collaboration on business attraction efforts, while aligning state and regional strategies to strengthen overall competitiveness
Direct engagement with national site selectors to keep the Tulsa Region top of mind.
Joined Oklahoma Department of Commerce and economic development partners from across the state to engage with a high-value audience in Dallas.
• Connected with 60+ site location consultants, brokers, and corporate decision-makers
• Positioned the Tulsa Region and the state as a competitive location for business investment
Continued to chase The Outsiders Musical North American Tour in key markets and hosted national site location consultants. These events generated a heightened awareness of Tulsa and helped strengthen relationships with top-tier site selectors, which provides increased visibility for future business relocation/expansion projects.
Tulsa’s Future Economic Development Advisory Council and community leaders hosted senior leadership from JLL, a global site consultant, commercial real estate, and investment management firm.
• Held in-depth discussions on Tulsa’s market position, available assets, and growth opportunities
• Explored future collaborations and project alignment
• Hosting them in Tulsa allowed them to experience our quality of place first-hand
Advancing a pro-business, growth-oriented mindset.
Convened 50+ manufacturing leaders, with Arvest Bank as the sponsor, to discuss Tulsa’s position within the growing space economy and advanced manufacturing sectors. Featured speakers from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and The Artemis Group, with discussion focused on supply chain diversification, expansion into aerospace and space markets, and aligning regional manufacturing capabilities with emerging industry demand.
Discussion focused on Tulsa’s emergence as a global hub for drone technology, including development of low-cost, high-volume drones manufactured locally for first responder applications. Speakers emphasized the role of regional collaboration between private industry, tribal nations, and investors in accelerating innovation and commercialization
Launched a marketing campaign to local businesses in the Tulsa Region to build awareness of state funding programs to help facilitate growth.
• Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program (OIEP) – supports high-impact new capital investment, which can lead to new product development or increase capacity at Oklahoma’s existing companies
• Aerospace Internships – supports local aerospace companies wishing to develop an internship program
Work-based learning initiatives are critical to building our ready workforce of the future.
The large-scale regional career exploration event, led by Junior Achievement, connected students directly with employers and career pathways, engaging more than 8,000 students across 24 school districts and 42 schools. Tulsa’s Future sponsored the event, which featured over 70 companies that provided hands-on, interactive experiences, the event increased student awareness of local career opportunities while strengthening early talent pipeline connections between education and employers.
Hosted the first 2026 HR Forum, Talent to Work, with nearly 30 HR professionals focused on peer learning, best practices, and workforce trends. Attendees also received updates from the Workforce and Talent team on upcoming programs and engagement opportunities.
Our team also hosted/participated in:
• Impact Tulsa Employer Luncheon supporting the North Tulsa Internship Pipeline
• Macy’s Distribution career fair, engaging 17 companies on talent retention
• Youth medical summit showcasing medical career pathways
• Initial discussions with Tulsa Public Schools to align career pathways with employer workforce needs
Joined with Lufthansa Technik and educational institutions, workforce training providers, and statewide workforce partners to discuss a long-term path forward to support their workforce needs.
• Explored implementation of apprenticeship models aligned with industry needs
• Identified opportunities to strengthen aviation and technical talent pipelines
• Facilitated collaboration between global industry leaders and local institutions
Host 30+ regional partners attended an Open Records training presented by Gable Gotwals, designed to equip economic development professionals with the tools to properly manage and respond to public records requests. The session clarified compliance requirements and offered best practices, while also addressing how evolving technology and modern media are shaping public records.
Our team met with the Broken Arrow Economic Development team to exchange insights into business retention, attraction strategies, and regional marketing efforts. The visit also included a tour of key developments, including the Arrow Forge development site and the city’s emerging amphitheater project, highlighting continued investment and growth in the Broken Arrow community.