Retail sales are up in the city of Enid and all but three area county seats. Net taxable sales in Enid are up $1,611,427, in comparison to sales reported in May 2014, and sales tax revenue increased 2.3 percent, according to Oklahoma Tax Commission reports released Friday.  The city of Enid has received $2,543,273 in sales tax revenue this month - down from $2,486,874 a year ago - for sales occurring in late March and estimated sales for early April.  "It is a positive sign for the future. Any additional increase in sales tax benefits the city by providing funds to fix things," City Manger Jerald Gilbert said.  Overall receipts for this year show a 2.1 percent increase in sales tax revenue and a $7,511,581 increase in net taxable sales, when compared to receipts for the first five months of 2014.  Read more...

Enid's Regional Development Alliance's Executive Director, Brent Kisling, announced at the ERDA's Board of Directors meeting yesterday that it has partnered with JustGOODNews.BIZ (JGN) - America's first and only national news service dedicated solely to good economic from across the country - who's hiring, who's expanding, plus innovative companies and communities with great ideas.  JustGOODNews.BIZ strips away the negative so readers can find those positive business news stories and opportunities, state-by-state, sector-by-sector, free-of-charge.  "We spotlight companies and communities that, despite an often challenging economy, are turning ideas into paychecks and innovation our county can grow on - important communities like Enid," Kris Rush, the company's CEO  & Founder told ERDA's Board.  JGN has shared nearly 19,000 success stories with its national audience so far, 74 about Enid. "In Enid, we are constantly generating good news stories about our growing economy," Brent Kisling told his Board. "This new partnership will allow us to further amplify this information about Enid to an audience outside of our city limits and state boundaries.  Success breeds success and we believe that the more America hears about what is happening in Enid, the more they will want to be a part of it."  Read more...

Mississippi Lime isn't a new drink flavor at Sonic or Braum's, it is a vast limestone formation in northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas that has attracted the attention of some major oil and gas producers.  The Mississippi (or Mississippian) Lime play includes Garfield County, where drilling activity has dropped of late. "Mississippi Lime is our formation where they are drilling in this area," said Brent Kisling, executive director of Enid Regional Development Alliance. "We peaked out last fall at 80 active rigs. We are at 44 rigs today." The price of oil has factored into this decline, as the price of a barrel of crude has fallen from a high of more than $100 per barrel to the low $40-dollar range. The Mississippi Lime may not be as productive as some better-known oil plays, but it is cheaper to drill there, Kisling said. "It is not a very productive formation," he said, "not near as productive as the Bakken, but it is a very low-cost formation to drill into. The price of oil doesn't have to reach quite as high a level to get rigs starting back into the field." Lew Ward, chairman and founder of Ward Petroleum, said his company used to drill exclusively in the Mississippi Lime. Read more...

Main Street Enid Director Kelly Tompkins was named Program Manager of the Year at Oklahoma Main Street Center's 26th annual Main Street Awards banquet in Oklahoma City. Tompkins received the Watonga Bob Shoemaker Award, beating out the other two finalists, Janet Fitz, Woodward Main Street, and Melyn Johnson, Main Street Guymon. The award was presented Tuesday night at National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum.  "The Watonga Bob Shoemaker Award/Program Manager of the Year Award means a lot to me because the votes were from my peers, the other Main Street managers across Oklahoma," Tompkins said. Read more... 

A new call center is opening in Enid and bringing 150 jobs to the community. Stratus Contact Solutions, a division of ILD Corp., announced the opening of a new inbound call center in Enid Thursday morning.   "Stratus is the preeminent industry leader in providing multi-channel inbound sales and customer care solutions for our clients," according to a release from the company. "Stratus operates as a full-service, U.S.-based, specialized outsourced service provider."  "The expansion of our U.S. call center operation in Enid is validation of our strategy to provide quality multi-channel customer care and is in response to increased demand from clients," said Mike Lewis, chairman and CEO of ILD. Stratus selected Enid for its call center location because of its skilled work force, labor costs and collaborative approach to doing business with companies, according to the news release. "We are very excited about opening our call center in Enid," said Dennis Stoutenburgh, president and chief operating officer of ILD. Read more...

Two Enid residents entered the "Shark Tank" in Oklahoma City on Monday.  ABC's "Shark Tank," a show in which entrepreneurs present their business ideas to "shark" investors, teamed up with U.S. Cellular to host a casting call in Oklahoma City to find contestants for future episodes. Doug Wade, a clinically trained psychotherapist, and Sandra Ortega, an anesthesiologist at St. Mary's Regional Medical Center, waited in line all night in the rain and were the sixth Oklahomans to present that day. They began developing their concept, Sleep Standard, two years ago after Ortega began experiencing numbness in her hands after sleeping on her side.  "We developed a pillow for side sleepers," Wade said, adding that between their professions, the idea developed organically. The product accommodates a standard-sized pillow, but has an extension that rests under the arm against the rib cage, which relieves pressure on the shoulder.  Read more... 

Four finalists faced off Friday in the final round of the 2015 Cherokee Strip Business Model Competition at Oakwood Country Club.  Linda and Jerry Beguin won first place, receiving $10,000 and one year of services for their company, Spotted Cow Packaging, a co-packer for Made in Oklahoma Products. The Beguins also have Over the Fence Farms, a specialty canned goods and mixes company, stationed in the James W. Strate Center for Business Development at Autry Technology Center. Linda Beguin said she was not expecting to win first place. "We were hoping for second or third," she said. Thomas and Erica Miller, a brother-sister team, won second place, receiving $5,000 in seed money and services for their company, AllTerrain Electric, an electrical contractor based in Drummond. Trey Powell won third place, receiving $3,000 in seed money for his business and one year of services from the business development center. Step Up Training Systems is a special population fitness company that addresses speed and agility training in developing athletes and works with seniors. Nick John won fourth place, receiving $1,000 in seed money and one year of services from development center for his business, Game Shack, a mobile video game company that specializes in private events. He also received $500 for People's Choice. Read more...