Those in the know in Oklahoma’s energy sector have long been familiar with General Electric’s role in the industry.

There used to be a lot of discussion about the necessity and appropriateness of state-funded and directed venture capital programs.

A new $7.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will help five Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientists jump-start new projects over the next five years, support institutional core facilities, and pay for renovations to an animal facility.

After starting at the 2010 South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, the Buffalo Lounge spotlighting Oklahoma’s entertainment industry has grown every year. This year, more than 40 bands will take to two stages inside The 512 bar on Sixth Street.

Oklahoma City-based startup Buzzam started with a daydream that 30-year-old software developer Josh Wright had of being able to have a TV channel that only played movies from his personal collection of DVDs.

The wind industry’s trade group, the American Wind Energy Association, said Oklahoma added more than 1,100 megawatts of wind power capacity in 2012. Oklahoma moved up from eighth place to sixth in the association’s rankings of state wind capacity

Business opportunities are growing for Oklahoma entrepreneurs at the upcoming annual South by Southwest Conferences and Festivals in Texas. Josh O’Brien, i2E Inc. spokesman, said the deadline for entries in the first stage of an elevator pitch contest managed by the nonprofit business support agency is Feb. 6. Finalists will try to convince investors of the brilliant profitability of their ideas March 11 before a live audience at The 512 Bar in Austin for prizes worth $10,000. The event is sponsored by the Office of Entrepreneurial Development, a partnership between i2E and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.

Dr. Craig Shimasaki, president and CEO of Moleculera Labs Inc., serial entrepreneur and adviser to multiple teams in Oklahoma's collegiate business plan competition, the Governor's Cup, says vision begins with the way we look at the world.

The Lupus Foundation of America has funded a $110,000 grant for an Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist to study the role of a specific protein.

Miles from Airport Road and the side of Will Rogers World Airport most travelers see, workers have begun laying pipe for a series of utility projects that will pave the way for future development on the airport's east side.

With the press of a button Tuesday, Gov. Mary Fallin fired up the newest printing press at Quad/Graphics' Oklahoma City plant and essentially created 120 jobs.

In what promises to be the biggest bioscience firm deal in state history, Oklahoma City-based Selexys Pharmaceuticals Corp. has struck an agreement that could lead to the company\\\'s acquisition for up to $665 million.

Oklahoma City continues to attract attention for its low unemployment and high private-sector job growth, ranking No. 1 on the On Numbers Economic Index for the month of September.

Same-store sales at Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. are up about 9 percent this year and the company will have about 520 stores across the country by the end of the year, CEO David Green said Tuesday at the Idea Exchange, an event sponsored by the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Norman-based Design Intelligence Inc. has designed its first unmanned aerial vehicle for nonmilitary applications, company President James Grimsley said.

Nearly 90 delegates from Oklahoma’s bioscience industry, including scientists, business leaders, educators and economic development officers from across the state, will represent Oklahoma at the BIO 2012 International Convention in Boston, Mass., next week (June 18 – 21).

When the military closes a facility, it can often come with lots of contamination, making redevelopment difficult. In the case of the old General Motors plant in Midwest City, the military wanted to make sure it didn’t purchase contaminated commercial property.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City and Fortune Magazine selected five Oklahoma companies for the 2012 Inner City 100, a list of the fastest-growing inner city companies in the country.

Oklahoma City was named the least-costly city to do business among 13 midsized U.S. cities according to a study by KPMG LLP. Oklahoma City had a cost index of 95.5, representing business costs 4.5 percent below the U.S. national baseline of 100.0

Manpower Group, an employment service firm, recently surveyed 18,000 employers across the country and tabbed Oklahoma City fourth in the their "Best City for Jobs in Spring of 2012". The metro area had a net employment outlook of 20 percent for the second quarter. In total, 24 percent of the OKC companies surveyed expected to increase hiring in the Spring.

VentureSpur, a firm designed by three entrepreneurs who returned to their roots to nurture early-stage companies seeking to mature and attract capital, launched Wednesday in downtown Oklahoma City.

The state’s Quality Jobs Program is close to topping last year’s figures, and the program is just halfway through the 2012 fiscal year.

Passenger traffic through Will Rogers World Airport for 2011 was up almost 3 percent over the previous year, Oklahoma City airport officials reported Thursday.

Oklahoma City's Selexys Pharmaceuticals biopharmaceutical company announced Monday that the drug it has developed to treat sickle cell anemia was successful in its first phase of human testing.

