Business Briefs (Week of August 11)
Monday, August 14, 2023
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Looking for business briefs? This week's roundup (for the week ending August 11) from The Journal Record.
Ground Control to Yukon
Residents of Yukon will be able to put a literal bounce in their step when a new trampoline park and entertainment center opens in 2024. Construction is set to begin this month on Ground Control, a more than 33,000-square-foot facility featuring trampolines that are flush with the ground and a number of activities incorporating them. Pictured here is Ground Control’s location in San Antonio, Texas.
State aims to renovate, build target ranges to spur economy
In the next two years, Arcadia Lake on the east side of Edmond may sing with the twang of bows and the thunk of arrows – if the stars line up right. Thanks to an ongoing program to improve shooting and target ranges at several Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation management areas, Arcadia Lake, along with dozens of other sites across the state, will have new or improved shooting and target ranges. Officials say they could bring new dollars to their local communities.
Class-action lawsuits target Oklahoma small businesses
Multiple small businesses in the state are part of a wave of accessibility class-action lawsuits nationwide, as retailers with e-commerce sites increasingly are targeted for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. Lawsuits were filed last month in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Duncan-based Distinctive Decor and Oklahoma City clothing retailer Blue Seven. Plaintiff Angela Wahab, represented by New York City-based consumer protection law firm Stein Saks PLLC, alleges that companies' websites are inaccessible to blind and visually impaired customers.
Integris to take control of hospitals in Ponca City, Woodward
Integris Health has agreed to acquire AllianceHealth Ponca City as well as operational assets of AllianceHealth Woodward and their related businesses, including physician clinic operations and outpatient services from subsidiaries of Community Health Systems Inc. Serving Kay and Woodward counties, the hospitals, clinics and physician offices of AllianceHealth Ponca City and AllianceHealth Woodward had more than 200,000 patient encounters last year.
Affordable housing a focus of next legislative session
Oklahoma legislators will look to help address the lack of access to affordable housing for renters and buyers in next year’s session. With interim studies pertaining to housing availability approved in both chambers, legislators will meet this month to discuss how to approach the issue before the committees meet this fall. State Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, and state Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, submitted an interim study request with the purpose of researching successful affordable housing programs in other states and exploring the development of and access to affordable housing in Oklahoma.
How tech schools can put a dent in lack of auto repair workers
The U.S. will need more than 100,000 new auto repair technicians each year through 2026 for supply to keep up with demand, and that’s extremely unlikely to happen, according to a new report by MarketWatch Guides. Contributing factors to the mechanic shortage cited by the report include an aging workforce, lower-than-average earning potential and a rising number of older cars. Nearly half of the students in Francis Tuttle Technology Center’s automotive program begin working at car dealerships and after-market businesses like Walmart and Pep Boys while they still are training, and 93% of recent graduates are employed or continuing their education.
Tulsa residents approve $814M in infrastructure projects
With approval of Improve Our Tulsa’s third iteration, city residents chose to invest $814 million into infrastructure projects, including an initiative to address the housing shortage. The package will be paid for through property taxes, general obligation bonds and a 0.95% sales tax extension, according to the city of Tulsa. It will not raise property taxes.
KOSU, The Spy set sites on historic building near downtown OKC
KOSU radio and The Spy FM have announced plans to join Beer City Music Hall, Stonecloud Brewing Co. and other businesses in a growing area near downtown Oklahoma City. The stations will take up residence at 18 N. Klein Ave. in a building dating to 1921 once known as the Farmer’s Union building. It was a center of activity a century ago, especially for farmers and ranchers in the state, and the stations plan for it to once again be a “hub of activity and hope,” they said in a joint release. Renovation of the building is set to begin this fall, and KOSU and The Spy plan to move into their new studios by March 2024.
Poll finds many businesses looking to hire before year’s end
Despite continuing economic challenges and uncertainties, businesses in Oklahoma and across the country remain in hiring mode, according to a recent Harris Poll commissioned by Oklahoma City-based Express Employment Services. Some 62% of hiring managers surveyed responded that their companies have plans to hire additional workers before the end of 2023. For those that do, 52% said additional employees are needed to manage higher volumes of work. Some 48% said their companies have newly created positions to fill; 42% cited needs to fill open positions left by employee turnover; and 28% said they need more help after expanding into new markets.
Lawmakers to study job help services for disabled
Members of Oklahoma state House of Representatives will meet this fall to take an in-depth look at workforce development and students with disabilities. House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, approved an interim study request pertaining to Oklahomans with disabilities participating in vocational rehabilitation and opportunities to obtain competitive integrated employment. According to the study proposal, submitted by state Rep. Ellyn Hefner, D-Oklahoma City, and state Rep. Jared Deck, D-Norman, a number of employers in the state may not know how to effectively recruit and retain people with disabilities or have the capacity to do so.
War threatens global grain market
The war in Ukraine once again is threatening global grain market activity, Oklahoma expert Kim Anderson said. In mid-July, Moscow withdrew from a key export agreement that allowed Ukraine to ship millions of tons of grain across the Black Sea for sale on world markets. Following its decision to suspend the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia carried out repeated strikes on Ukrainian ports, including Odesa, where it destroyed essential grain facilities and infrastructure. And Ukraine is fighting back.
Milestone day reached in Oak development in OKC
Friday marked a milestone day for Ryan McNeill and partners and supporters of his ambitious Oak project, a 20-acre mixed-use development at the heart of one of Oklahoma City’s most thriving areas, at Pennsylvania Avenue and Northwest Expressway. A “topping out” ceremony was planned. It was celebration of the placement of a beam at the very highest point of the tallest structure on the site. There’s still work to do, but the important day in the ongoing construction will be reached on time as McNeill and others look forward to a grand opening of Oak in September 2024.
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