Business Briefs (Week of November 27)
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
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Looking for business briefs? This week's roundup (for the week ending November 27)
Paris Baguette coming to Oklahoma
A businesswoman from Wichita, Kansas, is on track to open the first Paris Baguette location in Oklahoma next summer. The global brand first franchised in the U.S. in 2015 and has since established nearly 150 locations in markets across the country. Vivian Tran has signed an agreement to bring the French-inspired bakery concept to two metro locations, beginning with a store in Edmond and later in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma has sky-high hopes for aerospace, aviation
Legislators and agency leaders believe aerospace and aviation could become the top industry in the state. The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission became the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics this month through Senate Bill 782. A celebration was held at the Capitol on Nov. 16 to acknowledge the rebrand, which went into effect Nov. 1. The new banner will provide an opportunity to show consumers and constituents that the agency is modernizing and looking toward the future, according to an agency release. Courtesy photo
The Journal Record hires veteran editor
Veteran journalist James Bennett has joined The Journal Record as editor. Bennett, 62, most recently was managing editor of The Dallas Express, a 24-7 digital news site in the Dallas metroplex. He has been a journalist for more than 45 years, starting as a high school sports journalist in his hometown of Cookeville, Tennessee, as a teenager and continuing as an award-winning newspaper and digital editor in recent years.
Grants to help towns add healthy living amenities
Development of walking and jogging trails, renovation of a community swimming pool and planning for a wellness center were among projects approved recently for grant funding provided through the state’s Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust to build healthy living infrastructure in towns across Oklahoma. Other projects approved in communities stretching from Tishomingo to Adair range from a pond expansion in a local park to improving sidewalks and making a town’s central shopping district more accessible to people with disabilities. Nearly $4.6 million was approved in all to fund such projects, TSET officials said in a release.
Ardmore hopes new program will ease post-Michelin transition
A joint effort between state agencies and an Ardmore-based economic development organization has been announced to reduce the negative impact of Michelin’s decision to end tire production at its Oklahoma plant. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the Oklahoma Development Finance Authority and the Ardmore Development Authority announced the creation of a Rapid Community Response Program this month to assist the Ardmore community as production winds down at its Michelin facility over the next two years, affecting more than 1,400 employees. The program utilizes withholding taxes collected from Michelin for the state. It allows the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to administer the funds to assist Ardmore and surrounding communities to retain as many employees in the region as possible.
Holiday Pop-Up Shops return to Midtown OKC
Holiday Pop-Up Shops, numbering at least a dozen-and-a-half, were slated to open on Black Friday in Oklahoma City’s Midtown. They will be near the corner of NW 10th Street and Hudson Avenue as an important holiday season attraction both for serious shoppers and families just looking for a nice holiday stroll. The shops will offer a variety of unique gifts, from clothing and accessories to home goods and children’s toys. The market will be open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pop-up shops will rotate weekly throughout the season.
Authorities seize tens of thousands of illegal pot plants
Six medical marijuana grow operations in Pottawatomie County were shut down recently after authorities discovered more than 77,000 pot plants being cultivated illegally. While it’s legal for licensed facilities to grow marijuana in Oklahoma to be sold in licensed and regulated dispensaries where taxes are collected on transactions, all plants by law must be documented, including with individual tags, from “seed to sale.” In the case of the 77,362 untagged and untraceable plants found Nov. 16, law enforcement officers said it’s believed that they would have been sold on the black market and not in licensed dispensaries.
Coalition files for injunction against Energy Discrimination Act
A coalition including retired state educators and public employees has filed for a temporary injunction against enforcement of Oklahoma’s Energy Discrimination Act of 2022, which requires the state to divest assets from any financial company perceived to have embraced boycotts of the energy industry. According to a news release, the Keep Oklahoma’s Promises Coalition, including members of the Oklahoma Retired Educators Association and Oklahoma Public Employees Association, asserts that the law could end up costing Oklahomans tens of millions of dollars.
Child care accessibility sticks out as major workforce issue, study says
Affordability and quality of child care in Oklahoma are better than or equal to the national average, but the state is deficient in accessibility, according to a recent study. The lack of options has changed the calculus for mothers of young children when considering a return to the workforce. Heartland Forward, an Arkansas-based nonprofit that studies economic trends to create data-driven partnerships, programs and policies, released a study in September. It examined how states stack up as it pertains to affordable, accessible and high-quality child care. Oklahoma ranked 20th out of 51.
Lucas: 'It's an intense world we live in right now'
New U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., sent everyone home early for Thanksgiving after tensions rose as the House passed short-term legislation to stave off a government shutdown. Back in Oklahoma on Nov. 20, Republican U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas said he is cautiously optimistic about Johnson’s ability to govern in the current climate as Congress faces a new deadline to fund the government and is considering aid for Ukraine and Israel. Dealing with the national debt is crucial, Lucas said during a D.C. Spotlight hosted by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber. He also said America cannot address every wrong worldwide but must respond to what is going on in the Middle East and Ukraine and what potentially could happen in Taiwan.
Proposal to raise minimum wage draws pushback
A state question proposed recently that would raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029 has met with a legal challenge from the State Chamber of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Farm Bureau. State Question 832, which has progressed only to the point of being subject to debate in the public square, was formally proposed recently by Kelsey Cobb of El Reno and Dustin Phelan of Salina. However, an increase to the state’s minimum wage, which has been linked to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 since 2008, has been proposed, including by legislation, frequently in recent years.
OU researchers study drug for PTSD, alcohol use disorder
Research that could lead to deployment of a new drug to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder has been conducted in Oklahoma City. Testing of the drug has been carried out by Kelly Standifer and colleagues at the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy at OU Health Sciences. According to a release, results of preclinical trial testing will help determine future potentials for the drug, called PPL-138.
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