Infrastructure and quality, marketable sites have been at the forefront of ongoing business attraction and expansion challenges for communities in Oklahoma. Through the SITES (Support Industrial Transformation for Economic Success) Program launched February 1, 2023, more than $41M has been committed across the state for infrastructure improvements in industrial parks through a combination of state and federal funds. 

As part of continued efforts to enhance Oklahoma communities’ ability to develop and market viable sites, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Commerce) is launching the SITES Ready Program, a new, game-changing business recruitment tool for increasing jobs and capital investment designed for all Oklahoma communities. The program is heavily focused on assessing current site and community readiness. As a result, participating communities will receive recommendations on ways to improve and market community assets from InSite Consulting, a corporate and community economic development consulting firm.   

“Local communities play a leading role in economic development and site selection,” said Jennifer Springer, Director of Business Development, Commerce. “The SITES Ready Program will help local communities understand existing economic development capacity while also learning how to expand and leverage that capacity or pivot to a new strategic plan to increase economic growth and potential.”  

The SITES Ready Program is facilitated through Commerce in partnership with InSite Consulting. InSite representatives will lead four informational rollout sessions in four quadrants of the state, walking communities through the process of understanding modern and relevant expectations for site/industrial park readiness, how to get sites and communities ready for growth, and actual ways to build a sustainable future of jobs and investment for individual communities and the State of Oklahoma. The rollout sessions will be held the week of February 12, 2024. 

To learn more about the SITES Ready Program and to register to attend a rollout session, visit: https://www.okcommerce.gov/community-development/local-governments-edos/promote-buildings-sites/