Massive new car factory for Pryor

[swake]

Just had a thought a while ago....Texas is supposed to be "all that and a bag of chips..." in the economy, technology, and so much 'good stuff'.   So why is it with only about 25% smaller population - could be considered close to on par with California - that California has 400% more patents than Texas??

Are they just comparing themselves to their closest intellectual equivalents and kindred spirits, like Mississippi?  Or Alabama? 



Lol...just had to go there...!

The center of world wide tech is the Bay Area.

[SXSW]

I-42 is a proposed corridor in North Carolina afaik

You're right.  That is what was in the AMC submittal.  I-50 is as good a guess as any

[Red Arrow]

Just had a thought a while ago....Texas is supposed to be "all that and a bag of chips..." in the economy, technology, and so much 'good stuff'.   So why is it with only about 25% smaller population - could be considered close to on par with California - that California has 400% more patents than Texas??

I turned down a transfer to the Bay Area in the late 80s due to the cost of living and no significant increase in salary.

[LandArchPoke]

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/state-looking-to-lure-huge-company-to-eastern-oklahoma-governor-says/article_35f330de-9418-11ec-a7ff-df324fdf3242.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

This article also says that Canoo has an agreement with Panasonic to supply its batteries as well. That is a huge upside for us landing the battery plant instead of Kansas. They'd have a client right in the same park plus Tesla's plant being closer to Mid America than Kansas. Not sure where Toyota is planning to build any of their electric cars but like I said before their USA HQ is in Plano.

The Canoo plant has officially started moving dirt too. Even if they collapse in a year or two if they get the factory built then that is an upside to me, because another EV player is likely to buy the site.

[Laramie]

Now the unnamed company will weigh the state's massive incentive package, which could cost taxpayers some $1.3 billion. Kansas is competing against its neighbor to the south, as public officials there seek to lure the project to the Tulsa area. A small Oklahoma newspaper identified Panasonic as the likely company behind top-secret negotiations there...

...Some 216 miles to the south, officials hope to see the plant rise up at the MidAmerica Industrial Park in Pryor, Oklahoma, about 45 miles outside of Tulsa. That park is already home to dozens of industries and local officials have been considering new tax breaks for a 700-acre portion of land.

Link Kansas City Star: https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article258307028.html

This will be big if Oklahoma can secure this company.

[SXSW]

IF Canoo builds as planned and the Panasonic factory goes in that would be huge for building up the EV industry cluster in this area.  It definitely would pull the Tulsa metro more to the east along 412/future interstate. 

[shavethewhales]

IF Canoo builds as planned and the Panasonic factory goes in that would be huge for building up the EV industry cluster in this area.  It definitely would pull the Tulsa metro more to the east along 412/future interstate. 

Plus Google's continued expansions, plus other major employers moving in... Tulsa is going to morph into a supercluster with NWA over time. I'm not a huge fan of this because I don't like sprawl, but it's a good location for it I guess since we are in the middle of the country yet have the inland port and theoretically good shipping routes. We just need a better route to Dallas and then we are set as a destination for these types of things.

[tulsabug]

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/state-looking-to-lure-huge-company-to-eastern-oklahoma-governor-says/article_35f330de-9418-11ec-a7ff-df324fdf3242.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

This article also says that Canoo has an agreement with Panasonic to supply its batteries as well. That is a huge upside for us landing the battery plant instead of Kansas. They'd have a client right in the same park plus Tesla's plant being closer to Mid America than Kansas. Not sure where Toyota is planning to build any of their electric cars but like I said before their USA HQ is in Plano.

The Canoo plant has officially started moving dirt too. Even if they collapse in a year or two if they get the factory built then that is an upside to me, because another EV player is likely to buy the site.

That is one good thing about the EV industry right now - even though most if not all of them are going to go bankrupt at least they're pouring their money into local economies while they have it. Another potential bonus - bringing blue state employees into red states!

[Red Arrow]

Another potential bonus - bringing blue state employees into red states!

That might be a tough sell.

[heironymouspasparagus]

I turned down a transfer to the Bay Area in the late 80s due to the cost of living and no significant increase in salary.

