Oklahoma
Business
Roundtable
The Impact of OBR
Economic development means attracting and growing businesses, retaining and creating jobs, and strengthening the communities where Oklahomans live and work. The Oklahoma Business Roundtable is the only organization of its kind in Oklahoma, providing targeted private-sector funding that allows the Governor's Office, Lieutenant Governor's Office, and Oklahoma Department of Commerce to compete for investment and jobs at the highest level.
Our funding fills critical gaps that public resources alone cannot address, enabling Oklahoma's leaders to attend key trade shows, host site selectors, engage corporate executives, and build the relationships that turn prospects into investment decisions.
In 2025, Oklahoma announced 79 economic development projects representing a record $14.7 billion in capital investment and more than 6,200 new jobs. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 19 more announcements followed with nearly 800 additional jobs expected. OBR members make that level of sustained engagement possible.
01
"Companies are relocating and expanding into Oklahoma to capitalize on ultra-low operating costs, affordable and abundant energy, and a highly connected central logistics hub."
Recruiting New Business & Talent to Oklahoma
Locating new companies and investment in Oklahoma means more jobs and greater wealth creation for communities across the state. OBR helps enable the travel, trade show participation, international missions, and prospect engagements that support this work year-round.
New jobs have multiplying effects. For example, one new manufacturing job is estimated to generate three additional jobs within the supply and sales chain.
Recent companies establishing a new presence in Oklahoma include:
-
Emirates Global Aluminium, Inola — $4 billion, 1,000 jobs (first new U.S. aluminum smelter in 45 years)
-
CBC Global Ammunition, Pryor — $300 million, 350 jobs (closed at SelectUSA Investment Summit)
-
Sofidel, Inola — $775 million expansion adding nearly 1 million square feet at the Port of Inola, one of the largest industrial investments in northeast Oklahoma in recent years
-
Beale Infrastructure Group, Owasso — $1 billion data center campus, 100 jobs
-
Cerebras Systems / Scale Datacenters, Oklahoma City — one of the largest AI data centers in the world, 100 jobs, with 20 times more computing capacity than the U.S. government's largest supercomputer; Scale Datacenters, an OBR member, owns and operates the facility
-
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, Bristow — advanced manufacturing facility, 60 jobs
-
Firehawk Aerospace, Fort Sill — $22 million rocket motor manufacturing facility, 100 jobs
-
Dawn Aerospace, Burns Flat — international space technology company establishing U.S. operations at the Oklahoma Air and Space Port
-
Dollar Tree Distribution, Marietta — 1 million square feet, 400 jobs
-
Scheels All Sports, Oklahoma City and Tulsa — 600,000 square feet, 1,000 jobs
-
Bosch Home Comfort North America, Norman — new company presence at former Johnson Controls site, 1,300 associates
OBR-funded engagement supports projects from the earliest prospect conversations through site visits and final decisions. The relationships built at trade shows, international missions, and private briefings are what move Oklahoma from a prospect list to a signed commitment.
Expanding Oklahoma Companies
The majority of Oklahoma's economic growth comes from companies already doing business here. OBR supports the programs and partnerships that help established Oklahoma businesses expand operations, develop their workforce, and reach new markets.
Recent Oklahoma company expansions include:
-
Google, Pryor, Stillwater, and Muskogee — $9 billion data center expansion
-
Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City — 1,000 jobs, major B-21 campus expansion
-
ARL Bio Pharma, Oklahoma City — $46.7 million research laboratory, 433 jobs
-
Long Wave Inc., Oklahoma City — 100 new defense engineering positions
-
Lufthansa Technik, Tulsa — 25,000 square feet of new MRO space at Tulsa International Airport
-
MST Manufacturing, Claremore — aerospace and defense CNC automation investment
-
Pryer Aerospace, Tulsa — facility renovation and CNC expansion
-
Hitachi Vantara Manufacturing, Norman — machinery and equipment investment
Dozens of additional Oklahoma manufacturers across the state are investing in new equipment, facilities, and workforce capacity through the Business Expansion Incentive Program.
