The Journal Record > Print > Business Briefs: July 2, 2012

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Business Briefs: July 2, 2012

by Staff, Wire Published: June 29th, 2012 AT&T adds jobs in Tulsa TULSA AT&T plans to hire 20 customer service representatives for its Tulsa call center. The company plans to begin filling the jobs in July. AT&T has 4,000 employees statewide, said Charlie Price, company spokesman. AT&T also has a call center in Oklahoma City. The service representatives will be responsible for sales and support for new and existing AT&T customers. The 20 new employees announced Friday are in addition to 40 customer service representatives the company said it was adding in May. Wages for the jobs start at $10.67 to $14.57 per hour. Staff report Another auction set for country club BROKEN ARROW Williams & Williams has scheduled a second auction for Indian Springs Country Club in Broken Arrow at 3 p.m. July 10. The sellers decided to re-auction the property after the high bidder at the June 5 auction did not meet terms of the contract of sale, according to Tulsa-based Williams & Williams. Bidders on July 10 will be required to submit a bid deposit of $20,000. Our sellers remain committed to finding a new owner that is as passionate about running the country club as their father was before he passed away, said DC Roberts, Williams & Williams national director, distinctive and international sales. There are a number of parties interested in purchasing this special property and a private auction is the fairest approach to effectuating a sale. Developed in the 1960s, Indian Springs Country Club has two 18-hole golf courses including the River Course and the Windmill Course. The property also has a 38,000-square-foot clubhouse, tennis facilities and three swimming pools. The auction will take place in the boardroom at Williams & Williams headquarters at 7120 S. Lewis Ave. in Tulsa. The new buyer will need to close on the property on or before July 30. Staff report Boldt awarded national contract OKLAHOMA CITY General Motors has awarded the Boldt Co. a multi-year, nationwide construction management contract for small construction and maintenance projects for 28 manufacturing and warehouse facilities in 16 states. Boldts southern operations unit out of Oklahoma City will manage projects in the awarded regions, including East, South, Midwest and West using the project delivery-program

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The Journal Record > Print > Business Briefs: July 2, 2012

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management approach. Under the PDPM concept, Boldt is able to streamline work by acting as construction manager and design builder keeping all construction activity managed under a single, in-house source, said Steve Olson, group president of Boldts southern operations. Through this contract we are able to expand our presence with GM, as well as the PDPM program, which continues to create opportunities for us to manage capital projects across the country. Boldts new contract with GM will run for three years with possible extensions beyond 2015. Staff report OCC judge OKs ONG settlement OKLAHOMA CITY Monthly service charges will increase for Oklahoma Natural Gas customers under a $9.5 million rate case settlement that has been recommended for approval. Oklahoma Corporation Commission administrative law judge James Myles recommended adoption of the agreement reached by ONG, Attorney General Scott Pruitts office and a group representing industrial consumers. The settlement now goes to commission members for final approval. Monthly charges for residential customers will go up by nearly $12 annually. However, separate reductions in the fuel-cost portion of customer bills from lower natural gas prices mean most customer bills will decrease. ONG sought a $16.2 million rate increase to help fund $93 million in infrastructure improvements. ONG spokeswoman Cherokee Ballard said officials appreciate the law judges ruling. Associated Press CallMultiplier increases capacity OKLAHOMA CITY CallMultiplier has completed a system upgrade that more than doubles the capacity for its automated voice and text broadcasting system. The automated calling, texting and voice message delivery system is used by sports teams, businesses, churches, schools, political campaigns, staffing companies, clubs and civic groups. Since our entry into the enhanced communication services field, we have invested in excess of $2 million in building and improving the infrastructure that supports the CallMultiplier automated voice and text broadcast system, said Timothy J. Kilkenny, CEO of the Oklahoma City-based company. Staff report Grants approved for airport projects OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission has approved state funding totaling $1.3 million for airport projects across the state as part of its Capital Improvement Program. Muskogees Davis Field will receive a $500,000 Capital Improvement Program grant from the Aeronautics Commission to replace the airports existing terminal building at a cost $1.1 million. The city of Muskogee will provide $635,800 for the project. We have continued to make investments into our airport and with assistance from the Aeronautics Commission, we will continue to make major improvements and grow our airport, said Greg Buckley, Muskogee city manager. Buckley said the airport, which was named Oklahomas airport of the year for 2011 by the

