ENID — Enid made it this week onto a short list of small American cities with big opportunities.
24/7 Wall St., an investment analysis firm, released a report this week naming Enid and three other Oklahoma cities to a list of “9 Small Towns with Big Opportunities.”
The report was based on U. S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on micropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), economic regions with an urban center that has a population between 10,000 and 50,000.
Analysts identified cities that have had the greatest increase in total employment between 2001 and 2010, and then limited the field to small cities with current unemployment rates less than seven percent.
Based on those criteria, only nine small cities in the nation qualified, and Enid was one of them.
The report noted the nine cities’ “economies are robust, job opportunities are good and unemployment rates are much lower than the national average.”
Enid ranked eighth on the list, with an 18 percent growth in the labor force in the 2001-2010 period and an unemployment rate of 4.9 percent at the end of 2010. That compares favorably for Enid to the most recent state and national BLS unemployment figures, 5.6 percent and 9.1 percent respectively.
Other Oklahoma cities on the list included: McAlester, sixth; Tahlequah, fourth; and Ardmore, first.
Ardmore claimed the top position in the study due to a 27 percent increase in its employed labor force in the last 10 years.
The study’s authors noted one of their “most surprising findings” was having four of the nine cities come from Oklahoma. They noted the state in general is “home to cities with low unemployment and unusually high job growth for their size.”
24/7 Wall St. noted Enid’s grain storage industry, Vance Air Force Base and the oil and gas industry as major factors driving the city’s positive job growth.
Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Jon Blankenship attributed Enid’s growth in recent years to a number of factors, including investments by large employers such as Atwoods, Continental Resources, AdvancePierre Foods and StarTek.
Blankenship also cited “mission growth” at Vance Air Force Base over the last 10 years, including joint pilot training and construction of the new National Guard and Reserve training center.
Enid also has benefited from growth in its medical sector, regional investments in the oil and gas and wind energy industries and local infrastructure investments, which include ongoing school improvements under a $100 million school bond issue and $20 million worth of bond investments in the downtown area, Blankenship said.
“There’s positive things on a number of fronts that add up favorably for the city of Enid,” Blankenship said, “and it’s good news for job growth in Enid, and for the future of the community.”
Ed Vineyard, professor of economics and vice president for Enid’s Northern Oklahoma College campus, noted a wide variety of positive factors that have affected Enid’s job growth and economic outlook.
He also cited the city’s health care industry and recent infrastructure investments as positive draws both for current residents and prospective investors. In addition, he cited Enid’s “easy access to three institutions of post-secondary education,” Autry Technology Center, Northern Oklahoma College and Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and “an increase in the number of social, cultural and athletic events held in the city” as assets that will continue to boost the local economy.
Enid Regional Development Alliance executive director Brent Kisling said the report will help market Enid to prospective business investors.
“It’s great to be recognized on a national level this way,” Kisling said. “It’s really a testament to the business friendly environment we have in the state. In Enid, it’s a testament to the great businesses we have, and the fact that they continue to invest in the community and build new jobs. That’s what has really made our city grow.”
Kisling said the report highlights a compelling message to prospective business investors: Enid is a good place to grow.
“Enid is one of the places you can come today as a business, stake your claim and share in our growth,” Kisling said.
He said the 24/7 Wall St. report is only one of what he expects will be many positive reports on Enid’s business climate and overall economy.
“This comes at a great time for our community,” Kisling said. “In the last few years we’ve really turned a corner, and I look for this to be the first step in a long series of positive recognitions for our city.”
Enid Mayor Bill Shewey said the 24/7 Wall St. report is “great news.”
“This shows people and businesses who might want to relocate here that we have a low unemployment rate and we have a stable work force,” Shewey said.
He said Enid is developing as a regional center for the retail, medical, educational and manufacturing sectors, drawing in consumers from across northwest Oklahoma and southern Kansas.
While many national news reports continue to predict tough economic times, Shewey said the latest report is good news for Enid, its citizens and prospective investors.
“We’re in good shape here in Enid,” Shewey said. “If you look at our unemployment rate, and the fact that we have a solid work force with disposable income, we’re in a good position to attract businesses that have something to sell. Any city in the U. S. would like to be in the position we’re in right now.”
The full 24/7 Wall St. report can be viewed online at 247wallst.com