OBR funds participation in 25+ trade shows and events annually, enabling Oklahoma companies and the Commerce team to promote the state's capabilities to national and global audiences.
In the most recent year, those events included:
-
Paris Air Show 2025: OBR funded Oklahoma's largest-ever delegation to the world's premier aerospace and defense exhibition — Governor Stitt, Secretary of Commerce Moorad, seven state legislators, 11 Oklahoma companies, three economic development organizations, three higher education institutions, and two state agencies. The delegation conducted meetings with executives from more than 80 businesses. Announcements from the show included Kratos Defense committing to a new advanced manufacturing facility in Bristow, Dawn Aerospace selecting the Oklahoma Air and Space Port in Burns Flat for U.S. operations, and MST Manufacturing announcing a strategic partnership with Modig Machine Tools and a long-term agreement with CPI Aero.
-
SHOT Show 2026: A nine-partner Oklahoma delegation conducted 10 targeted meetings in the defense and advanced manufacturing sectors, producing two project wins including a heavy artillery manufacturer locating at McAlester in partnership with McAlester Army Ammunition Plant.
-
Space Symposium 2026: Oklahoma conducted more than 20 meetings with companies including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Rocket Lab USA, and Intuitive Machines, resulting in the Quantum Space announcement and five additional new project leads.
-
MRO Americas 2026: A coordinated Oklahoma presence with aerospace, airport, workforce, and manufacturing partners produced meetings with domestic and international companies and multiple active project follow-up discussions.
-
AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2026: Oklahoma's autonomous systems presence generated eight qualified leads, with two expected to produce projects in the near term.
-
SelectUSA Investment Summit 2026: Led by Governor Stitt, the Oklahoma delegation conducted 67 scheduled meetings and generated 25 net new qualified leads from investors representing more than 100 countries.
"Roundtable project funding helps leverage state and private sector support many times over."
02
03
03
"Promoting Oklahoma companies means everybody wins."
Marketing Oklahoma to the World
Oklahoma is well positioned to welcome new corporate investment and talent — and telling that story to the right people, at the right time, makes all the difference.
OBR funds the events, missions, and executive-level engagement that put the Governor's Office, Lieutenant Governor's Office, and Oklahoma Department of Commerce in front of corporate decision-makers, site selection consultants, and international investors who direct where companies locate and where capital flows.
When a company or site consultant identifies Oklahoma as a potential location, OBR provides targeting funding that keeps Oklahoma competitive throughout the process — from prospect hosting and executive briefings to community tours and familiarization trips for site consultants. Every stage of a company's decision is an opportunity, and OBR helps ensure Oklahoma shows up for all of them.
Through Select Oklahoma, OBR supports engagements that keep Oklahoma front of mind with the national site selector community — including in-market familiarization visits, networking receptions in key corporate relocation markets, and participation in the annual Select Oklahoma Conference on Economic Development.
Through Global Oklahoma, OBR supports international business development missions, consular engagement, and foreign direct investment outreach that connect Oklahoma's leaders with companies and investors around the world. This includes supporting the Governor's Consular Luncheon during the annual Oklahoma Consular Showcase.
Strategic Engagement & Member Value
Three times a year, OBR convenes its membership with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Department of Commerce for substantive updates on the state's economic development priorities, active projects, and strategic direction.
With 150+ member companies, OBR brings together some of Oklahoma's most engaged business leaders. Through OBR, members gain early intelligence on economic development activity, direct relationships with state leadership, and a seat at the table on conversations that affect Oklahoma's competitive position.
OBR also commissions the annual Oklahoma Business Leaders Poll, conducted in partnership with the State Chamber of Oklahoma, surveying 400+ Oklahoma business leaders on the key challenges and opportunities facing the state's economy. The results give Oklahoma leaders grounded, data-driven perspective on challenges and opportunities shaping the state's economy.
"The Roundtable provides a unique opportunity for the public and private sectors to connect and interact on economic development issues."
04
