The Oklahoma Department of Commerce (Commerce) recently held rollout sessions in communities across the state to help economic development organizations and municipalities better understand the SITES Ready Program, a new business recruitment and infrastructure resource. Rollout sessions were held in Coweta, Duncan, Enid, McAlester and Oklahoma City. Additionally, a virtual rollout session was held for those unable to make it to an in-person session.  

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. 

“Investing in industrial infrastructure is a huge gamble for a local community,” said Michael Southard, Economic Development Director, Choctaw Nation Business & Economic Development. “Leaders often lack the knowledge needed to make the ‘right’ investment to attract future investment and create jobs. The SITES Ready program equips local economic development organizations with a better understanding as to a site’s competitiveness. The recommended improvements allow community leaders to address financial constraints and seek funding solutions to become more attractive.” 

“Commerce’s new SITES Ready Program is an incredible resource for the City of Glenpool to tap into,” said Joe Wuest, Director of Economic Development, City of Glenpool. “We are a city that wants to be proactive with our growth and we are doing everything in our power to get ahead of our current trajectory. The staff at Commerce and InSite did a fantastic job of answering my many questions and I look forward to receiving valuable feedback.” 

“​In order for Oklahoma to win projects or new investment by those companies that are being recruited, Oklahoma communities must first make sure that the industrial parks being marketed have all the important infrastructure accessible to the site,” said Lyle Roggow, President, Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation. “The investment of resources must also align with the overall capabilities of the site for true growth and fiscal responsibility.”

The meetings were the second phase in the SITES (Support Industrial Transformation for Economic Success) Program, a program launched by Commerce to help communities make legacy improvements to industrial sites with a historic investment of $780 million made by the legislature in 2022.  

Community leaders interested in learning more about the SITES Ready program should contact Lisa Smith at lisa.smith@okcommerce.gov.