2012 on the horizon: economic development

n Sunday, February 19, 2012 Enid News & Eagle Page designed by: Violet Hassler

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By Robert BarronStaff Writer

As the economy of Oklahoma changesand more effort is made to promote north-west Oklahoma, local groups havewondered what the best way is topromote Enid.

Those groups have begunresearching on what peoplethink about Enid and whatthe city has to offer. Theywill introduce a “brand”for the city soon.

Brent Kisling, execu-tive director of EnidRegional DevelopmentAlliance, said the processbegan about two yearsago. The regional devel-opment alliance purchasedadvertising in OklahomaToday magazine. When theyreceived the magazine theyfound both Main Street Enidand Enid Convention and VisitorsBureau had separate advertising.

“Our marketing was not consistent andorganized,” Kisling said.

A First for EnidAbout a year ago, a team called Enid

First was organized consisting of MainStreet, the city of Enid, Greater EnidChamber of Commerce, Enid Conventionand Visitors Bureau and Enid RegionalDevelopment Alliance, groups that do mostof the advertising outside the city. Enid Firstgathers monthly for brief meetings aboutwhat the groups are promoting that month.

“We quickly figured out Enid doesn’thave a specific message we’re trying toshare. Some are highlighting jobs, some

shopping, some VanceAir Force Base, but it’s not consistent,” hesaid.

The groups began an effort to brand thecommunity when the Enid First team part-nered with the Enid News & Eagle for aseries of stories about the areas in whichEnid is first or excels. Kisling said it provid-ed a list of stories people can use to bragabout Enid.

A number of surveys also were accom-plished, including one by Berkeley Young

Associates that asked visitors whatthey thought of the community

and would like to see.

Hitting the booksFrom the information

gathered, Enid First devel-oped a “brand book” thatcan be used for marketingthe community. Over thenext several months,Kisling said that bookwill be turned into mar-keting.

“We had to figure ourproduct, and we did that in

2011,” Kisling said. The brand will focus on

what makes Enid unique, suchas its history and heritage, but

encompasses more. “People raced and fought to inhab-

it this land, but also where do we want to bein the next 10 years, or 20 years, and thevibrancy the community has now,” Kislingsaid.

More than a logoA brand is not a tag line or a logo, but the

emotion people feel when they think of theproduct. McDonald’s has had many taglines and is more than a big yellow M, hesaid. The same is true for Nike and Chicagoand New York.

The next steps are to take the brandbook that describes what the communitywants to market and develop advertisingfor a nationwide promotion. That promo-

tion will contribute to Enid’s web pres-ence and make sure everyone is sellingthe same thing.

“It’s been fascinating so far,” Kislingsaid.

The principal people involved are staffmembers of the Enid First organizations.They also work on front-line employees

who meet the public in customer servicepositions every day and train them to knowwhat there is to do in Enid, so they can telltheir customers.

“The salespeople for Enid are more thanthe chamber and the alliance, and we mustmake sure everyone is on the same page,”Kisling said.

THIS YEAR IS ONE OF EXPECTATION FOR ENID AND NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA. IT IS A TIME OF CHANGE AS THE AREA EMERGES FROM RECESSIONAND LOOKS TOWARD PROGRESSION. THE ECONOMIC DRIVERS THAT HAVE BUILT AND SUSTAINED OUR WAY OF LIFE ARE CHANGING, AND THEPEOPLE ARE TASKED WITH CREATING A DIVERSE, NEW ECONOMIC MODEL THAT PUTS THE AREA ON THE HORIZON TOWARD A BETTER WAY OFLIFE. TUCKED IN THESE PROGRESS EDITIONS ARE A FEW OF THE STORIES OF THOSE WHO ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE FOR 2012 AND BEYOND.

new opportunities

Groups are working towardthe creation of a consistentmessage in promoting Enid

Brent Kisling, executive director of Enid Regional Development Alliance, (left) said the process to come up with a brandfor the Enid area began about two years ago. About a year ago, a team called Enid First was organized consisting of MainStreet Enid, the city of Enid, Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce, Enid Convention and Visitors Bureau and Enid RegionalDevelopment Alliance, groups that do most of the advertising outside the city. From the information gathered, Enid Firstdeveloped a “brand book” that can be used for marketing the community. Throughout the next several months, Kislingsaid that book will be a marketing tool. Pictured are (clockwise from above, left) the Enid First campaign logo, an insidepage from the “Enid Brand Book” and Kisling holding the book. (Photos provided / Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)

Enid News & Eagle Sunday, February 19, 2012 n Page designed by: Violet Hassler

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By Bridget NashStaff Writer

Enid is a growing citywith a small-town atmos-phere that has many of itsbusinesses working togetherto showcase their communi-ty.

Eagle Marketing is one ofthose working hard to show-case Enid to residents, visi-tors and those who have justrelocated to Enid.

“Eagle Marketing is amulti-media marketinggroup,” said Frank Baker,Eagle Marketing director.“We work with every type ofmedia from print to broad-cast, video, direct mail, web-site and social media.”

While Eagle Marketinghelps other businesses withtheir media it also puts outseveral publications of itsown to promote Enid.

“One of the things wedeveloped with EagleMarketing is any piece weget involved with we aregoing to take a positiveapproach.”

Newcomers Guide is anannual publication EagleMarketing uses to acquaintresidents with what Enid hasto offer.

“The Newcomers Guideis used primarily for newarrivals but it also acts as avisitors guide,” Baker said.

Newcomers Guide high-lights all areas of interest,including churches, schools,landmarks and shopping ven-ues.

“We have really goodwriters and great photogra-

phers, and we always putEnid in a positive light,”Baker said.

Since it is the home ofVance Air Force Base, Enidconstantly has new Air Forcefamilies moving to the area.For this reason, EagleMarketing also publishesVance Relocation Guide.

“It is tailored for newarrivals at Vance,” Bakersaid.

Vance Relocation Guideprovides a building-by-build-

ing breakdown of the baseand includes informationabout the city of Enid.

“It’s a great way to intro-duce and get the young peo-ple into various churches andstores and restaurants inEnid,” Baker said.

Chamber of CommerceMembership Directory is anEagle Marketing publicationthat helps Greater EnidChamber of Commercemembers network and con-nect with each other.

“It’s the best thing in theworld for contacting peoplein businesses,” Baker said.

One of Eagle Marketing’smost popular publications isETown Magazine.

“It’s our glossy, lifestylemag,” he said.

ETown originally targetedthe 25-44 age demographicbut has become popular withresidents of all ages.

“It’s fun and frothy,” saidBaker.

ETown Magazine includes

features on events, business-es, artists and residents ofEnid and shows readers thefun and positive things thatare happening throughout thecity.

“I’ve lived in Enid thebulk of my life,” said Baker.“Folks who live here want tosee Enid celebrated.”

ETown Magazine is pub-lished every 60 days and canbe ordered by subscription orpurchased at both JumboFoods locations.

To Baker, Eagle Market-ing’s task of promoting Enidis a task well worthwhile.