MetroTrends released their annual Report Card on Economic Security and Oklahoma City was at the top of the class. The publication gave OKC an "A" and ranked it as the Best Metro in the U.S. for economic security. In the write up, the metro's area diverse economy was lauded, as well as the stable housing market.

Along with an affordable cost of living and a high concentration of local investors, The Fiscal Times explains OKC's exciting environment for emerging companies as easy-to-succeed for entrepreneurs with a bevy of groundbreaking incentives alongside a strong economy, an expanding population, great "quality of life, revitalized downtown, and cultural activities, along with a talented workforce."

Balliets joins the prestigious group of the best specialty stores in America, as chosen by the magazine’s editors and other important industry figures. 

Normally we use this space to offer up examples of investment success.

But given the crises that local governments have been facing, — including declining tax rolls, rising demand for services, and widening budget gaps – we decided to shine the spotlight on a city that is defying the national trends.

So hats off to Oklahoma City.

Worldwide, the craving for energy continues to increase, and the U.S. Department of Defense is one of its major consumers.

The Folsom, Calif.-based company will occupy space at 7501 SW 29th St. in the Will Rogers Business Park north of the Will Rogers World Airport, about one mile south of Reno Avenue off Council Road. The deal is for six years.

SB&D’s Innovation South Awards recognize what we believe are the most innovative programs, initiatives and projects in economic development in the South the previous calendar year. The Innovation Awards honor outstanding achievements by economic development agencies, utilities, public/private partnerships and government initiatives that truly embrace innovation in a way to further job generation and capital investment in the American South. Here are our winners for the 2009 calendar year.

Outstanding leadership. Integrity. Commitment. Executives with these traits overflowed Thursday night in a room filled with the top minds of Oklahoma's business and nonprofit communities at The Journal Record's inaugural Oklahoma's Most-admired CEOs event.

A Georgia-based company that makes private-label tissue products will open a new plant in Oklahoma City in June, the company's first facility in the Southwest.

Cellu Tissue Holdings, Inc., (NYSE: CLU), a manufacturer and converter of tissue products for the private-label and away-from-home industries, will open a 325,000 sq. ft. facility at 50 N. Council Rd. in June 2010.

Cellu Tissue Holdings Inc., a manufacturer and converter of tissue products for the private label and away-from-home industries, leased a 325,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at 50 N Council Road.

Startup Weekend is a 54 hour startup event that provides the networking, resources, and incentives for individuals and teams to go from idea to launch. Startup Weekend’s motto: Build Community. Start Companies. No Talk. All Action.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The human sustainability experts at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation have learned a lot lately about saving both the environment and some green.

Saving buildings is hard work these days, but that doesn’t mean Midtown revivalists have given up their quest.

Oklahoma City's US Fleet Tracking will provide GPS support for the 2010 Super Bowl and Pro Bowl, 2010 Winter Olympics, and 2010 World Equestrian Games.

Paycom just keeps growing.

All new companies start with an idea. When angel investors put their money into a company, they give that idea a chance to generate a business. These businesses generate revenue. That revenue generates jobs. Those jobs create revenue for Oklahoma.

NORMAN – Gov. Brad Henry was happy to report that, for a change, bad news and the wind aren’t all that is sweeping down the plains these days.

Two individuals and a community organization will be honored Thursday at the annual Evening of Excellence, presented by the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Alumni Association. The black-tie dinner will be at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, starting with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – First lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday highlighted Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett’s “This City Is Going on a Diet” initiative in a speech to a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington.

The movie "Extraordinary Measures” features big-name stars, precocious child actors and life-and-death family drama "inspired by true events.”

Fortune magazine’s latest "100 Best Places to Work” list provides more evidence that Oklahoma City has joined the ranks of big-league cities.

Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. on Wednesday released a 10-year strategic plan.

Downtown Oklahoma City Inc. is reorganizing its staff as it enters a second decade as operator of the downtown business improvement district.

Judging by Fortune magazine's new job satisfaction survey, it's apparently not as hard to get up in the morning and go to work in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City-based Delaware Resource Group has been awarded a Command and Control training contract by the U.S. Air Force, company officials said Tuesday.

Hitachi Computer Products America Inc. on Monday said it will expand its Norman facility with the construction of a new distribution center.

The United States should continue funding transportation investments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for another six years, the chairman of the U.S. House's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said Monday afternoon.

