Are you curious why companies decide to locate in specific communities and not others? Each year, thousands of companies consider expanding or relocating to a new community. A company’s process to move includes a detailed checklist of items to ensure the selected location fits both the company and community. Factors that influence a company’s decision may include the availability of rail, access to an airport, proximity to utility services, available buildings, or a workforce trained for the type of work they need.
Workforce – People are a community’s greatest asset. When companies consider a new location, they often look at the community and trade area population to ensure enough people to support their needs. A key component to any company’s success is having an adequate number of individuals to keep them full employment. This also includes evaluating the type of training, skillsets, and degrees people in the community have and whether they are a good fit for the industry.
Education & Training – To support the next generation of the workforce and train the current, companies consider education opportunities when determining their location. Enid is fortunate to be home to Autry Technology Center, Northern Oklahoma College, and Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Each institution plays a vital role in providing a skilled workforce for industries.
Location – “Location, Location, Location” is one of the essential factors in companies committing to a community. Companies have specific requirements for their site, and if communities do not have the right building, available land, rail, or water infrastructure, they will be passed up. Enid has three site-ready industrial parks, the Garfield County Industrial Park, Cimarron Industrial Park, and the Enid Energy Center, ready for development to help support industry locations.
Quality of Life – Another relevant factor is a community’s quality of life. Employers want to ensure that a community can provide a good quality of life for its employees. Quality of life can mean having things to do for all ages, walkability, healthcare accessibility, and many other things. Enid has made improvements over the years to enhance the quality of life with the trail system, downtown entertainment, public art, and two top-rated medical facilities.
The Enid Regional Development Alliance works with our partners to improve each of these key factors. Enid is a strong contender for many companies, and the future looks bright as we work to grow new jobs in the community.
