It is the end of 2018 and like many organizations, the Ardmore Development Authority is taking an opportunity to look back over the last 12 months. It was a busy year for our entire team with new projects and many accomplishments.
In late 2017 the ADA initiated an in-depth labor study of the Ardmore area with a team from Site Selection Group, an industrial site location firm out of Dallas. Finalized in July 2018, the study has provided us two important pieces of information. First, data such as skill sets, education levels, and other key pieces of information that help us show Ardmore’s workforce to potential employers looking to expand or relocate their business. The study has also provided our team with a strategic plan for further industrial expansion and recruitment. As a result of the study, we are more intentional in activities from trade show attendance to industrial recruitment.
This year the ADA also completed an overhaul of our website, www.ardmoredevelopment.com. The new website is geared toward industrial and corporate site selectors with demographic and community information. The new site also has a section for available commercial and industrial properties in the area that anyone can view and add a property on the market.
The last 12 months also saw the completion of two major projects at the Ardmore Industrial Airpark. Formerly the Ardmore Army Airbase, many of the buildings and hangars were originally built during the World War II era of the 1940s. The largest hangar at the Airpark, currently home to King Aerospace, had not been updated since the 1960s. This year the electric system as well as the large hangar doors were fully modernized.
In October we celebrated the dedication of the modernized Control Tower at the Airpark. Over a three-year period, the Control Tower was expanded and everything from entry doors to the instrumentation was upgraded. As an FAA Contract Tower, this modernization allows the Airpark to continue to serve military as well as growing general aviation traffic.
In looking ahead to 2019 helping our existing business and industry partners, no matter their size, will remain a constant in our activities. The last two years have brought renewed attention to Ardmore and the surrounding communities. Over the next 12 months we will continue promoting Ardmore as a community open for business.
Andrea Anderson
Director of Marketing & Industry Relations for the Ardmore Development Authority
