A 1947 and a 2007 Oklahoma business recruitment book are compared side-by-side. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN
"I doubt that you would find very many publications like this from other states and cities at that time.”
Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce
Call it an economic time capsule.
A forgotten business recruitment book from 60 years ago, found at an antique store, shows a surprising level of sophistication and detail and is turning heads at the Oklahoma Commerce Department and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber.
The 60-page book, "Factors Favoring Business Expansion in Oklahoma,” was produced by the now-defunct Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board and contains many of the same lists and tables in this year's "Oklahoma's Advantage for Business Location.”
Roy Williams, president of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, guesses an army of people were needed to produce the book, which detailed distribution facilities, transportation, labor, industrial fuels, power, water, production materials, research, industrial sites, climate and trends in taxes and laws, incentives and Oklahoma's competitive edge against other states.
"This was a lot of work,” Williams said. "I'm proud that 60 years ago they were as comprehensive as they were. Probably, at that time, these 12 areas are the needs that tended to be what they saw people were needing to base their decisions on. And compared to today, there are many similarities. The bible of economic development today is companies are focused on access to markets, access to work force, and access to resources or supplies.”
The 1947 book was released when the state's population totaled 2.3 million, compared with 3.4 million today. Agricultural workers accounted for 24 percent of the state's work force, compared with just 4 percent today.
The state in 1947 boasted of employers including Westinghouse, Pyrex and Armour. Today's book boasts of Devon Energy, Sonic, Quik Trip and Dollar Rent A Car.
Williams said such books contain information critical to luring businesses, and the chamber has a full-time data analyst on staff to produce materials customized for new leads. He estimates reports are produced daily.
The 1947 book was found by businessman Gary Berlin while he was shopping at a northwest Oklahoma City antique shop.
"I read the cover, looked through it, and thought ‘gosh, this is awfully neat,'” Berlin said.
The book's publisher, the Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board, is not an existing state agency, but news archives show the board was active in economic recruitment, issuance of industrial bonds and special events during the post-World War II era.
Sandy Pratt, deputy director for business services at the state Commerce Department, suspects the board was a predecessor to her own agency.
Pratt notes the state now tailors its reports to recruit both out-of-state employers and convince existing Oklahoma companies to expand operations.
"This appears to be a mix of internal and external messages,” Pratt said. "It's more of a snapshot, talking about existing industry but also resources for new and existing industry.”
Like Williams, Pratt was surprised by the publication's thoroughness.
Pratt's office still compiles and supplies information about power grids, water resources, highways, air and rail links — details all including in the 1947 publication. She said her publications detail locations of higher education sites, compared to a more specific map of research labs printed in 1947.
She also was amused that the 1947 publication promoted tax incentives and friendly business laws — the very same pitch made by her agency today.
"They're talking about quality of life — we do that,” Pratt said. "They're talking about available resources — and we do that.”
And while Pratt's agency doesn't publish a map showing labor strikes, they do create lists of labor activity on request.
"It is a factor,”
