OAA - Powered by SpiritBank
(Tulsa, Okla.) -- Albert Kelly said many people wonder what a bank has to do with the aerospace industry.
"People identify Oklahoma with energy and oil, and they also identify it with agriculture, but we don't in our own backyard realize the impact that aerospace has," said Kelly, president and CEO of SpiritBank. "We see the ability of a private institution like ours to become a prominent player in developing aerospace companies, and by doing that, as the saying goes, the rising tide will raise all boats."
SpiritBank re-established the Oklahoma Aerospace Alliance this year. The purpose of OAA is to provide a venue for Oklahoma aerospace companies to network and discuss what is needed to fuel the industry.
Mary E. Smith, director of OAA, said she was somewhat surprised when SpiritBank officials approached her about taking over the alliance.
"It was hard for me to grasp," she said. "Why would a bank, a non-aerospace company, want to spend time and money on this? But they convinced me they were serious."
Kelly said by helping strengthen the aerospace industry the bank can benefit from increased employment and business.
"We can look at aerospace as being a frontier for the bank, and a frontier for the state," he said. "We allow them to not be politically tied to anything."
The OAA is not a new entity, and has undergone several changes and formats throughout the years. Smith, who has 10 years' involvement in the aerospace industry, said the first version of OAA was unsuccessful because it was funded by the state. Using state money comes with a set of restrictions, and Smith said it provided an obstacle in meeting the industry's needs.
Tulsa launched its own aerospace alliance years ago, but encountered the same problems when funding came from the city.
"It's ideal to not have the director or the governing body subject to any political unit," she said. "It needs to be an agenda that actually serves the industry as opposed to the politician."
After SpiritBank expressed interest in re-establishing the alliance, Smith said she met with aerospace industry leaders to discuss the benefits of an alliance.
"There are a lot of efforts on the work force side and efforts to support the industry, but none of them are focused or funneled through one place," she said. "I think the reason for any kind of industry association is to see what we are, where do we want to go and to make sure people know about us."
Tulsa is home to several commercial aerospace companies and Oklahoma City has the military-related companies. Smith said the alliance is statewide and will serve all sectors. Specifically, there will be a focus on small to midsize companies that didn't have much of a voice, she said.
Joe Cole, general manager at Aircraft and Turbine Support, Inc., said as a smaller company in the aerospace industry, they decided to join the alliance to ensure their voice will be heard.
"We have to make sure our needs are being brought forward to the Capitol to make us more competitive," he said. "We need tax incentives to bring planes to Tulsa for maintenance for not only mine but other facilities."
Smith said the alliance will work with the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission and Oklahoma Aerospace Institute and the Department of Commerce.
In September, OAA will host meetings in Tulsa and Oklahoma City to discuss an agenda for the 2009 legislative session. She said the committee will narrow down the list to a couple of items the industry can support.
Ken Lackey, chairman and chief executive officer of Nordam, said the success of the Aerospace Industry Engineer Workforce bill shows a need for aerospace companies to work together.
"It's an opportunity for companies involved in aerospace to work toward a common goal and get to know each other while working toward that goal," Lackey said of the alliance. "For us it's a chance to get to know other companies involved in the aerospace business and its common problems."