“I’m a farm kid who grewup on a farm north ofKremlin,” said Baker. “Iremember coming here as alittle kid and I rememberthinking Enid was thebiggest city in the world ...I’ve never lost that glow. Ithink Enid is the coolest cityin the world. I believe in thecommunity, and I’m incredi-bly excited about the future.”

Marketing grouppoints out finestattributes of Enid

Cathy Nulph with Etown and Diva Card/Man Card, Frank Baker with the first Etown cover, LynneBenkendorf with a Roberts Ranch Smokin’ Red Dirt BBQ trophy and Theo Pace with a Scotch and Cigars

poster make up the Eagle Marketing team. “We have really good writers and great photographers, and wealways put Enid in a positive light,” said Baker, Eagle Marketing’s director. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

Accentuate the positive


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´:H�0DNH�/RDQV�µ

By Jeff MullinSenior Writer

Author Jack London once said, “You can’t waitfor inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

There are no clubs involved with InspireGreater Enid, but inspiration is one of the organi-zation’s goals.

Inspire Greater Enid was formed in 2009 by agroup of localcommunicationand marketing pro-fessionals whorealized they need-ed a place to brain-storm, networkand collaborate intheir efforts to pro-mote initiatives inthe Enid area.

The idea forthe group camefrom Tawny Dot-son, a public rela-tions professionalwhose spousewas then sta-tioned at VanceAir Force Base.

“She saw theneed for a profes-sional marketingorganization in Enid, much like what they offer inOklahoma City and Tulsa,” said Lisa Powell,Inspire Greater Enid president. “A lot of our mar-keting and PR professionals in Enid were havingto go to Oklahoma City and Tulsa for continuingeducation or networking opportunities.”

Wide range of topicsThe group has grown to more than 80 mem-

bers. It meets six times per year at AutryTechnology Center.

“We invite mem-bers and non-membersto attend,” saidPowell.

“Our membershipis growing,” saidJessica Andrew boardmember at large. “Ithink that says a lot.We have memberswho come to everymeeting, and we havenew faces who cometo every meeting.”

IGE is open notonly to marketing andcommunications pro-fessionals but to any-one interested in thesubject being dis-cussed, Powell said.

“I think that is what keeps continuing to bringdifferent people into our meetings, is because wetry to do a wide range of topics,” she said.

The topic of meetings, she added, “is usuallyon some relevant, current or upcoming marketingtrend to do some education for the marketing pro-

fessionals that are here and also give them theopportunity to network with oneanother and promote their serviceswithin the community.”

Both individual and corporatememberships are offered, Powellsaid. Corporate memberships are$125 for up to two members and$50 for each additional member.

Individual member-ships are $75.

M e m b e r s h i pinformation and anapplication are atw w w . i n s p i r egreaterenid.com.

“We’re goingthrough a mem-bership drive for2012,” Powellsaid. “We hope tobuild our member-ship this year.”

Companies cansponsor meetings, which givesthem 10 minutes at the beginning ofthe event to talk about their compa-ny and hand out promotional mate-rials, Powell said.

“Particularly if you’re a businessthat marketing professionals woulduse your services, I think that’s a

great fit because you’ve got a captive audience,”she said.

Most speakers at the group’s meetings are fromout of town.

“That gives marketing professionals in Enid achance to hear from somebody outside of Enidabout trends in marketing,” Powell said.

A recent meeting centered on the topic ofsocial media and using it to promote compa-nies or events.

“Last year we had the Oklahoma City Thundervice president of sales and marketing come in andspeak about how they have built their brand,”Powell said.

Among the speakers on the group’sschedule is the manager of Muskogee’s

Arrowhead Mall, who will speak about han-dling the shooting incident that occurred athis facility in April 2010.

The topic of crisis communication, saidIGE president-elect Nicole Winfield, will

take the group innew territory.

“I think thisyear we are goinga little bit differ-ent directionbecause of thespeakers we arebringing in totalk about riskm a n a g e m e n t , ”said Winfield. “Ifanything goeswrong, how doyou handle it? Ithink before itwas always howto market yourbusiness.”

Stan Clark, thefounder of Still-water’s EskimoJoe’s, also will

address the group later this year.

A place to network can pay dividendsBesides training, said Andrew, the group offers

professionals a chance to compare notes with theirpeers.

“We’re all marketing professionals at our cer-tain companies, but who do we lean on?” she said.“This is kind of a support group for marketing pro-fessionals. This is a group of other marketing pro-fessionals that we can lean on, that we can go to ifwe do have a question.”

IGE includes marketing pros from companiesboth large and small, Powell said.

“My office has three people in it,” she said. “It(IGE) is where I get a lot of information about howto handle things, and I get to network with othermarketing professionals in town.”

Networking, Winfield said, can payvarious dividends.

“That’s where I got my last two jobs, wasnetworking through IGE,” she said.

“It’s nice to talk with people who are try-ing to accomplish the same thing you are fortheir company,” said Andrew.

And the group, said Andrew, can paybroader dividends for Enid.

“What’s neat about it is we’re the market-ing director for our company, we’re trying tobuild our company and market our compa-ny, well, by doing that we’re also marketingEnid and we’re also building Enid andgrowing Enid,” she said. “I think the groupis not only a plus for us in our workingcareer but it’s a plus for our communityalso.”

IGE is managed by a six-memberboard, which is in the process of put-ting together an online directory for allmembers to list information and servic-

es they provide, Powell said.“If somebody is looking for a Web designer in

Enid, that might be a place that they can go to lookand find somebody local,” she said.

For information, go to www.inspiregreaterenid.com.

Jessica Andrew, Lisa Powell and Nicole Winfield are members of Inspire Greater Enid, a networking group of professionals in Enid that inspires business and personal growth. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)

AMONG PROFESSIONALSGroup promotes business, individual growth

Lisa

Nicole

Jessica

Networking

By Austin PrickettStaff Writer

Enid Young Professionals(EYP) have begun a newimage campaign designed togive professionals ages 40and younger more focusedopportunities.

The group began as Great-er Enid Young Professionalsin early 2009. In the yearssince, it has hosted speakersfrom local groups such asEnid Rotary Club, Kiwanisand Leadership Oklahoma.Ryan Allen, EYP president,said the group always isevolving.

“The group gives youngprofessionals in Enid a voiceand the opportunity to getinvolved,” Allen said. “Onething remains clear about ourgroup: We want to make Enida better placeto live.”

The groupmeets on thefourth Tues-day of everymonth at adifferent lo-cation. Asidefrom monthlymeetings, thegroup also isinvolved inseveral Enidarea projectsand events, such as AmTrykesand the annual Cherokee StripDays celebration activities.

Allen said the 2012 EYPboard began the redefiningprocess for the group.

“We are tryingto figure how to

provide more focused oppor-tunities to the members andhelp them make an impact in

the community,” Allen said. The new image campaign

also is designed to help bringmore young professionals tothe group and establish EYP

as a long-term organization.“Our group allows young

professionals to connect withone another and support eachother,” Allen said. “The im-

age campaign will let peopleknow who we are.”