OKLAHOMA CITY - A Volvo Rents construction equipment rental company is scheduled to open in Oklahoma City on Jan. 1, and the local franchisee plans to open other sites in Tulsa and Wichita, Kan.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The relationship between ProCure Proton Therapy Center and Integris Health is official.

The Integris Cancer Institute of Oklahoma opened Wednesday as a $100 million center bringing together experts in research, care, prevention and treatment.

The Oklahoma secretary of commerce told a House committee Nov. 17 that right now is the best time to market Oklahoma.

The southern portion of Oklahoma - near Ardmore, south to Texas - will see an influx of jobs, families and economic opportunities over the next decade, an official with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce said this week.

OKLAHOMA CITY - A small bioscience company may make a revolutionary discovery that could alter the treatment course for a deadly disease.

Oklahoma City-based Equipment Technology Inc. is planning to add 90 jobs during the next several years after joining the state's Quality Jobs program.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Capital West Securities took up its new identity as Geary Securities on Monday, company President Keith Geary said.

Just three years ago, the stretch of NW 9 just east of Broadway was a blighted mess lined with boarded up houses masked by overgrown brush and trees and homeless folks living in parked cars.

Fewer job losses, lower foreclosure rates and benefits gained from the energy sector are some factors that helped both the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas rise in their rankings on the Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities 2009 index.

A workshop to help Oklahoma health researchers create partnerships with investors and pharmaceutical companies is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Presbyterian Health Foundation Conference Center, 655 Research Pkwy., Suite 100.

Site Selection magazine has placed Oklahoma at No. 18 on its Top Business Climate for 2009 list.

Scientists at Oklahoma City biopharmaceutical company Pure Protein LLC have achieved a breakthrough that could have substantial applications for the $37 billion autoimmune disease market, transplantation, infectious diseases, cancer and other new disease targets, the company said.

Oklahoma City and Tulsa recently were ranked among the best places to launch a new business by editors at Fortune Small Business magazine in conjunction with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Quest Diagnostics is a $7 billion company with laboratories across the country. But Chief Executive Officer Surya Mohapatra is the first to say the company's upcoming expansion in Oklahoma City is an exception to its current operations.

Magazine's readers place Health Sciences campus at No. 4 among academic workplaces.

A survey of the country's strongest metro areas has put Oklahoma's two largest cities in the spotlight.

Forbes.com has touted Oklahoma City as recession-proof. Other headlines from this year read "Oklahoma City Wins in Jobless Figures," "Economists Say State Could Dodge Downturn," "Economic Climate Leaves Clear Skies Ahead for Oklahoma." NPR's Scott Simon travels to Oklahoma City to discover why this town is considered to have such a stable economy.

Fast-food retailer Jack in the Box said Oct. 22 it is planning to expand its presence in the Oklahoma market by opening four Oklahoma City-area corporately owned locations along with two in the Tulsa area.

Oklahoma City has another feather in its cap.

Even in the toughest of economies, the metro area has scored a victory in being picked as the top large city in which to launch a small business.

The state's cost of doing business, its economy and its appealing spot in the middle of the country enticed a Florida company to relocate to Oklahoma City.

I felt a sense of Oklahoma pride as 300 professional fund managers and economic development officers from across the nation gathered in our state last month for the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds annual conference...

The three-day conference focused on the significance of making angel capital and seed funds available to entrepreneurial startup companies.

For Oklahoma, this national conference was a huge success - attendance, speakers, topics covered and especially increased visibility for Oklahoma on the investing landscape...

It all goes to show that the deal flow pipeline in Oklahoma remains strong and is attracting national attention from savvy investors.

Fortune Small Business magazine and The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation will release a list Oct. 14 that names the 2009 list of the 50 best places in the United States to launch a business. Topping the list is Oklahoma City as the top large city.

The bundle of business incentives available from the state's Commerce Department for companies that want to increase operations, add jobs or expand infrastructure is growing, even amid a recession that has cut into many companies' bottom line.

Oklahoma City-based i2E Inc. has earned international acclaim for its efforts to grow entrepreneurial businesses.
Tuesday, the company received an excellence award at the International Economic Development Council conference in Reno, Nev.

The U.S. Air Force's new nine-year contract with Northrop Grumman Corp. for contractor logistics support for its KC-10 Extender refueling tanker aircraft should create about 30 jobs in Oklahoma.

A piece of German technology sold by a Norman pharmaceutical company has sparked the need for expansion into the city's business park.

