Oil-field equipment manufacturer expanding

The company makes centralizers, which keep a drilling bit in the center of the well bore during oil and natural gas drilling operations.

Centek opened its operations this summer with one manufacturing line. In September, Centek President John Carnuccio said the company had about 50 employees and hoped in about a year to add a second assembly line.

“We're probably about six months ahead of where we thought we would be,” Carnuccio told The Oklahoman on Thursday. “We're in a hiring mode and pretty much have been continuously.”

Carnuccio said the company expects to add 24 positions over the next few months to support the second line, which should be operational by spring.

“Then we will be looking at line three,” he said. “We don't have any hard plans at this point, but by this time next year, we could be running that third line.”

Centek is the sister company to the British manufacturer by the same name, which ships centralizers to 46 countries. The Oklahoma City site makes parts that are shipped throughout North America.

The accelerated growth plan provides a boost to the city and state, said Kurt Foreman, executive vice president for economic development at the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce.

“It's great to have an international company as a part of that equation,” he said. “That shows how important energy is globally and that we can be a key part of that here in our region and in our city.”