As a region, northeast Oklahoma accomplished much in 2024.
With the ongoing support of our members, regional communities and tribal partners, the Tulsa Regional Chamber was proud to be part of those accomplishments. From economic development…to regional tourism…to government affairs…to community development, here’s a closer look at some of the highlights from 2024.
Economic Development
Tulsa’s Future is the regional economic development partnership led by the Chamber. In 2024, Tulsa’s Future and its partners brought more than $2 billion of new capital investment to northeast Oklahoma, and supported the creation of more than 2,800 jobs with an average salary above $64,000.
Business retention
Charting a course for the next 50 years, Webco Industries celebrated a new facility named after its founder. Close to 200 people turned out for the christening of the 72,000-square-foot F. W. Weber Leadership Campus in Sand Springs.
Wisconsin-based Greenheck Group is constructing the seventh building on its Tulsa campus. With 640 local employees, Greenheck plans to add another 300 in the next five years.
American Airlines operates the world’s largest commercial aviation maintenance facility right here in Tulsa. American already has more than 5,000 employees and announced it will add 600 more high paying jobs to its local operations.
Business attraction
Givt, a tech company founded in The Netherlands, established its U.S. headquarters in Tulsa. Givt is a digital giving app that organizes, prioritizes and maximizes charitable efforts, even showing members how to join impact groups.
NorSun, a Norwegian solar energy company, announced plans to invest $620 million into a facility at Tulsa International Airport, the company’s first U.S. location. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust (TAIT), the Tulsa Regional Chamber and the City of Tulsa facilitated the expansion, which will encompass a new 5-gigawatt silicon ingot and solar wafer manufacturing facility that is expected to create 320 jobs. The factory will provide critically needed domestic production of ingot and wafer capacity to meet the increasing demand from U.S. solar cell and panel manufacturers, supporting growth of the renewable energy sector.
Stardust Power announced the second largest economic development deal in state history, a $1.2 billion, 1,000 job, battery-grade lithium refinery/processing plant to be built at Port Muskogee. The lead was generated by Tulsa’s Future when the CEO reached out via LinkedIn based on marketing activities.
And Crusoe Energy Systems, an AI-infrastructure company, is investing $10 million into a Tulsa manufacturing facility that will create 100 jobs in its first year. Founded in 2018, Crusoe has dual headquarters in Denver and San Francisco and operates in seven states and three countries. Its facility in Tulsa will encompass roughly 120,000 square feet and manufacture critical elements of data center infrastructure, such as switchgear.
Chamber economic development personnel led a Tulsa-area delegation that made a business trip to the Bay Area of California in April. The group met with site consultants and seven companies stretching from San Francisco to San Jose, building relationships, learning about industry trends and sharing economic development opportunities available in the Tulsa region.
A Tulsa’s Future delegation also traveled to New York City in June, meeting with 12 site consultants. Representing the Chamber were Justin McLaughlin, the Chamber’s executive Vice President and COO, and Stacy Smith, a senior director of economic development. They were accompanied by Neil Dailey, executive vice president of McGraw Commercial Properties and Amber Miller, vice president of business resources at the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation.
Workforce and talent development
This year’s Tulsa’s NextGEN Talent (TNT) cohort – the fourth since the program launched in 2021 – featured 29 externs and a five-member executive leadership team. A total of 15 local employers participated.
The Chamber added a twist to its TNT Expansion initiative. For the first time, employer representatives from Tulsa joined the Chamber’s workforce and talent strategies team on a trip to Missouri colleges and universities in April.
The Chamber partnered with national nonprofit Engineering Tomorrow to champion a virtual Northeast Oklahoma STEM Day on April 22. More than 2,200 students participated from 19 area high schools.
Regional Tourism
Tourism continues to be a strong economic driver for our region. The hard work and commitment of the Chamber’s regional tourism team, board members, volunteers and investors generated tremendous financial and cultural impact during 2024.
Housed at the Tulsa Regional Chamber, Tulsa Regional Tourism includes Visit Tulsa (for leisure travel), the Tulsa Convention & Visitors Bureau (for meetings and conventions), the Tulsa Sports Commission (for pro and amateur sports), and the Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture (for creative industries).
During the 2023-24 fiscal year, regional tourism generated more than $327 million of economic impact, and nearly $5 million in lodging tax revenue.
