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By: Kathryn McNutt The Journal Record August 18, 2022 0
Public Strategies is renovating a building on NE Ninth Street just west of Oklahoma Avenue for its new headquarters. About 100 employees are expected to work from the new location. (Courtesy rendering/Public Strategies)
OKLAHOMA CITY – The City Council approved economic development allocations Tuesday for two companies – one a newcomer to Oklahoma City and another that has been here for three decades.
An Austin, Texas-based aerospace industrial services company will receive up to $500,000 in job creation incentives to open operations in Oklahoma City and create 150 new jobs in the next four years.
“We primarily make robots that build airplanes,” said Erica Pocs, director of operations at Wilder Systems Inc. “We see Oklahoma City as the epicenter for aircraft manufacturing.”
Pocs said aircraft manufacturing and maintenance tasks typically are done by hand, which can be dangerous or not as precise. Wilder Systems manufactures modular autonomous robots to do the work more quickly and efficiently, she said.
The company launched in 2018 and did $3.1 million in revenue in 2021. “We’re going to do the same this year and we expect massive growth next year,” Pocs said.
The company has been awarded two patents and more than 10 contracts, both defense and commercial, including a project at Tinker Air Force Base.
The site for the Oklahoma City operation has not been determined, but hiring is underway. Pocs said the company intends to create five to seven jobs by the end of 2022 and 25-30 in 2023. The average wage is estimated to be $85,000 in year one and $120,000 by year four.
CEO Will Wilder said he is open to leasing, buying or building the manufacturing facility at a location within a reasonable distance from both Tinker and Will Rogers World Airport.
“We’re really excited about setting up a facility in Oklahoma City,” Wilder said. “You go where the jobs are, and I don’t have to tell you Tinker Air Force Base is not in Austin.”
The council also approved tax increment financing for Public Strategies to relocate its headquarters to NE Ninth St. just west of Oklahoma Avenue.
The professional services company was started in 1990 by Mary Myrick and today has about 250 employees in several locations.
Joanna McSpadden, the city’s economic development manager, said the allocation totals $975,000 in tax increment financing for infrastructure such as streetscape and utility upgrades. About two-thirds comes from a TIF fund used to lure corporate headquarters – and their employees – downtown.
Sammye Cravens, chief operating and financial officer, said the company will move 73 jobs downtown and hire an additional 25 or more employees with an average pay of $87,000. The positions are in technology, marketing, events and logistics, technical assistance, human resources, accounting/IT, compliance and operations.
Cravens said most of the employees moving downtown currently work in leased space in Atrium Tower North at NW 63rd Street and Hefner Parkway.
Public Strategies acquired the building for its new headquarters in July 2020. It was being used as a storage facility that was leased on a monthly basis.
“We started on-site remodel in July 2022 and expect to move in during the fourth quarter of 2023,” Cravens said.
Studio Architecture developed the plans and Timberlake Construction is doing the renovation.
Cravens said it is about a $17 million project with infrastructure upgrades of $1.5 million.
Tagged with: Inc. Public Strategies Tinker Air Force Base Wilder Systems Will Rogers World Airport
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