Oklahoma companies pledge 169 new jobs

SouthWest Nanotechnologies makes single-wall carbon nanotubes for use in electronics like touch screen televisions and cell phones, along with other applications, said chief financial officer John Whorton.

Rebates available

He said 39 new jobs are planned in coming years, qualifying the company for up to $1.2 million in payroll rebates through the Quality Jobs program. The jobs will be high-paying — some earning $100,000 or more a year — and include scientists with advanced college degrees.

About 12 people work now at the company's Norman plant, but that number soon will double, Whorton said.

The company was founded in 2001 by University of Oklahoma professor Daniel Resasco, who patented a process to make nanotubes, which are hollow cylinders the diameter of approximately one nanometer, or a billionth of a meter.

"We have focused a great deal of effort into delivery systems that provide our end unit to customers," Whorton said.

Meanwhile, DolgencorpLLC, which operates the distribution center for Dollar General stores in Ardmore, plans to add 130 jobs over the next decade. That would qualify the company for up to $1.9 million in payroll rebates.

The center serves stores in a multistate area, including Oklahoma.