New York business leaders were encouraged to "discover the global and economic momentum in Oklahoma" Tuesday evening during a reception at the 21 Club in New York by the Oklahoma Fast Forward Team.

Find out how your manufacturing business can become part of the emerging wind industry supply chain.

Protecting and enhancing Oklahoma's current aerospace industry and providing new opportunities to increase competitiveness are the focus of a new strategic report recently released by Oklahoma Aerospace Industry Partners.

State government and business officials are half a world away this week in an effort to attract new business to Oklahoma.

Oklahoma needs to mount a cooperative effort to retain and expand the aerospace industry, a state study has found.

The presence of 300 venture capitalists in Oklahoma City this week is a rare opportunity to draw national attention to local business investment opportunities, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber President Roy Williams said.

Cancer patients have a new option for treatment. Monday, the Integris Cancer Institute of Oklahoma ProCure Proton Therapy Center opened for patients.

Express Employment Professionals was recently named one of AARP's Best Employers for Workers Over 50 for the second year in a row, according to Robert A. Funk, founder and CEO of Express.

The National Association of Seed and Venture Funds conference in Oklahoma City is Sept. 14-16 at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel.

Air Force leaders, Oklahoma state, county and local community officials gathered at Tinker Air Force Base Aug. 17 to celebrate the installation's newest addition, Bldg. 9001 in the Tinker Aerospace Complex.

Oklahoma City's 5.9 percent jobless rate for July remains the best in the country from a list of 372 metro areas with a population greater than 1 million, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.

The long record of a close relationship between Oklahoma City and Southwest Airlines continues.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will be the keynote speaker at the National Association of Seed Venture Funds annual conference on Sept. 14-16 at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City is among the 10 best cities in America to find a job, according to a new list released Tuesday in U.S. News Media Group's "Best Places" series.

Transportation high-speed route would include Tulsa, Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City residents are happy with their local government and getting happier, according to a recent survey.

A "no" vote on a new proposed contract between Mercury Marine and its 580 hourly union workers in Fond du Lac, Wis., would mean the company would look to move its manufacturing operations to Oklahoma.

Months before it opens, Oklahoma Heart Hospital South at the crossroads of Interstate 240 and Sooner Road is already at landmark status.

Oklahoma County commissioners voted Wednesday to help fund the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber's efforts to bring jobs to Tinker Air Force Base.

Tinker Air Force Base officials gave political and business leaders and the media a look Monday at the new addition to the Tinker Aerospace Complex inside the shuttered General Motors Assembly Plant.

In the Shops at Moore, anchored by J.C. Penney, there are several new retailers opening this fall including Rue 21, Sally Beauty and Ooh La La (an accessories store.)

The industrial real estate sector in Oklahoma City is facing significantly decreased sales volume. But even in a tight market, some deals are happening.

The potential for seed capital investing has never been stronger, even in the current down economy, said Steve Mercil, vice chairman of the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds.

When an auto plant closes, it's usually bad news for the local economy.

A Mid-America Business Conditions index economic outlook from Creighton University Forecasting Group said its monthly survey of supply managers and business executives suggests the region’s economy is expanding for the first time in almost a year.

Wind energy seems to be a leading contender to replace fossil fuels in the future. Are Oklahoma businesses equipped to support it?

Oklahoma City has had the lowest unemployment rate of any large metro (metro with population of 1 million or more) six out of the 10 months since the recession was declared in September 2008. The other four months the unemployment rate ranked a close 2nd in the nation.

When it comes to the cost of living, the Sooner State beats out the rest of the nation, a new survey from CNBC.com says.

After spending a decade as a reporter covering everyone from the mayor to the governor, Janice Francis-Smith cashed in her savings and teamed up with her sister to open a coffee shop.

Tucked away at Oklahoma's waterways, air traffic hubs and industrial parks are its foreign trade zones, those U.S. Customs duty management programs that are boosting the state into playing a bigger and better role in the global economy.

Apex Global Partners(AGP) expands its Employee Benefits Operations, appoints Brad Williams as Director of Oklahoma Business Development, and opens new office in Oklahoma City.

Days after moving into new offices in the Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park, officials with OrthoCare Innovations introduced two devices designed to help amputees walk better. What's more, they will be manufactured in Oklahoma City.

Oklahomans seeking cancer treatment Wednesday got another option with the opening of the $120 million ProCure Proton Therapy Center at 5901 W Memorial Road in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City University is planning a $9.4 million building expansion to its nursing school.