At Destination International’s annual convention in Tampa, Fla., Tulsa Regional Tourism officially earned reaccreditation with the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). Also at the convention, President of Tulsa Regional Tourism Renee McKenney received the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) accreditation, the tourism industry’s highest individual educational achievement.
Leisure travel
The Chamber led a delegation of more than 100 Tulsans who visited New York City in April. The group, which included local business leaders and former Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, saw the Broadway premiere of “The Outsiders: A New Musical” and met with prospective companies, site selectors and national media to boost Tulsa’s profile.
During 2024, Tulsa became the official Capital of Route 66, positioning the city to play a key role in the national Centennial celebration in 2026. For the third consecutive year, Tulsa’s Expo Square played host to the AAA Route 66 Roadfest. The celebration of the Mother Road attracted visitors from all over the world, including Japan, Germany and Scotland.
Tulsa Regional Tourism and key partners held the “Big Dam Party” to celebrate the opening of the renovated Zink Lake, the new Tulsa Wave Park and the Williams Crossing pedestrian bridge. One-hundred-thousand people visited Gathering Place during the four-day event.
Meetings and conventions
The Tulsa Convention and Visitors Bureau secured Tulsa to host the 2026 National Tour Association Travel Exchange and further cemented Tulsa’s standing as an equine hub, hosting more than a dozen events.
For the second consecutive year, the National Reined Cow Horse Association held its MARS Hackamore Classic in Tulsa. The weeklong event, which brings an estimated $4.7 million of total economic impact, featured the second year of the “World’s Greatest Non Pro” category.
And the tourism team continued to advocate for a convention center hotel. The process started in 2024 and should be completed in 2029.
Pro and amateur sports
For the 38th year, Tulsa hosted the Chili Bowl Nationals racing event, attracting 20,000 visitors to Expo Square and generating an economic impact of more than $31 million.
Leveraging the new WeStreet Ice Center, the Tulsa Sports Commission hosted the ESPN-covered World Axe & Knife Throwing Championships, which featured 400 athletes from 28 states and four countries.
Another successful Big 12 Wrestling Championship and four separate youth events maintained Tulsa as the “amateur wrestling capital of the world.” The Big 12 Conference and the Tulsa Sports Commission announced that the Big 12 Wrestling Championship will remain at Tulsa’s BOK Center through 2028. Tulsa has hosted the tournament since 2017, and the 2024 Big 12 Wrestling Championship was the eighth consecutive championship at the site.
The Bassmaster Classic, the “Super Bowl” of bass fishing, took place for the third time at the BOK Center, generating an economic impact of $20 million.
The Tulsa Sports Commission and USA BMX were part of another high-level event at the Hardesty National BMX Stadium in Tulsa. The competition was one of three qualifiers for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and the only such event in the United States.
Tulsa hosted the only teqball event in the United States in 2024 in June. Teqball is played on a curved table, combining elements of kick volleyball with table tennis.
Six of the top 10 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking teed it up at Southern Hills Country Club for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Tournament. All told, 13 players ranked in the top 25 were in Tulsa.
It was announced that The Patriot Golf Club in Owasso will host a Korn Ferry Tour tournament for the next three years beginning in 2025. Korn Ferry is the development tour for the PGA Tour. The Compliance Solutions Champion will start its three-year run starting Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2025.
It was also announced that, for the ninth time in city history, Tulsa will play host to the NCAA's Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. First- and second-round games will be played at the BOK Center in 2028, marking the fourth time since 2011 that tournament games have been played at the facility.
Creative industries
The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts and Culture– Tulsa FMAC –assisted with the welcome and location scout for the Broadway cast, crew and producers of the Tony Award-winning Outsiders musical.
Coinciding with its fourth annual “Tulsa Music Month,” Tulsa FMAC launched “Tulsa on Tour,” an ambassadorship program designed to help musicians offset costs of travel and taking their acts on the road.
The “Tulsa House” at Austin’s South by Southwest festival showcased 19 local bands and musicians over two days alongside film and workforce panels.
Tulsa FMAC assisted with 49 film and TV projects, generating 233 production days, more than $13.7 million in local spend, and work for 264 local crew members.
The Texas chapter of the Recording Academy held its first board meeting outside Texas in Tulsa. Board members were taken on an Experience Tulsa trolley tour that included stops at the Bob Dylan Center, 3CG Studio and the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, where more than 100 guests attended a mixer and enjoyed performances from local artists.
