Oklahoma Among U.S. Leaders in Personal Income Growth Aided in large part by its strong energy sector, Oklahoma trailed only Wyoming and New Mexico in per capita personal income growth in 2001, growing at a rate of 4.8 percent. Earnings in government, services, construction, transportation and public utilities were major contributors to growth in the state, as were business transfer payments. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Maryland repeated their rankings (in that order) as the states with the highest per capita incomes. The bottom five were Louisiana, Utah, Idaho, Alabama and South Carolina. However, the Southeast, along with the Mid-Atlantic, displayed a consistent strong growth trend in per capita income as a region.

        Stucky: We started an apprenticeship-type program that paid eight dollars an hour with health benefits, while you go to school 30 hours and work for the company 10 hours a week. You do that for one year, end up with 20 credit hours and have a job waiting for you that pays $45,000 to $60,000 a year. You become a "certified industrial technician." Before we took the word "maintenance" out of it, we had 25 applicants the first year. We're now starting our third year and we had 70.

        Stucky: There is a biotechnology cluster identified ranging from Stillwater through Oklahoma City down to Ardmore. And there is aerospace, plastics and distribution. The biotechnology sector is particularly strong in its emphasis on plant biology, doing research with NASA on gravitational pull on plants, which will later be used as they develop space stations. All of that research is being done in Oklahoma. It's an interesting combination.

        Reid: Aerospace has been pretty strong for a long time. We pioneered in aviation, and you have a significant presence in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. American Airlines has its largest operation in the world in Tulsa, and Boeing is in Tulsa too.

        Stucky: There is a lot of research being accomplished in the area of commercial rocket launching. Much of that is being coordinated out of Burns Flat, on a former military installation in western Oklahoma. They have a long runway and a lot of open space. Next year you'll see some rocket launching from Oklahoma.

        Stucky: We have seven offices now: in the Hague, Israel, Nigeria, Vietnam, China, Seoul and Mexico City. The targets for the international activity are primarily aerospace, automotive, and medical/biotech, and the primary targets for reverse investment are the European Union, Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

        Reid: We're moving into a lot of different markets. We have traditionally had oil and gas equipment sales, but that has expanded into transportation equipment and a variety of things, with a stronger emphasis on reverse investment.

        Gaskins: My contact in Tulsa from Boeing wrote me that "Oklahoma is unique among the 27 states in which Boeing does business. It serves as an excellent starting point for discussion with federal and state political delegations where public policy resulted. It has also served as a catalyst for various groups with an international interest." So evidently they see some value in where it's going.