Oklahoma City University has been ranked among the best colleges to work for in the nation for the second consecutive year, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education's "2009 Great Colleges to Work For" report.

The smashed marquee at the Tower Theater is gone and the letters are back in place - a hint that renovations are finally getting under way at the Uptown landmark.

Three seasoned chefs with resumes at some of Oklahoma City's finest restaurants are teaming up . . . to start a taco truck.

In the depths of the most severe national recession in decades, Oklahoma's largest city will soon sprout a new office tower surpassing anything built since the 1980s.

Steve Trice knew it wouldn't take long for his company to outgrow its space. Trice, president and CEO of Jasco Products Co., founded the company in 1975.

Eight million dollars of a $10 million request was approved to create an Oklahoma City prosthetics technology center.

The good news is that a real estate forecast put Oklahoma City and Tulsa among the housing markets with the "best expected performance" over the next year. The so-so news is that means home prices aren't expected to drop, according to Local Market Monitor in Cary, N.C., which released its latest Home Price Index for more than 300 markets this week.

The ProCure Proton Therapy Center is set to open in northwest Oklahoma City in July.

International manufacturers of wind energy components are lining up to spend billions of dollars on new U.S. manufacturing sites within the next five years.

Tinker Air Force Base and the state of Oklahoma have enjoyed a successful partnership since 1940 when word spread that the U.S. Air Force was interested in building a depot in the Midwest. 

Stabil Drill, a Superior Energy Services company specializing in bottom hole assembly rental tools, has opened its new facility in Oklahoma City. President and CEO Sammy Russo made the announcement June 24.

Sitting adjacent to Tinker Air Force Base, the former General Motors plant is now the Tinker Aerospace Complex.

Oklahoma has the potential to be a major player in the nation's wind power industry with capacity to not only provide power within the state and region but to export power to other parts of the country.

During the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area Realtors bus tour June 18, real estate brokers and business owners saw the progress of the historical Film Row District's renovation in the 700 block of West Sheridan and Lee avenues.

Bricktown visitors will have a new place to satisfy their sweet tooth when Bricktown Candy Co. opens Friday. The shop will sell many kinds of bulk candy - chocolate, sours, bubble gum, licorice, hard candy, jaw breakers and more - plus bottled soft drinks.

U.S. and Oklahoma aerospace companies must begin thinking about their work force requirements five to 10 years in the future because the industry no longer has the romance and allure it held 40 years ago, industry leaders said Wednesday.

Hobby Lobby is on track to open 25 new stores this year around the country, and will begin work this summer on construction of a new store in Moore.

More than a year ago, Forbes magazine dubbed Oklahoma City the most recession-proof city in the nation. The city is experiencing the effects of the depressed economy, but a new report out today indicates Oklahoma's two major cities are holding their own against the worst of the national recession.

A fractured global economic climate is just one of the issues facing the aerospace industry. "We are struggling to adapt our environment to the evolving industry," said Maj. Gen P. David Gillett, commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base. "Nonetheless there is no whining allowed and we continue to meet our mission," he said.

Today's business cover story — a reversal of "The Grapes of Wrath" — marks a triumphant moment at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, but is mostly newsworthy because of its initial audience: thousands of Californians.

Fleeing the Great Depression and a drought unprecedented in American history, a vast wave of Oklahomans and Texans dubbed "Okies" loaded everything they could onto crowded vehicles during the 1930s and headed west for California. Today, in huge numbers, their grandchildren are moving back.

When ProCure Proton Therapy Center opens in July, Ed Bertels said it will help put Oklahoma health care in the national limelight.

Millions of dollars are riding on Paul Risser’s homework assignment. But that’s not all. As a member of the board that will decide where to invest proceeds from the EDGE research endowment, Risser and fellow board members are helping the state create a more prosperous future.

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber is trying to convince business operators that minor preventive measures in air quality now will save a lot of money later.

Devon works with city to build a better downtown

Q: The city hired consultant and author Jeff Speck to do a walkability study downtown. How are the results of that study being incorporated into planning on the new Devon Energy world headquarters?

Oklahoma's mix of clean-energy businesses, including wind and geothermal efforts, grew by 6.8 percent from 1998 to 2007, the study concluded. The overall job growth rate statewide was 2.4 percent for the same period.

Quality Magazine has named Edmond’s Pelco Products, Inc. to its Quality Leadership 100, the company said today.