Tulsa Regional Chamber Comments on Tesla Selection
Courtesy Mike Neal
President and CEO, Tulsa Regional Chamber
“While it’s certainly disappointing Tulsa was not selected as the new home for Tesla, we congratulate our fellow-finalist, Austin. We thank Elon Musk and all of the Tesla leadership for their consideration of Tulsa, and we are optimistic we might still have the chance to partner with them in the future.
“A big part of what made us so competitive in this process was the extraordinary collaboration among our state, local, regional and tribal partners. We especially thank Gov. Kevin Stitt and Secretary of Commerce and Workforce Development Sean Kouplen for their tremendous work throughout this process. We also thank Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and the George Kaiser Family Foundation – especially Jeff Stava – for their commitment to showcasing our city and region.
“The publicity surrounding this project has been absolutely astonishing. Tulsa’s profile has been elevated substantially, and individuals and organizations that previously might not have given us a serious look now see our advantages – including a low cost of living and short commute times, as well as an eager, well-trained workforce, access to top engineering talent and a centralized location. Those advantages will no doubt resonate with other companies looking to expand or relocate.
“Tesla also saw an overwhelming outpouring of support from thousands and thousands of local citizens via social media and other means. Ours is a welcoming region, and though we might not have gotten Tesla, without a doubt other great new projects are still ahead. Northeast Oklahoma has seen big increases in economic development activity the past several years, and we’re optimistic that will continue. Tulsa beat out a host of other significantly larger, world-class cities to be a finalist for the Tesla project, and that has to mean great things for our future.”
For more information about the Tulsa Regional Chamber, visit tulsachamber.com.
