Area Manufactures Network for Strong Economy

August 11, 2017

By Linda Provost The Duncan Banner

Area manufacturers had a chance to network thanks to a luncheon hosted by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) with the help of the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation (DAEDF.) Linda Provost/The Duncan Banner

While keeping businesses separate tends to be the norm, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology (OCAST) gathered area manufactures together to build relationships to grow. OCAST, with the help of Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation (DAEDF) hosted the Southwest Oklahoma Manufacturer Networking Luncheon where more than 25 businesses along with local policy makers gathered.

Lyle Roggow, president of DAEDF, said it was a chance for these businesses leaders to talk with each other in a different setting. 

“The purpose is to … bring the Lawton, Duncan and Chickasha manufacturing communities together — it’s more than just those communities … it’s the region, it’s really about their ability to network and maybe be able to exchange not only ideas but opportunities with each other in the exchanging of business, maybe they’ll learn what the others may do as well,” Roggow said.  “It’s an opportunity for them to re-engage and hopefully, they’ll exchange products which means more job opportunities, which also means more opportunities for those guys to stay busier within their manufacturing setting.”

Conner Cox, programs officer for OCAST, agreed with Roggow about getting stuck in the “day-to-day” and not realizing what’s in their neighborhood. 

“A lot of these manufactures are buying and sales to one another Halliburton here in particular they have multiple … suppliers in the room today,” Cox said. “So there is a lot of local things that people don’t maybe think about … the supplies that they get. It’s potently a chance to boost the local economy at that level — buying things from one another instead of buying things from out of state.” 

Cox said this was the first for the region, there have be several in the northeast and they were hoping to create more of these events all over the state. OCAST is part of the Oklahoma Innovation Model support system which helps business get started or trouble shoot problems. 

“Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology (OCAST), we are a state agency we have funding opportunities … to fund research and development  in the state of Oklahoma,” Cox said, “We are constantly engaging with business industry, universities — The Oklahoma Innovation Model which is made up of OCAST, the New Product Development Center at Oklahoma State, I2E (Innovation to Enterprise) and the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance so all together we’ve … built the … the Oklahoma Innovation Model to take an idea from … an idea or a concept and getting that to market and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation in Oklahoma” 

Roggow said for DAEDF, these partnerships were more than just helping the businesses there, but the area’s economy as a whole. 

“The reason we (DAEDF) stay so focused on manufacturing for every dollar invested, manufacturing generates about a $1.40 or $1.50 in return so that’s a huge, huge impact,” he said. “That’s the reason DAEDF has always stay focused on this side of it, because that then supports the retail communities.”

For more information about OCAST, visit www.ok.gov/ocast.