Government Affairs
Throughout 2024, the Tulsa Regional Chamber partnered with Tulsa County’s two major political parties and the Tulsa County Election Board to promote the Adopt a Precinct initiative, which encourages businesses to promote civic engagement by allowing their employees paid time off to serve as poll workers on election days.
During 2024, the Tulsa region continued to see progress in many areas, and the Chamber was proud to represent the local business community in a number of advocacy wins.
The Chamber’s advocacy work is guided by the OneVoice Regional Legislative Agenda, which is developed annually through the collaboration of more than 500 individuals representing hundreds of businesses and more than 75 chambers of commerce, municipalities, counties, and economic development organizations.
The OneVoice agenda prioritizes items in three categories: ensuring a prosperous economy, building infrastructure critical to business, and educated and healthy workforce. During 2024, there were wins in each of these areas.
ENSURING A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY
Creation of the division on Economic Development, Growth and Expansion (EDGE) to oversee the state’s economic development efforts and the Community Outreach and Revitalization Enterprise (CORE), focusing on the long-term development of local communities to increase competitiveness and enhance economic opportunities.
Appropriation of $1.5 million for the revolving fund for the Oklahoma Civil Rights Trail.
Building infrastructure critical to business
The past year saw a major win on a longtime OneVoice priority when Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed off on a $50 million state appropriation for repairs to the Tulsa/West Tulsa Levee System.
EDUCATED AND HEALTHY WORKFORCE
Appropriation of $1 million to fund the Oklahoma Workforce Commission, unlocking $4 million of ARPA funding.
Permission was obtained for incarcerated persons who are within five years of release to receive state tuition aid grants for certain higher education programs.
2024 also saw establishment of a pathway to fund a pilot program that would expand opportunities to invest in Oklahoma’s mental health workforce.
Community Development
Through the work of Mosaic – the Chamber-led coalition of individuals and organizations that celebrate diversity, champion equity and cultivate inclusion within the regional business community – and TYPROS – the young professionals organization housed at the Chamber – tremendous effort was devoted during 2024 to improving quality of life and increasing equitable opportunities across northeast Oklahoma.
Quality of life
The Chamber partnered with the Healthy Minds Policy Initiative on a study that illustrates how investment in behavioral health benefits the community.
The Tulsa Regional Chamber completed its 2024 Intercity Visit, the 15th in an annual series of visits to peer cities to learn best practices and hear success stories. The destination was Detroit, Michigan, and more than 125 attendees from across northeast Oklahoma – including city and county elected officials, business leaders, regional partners, education administrators and young professionals – participated in the three-day event in early October. Panel discussions focused on a variety of topics, including affordable housing, downtown and riverfront development, and regional branding.
Equitable opportunities
The Tulsa region continued to grow more diverse in 2024. Throughout the year, the Chamber continued to see increasing inclusivity in the businesses and organizations that call Tulsa home. To best assess the state of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the region, the Chamber asks its members to complete the Mosaic Inclusive Workplace Index. Taken annually by dozens of Tulsa-area companies and organizations, the Mosaic Inclusive Workplace Index quantifies the region’s progress toward inclusivity and equity. The index results provide both macro-level insights and tailored feedback for participants to help them improve their own DEI efforts. Of those organizations participating in the index:
- 91% said DEI is one of their organization’s stated values and/or priority areas
- 90% said leaders within their company communicate about the internal value of DEI
- 89% said their organization publicly communicates information about its diversity goals and/or values
- 49% said leaders communicate about the value of DEI when discussing the organization's business strategy and goals
TYPROS hosted 918 Lead, a nonpartisan bootcamp to prepare young Tulsans to run for public office. The program included current and former elected officials, campaign managers and political experts, all of whom spoke with the group about the merits and challenges of running for and holding public office.
Speaking of TYPROS, community and business leaders across numerous industries shared their expertise with young professionals at the annual All Access networking event. All Access is a vertical networking event that gives young professionals the chance to have informal conversations with leaders in a roundtable setting.
Looking ahead
As your partner in prosperity, the Tulsa Regional Chamber looks back proudly at all that was accomplished in 2024.
The ongoing investment of Chamber members made these accomplishments possible.
Thank you to all of our city, county, regional, state, and tribal partners for their collaboration.