Kathy Toppins
EDMOND — EDITOR’S NOTE: Throughout the week, The Edmond Sun will list the top stories of 2009 in several areas, continuing today with Business. Tuesday’s edition featured City Government. Upcoming pieces will look at, Education and Police and Fire.
1. Tax credit encourages home buying, building
First-time homebuyers rushed to enter into a contract in order to take advantage of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit. The last day to close on a home and receive the credit under the first program was Nov. 30.
Jeff Click, owner of Jeff Click Homes in Edmond and president of the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association, joined home builders across the nation who called on Congress to extend the tax credit and remove the first-time homebuyer limit.
On Nov. 6, after landslide votes in both houses of Congress, the president signed an extension and expansion of the tax credit. The credit was extended to property closings by June 30 and expanded to include a $6,500 credit to buyers who have owned and occupied their current homes for at least five years.
2. Cash for Clunkers increases car sales
for local dealers
On Aug. 22, the last Saturday of the Cash for Clunkers program, Edmond residents packed local car dealerships to take advantage of the rebates available from the $3 billion federal program.
Steve Hazelton, salesman with Bob Howard Honda, estimated that the program was responsible for about 80 percent of his sales. The program was so successful that some local dealers had few vehicles left on their lots by the final weekend.
Local dealers expressed concern when the government was slow to process dealer transactions, leaving dealers short $3,500 or $4,500 per transaction.
Trade-ins were crushed or shredded.
3. Proton Therapy Center opens on Memorial Road
Edmond patients have an additional weapon to fight cancer as Radiation Medicine Associates’ eight physicians began providing proton therapy in July at the new ProCure Proton Therapy Center, 5911 W. Memorial Road. The 60,000-square-foot proton treatment center is one of only six in the United States.
“Having local access to the facility is a huge advantage to cancer patients in our area,” said Dr. Lucius Doh, a Deer Creek resident and one of the radiation oncologists.
Adjacent to the proton center, the Integris Cancer Institute of Oklahoma celebrated its grand opening in November on the same campus.
Philip Lance, president of the cancer institute and an Edmond resident, said the shared campus offers a comprehensive approach to cancer care and delivery, all under one roof.
4. Dow Jones climbs above 10,000
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above the 10,000 mark on Oct. 14 for the first time since Oct. 3, 2008, and only seven months after sinking to a 12-year low of 6,547.05 on March 9.
“I think what’s much more impressive to me is not that we crossed that almost mythical 10,000-point mark, but there has been this steady increase and improvement in stock values,” said Mickey Hepner, associate professor of economics and director of the University of Central Oklahoma Policy Institute, and an Edmond Sun columnist.
“That reflects a growing confidence that the worst in our economy is behind us,” he said, “and that we are setting the stage for recovery at the end of this year and into next year.”
5. Guthrie-Edmond Regional Airport plans expansion
Through matching loans from the Edmond Economic Development Authority and the Logan County Economic Development Council, the Guthrie-Edmond Regional Airport plans to construct a 10-unit T-hangar. The Guthrie Industrial Development Authority, a separate public trust, will incur the debt.
The intergovernmental agreement is a “win-win” for both cities, said Janet Yowell, EEDA executive director. The majority of the planes at the airport are owned by Edmond residents. The goal is to have the hangars open for rental in May.
Airport Manager Aaron Barth, who has since left the position, said there’s a waiting list for companies wanting to build their own corporate hangars. The airport plans to extend the infrastructure for companies that want a ground lease and will fund their own construction.
The airport board also is looking at land acquisition for future expansion at the airport.
6. Low-speed, electric cars become best seller
More than 3,500 customers arrived when Heartland Outdoors, 1444 N. Kelly Ave., had its grand opening in August, before the gun and archery ranges opened. In September, salesman Cleo Land reported that archery equipment sales outpaced sales of firearms and accessories.
The biggest selling items, however, were low-speed, electric vehicles eligible for state and federal tax credits. Since that time, eligibility for state tax credits has been under question as various parties, including the Oklahoma Tax Commission, have argued the issue through lawsuits.
7. Edmond businesspeople commute to OKC on Expresslink
Riders on Edmond’s new Expresslink bus service between Edmond and Oklahoma city praise the service for being convenient, friendly and free. Most riders are businesspeople who report they can get to work in less time than it takes them to drive and park.
“That express service is intended to take the quickest route possible,” said Shannon Entz, Community Development Block Grant coordinator for Edmond. She said the route includes scheduled stops at the employment centers of Oklahoma City and Edmond. For travel between the two cities, the route is more flexible, allowing the bus to take the fastest of several possible routes.
8. Business use of social media
continues to grow
Edmond businesses, large and small, got on the social media bandwagon to reach their market audiences. Many now offer two-way communication through platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Jim Quillen, founder and chief executive officer of Connect Social Media, was one of two presenters at the Saxum Social Media Summit in August in Oklahoma City.
Quillen, of Edmond, said, “It takes time to set some of these up, but once they’re in place, you really have an opportunity to have very dynamic content all the time.”
9. Community mourns deaths of two prominent businessmen
Edmond Medical Center CEO Tayo Fichtl, 43, died unexpectedly of a massive heart attack on June 25. The loss of the caring and supportive community member saddened and shocked many Edmond residents.
“I think one of the biggest things that will be missed about him is he brought a whole new level of enthusiasm,” said Leslie Buford, director of communications and community relations at Edmond Medical Center.
Buford said Fichtl knew almost all of his 550 employees by their first names and not only kept up with them professionally, but also personally.
Another business leader, Sonic founder Troy N. Smith Sr., 87, died on Oct. 26 following a brief illness. Ralph Mason, who had known Smith for 47 years, described him as a “quiet, humble genius.”
At his death, Sonic reported that there were nearly 3,600 Sonic Drive-Ins located in 42 states.
Troy and his wife Dollie donated $3 million worth of Sonic Corporation stock to the University of Central Oklahoma in January 2007.
10. Frozen yogurt trend grows in Edmond
Already popular on the West Coast, frozen yogurt with healthy topping options has taken hold in Edmond. LuSh berries, 3217 S. Broadway; Orange Tree Frozen Yogurt, 1389 E. 15th St.; Pink Swirls, 301 S. Bryant Ave.; and Splash Frozen Yogurt, 2225 W. Edmond Road, all opened in the past year.
Customers are drawn to the shops by the variety of fresh yogurts and toppings available, some of them healthy.
