Cabela's near Tulsa Hills?

[sgrizzle]

Only once a week?  What a slacker. 

sometimes more than once a day.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Whirlpool got a boon.  As did Kimberly Clark.

And during the Whirlpool "cattle calls", one of the first statements made to the groups of people was that they were NOT oil or airline, and there were not going to be high paying jobs.  Much closer to minimum wage than oil rig people.

A couple of friends were in those cattle calls and both had been laid off from Rockwell as they went away.  Both were offered (and took) jobs at Whirlpool going from about $14 an hour to about $6.50.  I'm betting the pay is better now, but certainly not keeping up with the rest of the economy - like the CEO pay for Whirlpool.

At that time, in what, 1996, that pay was pretty good, considering that the average entry level jobs were ~$5.00/hr, that's what I started out doing shipping and receiving, inventory work and piano delivery at Saied Music. Not to mention that Whirlpool and Kimberly Clark also offered a really good medical package. Kimberly Clark goes back to the mid '80s.

IIRC the big controversy over Whirlpool was not just the tax incentives, but the fact that the construction project went to an out of state company. Yes, local subcontractors were hired, but the bulk of the project was not in state.

[heironymouspasparagus]

At that time, in what, 1996, that pay was pretty good, considering that the average entry level jobs were ~$5.00/hr, that's what I started out doing shipping and receiving, inventory work and piano delivery at Saied Music. Not to mention that Whirlpool and Kimberly Clark also offered a really good medical package. Kimberly Clark goes back to the mid '80s.

$6.50 with benefits still sucks compared to $14 with benefits.  And that is the kind of loss we experienced when they came in - made even worse by the tax incentives.  Why pay big chunks of money to companies to come in and pay substandard wages?

Rather than obsessing about "jobs", why not focus on "good, high paying jobs".  Like the ones we have lost....  First we have to figure out why we lost those jobs and if there was anything Oklahoma and Tulsa could have done differently that would have kept them.  Not much in Rockwell's case.  But cutting spending for education, overburdening existing infrastructure with higher populations of lower paid workers, and actively discouraging business activity (turnpikes for one - especially when ALWAYS under construction) are not good ways to get companies to move here with good jobs.  Micron is a classic case - when they looked at OK and went elsewhere and said publicly and nationally that dealing with OK on a business basis was like dealing with a bunch of kindergarteners.

[EricGarcia]

Any news on if Cabela's is interested in Tulsa?  Their Oklahoma City location is opening soon.

[Conan71]

Any news on if Cabela's is interested in Tulsa?  Their Oklahoma City location is opening soon.

I'd say REI's announcement along with there being a Bass Pro as well as Gander Mtn, Dick's, et. al. here, I'd be surprised if they felt Tulsa was a fertile market for them right now. 

[swake]

I'd say REI's announcement along with there being a Bass Pro as well as Gander Mtn, Dick's, et. al. here, I'd be surprised if they felt Tulsa was a fertile market for them right now. 

Cabela's is a better and larger store than Gander Mountain, Gander is just a smaller discount Bass Pro where Gander cuts into both Bass Pro's and REI's markets. I would not be surprised if they kept REI out of Oklahoma City and that's why we got REI first.

[Gaspar]

Cabela's is a better and larger store than Gander Mountain, Gander is just a smaller discount Bass Pro where Gander cuts into both Bass Pro's and REI's markets. I would not be surprised if they kept REI out of Oklahoma City and that's why we got REI first.

Gander is a completely different concept.  Gander is a gun store.  20% of their wall space is dedicated to firearms.  They also buy and trade guns, something that the other stores say away from.  Because of that, they hire highly experienced firearms experts, including quite a few ex-law enforcement, and military.  You won't find that at a Cabela's or Bass Pro. 

Cabela's is strong in outdoor (thermal) hunting and fishing clothing (or at least they used to be).  I haven't been as thrilled with Cabela's name-brand quality over the past 10 years or so.  They used to be better when they were primarily catalog.  REI dominates the market for expedition gear now.

