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PCDA STAFF......continued to work on several projects and industry fronts this week. There were tradeshows attended, PYE and pie gatherings, new product development, tall buildings tended and lots of writing, reading and re-writing as the EDA grant for the CIty Center renovations moves forward. A special thank you to our friends at the City for all of their work on this grant application. PoncaWorks helped the local Soroptimists put on a lunch for eighth grade girls at East Middle School, showing these soon to be high schoolers what career paths are available to them here in Ponca City. Calls were taken in the office, ideas were outlined and information on the upcoming Business Plan Competition Pitch-off were finalized. Keep reading for more details, pictures and upcoming events in our fair town.
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Manufacturing Spotlight - Tradeshows
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GRAPEVINE, TX… was the latest location to hear about Ponca City, Oklahoma. The Design 2 Part show is one of the largest "connect manufacturers with those needing manufacturing" trade show of it's kind. Three Ponca City companies and PCDA staff attended to see and be seen by those looking for well, parts. K&C Manufacturing, Precision Tool & Die and MICC talked to 100s of people, recorded information, answered questions and (keep your fingers and toes crossed) brought orders home with them. Is your company interested in participating in this type of networking? Contact Laurence in the PCDA office for the next opportunity, 580-765-7070 or lbeliel@goponca.com.
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MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE IN KENTUCKY...... people were hearing about a new product made right here in Ponca City: GateHands. For those of you who have not heard the story, this is an officially Made in Ponca City company. This father and daughter team make gate closures that actually keep farm gates from sagging. Get rid of the chains on your tube gates with any of these three types of closures. Want to know more? Check out the full story here or watch the video and see all the working parts at their website Gatehands.com. Congratulations to Gatehands for a successful National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky. Now, time to fill those orders.
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BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION &.....Pitch-off. Not sure where to start? Check out WWW.SBA.gov to see what a business plan entails, start gathering your information and get ready to Pitch Your Plan to a panel of judges. Did we mention prizes were involved? Yes, this is serious. Mark your calendar now, Tuesday, April 25th and stay tuned for more pointers right here. Don't know where to start? Sound to complicated? Need some help? Sign up for the April 4th class at Pioneer Tech Business Services. See flyer below for all the details. Feel free to forward this to others who might be ready to build their business plan and start practicing their Business Pitch.
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ANOTHER FACET OF PONCAWORKS... is the involvement in Ponca Young Employees (PYE) group. Last night PCDA hosted a PYE in the SKY event on the 5th floor of our newly acquired City Center building. We ate delicious homemade pies (from Crust & Cream Pie Shop) and played table top games. The room was loud with conversation and laughter, the crowd was a diverse slice of the different economies within Ponca, the pie was gone by the end of the night, and the 6th floor rooftop selfies lovingly named “roofies” were posted all over social media. The FOMO (read: fear of missing out) was strong with all those who didn’t come out, and for a roomful of millennial employees (the baby boomers may be shocked here) there was networking about things that have been accomplished and things getting done. Young workforce retention is a problem in many smaller communities; and this is our way of taking this particular bull by the horns. Making our young workforce feel connected, involved and valued will go a long way. As many of you who read these newsletters are employers in our community, I urge to you support your 20 somethings and 30 somethings to get involved in this group. Employees will feel valued that you care about their holistic experience (stop rolling your eyes – it’s important to us!!) and will create loyalty to your company!
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Presented by the Evans Children's Academy of Performing Arts
Tuesday, April 4: Prepare Your Business Plan
Pioneer Tech, BIS Bldg D101 (see flyer below)
April 7-8, 2017 Bison Bison Film Festival
Tuesday, April 25: Small Business Competition "Pitch Off"
More information to come, so stay tuned.
City Central Building is now leasing. Call Lori Henderson at 580-765-7070.
Eastman Building has two floors of customizable space. Call Eastin Properties 580-761-5610
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