Chamber announces strategic plan updates, OIEP wins and site visits; community praised as growing economic hub

Stillwater — Carrie Moore of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce presented the chamber's new strategic plan and several recent economic-development successes at the Aug. 18 meeting, including support for local businesses applying to the Oklahoma Innovation Expansion Program and hosting Select Oklahoma site-selection professionals. Moore said the chamber partnered with Meridian Technology Center and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce on outreach for OIEP, which reimburses qualifying businesses via payroll-tax credits for investments tied to job creation. She reported that local outreach helped multiple Stillwater firms submit applications during the program's two-week window; the chamber credited Meridian for application assistance and noted 17 local businesses worked with the partners and received awards in the current round. Moore said the community has seen site visits increase and that hosting Select Oklahoma gave regional site selectors a close look at downtown assets, the airport and community amenities. The chamber also presented a focused industry targeting approach based on NAICS analysis and said it will publish a recruitment video at the mayor's State of the City event in September. Moore highlighted the chamber's collaboration with city staff and Meridian on workforce and training partnerships tied to new major investments and said business retention and expansion work remains a priority. Why it matters: The chamber's outreach and partnership work amplifies state-level incentives for local firms and supports recruitment and workforce training that could influence future private investment. Next steps: The chamber will publish the strategic plan materials online, release the recruitment video in September and report further site-visit outcomes in subsequent updates.