Bass Pro, is the Walmart of the outdoor outfitters.  They carry lots of cheap, but adequate products.  You don't go to Bass Pro if you are getting outfitted for an Alaskan fishing trip, a mountain climb, or a bear hunt.  You go there to get supplies for a fishing trip with your buddies where you intend to spend more on beer than gear.   

REI is the granola of outfitters. They cater to the serious hiker, camper, and rugged athletes.  They have excellent footwear, clothing and sturdy textile products for protection from the elements. They also have warranties on all of their products that others can't touch.  When you buy from REI, they take the position that your very survival is dependent on the performance of their products. You, of course, pay for this.  They are expensive but worth it if you intend to be more than a casual outdoorsperson.

I have been in cities where all of these stores exist in the same market and do quite well because they cater to very different sportspeople.

[swake]

Gander is a completely different concept.  Gander is a gun store.  20% of their wall space is dedicated to firearms.  They also buy and trade guns, something that the other stores say away from.  Because of that, they hire highly experienced firearms experts, including quite a few ex-law enforcement, and military.  You won't find that at a Cabela's or Bass Pro. 

Cabela's is strong in outdoor (thermal) hunting and fishing clothing (or at least they used to be).  I haven't been as thrilled with Cabela's name-brand quality over the past 10 years or so.  They used to be better when they were primarily catalog.  REI dominates the market for expedition gear now.

Bass Pro, is the Walmart of the outdoor outfitters.  They carry lots of cheap, but adequate products.  You don't go to Bass Pro if you are getting outfitted for an Alaskan fishing trip, a mountain climb, or a bear hunt.  You go there to get supplies for a fishing trip with your buddies where you intend to spend more on beer than gear.   

REI is the granola of outfitters. They cater to the serious hiker, camper, and rugged athletes.  They have excellent footwear, clothing and sturdy textile products for protection from the elements. They also have warranties on all of their products that others can't touch.  When you buy from REI, they take the position that your very survival is dependent on the performance of their products. You, of course, pay for this.  They are expensive but worth it if you intend to be more than a casual outdoorsperson.

I have been in cities where all of these stores exist in the same market and do quite well because they cater to very different sportspeople.

I haven't shopped Gander for guns, but I did for a large two burner outdoor stove and their selection was pretty poor as was the build quality for what they did stock. It was a lot of the same stuff you see at Academy. Bass Pro has some decent camping gear, they aren't as good as REI but they are a lot better than Academy and have a better selection than Dicks.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Gander is a completely different concept.  Gander is a gun store.  20% of their wall space is dedicated to firearms.  They also buy and trade guns, something that the other stores say away from.  Because of that, they hire highly experienced firearms experts, including quite a few ex-law enforcement, and military.  You won't find that at a Cabela's or Bass Pro. 

Went to my first Gander store in WI around 4th of July - had no idea they sold used guns, but was pleasantly surprised at their selection.  Not even close to some of the local pawnshops but not too bad.  Should be interesting.

[EricGarcia]

Anyone know what happened to a rumored cabelas in Tulsa? Has anyone heard if they still plan to come? They just opened their OKC store.

[shavethewhales]

See the first post in this thread. Cabela's never had any plans for Tulsa. It was just a rumor that turned out to be Gander Mountain instead. They aren't coming anytime soon as the market is saturated with outdoor hobby stores, even if they are all slightly different.

[patric]

See the first post in this thread. Cabela's never had any plans for Tulsa. It was just a rumor that turned out to be Gander Mountain instead. They aren't coming anytime soon as the market is saturated with outdoor hobby stores, even if they are all slightly different.

http://www.businessinsider.com/bass-pro-shops-to-acquire-cabelas-2016-10

[BKDotCom]

http://www.businessinsider.com/bass-pro-shops-to-acquire-cabelas-2016-10

So you think this might delay the rumored Cabelas?