Information on the groupand meeting locations can beobtained at www.enidyp.com.


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youthC O M M U N I T Y ’S

Members of EYPworking to makean impact in Enid

FOUNTAIN OF

Rynn Day, Jacob Foos, Whitney Hall, Cody Joliff and Ryan Allen are members of Enid Young Professionals. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)

One thing remains clear aboutour group: We want to makeEnid a better place to live.”

Ryan Allen, EYP president“

By Phyllis ZornStaff Writer

Although the process ofestablishing a free trade zoneat Enid Woodring RegionalAirport was begun aboutthree years back, the plan toestablish it remains under fed-eral review.

“It’s still in coordination,”Airport Director Dan Ohne-sorge said.

About a year ago, the planwas submitted to the U.S.Department of Commerce,Ohnesorge said. Several fed-eral agencies are reviewingthe application.

A free trade zone is adomain that, in theory, is notpart of the United States.Businesses can import itemsinto the free trade zone anddelay payment of duty on themerchandise fora time.

“When it isexported into theUnited States,then you pay theduty,” Ohne-sorge said.

Despite thefree trade zoneplan remainingunder review,other projects atthe airport arechugging rightalong, he said.

• A large, joint-use hangar,for both civilian and militarypurposes, is nearing comple-tion. Henson Constructionbegan work on the hangar inAugust.

A ribbon-cutting ceremo-ny for the $560,000 hangar isplanned for March 23,Ohnesorge said.

“Henson’s doing a reallygood job,” Ohnesorge said.

• A plan to extend the run-way remains in the “fundingsearch” for now, he said.

• Jet fuel sales increasedsubstantially during the lastyear, Ohnesorge added.

“(In 2009) we sold

160,000 gallons,” he said.“(In 2010) we sold 220,000gallons, and in 2011 we sold273,000 gallons.”

Fuel customers are civilianand military.

• The cross-runway at theairport got a microseal resur-face job during the past year.

“It repaired a lot of thecracks,” Ohnesorge said.“There were major cracks inthe surface. It’s a slurry seal,but it’s a microseal.”

• The north-south runwaysaw rubber removal andrestriping work.

• A drainage study is beingwrapped up, with a final doc-

ument soon tocome. And, inother planningmatters, a new20-year plan isbeing completedby OklahomaCity-based CobbEngineering tohelp steer devel-opment of thegrowing airport.

“We’re look-ing ahead to seewhat we wantthe airport to

look like 20 years from now,”Ohnesorge said. “In reality,there’s a lot of things youcan’t do because you don’thave the money to do them,but we can look at the plan.”

F n Sunday, February 19, 2012 Enid News & Eagle Page designed by: Violet Hassler

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By Cass RainsStaff Writer

Shoppers at Oakwood Mall canexpect to get more out their shoppingexperience this year with great sales andbig events.

General Manager Kelly Goodwinsaid there are plans for more give-aways and events that will give shop-pers even more reasons for visiting thelargest metropolitan shoppingarea in northwest Oklahoma.

“A lot of our focus thisyear is going to be making thecustomer’s shopping experi-ence more colorful and enjoy-able,” Goodwin said. “Wewant to cater to the cus-tomers.”

The end of the year sawmore shoppers visiting Oak-wood Mall to reap benefits ofsales and promotions.

“During the holiday seasonour sales are up dramatically,”Goodwin said. “That kind ofindicates to me people areshopping at home and spend-ing their money locally, and that’swhat we all need to do.”

Oakwood Mall Marketing ManagerJennifer Pruitt said there are many spe-cial events planned for coming months.

“In March we are having a ton ofstuff,” she said. “We have lots of eventsgoing on this year.”

• Just Between Friends will host aconsignment sale March 1-4.

• Garfield County EmergencyManagement Director Mike Honigsbergwill present an Emergency and WeatherPreparedness event from noon to 5 p.m.March 10.

• On March 10, local Girl Scouts ofAmerica participants will celebrate their

100th anniversary of the organization inthe mall’s Food Court.

• An Easter Bunny Carnival is slatedfor noon March 24.

“We should have carnival games andinflatables,” Pruitt said. “We’ll be givingout free candy and stuff.”

Kids also can get photos taken withthe Easter Bunny during the carnival.

• In April, Oakwood Mall will host anart exhibit withworks from

about 20 studentsof Oklahoma Bible Academy. Thatevent is scheduled for April 13-14.

“We’re also looking for other schoolsand other arts groups to display art or art-related crafts,” Pruitt said. “We’re look-ing for vendors, crafters and other home-made items to correlate with the artexhibit.”

• May 4-6, Oakwood Mall and EnidConvention and Visitors Bureau will hostSRS Eukanuba Superdogs Competition,which will be in front of the mall and fea-ture some of the nation’s top dogs.

“It’s a program that’s been on ESPNand the Versus network,” Goodwin said.

• That same week, the Tri-State Music

Festival carnival will be at OakwoodMall. The decades-old music competi-tion also will post results from daily con-tests of the festival at the mall.

• Goodwin said the mall will be work-ing in conjunction with Eagle Marketingin July for Crazy Days. The Oakfestevent will feature live music, sidewalksales and its One Grand Crazy giveaway6-9 p.m. July 28.

Upgrades to the system

In addition to events andspecial sales, Goodwin saidmajor improvements arebeing made at OakwoodMall. He said in the past twoyears, $1.3 million ofupgrades have been done tothe mall’s HVAC and roof-ing systems and exterior.

Goodwin said mall stafffocus continually on expan-sion.

“We avidly seek new ten-ants on a daily basis fromour corporate office inDenver and from here in

Enid as well,” he said. “Right now, we’reworking with several in-state, and out-of-state, tenants.”

He said he wants community mem-bers to shop locally and keep money inEnid.

“Every dollar purchase you make inEnid goes back into the city, which goesback into roads and schools and capitalexpenditures, which also allows them tomake investments into new business,” hesaid. “It’s really important no matterwhat you buy, you buy it here in Enid.

“Anything that’s offered for sale, ifyou can purchase it here at home youshould strive to do so.”

I Supporting the community:

Oakwood Mall strives to keep the local dollars working locally

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One Grand Crazy Summer, Health Fair at Oakwood Mall, Dillard’s Bridal Fair(clockwise from top left) and Divalicious (above) are some of the eventsthat have been hosted by Oakwood Mall. General Manager Kelly Goodwin(far left) and Oakwood Mall Marketing Manager Jennifer Pruitt (left) saidin addition to events and special sales, major improvements are beingmade at Oakwood Mall. (Staff Photos and File Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)

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By Cass RainsStaff Writer

AdvancePierre Foods employees between 1,700 to 1,800 associates at its facilities,making it Enid’s largest employer.

“We call them associates because employee just isn’t friendly enough,” said JanetByrum, director of Human Resources Operations West. “We’ve got a lot going on. Thereare 30 to 60 openings on any given day.”

Finding those associates takes work. Byrum said for every three people interviewedfor a job, one is hired. The company has to get creative to attract the right people and beable to compete with job openings in the region’s oil fields.