I had a great job offer there long, long ago with different company.  Money MORE than made up the difference.  Just couldn't see leaving all this...tornadoes, earthquakes, drought, flood, etc.   Where else can one get some much concentrated self-abuse in one conveniently located, concentrated package of suffering...?

Plus, would have put the kids another 2,000 mi away, and it is hard enough to see some of them now.

[Red Arrow]

I had a great job offer there long, long ago with different company.  Money MORE than made up the difference.  Just couldn't see leaving all this...tornadoes, earthquakes, drought, flood, etc.   Where else can one get some much concentrated self-abuse in one conveniently located, concentrated package of suffering...?
Plus, would have put the kids another 2,000 mi away, and it is hard enough to see some of them now.

Changing companies was the way to get ahead out there.  I went for a project review around 1986.  The base was Sunnyvale. I always drive around a bit.  In this case it was Los Gatos that was nearby. Houses that would have sold in Tulsa for maybe $65K all had Mercedes, Cadillac, Lincoln etc cars in the driveways.  Turns out the houses were at least $200K.  Ouch.  "My" company only offered about $100/month.  Not worth the move.

Weather.... we don't have the worst of hurricanes (In spite of TU's flags).  At least most of the time our cold spells are relatively short.  My sister once said she was going to tie a snow shovel to the top of her car and drive south until someone asked "what's that on top of your car?"

I never had kids so that would not have been an issue for me.  Aviation contacts and hangar rents would have been a BIG problem.

[tulsabug]

Canoo put out their fourth quarter and fiscal year 2021 results today. One thing I found interesting is they claim the state of OK has agreed to purchase 1000 vehicles but didn't really say anything else further on it.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canoo-inc-announces-fourth-quarter-and-fiscal-year-2021-results-301492051.html

[Laramie]

Hope the two (Pryor auto factory & battery plant) come to fruition; this will be a big boost to Tulsa area economy and an increase in City & MSA population.  Wish Tulsa the best.

Tulsa IMO has a good chance to acquire both.   Oklahoma Quality Jobs Incentive Program - Quick Action Closing Fund ($15 million): https://www.okcommerce.gov/doing-business/business-relocation-expansion/incentives/quality-jobs-incentive-program/  Canoo estimated to supply 2,000 jobs.

Go Tulsa!

[buffalodan]

https://electrek.co/2022/02/21/tesla-asks-fans-oklahoma-mississippi-to-fight-new-bills-ban-direct-sales-electric-cars/

It seems weird that we are courting people to build them while pissing them off about selling them. I don't really understand why Canoo can't lobby against this just a bit more. I get that dealers have more dollars than canoo does, but figured they would have made this a bit more of a PR move. Manufacturing jobs against car salesman jobs.

[Laramie]

https://electrek.co/2022/02/21/tesla-asks-fans-oklahoma-mississippi-to-fight-new-bills-ban-direct-sales-electric-cars/

It seems weird that we are courting people to build them while pissing them off about selling them. I don't really understand why Canoo can't lobby against this just a bit more. I get that dealers have more dollars than canoo does, but figured they would have made this a bit more of a PR move. Manufacturing jobs against car salesman jobs.

Definitely understand what you're saying.  Canoo figures that they need to spend their time building that plant, PR and less on acknowledging
vices.  

It's going to take years to build up the 'trust factor' in EV and building the infrastructure.   Oklahoma received $66 million (5 years) from the Biden Infrastructure bill.  How the state divides these funds (TBD), we know the bulk of funds will go to our two largest cities.

KOKH-TV 25 OKC:  https://okcfox.com/news/local/heres-what-oklahoma-should-expect-from-the-12t-infrastructure-bill

BTW, heard the job numbers fluctuate from a low 1,000 to a high 6,000 jobs.  This will more than likely exceed 2,000 or more jobs for the Tulsa
metro and build the Pryor community noted for the Rocklahoma festival.  

Interesting articles from the Stillwater News Press https://www.stwnewspress.com/oklahoma/oklahoma-wants-to-be-the-home-of-electric-hydrogen-fueled-vehicles/article_5b4bdbae-929c-54a7-a9ce-8b9d2a5d44ce.html