ENID — Enid has both of Oklahoma’s only two site-ready certified heavy industrial sites and one of the state’s 20 site- ready certified light industrial sites right in its eastern backyard.
Cimarron Industrial Park and Garfield County Industrial Park are the state’s two site-ready certified heavy industrial sites. Both are located east of Enid.
Enid Energy Center, a new site-ready certified industrial park, also is just east of Enid and is located close to Garfield County Industrial Park.
In October 2006, both Cimarron Industrial Park and Garfield County Industrial Park were certified as site-ready locations.
It wasn’t until earlier this month Enid Energy Center was certified as site-ready, but the certification means Enid now has three of Oklahoma’s 34 site-ready certified industrial sites.
“To have three site-ready sites is unusual,” said Enid Regional Development Alliance Executive Director Brent Kisling.
Kisling said there are a number of cities and towns that have industrial parks with more acreage, but many of those are privately owned. All three of Enid’s are publicly owned.
Each of Enid’s three industrial parks has a large business or entity within the boundary or adjacent to the property. Each may work to fit a different need as businesses move into them.
Cimarron Industrial Park
Cimarron Industrial Park is one of two industrial parks in Enid that were site certified in October 2006.
The industrial park, which lies adjacent to Enid Woodring Regional Airport, has 67 available acres for business use.
According to www.growenid.org, the cost per acre is $6,000, but the land cost could be discounted or donated for projects involving major job growth and capital investment.
So far, the only business out at Cimarron Industrial Park is Aircraft Structures International, a rapidly growing company owned by Mickey Stowers.
Stowers started only a few years ago from the ground up, and his business now employs 36 people.
The number of employees will grow to 50 within the next two years, he said, and to 100 in less than five years.
“Business could not be better,” Stowers said. “I can’t keep up.”
The business currently has two hangars — one for airplane repair and another for airplane inspection.
The company is planning on adding three new hangars. One will be for paint stripping, a second for painting and another one for maintenance.
Dan Ohnesorge, director of Enid Woodring Regional Airport, said he likes to think of it as the industrial park is on airport property.
Improvements have been made on the roads leading out to the airport and Cimarron Industrial Park, Ohnesorge said.
Another advantage for companies looking to locate to the industrial park out there is that it is right next to the airport, Ohnesorge said. That could benefit some particular companies.
“We’ll take any business, but it is an opportunity for the aerospace industry to come in and build aircraft,” Ohnesorge said.
Also, businesses looking to locate somewhere and that have corporate aircraft easily could land at the airport and park close to their company, he said.
Garfield County Industrial Park
The second industrial park to be site-ready certified in October 2006 was Garfield County Industrial Park.
At Garfield County Industrial Park, there are 97.33 acres available for new businesses to move in.
The land cost at the industrial park is $6,000 per acre, but again that could be discounted or donated for projects that involve major job growth and capital investment.
According to www.growenid.org, AdvancePierre Food Co. is located immediately north of the site and Mid-Continent Packaging is immediately south.
The industrial park is bordered on the north by Willow and to the south by railroad tracks.
Kisling said it might be advantageous for food processing businesses to locate there, but other businesses could move in, too.
“There are spots next to the railroad track that would be perfect for a company making blades for wind turbines,” Kisling said.
According to the industrial park map, there are four tracts of land located adjacent to the railroad tracks.
Enid Energy Center
Enid Energy Center is the newest of Enid’s three site-ready certified industrial parks.
Earlier this month, the industrial park, owned by Nicholas Commercial Real Estate, was site-ready certified by Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Dave Lopez.
According to Oklahoma Department of Commerce’s site profile for Enid Energy Center, there are 28.24 acres of land available at the northeast corner of 54th and Chestnut, just south of Garfield County Industrial Park.
The price per acre at Enid Energy Center is $12,000.
There are a few businesses sitting on the property right now, said Buddy Nicholas of Nicholas Commercial Real Estate. OG&E Electric Services, Coca-Cola and NP Environmental are a few of the businesses that have made their home there.
“Yes, we have had a little interest, we sure have, for industrial uses,” Nicholas said when asked if the company had received any interest.
Nicholas said any company can move in, from wind energy to oil field service companies to manufacturing companies.