By offering stability of work and great health benefits, Byrum said the companykeeps more than the majority of the associates it hires.

“If we have 1,800 associate in Enid we retain about 80 percent of them,” she said.“We interview about three to hire one and then about 50 percent of those we hire makeit through their 90-day probationary period.”

Many companies struggle with turnover, but AdvancePierre Food is below the indus-try average.

“Our turnover, while we hate it, is well below the industry average,” she said. “We’rereally fortunate, even in times when we’re competing against the oil field.”

Right on scheduleByrum said the company tries to meet the scheduling needs of all of its associates.“We try to manage that work force so we’re being fair to the associates,” she said.

“Our goal is to get associates40 hours a week.”

To accomplish that goal,workers may spend a fewdays at one facility and thena Saturday at another.Running two 10-hour shiftsday, with a four-hourcleanup shift, product linesgoals are being met by keep-ing associates busy.

“We’ll utilize a lot ofresources from other facili-ties,” Byrum said. “We treatit as Enid being one biggroup of associates.”

“We’ve also migrated to10-hour shifts,” she said.“You can actually meet your demands in four days and give yourself that extra day formaintenance and clean up, which is always important.”

She said the company continues to invest capital in its Enid facilities and strives forfurther growth.

“We have capacity here and the opportunity to take on some of those brands and con-tinue to grow this business in the community,” Byrum said. “Enterprise is the largest andmost state-of-the-art facility. We continue to enhance it with capital improvements.

“We don’t see any let down,” she said. “AdvancePierre Foods continues to put moneyin the community and its products.”

To apply for a job with AdvancePierre Foods go to www.advancepierre.com.

The roots of the businessHeadquartered in Cincinnati, AdvancePierre employs more than 4,500 people and

operates processing facilities in Oklahoma, Ohio, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina andSouth Carolina. The company is a leading supplier of value-added protein and handheldconvenience products to food service, school, retail, club, vending and convenience storechannels. The company makes and distributes a full line of packaged sandwiches,cooked chicken and beef products, Philly-style steak, breaded beef, pork and poultry andbakery products.

AdvancePierre Foods has its roots in three family owned and operated companies thathave delivered safe, quality frozen foods for many decades.

Samuel Dinerman, a young lawyer in Cincinnati, loved to eat and to cook. His culi-nary talents earned him the nickname “Pierre,” and when he founded his own businessselling frozen food products to restaurants in 1946 he lent it his nickname.

Founded in 1973 by Paul Allen and David McLaughlin, Advance Food Co. startedby providing hamburger patties and breaded beef to local grocers and restaurants inOklahoma. In 2001, a new company was formed when Advance Food joined forces withExcel Specialty Products, a subsidiary of Cargill, to form Advance Brands LLC.

In September 2010, Pierre Foods Inc. merged with Advance Food Co. and AdvanceBrands LLC to create a new, diverse and industry-leading food company focused onmeeting and exceeding the needs of customers and consumers throughout the country,according to company information.

In May 2011, AdvancePierre Foods continued its growth by acquiring Barber Foods,a Portland, Maine-based company that manufactures and distributes stuffed chickenbreasts as well as other chicken products.

forcein EnidOklahomaforce

AdvancePierre Foods strives to remain largestemployer in Enid by catering to its work force

Workers package Philly-style steak meat on the production line at AdvancePierre Foods’ Willow Street facility. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON)

We call them associates becauseemployee just isn’t friendlyenough. We’ve got a lot going

on. There are 30 to 60 openingson any given day.”

Janet Byrum, director of Human ResourcesOperations West, AdvancePierre Foods“


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Mitchel, Gaston, Riffel & Riffel, P.L.L.C. offers legal expertise no matter what yourlegal situation. With experienced attorneys that are well versed in specific areas ofpractice, we are here to help you realize your success. (Agriculture, Appeals, AssetProtection, Bankruptcy, Criminal Law, Employment Law, Estate Planning, FamilyLaw, Insurance Defense, Juvenile Law, Litigation, Mediation, Personal Injury,Probates, Social Security Disability, Tax, Trusts.)

You can expect us to approach all your legal matters in the following ways:

Experienced Attorney - From initial meetings through the conclusion of your legal pro-ceedings you will be drawing upon the extensive intellectual and practical knowledgeand litigation expertise of nine seasoned lawyers.

Understanding - We take the time to understand legal challenges you face, provide aframework of how best to approach your case, and let you know what to expect.

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Alva Office907 Oklahoma AveAlva, Oklahoma 73717Telephone: 580-327-4447Fax: 580-254-5314

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Enid Office3517 W. Owen K Garriot, Suite 1Enid, Oklahoma 73703 Telephone: 580-234-8447 Fax: 580-234-5547

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By James NealStaff Writer

When businesses makeplans to expand or open a newfacility, one of the key ele-ments in their site selection isthe availability of a well-trained work force.

Autry Technology Cen-ter’s James W. Strate Centerfor Business Developmentand Business & IndustryServices are working to pro-vide that work force, supportnew and expanding business-es and boost Enid’s economicdevelopment.

The businessdevelopment cen-ter’s business in-cubator programplays a central rolein developing newEnid businesses.

“The workingphilosophy of abusiness incubatoris to help a com-munity grow itsown businesses,”said Autry Technology Centerpresident and CEO JamesStrate.

“When you look at thelarger companies that havegrown up here in Enid ... theyall started out having one ortwo employees and havegrown over the years. Wehave to focus on growing ourown businesses that willattract people and help keepour young people here in thecommunity.”

The business incubatordoes not focus on one indus-try but, rather, favors a widevariety of businesses, all ofwhich taken together add to

the region’s economic devel-opment.

“It’s important that wediversify here,” Strate said.“We’ve all seen the economyswing from one industry toanother, and, having beenthrough several booms andbusts, I think the whole statewould benefit from beingmore diversified.”

Brian Gaddy, director ofJames W. Strate Center forBusiness Development, saidAutry’s role in economicdevelopment goes beyond thecenter.

“It’s an Autry thing, notjust a business developmentcenter thing,” Gaddy said.

“Our role in economicdevelopment isn’t just aboutbuilding new businesses, it’salso about developing andretaining our existing busi-nesses. The entire school real-ly focuses on helping deci-sion-makers in existing busi-nesses, and we frequently callupon the entire school to sup-port what we do in the busi-ness development center.”

“A new business may notbe someone who’s just start-ing out, it may be someonewho’s expanding or upgrad-

ing an existing business,”Gaddy said. “A lot of the needfor services comes from exist-ing companies whose needsare changing, and they needhelp staying competitive inthe market.”

“Our job is to help thoseexisting companies stay hereand grow and expand whenthey have the opportunity,”said Autry Tech business andindustry services directorTerri Holle.

“We work with 500 to 550different companies eachyear, and that’s growing,”Holle said.

She said companies innorthwest Oklahoma “aregoing through a lot of changeright now” due to growth inthe oil and natural gas indus-try, expanding manufacturingcapacity in the region and theresurgent national economy.

