Creating
jobs and economic opportunities for our citizens in northeast Oklahoma is critical
to Cherokee Nation’s continued success. We are creating Cherokee Nation jobs as
we expand our businesses and reach into new markets and new industries. But
equally important is our growing tendency to partner with the Oklahoma governor’s
office and department of commerce to position the 14 counties of the Cherokee
Nation as an ideal place to grow, expand and relocate.
Recently,
the tribe’s career services department hosted a job fair for the Macy’s
fulfillment center in Owasso. While Macy’s has announced some of its U.S.
stores will close due to increasing online sales, more Americans shopping
online is actually good news for the fulfillment center. The center has the
capacity to stock, pack and ship as many as 250,000 packages a day for shoppers
all over the United States during the peak holiday shopping season and they’ve
asked our staff to help find more than 3,500 workers to meet that increased
demand. That’s up from the 2,500 employees we helped recruit last holiday
season. Those new jobs are in addition to the 1,000 full-time positions created
when Macy’s opened its 2.1 million-square-foot facility last year.
The
company has made hiring Cherokees a priority, which is why we worked so hard to
recruit Macy’s to Oklahoma. This success story was the result of a partnership
between Cherokee Nation, the city of Owasso, Tulsa County and the state of
Oklahoma. Without Cherokee Nation at the negotiating table, the deal would not
have worked out and the center may have gone to Texas. It speaks volumes that a
respected 100-year-old retailer has come to understand the value of working
with a Native American tribe, and has put faith in us that we’ll deliver. The
Macy’s partnership has been transformative for Oklahoma, our communities and
families.
We
recently announced similar good news in Nowata County. With the help of
Cherokee Nation, 260 new jobs will soon be coming to South Coffeyville.
Star
Pipe Products, a Texas-based company that specializes in manufacturing, casting,
machining, metal fabrication, assembly and production of customized cast iron and
ductile iron products, will grow its workforce from its current staff of 88
current workers to nearly 350.The company's direct investment will be more than
$40 million into the local community and we will play our role in ensuring
their new staff is trained and prepared to fulfill the opportunity.
Like
Macy’s, Cherokee Nation's career services department help Star Pipe recruit and
train a quality workforce so that many of those new hires will be Cherokee. Star
Pipe will infuse critical payroll and infrastructure dollars into South
Coffeyville and all of Nowata County. That will improve the lives of area
families for years to come.
Star
Pipe and the new jobs coming with it is again directly attributable to the
collaborative efforts between the Cherokee Nation, state and local governments.
We have proven our willingness to play our role in training or helping with
infrastructure needs if it will help grow the area’s economy. Together, we all
play a role in making economic opportunities possible.
Attracting
new business, industry and investments in the region remains a priority for the
tribe. Good, quality jobs make our families, our schools and the entire
Cherokee Nation stronger. Securing the Macy’s and Star Pipe expansions are both
big wins for the Cherokee Nation and our communities. It shows that with the
power of partnerships anything is possible in Oklahoma’s effort to expand
economic development. Every job created in our 14 counties doesn't have to be a
Cherokee Nation job. As long as Cherokees are gainfully employed, that’s a step
in the right direction.
For more
information on career services programs or to find out about job fairs in your
area, call (918) 453-5555 or email career-services-dept@cherokee.org.
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