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The Journal Record > Print > Business Briefs: July 2, 2012

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Federal Aviation Administration, has added a hangar in recent years and is in discussions about adding another hangar because of increased demand. The commission approved a $400,000 Capital Improvement Grant for the city of Perry allocated for the rehabilitation of the runway at Perry Municipal Airport. The city will provide $44,444 for the rehabilitation project. State officials said the runway surface is currently experiencing some cracking due to a combination of age and weathering and will need an overlay to extend the life of the pavement. Perry City Manager Jon Cameron said the grant from the Aeronautics Commission, coupled with a previous grant award from the FAA, will allow the city of Perry to complete the runway resurfacing as one project. The city of Guymon was awarded a $400,000 grant from the commission that will be used to rehabilitate taxiways, taxilanes and aprons within the T-hangar area at Guymon Regional Airport. The citys share of the entire project is $44,444. Aviation officials cite significant deterioration of the pavements as a reason for the rehabilitation project. If it not corrected soon, aircraft run a greater risk of being damaged by loose gravel and rocks produced by the distressed pavements, they said. Without the grants from the Aeronautics Commission and the federal government, we could not have improved the airport as fast as we did. Its important that we keep the airport safe and looking professional, and we have tried to do just that with these and other grants, said Guymon City Manager Ted Graham. The Guymon airport is used as an economic development tool for the area, Graham said, especially since there has been a rise in traffic from various industries such as agriculture, oil and gas, wind energy and, more recently, the bioscience industry. We also have two air ambulances landing here that can transport patients to either Oklahoma City or Amarillo, which is extremely critical for our community, Graham said. Staff report Wind energy workshop set July 14 WOODWARD A wind energy leasing program workshop is scheduled July 14 at High Plains Technology Center in Woodward. The workshop is for landowners who may be approached for wind energy development, said Shannon Ferrell, assistant professor of agricultural law at Oklahoma State University. We want to provide landowners an opportunity to learn the basics of the electrical industry and how wind energy fits into that, Ferrell said. We also want them to learn what it takes for the landowners and the developers to have a successful wind energy project and to help landowners make informed decisions when entering into a wind energy lease. Landowners need to know how they are getting paid for the agreement, in addition to what will happen after the agreement is over. The workshop is free, but participants are requested before July 6 by calling the OSU Cooperative Extension office in Woodward at (580) 254-3391. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the workshop will conclude at 4:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided by Oklahoma Gas and Electric. Staff report Small business summits set

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The Journal Record > Print > Business Briefs: July 2, 2012

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OKLAHOMA CITY A series of small business and small manufacturer summits will start July 25. Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb, in partnership with The State Chamber, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance, will be the host for the summits. We have the knowledge, experience and backbone to be relevant and competitive in economic development, but its obvious there are still some obstacles, said Lamb. The summit scheduled include July 25, Oakwood Country Club in Enid; Aug. 1, Doubletree Warren Place in Tulsa; Sept., Rural Enterprises of Oklahoma Inc. in Durant; Oct. 18, Fairfield Inn in Lawton; Oct. 25, Tri County Technology Center in Bartlesville; and Oct. 30, Jim Thorpe Event Center in Oklahoma City. This is a great opportunity to work together with small businesses to pinpoint the key issues areas they see as obstacles and then find solutions, said Fred Morgan, State Chamber president and CEO. We want to be able to compile the ideas and suggestions from these summits and turn that feedback into results at the Capitol. Staff report Embassy Suites completes renovation OKLAHOMA CITY The Embassy Suites Oklahoma City-Will Rogers World Airport, 1815 S. Meridian Ave., has completed a $5.5 million renovation. The hotel has 236 guest rooms. The combination of overstuffed leather furnishings, natural stone finishes, and textured wood create a true Oklahoma-style welcome for all guests, said Eugene Seyler, general manager. With all new furnishings and soft goods, each suite includes a sofa bed, armchair, mini-refrigerator, microwave oven and a table with complimentary wireless Internet access. Each suite has two flat-screen TVs. The hotel has 12,000 square feet of renovated meeting space, including a 5,940-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate up to 400 people for a reception. Staff report
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