“Our companies are reallyhitting a shortage of skilledlabor force,” she said. “We’regrowing more and more jobs,and we have a shortage ofmanpower to fill those jobs inany number of areas.”

She said there currentlyare “at least 1,400 openskilled positions in northwestOklahoma.” Autry helps com-panies train new and existingemployees to move into thosepositions and to upgrade skillsas job requirements change.

Autry offers a variety ofbusiness and industry servic-es, including help with busi-ness planning, professionaldevelopment, strategic plan-ning, succession planning,upgrading employee certifica-tions, safety training, trainingon new equipment and

machinery and managementand leadership development.

Brent Kisling, Enid Reg-ional Development Allianceexecutive director said Autry“plays a significant role inEnid’s economic develop-ment.”

“I didn’t fully understandall the roles they play in eco-nomic development until I gotin this position and really gotto see things from the insideout,” Kisling said. “A lot ofpeople think technology cen-ters are just about teachingkids a trade straight out ofhigh school, but probably thebiggest thing they do for eco-nomic development in Enid isto provide training for staffthat come on board for ouremployers in town.”

Supporting local business-es, and giving them the tools

to field a competitive workforce, remains one of Autry’smajor contributions to localeconomic development.

“Enid is known for itsentrepreneurial spirit, andmost of our major employersare businesses that startedright here in town,” Kislingsaid. “We’ve never really hadan organized approach to get-ting those businesses off theground before, and that’s justone more component of whatAutry does in this town.”

“Existing businesses rep-resent the lion’s share ofwhere our new employeegrowth comes from, andAutry works with those busi-nesses every day,” Kislingsaid. “The fact that Autry isthe second-largest career techcenter in the state means theyhave more training opportuni-

ties than many of the othercenters do ... and that makesus more competitive havingthat training component herefor those companies so theyknow they’re going to have areadily available pool of new,well-trained employees.”

“A lot of people think eco-nomic development is allabout creating jobs, but reallythe purpose of economicdevelopment is to create anenvironment in which growthcan happen in the community,and Autry does a great job ofenhancing that environmenthere in Enid, and I think that’sone of the reasons we’ve beenso successful.”

For information on Autry,the business developmentcenter or business and indus-try services, call 242-2750 orgo to www.autrytech.edu.

The of diversitycenterBusiness development services cover broad spectrumfor beginning and existing entrepreneurs in Enid, area

I think the whole statewould benefit frombeing more diversified.”James Strate, president and CEO,

Autry Technology Center“ James W. Strate Center for Business Development plays a key role in local economic development. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)


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By Phyllis ZornStaff Writer

A new visitor’s information center in Enid’s historicdowntown lends more visibility to Enid Convention andVisitors Bureau.

“We’re pretty much part of the economic developmentarm of the city,” said Marcy Jarrett, director of ECVB.

By boosting Enid tourism, the bureau boosts spendingin the community — and tax revenues — for city coffers.Each family or tour group that comes through town spendsmoney at local businesses, such as restaurants, motels andretail stores. Enid boasts 800 hotelrooms and more than 100 restau-rants.

Recently installed signs on high-ways leading into town help directvisitors to the new office.

In the last year, ECVB releasedEnid visitor guides and produced“Family Adventure” and “WeekendGetaway” videos for its own and theTravelOK.com websites.

KMGL, KOCO, KWTV,KFOR are some of the broadcast-ers ECVB worked with during2011 in producing programs pro-moting Enid.

May 4-6 will bring the SuperRetriever Series to Enid. The eventwill feature retriever trials and theEukanuba Super Dock. The SuperRetriever Series consists of threeseparate events: Retriever Trials,Super Fly and Super V.

During this year, ECVB willfocus its efforts on selling events tocome to the renovated ConventionHall, scheduled to open in October,and Cherokee Strip ConferenceCenter. Convention Hall is beingrenovated into a ballroom and meet-ing facility as part of the $24 millionEnid Renaissance Project.

“That’s a big focus for us,” saidJarrett, who also serves as interimmanager for Cherokee StripConference Center until KellerTaylor begins his duties March 1.

Enid Convention and VisitorsBureau spurring local economy

Going downtown

We’re pretty much part of the economic development arm ofthe city.” “ Marcy Jarrett, director, Enid Convention and Visitors Bureau

Marcy Jarrett and Rob Houston (above) greet guests and residents at the Enid Convention and Vis-itors Bureau welcome center in the old Kress Building at 123 W. Maine. A replica of a Chisholm Trailmarker (left) graces the west entrance of ECVB’s downtown center. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)

By Jeff MullinSenior Writer

In a famous recording by Joni Mitchell in 1969, she sings oflooking at life “From both sides now.”

Lindy Chambers can relate. She has looked at Main StreetEnid from many sides, beginning in 1994 as a volunteer andnow serving as the organization’s director.

In the nearly 18 years she has been a part of Main StreetEnid, Chambers has seen many changes downtown.

Today, with downtown Enid literally going through aRenaissance, thanks to the revitalization project of the samename, she likes what she sees.

“We like to think how far we’ve come since 1994 when Enidwas declared a Main Street community,” she said.

Roots of the organizationMain Street’s roots lie in

the group Downtown EnidInc., which was made up ofdowntown businessmen con-cerned about the future ofdowntown.

“They were the ones whoactually pursued becoming aMain Street community,”Chambers said.

The Main Street programfalls under National Trust forHistoric Preservation. MainStreet is dedicated not only torevitalizing downtowns but also preserving them.

“Not everyone can become a Main Street community,”Chambers said. “They look at a community and how it hastreated its history.”

Since Enid had torn down a Carnegie Library decades earli-er, National Trust took a long, hard look at the city’s efforts tobecome a Main Street community.

But since being accepted into the program, Main Street Enidnot only has been a part of the development of downtown butalso the preservation of the city’s history.

“We’re very excited with the attention and the planning thatis now in place for downtown,” said Chambers. “We are verythrilled with these new plans and hope that the rest of the con-struction and the planning goes well and look forward to reap-ing the benefits of it for downtown and all of Enid.”

Enid’s ‘innate charm’Enid is one of the state’s larger Main Street communities,

she said.“We really have a lot going for us,” she said. “The fact that

our downtown is built around a Square, it has that innate charmthat lends itself to people wanting to stroll around.”

Main Street is governed by a board divided into four com-mittees — design, economic restructuring, promotion andorganization.

“If you see an awning downtown, most likely it camethrough a grant from our design committee,” she said.

Before Main Street, there was no al fresco dining in down-town Enid, since at that time eating outside was illegal. Theorganization worked with the city on developing an outdoordining ordinance.

“Our work is incremental,” said Chambers.Main Street has helped bring specialty shops, restaurants

and professional offices to downtown. The group was involvedin the development of Adventure Quest, the nation’s largest out-door learning playground. The group also had a hand in thedevelopment of David Allen Memorial Ballpark and the reno-vation of Enid’s Symphony Center.

