ENID – A third Enid location has been certified as site-ready by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
Enid has three of the 34 certified site-ready locations in 23 communities statewide, said Dave Lopez, Oklahoma secretary of commerce and tourism. Lopez was in Enid for the announcement that the Enid Energy Center had been certified.
“The Site Ready Program is one of the state’s best tools when it comes to attracting a business that is looking to relocate or expand in Oklahoma,” said Lopez. “When a community like Enid has a certified site, it lets business locaters and site consultants know that they are immediately ready for growth.”
The state program was created in 2006 to validate for businesses seeking sites that a site is ready for construction and to minimize risk for companies and speed development. The program is a partnership between the Department of Commerce and Oklahoma Gas and Electric and Public Service of Oklahoma.
The Enid Energy Center has 28.24 acres and is 1.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 412 and east of downtown Enid. The site is near one of AdavancePierre Foods’ production facilities. A railroad line runs along the north side of the site. A storm water drainage system and all utilities, including fiber-optic connectivity, are in place.
The site is being developed by Enid-based Nicholas Investment Co.
“Our area and indeed our state are poised for continued economic expansion due to the blessings of industrious people, abundant natural resources, and a culture steeped in traditional values,” said Buddy Nicholas, president of Nicholas Investment.
Nichaolas said he worked for two years to get the site certified.
All three of Enid’s certified sites are east of downtown and near U.S. Highway 412, which has direct access to Interstate 35.
Enid’s other two certified site-ready locations are the Garfield County Industrial Park, which has 97 acres north of U.S. Highway 412, and the 67-acre Cimarron Industrial Park at the Enid Woodring Regional Airport south of Highway 412.
Having three certified site-ready locations shows the entrepreneurial spirit in Enid, Lopez said.
“It is not by accident that Enid is succeeding,” he said.
Extra efforts are often needed to attract businesses to towns outside of a metropolitan area.
“In this part of the world, you have to grow your own industries,” said James W. Strate, superintendent and CEO of Autry Technology Center in Enid.