What’s there not to like about jet-powered drone-maker Kratos Defense moving operations to Oklahoma?
In an editorial on Jan. 31, the Oklahoman writers said they “look forward to a day when the state’s workforce is such that the arrival of high-tech companies becomes the norm.”
The writers noted that Congressman Steve Russell, who had early talked with Kratos executives explained they knew little about Oklahoma at the time.
“It’s not that they had a bad opinion of Oklahoma, they just had no opinion of Oklahoma,” said Rep. Russell in an interview with the newspaper. After talks with Russell and other Oklahoma leaders, the company decided Oklahoma City would be its site for a manufacturing facility and 350 workers would be moved to the city.
Rep. Russell told The Oklahoman he wasn’t surprised by the decision.
“We have a great economy, an affordable tax base. We have a workforce that shows up most of the time—we’re hard-working people.”
“We can provide the technological and the engineering and the manufacturing (expertise). We have a long tradition of that – 100 years of the aviation industry, 100 years of oil and gas. We know about manufacturing and making things. … We’ve got a lot of things to talk about.”
Kratos President Steve Fendley agreed and was excited about possibly using the space port at Burns Flat.