Enid Lights Up the Plains, the annual downtown holidayseason kickoff, is a Main Street project, as are Jazz Stroll in the

spring and downtown Enid’s Oktoberfest every fall.Every month Main Street Enid sponsors First Friday, an

evening to shop, dine and be entertained in downtown Enid, aswell as Third Thursday featuring Turpin Tunes — an acousticjam held at Turpin Theatre, inside the Gaslight Theatre build-ing, at 221 N. Independence.

“One of the things that Main Street is known for, becausethey are more visible, are our events,” Chambers said.

Living the dreamOver the years Main Street Enid, which receives no federal

or state funding and instead depends on member investments,has poured more than $12 million into downtown improve-ments.

Among the changes to downtown Chambers foresees incoming years is an increase in residential loft living. She envi-sions a return to the time when owners of downtown establish-ments lived upstairs of their businesses.

“I think there is a need for that, a desire for that,” she said.“But with the new codes and everything, we do want to makesure they are all safe. I think our city does a good job of work-ing with people to be realistic about what can and can’t hap-pen.”

More people living down-town, Chambers said, willmean more retail businesses.

“There’s a saying in theMain Street groups that retailfollows residential,” she said.“I definitely see that increas-ing.”

Attracting more retailbusiness is one of Chambers’dreams for downtown Enid.

“I think that’s all going todevelop, along with theRenaissance,” she said.

One of the changes com-ing for Enid Main Street is anew home. Later this year thegroup’s new offices will openin the old Newman’s Depart-ment Store building, a non-profit center being developedby Community DevelopmentSupport Association.

Sounds of musicAnother dream has come

true, as live music has become a big part of downtown’s devel-opment, Chambers said, from First Friday and Third Thursdayto the Enid Symphony Orchestra and the Jazz Stroll.

“We see the whole area becoming more and more of adestination for live music,” she said.

In November, Main Street Enid hosted the other 43Oklahoma Main Street communities for a quarterly con-ference. Its theme was Enid’s burgeoning music scene.

“We were able to show that we have music of all gen-res,” Chambers said. “That draws a lot of people downtownnow.”

Enid’s downtown restaurants are a draw, as well.“We think we’ve got some good building blocks there

to continue building on,” Chambers said. “We think thatwe’ve got a local scene downtown that includes the greatrestaurants and the music venues.”

Chambers’ experience as volunteer, member of theboard of directors, assistant director and now directorgives her a unique perspective on the organization.

“Having worked in every area, I can relate to all ofthem,” she said. “It’s been eye-opening. It’s made meappreciate what we have here in Enid.”


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ATTRACTIONMainENID’S

Chambers on the development of Enid’s downtown: ‘How far we’ve come’

Main Street Enid’s roots lie in the group Downtown Enid Inc., which was made up of businessmen concerned about the future of downtown. Lindy Chambers(above, inset), who has looked at Main Street Enid from many sides, beginning in 1994 as a volunteer and now serving as the Main Street Enid director,said her experiences with the organization have been “eye-opening.” Shops, events such as Enid Lights Up the Plains and First Friday and local restaurants(clockwise from top) make for a varied downtown experience. Chambers said completed projects and continued development of downtown have been abenefit to the community as well as to her personally. “It’s made me appreciate what we have here in Enid.” (Staff Photos and File Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)


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By Robert BarronStaff Writer

The work will be filling the 1,286 jobsthat are available, said Brent Kisling,executive director of Enid RegionalDevelopment Alliance.

“The biggest challenge we face now iswork force recruitment,” Kisling said.

Those nearly 1,300 jobs are ones com-panies have open and are having troublefilling. Kisling said with the area unem-ployment rate around 4 percent, fillingthose jobs is difficult.

“We spend a lot of time moving chesspieces on the board and will do more of itin 2012,” he said.

It’s just ‘oil play’Most of the jobs are oil- and gas-relat-

ed, with a need for about 800 drivers withcommercial driver’s licenses. There alsoare openings for welders, machinists andpainters.

The second challenge is keepingEnid’s per capita income up, Kisling said.Throughout the years, Enid’s per capitaincome has continued to creep upward,but significant jobs, such as those withContinental Resources, are leaving, hesaid, and it will be a challenge to replacehigh-paying jobs.

“We have a lot of jobs between $15and $20 per hour, but trying to bring inthose six-figure jobs is one of our chal-lenges,” Kisling said. “A lot of thosedon’t come from new business. Our goalis helping companies with corporateheadquarters or significant executivestaffs in Enid to grow those staffs.”

Enid will benefit from the Mississippioil play north of the city. Kisling said hebelieves that is where most of the newsales tax growth came from, with peoplereceiving royalty payments, plus thereare a lot of oil and gas companies intown.

“There are lots of trucks I haven’t seenbefore. That’s Enid benefiting from theoil play,” he said.

Winds of opportunityAnother big opportunity for Enid is the

$400 million investment in the wind farms.Kisling said that investment will bring morethan $2.5 million in royalties to area resi-dents over the next 20 years. TradeWindEnergy will build 150 wind turbines inGarfield and Grant counties, and theyshould begin spinning by December.

“TradeWind Energy will be the largesttaxpayer in Garfield County,” Kisling said.“Next year, the top 10 stories will includeTradeWind beginning operation. There areplenty of natural resources to collect royal-ty checks from in this part of the country.”

The electricity from the wind farm willgo to Alabama, so the income comes fromanother state, Kisling said.

Kisling said there will be a bigannouncement regarding this, but he cannotreveal it yet.

Areas of growth are widespreadThere also will be some businesses going

through expansion, he said. There will begrowth in the health care industry in Enid,which Kisling characterized as “big.”

Construction of the new control tower atVance Air Force Base also will be done thisyear, and newly renovated Convention Hallwill open. He said Enid Renaissance Project— the centerpiece of which is a new eventscenter — will be an important improvementdowntown.

“Everything going on downtown tiesinto the first challenge, work force recruit-ment,” Kisling said.

Brent Kisling, executive director of Enid Regional Development Alliance, (top) said the biggest challenge economic developmentpromoters in Enid face now is work force recruitment. Wind energy (above) is playing a larger role in the developing work force.(Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON / Staff File Photo)

Filling open jobs in areais a major goal for 2012

A Game ofWe have a lot of jobs between

$15 and $20 per hour, but try-ing to bring in those six-figure

jobs is one of our challenges.”Brent Kisling, executive director,

Enid Regional Development Alliance“strategystrategy


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Taking a small business fromconcept to profitability requires atremendous amount of hard work,knowledge of small business prac-tices and a sound business plan.

Business development expertsat Autry Technology Center’swork to guide entrepreneursthrough the challenges and pitfallsof a start-up business’ first threeyears in the center’s business incu-bator, designed as a “one stopshop” for new business owners.

The incubator serves manufac-turing and service industries byhelping build business plans, pro-viding operating space and sup-port equipment, developing mar-keting plans and offering transi-tion assistance to the open market.

Autry Technology Center super-intendent and CEO James Strate,namesake of the business develop-ment center, said the business incu-bator program helps new businessowners anticipate the challenges ofentrepreneurship and greatlyimprove their chances of success.

“An important thing we do hereis the coaching,” Strate said. “Alot of people don’t see all the partsthat go into running a businesswhen they get into it, like workers’comp, budgeting, marketing andinsurance, and we help them sortthrough all those processes.”

“Even little things like havingaccess to a commercial copier,secretarial services, meetingrooms ... those are all little thingsthat add up, and by using thoseservices here they don’t add to astart-up business’ overhead,”Strate said. “We’re really a one-stop shop for start-up businesses.”

‘Here to help them succeed’Brian Gaddy, director of the

development center, said thebiggest advantage to starting abusiness in the incubator programis it “gets the new business to asuccessful point quicker by doingthe things they need to do upfront.”

“A lot of times as a start-upbusiness you’re so focused onmaking money, you don’t stepback and see what you’re doing,”Gaddy said. “We’re here to helpthem succeed by putting together abusiness plan, having someonevisit with them to see if they’refollowing the plan, assess whetheror not they need to make changesto the plan and then implementthose changes.”

New businesses operate in theincubator for up to three years,cutting their overhead facility andutility costs in those first crucialmonths. Utility costs start out atnil and are graduated throughoutthe three years to the expected

costs the company will face in itsown facility.

“By the time they finish theirthird year, they’re priced at theirbudget to where they can step outthere in the community without abig shock to their company,”Gaddy said. “And that’s really thegoal, not to have them operatinghere in the building but to havethem out thereoperating in thecommunity.”

Gaddy saidthe length of acompany’s stayin the incubator“depends on anumber of is-sues,” with themost importantbeing its abilityto establish acustomer baseand get goodsand service intothe market.

“ G e t t i n gthose products into the market iskey because it generates cash,and in the business world cash isking,” Gaddy said. “The fastertheir goods and services get intothe market, the sooner they willstart to see cash flow and thesooner they’ll be able to step outinto the community on theirown.”

New businesses can’t stay inthe incubator indefinitely; afterthree years the new business isexpected to be self-sufficient inits own location.

“Research will tell you in threeyears time you’ll know if you’llbe able to make it or not,” Gaddysaid, “and with the experiencewe’re having here that has heldtrue.”

Starting a small businessRandy Breitenkamp, co-owner

of Fence Solutions Inc., is near-ing the end of his three-year stayin the business incubator.

Breitenkamp and his businesspartner, Jim Snow, moved intothe incubator in September 2009with little more than a plan toproduce a new type of t-post clip,used to hold wire and fencing toposts.

“A guy in Wichita came upwith the idea for this new t-postclip and got the patent, but hecouldn’t produce it,” Breiten-kamp said.

While working with Okla-homa State University, he andSnow were introduced to the t-post clip patent on the design anddevelopment of a molded plasticfence brace.

“One of the main sellingpoints was how much quicker andeasier it is to put on the clips, andyou don’t have to reach through

the fence to do it,” Breitenkampsaid. “We found with a lot of ourolder producers and women, theydidn’t have the strength to twistthose old clips with a pair of pli-ers, but this is a lot easier.”

The concept of Fence So-lutions was born, but a lot ofquestions about getting the clipsinto production and on the mar-ket remained.

Breitenkamp said the first stepin answering those questions wasbuilding a business plan with thehelp of the business incubatorstaff.

“ I tt o o ks e v e r a lweeks to getthat done,” Brei-tenkamp said. “Wethought at the time, ‘Man, thisis really involved,’ but what we’refinding now is that business planis answering a lot of questions thatare coming up now. It opens upyour mind and gets you thinkingabout those issues that might comeup, and it helps them make surethey’re bringing in a viable busi-ness.”

It’s the little thingsBreitenkamp, who had been

self-employed as a cattle brokerfor 25 years before startingFence Solutions, was surprisedby the assistance availablethrough the business incubator.

“It had always been just up tome, and I come out here andthere’s all these people whowant to help and make sure yousucceed,” he said. “I had nevereven known something like thiswas available, but it’s beeninvaluable.

“When you’re thinking aboutstarting a business a lot of timesyou don’t stop and think about

all the little things like copiers,computers and other things likethat you’ll need, but havingthose things available here hasmeant we didn’t have to pur-chase them, and that’s helpedout a lot.”

With a business plan com-plete, Breitenkamp and Snowturned to the task of production.They secured a royalty agree-ment to produce on the patent,with plans to eventually buy thepatent rights. But, findingmachinery to produce the new t-post clips proved difficult.

Fence Solutions turned to atooling designer in Chouteau todesign new machinery for theircompany.

With the help of Autry’sTraining for Industry Program,Fence Solutions employees were

ableto work with the tooling design-er to set up a production line,learn the machinery proceduresand put the new clips into pro-duction.

“When that machine came inhere we couldn’t even decidewhich end the wire went in,”Breitenkamp said, standingbetween his new machines and1,600-pound rolls of wire, eachof which will be unspooledthrough the machines to make asmany as 90,000 t-post clips.

“He set the machine up towhere it would work right, thenhe kind of messed it up andmade us put it back together soit would work again,” Breiten-kamp said. “Now, I could proba-bly take it apart and put it backtogether in the dark.”

Working to get out on their ownFence Solutions went from

writing its business plan to put-ting its first clips on the market

in little more than three months.Breitenkamp attributed thatprogress largely to the assis-tance of the incubator staff.

“They helped me define mycustomer base, and once we gotit into production the first thingwe did was take it to a lot offarm shows to introduce it to theproducers,” Breitenkamp said.He said the business has sinceseen “slow, steady growth” andnow is marketing its productthrough distributors as far awayas Colorado, South Dakota andIllinois.

Fence Solutions now employ-ees nine in two shifts, workingtwo production machines, andthe company has purchased aproduction facility where it willcarry on after its incubator grad-uation.

“As we’ve grown we knewthe business was going to

succeed, but we alsoknew we were

going to haveto be out of

here int h r e e

years,”B r e i t e n -

kamp said.“They helped us

line up the financingfor our new facility, and

they’ve helped with everythingfrom warehouse layout to pro-duction so we’ll be ready to gowhen we make that move.”

Breitenkamp urged otherprospective entrepreneurs toavail themselves of the servicesoffered at the business incuba-tor.

“I would highly urge anyonewho’s interested in starting abusiness to come out here, lookinto their program and takeadvantage of what they have tooffer,” he said. “I thought thatbusiness plan was way andabove what we needed, but it hasbeen tremendously helpful. Ican’t say enough about the helpthey’ve given me here.”

“When you’re thinking aboutyour business you can’t believe,or don’t want to believe, that itwould ever fail,” Breitenkampsaid. “But, they make you seewhere it could fail, and they helpyou deal with those problemsahead of time so you can suc-ceed.”

Lisa Smith (above) and Ashley Brown (below) operate a machine at Fence Solutions at James W. Strate Center for Business Development. The center works to guide entrepreneurs through the challenges of starting a business. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON)

KICKING THEM OUT OF THE NEST

Research will tell you in threeyears time you’ll know if you’llbe able to make it or not.”

Brian Gaddy, director,James W. Strate Center

for Business Development“

Ultimately one goal ...Local business development center ensuresbusinesses start out right, keep going strong


The task of starting or expanding a businessrequires careful planning, sound businessknowledge and a lot of work. And, for newentrepreneurs, it usually entails learning andimplementing new skills.

But, aspiring small business owners don’thave to tackle business planning and manage-ment on their own. Oklahoma Small BusinessDevelopment Center offers a variety of freebusiness development and management serv-ices through its regional office on theNorthwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid campus.

Expanding across northwest OklahomaOSBDC opened its first regional small

business development center in Alva in 1985on Northwestern’s main campus. Since then,OSBDC has opened 15 more regional offices,including the Enid location.

Each of the offices offers free, confidential,one-on-one counseling, business planning andmanagement consulting and a variety of work-shops on business practices, laws and regula-tions.

Jeanne Cole, center coordinator for EnidOSBDC, said most OSBDC business develop-ment specialists “come to the job with previ-ous experience owning or operating a smallbusiness.”

“The business experience of our staff isincredibly helpful,” Cole said. “Having ownedand operated your own business gives youinsight into the business world and gives youknowledge you can’t get from a book, andwe’re able to pass that experience on to some-one looking to start their own business.”

Starting down the right pathThe OSBDC staff offers individualized

counseling for aspiring entrepreneurs to take abusiness from initial concept to fruition. Thefirst step in that process is assessing the viabil-ity of the business and planning its first crucialyears by writing a business plan.

Cole said OSBDC staff members are thereto help start-up business owners with that ini-tial assessment and planning.

“You can tell in 20 to 30 minutes if they’vereally thought things through, and if theyhaven’t it’s our job to guide them and helpthem see the right path,” Cole said.“Sometimes on that path they decide they can’tdo this, but that’s entirely their choice. Wedon’t make up their mind for them, but it’s ourgoal to provide good information so peoplecan succeed in business.”

By helping new entrepreneurs build a busi-ness plan, Cole said the OSBDC staff mem-bers “help put the new entrepreneurs on thepath to success.”

“A lot of visionary people just need to seethat first step, and see the path, and then they’reready to take it and run with it,” she said.

OSBDC services don’t stop when a newbusiness opens its doors. Cole said the centerhelps existing businesses plan for expansionand manage change with ongoing manage-ment consulting needs.

“A lot of times people get so busy workingin their business they don’t have time to workon their business,” she said. “We can help themrefine their financial direction so they havesome opportunities for growth.”

Avoiding costly mistakesWhile helping businesses get started and

profitable are central goals of OSBDC, busi-ness development specialist Lisa Bland-Selixsaid the center’s staff also is focused on help-ing aspiring business owners avoid costly mis-takes.

“Our goal isn’t just to see someone go intobusiness but also to prevent someone from los-ing all of their life savings by making bad deci-sions when they do go into business,” Bland-Selix said. “Sometimes that’s as mucha success as having someone actuallystart a business ... helping them avoida bad business decision.”

For businesses that do make it tofruition, Bland-Selix said the busi-ness planning and ongoing consultingservices are “really tailored to theindividual business.”

“We’re the first ones to tell you ifwe don’t have the answer, but if wedon’t have the answer we’re going tofind it for you. We have a whole net-work of people we can reach out to,and our services are really going to becustomized to your individualneeds,” Bland-Selix said. “Starting abusiness is a pretty big undertaking,and there’s a lot of facets to it. We’llhelp you get focused in on the target and real-ly see your destination with your businessplan.”

Send me an AngelRetha Wegmiller, owner of Angel Delight

Bakery, Catering and Tea Room, LLC knowsfirsthand the value of OSBDC services to anew business owner.

Wegmiller was working as a legal assistant

when she started seeking OSBDC counselingservices for her start-up business in 2003.

She said the free counseling was invaluablein planning for details that might otherwisehave been overlooked.

“They help you see the things a small busi-ness needs to do,” Wegmiller said.

“It’s just a must to get that help,” she said,“because they’re going to help you with put-ting your plan in focus, getting the legalaspects down and developing the frameworkfor your business so it’s successful for a longtime.”

Wegmiller said OSBDC counseling servic-es can help a new business owner balance

costs and benefits of hiring out services such asaccounting and payroll.

“They’ll help you know what you can doin-house and what areas where you might wantsome outside help, and they’ll help you buildthat team that you’re going to need to rely on... they give you great guidelines,” she said.

She encouraged existing business ownersto take advantage of OSBDC services to man-age expansion and changes in business needsand structure.

“As you grow and get bigger it becomeseven more important to get things organizedand keep up with it,” Wegmiller said.

Angel Delight has seen significant changesin its business model throughout the last nineyears.

What started as a candy company and cus-tom bakery soon developed into a full-servicecatering business. A walk-up retail locationwas added at Oakwood Mall in fall 2010.Angel Delight recently closed its OakwoodMall location to refocus the company’s effortson catering, custom baking and the tea room at417 S. Washington.

Wegmiller also is planning to expand thecompany’s catering services to include familystyle meals-to-go and meals custom-made tomeet individuals’ dietary needs.

“My passion is providing that individual-ized service to take care of people’s dietaryneeds,” Wegmiller said. “That’s my goal ... toreally grow that service so people can comehome to a good, family style meal.”

Be ready to workWegmiller recommended start-up busi-

ness owners seek advice of OSBDC staff,other business owners and AutryTechnology Center’s business developmentspecialists before opening a business ormaking significant changes or expansion.And then, she said, “be ready for a lot ofhard work.”

“When you’re serious about starting abusiness, you have to think about it as along-term thing,” Wegmiller said. “It’s not ahobby. If you want a hobby, go get a hobby.If you want to start a business, it’s going tobe hard and it’s going to take a lot of work.”

Missy Cole, business development spe-cialist at OSBDC’s Enid office, said it’s agood time to start a business for those will-ing to put in that hard work and planning.

“This is a really exciting time for smallbusinesses in Enid, and I think it’s onlygoing to get better,” Missy Cole said. “Ifyou’ve got the heart and the drive to openyour business, and you’re committed to put-ting in a lot of hours to get your businessgoing and keep it going, then you can suc-ceed. And the first step is just to email orcall us.”

For information on OSBDC services goto www.osbdc.org, email Missy Cole [email protected], call her at 213-3112,or visit in person on the NWOSU-Enidcampus, 2929 E. Randolph, room 124.


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If you’ve got the heart and thedrive to open your business,and you’re committed to put-

ting in a lot of hours to get yourbusiness going and keep it going,then you can succeed.”

Missy Cole,OSBDC business development specialist “

GOOD PLANYou provide vision, work,OSBDC offers experience

business

Retha Wegmiller stirs a pot of sweet and sour chicken at the Angel Delight kitchen. Wegmiller,owner of Angel Delight Bakery, Catering and Tea Room LLC, knows firsthand the value of

OSBDC services to a new business owner after she sought counseling services through the cen-ter for her start-up business in 2003. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON / OSBDC logo at osbdc.org)

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