There are many great things to do around Claremore. A few of them happen at the Claremore Performing Arts Center. Here is a list of upcoming shows in February:

Picture courtesy of Claremore PAC

2/02 – CHS Band – Rogers County Honor Band – Main Theatre – 7:00 PM

2/06 – CHS & WRJH Bands – NBDA Junior High Honor Band Clinic/Concert – Main Theatre – 7:00 PM

2/09 – CHS Student Council – Guest Speaker for student body – Main Theatre – 8:45 AM

2/10 – CHS Junior Class of 2011 ASVAB Test – Main Theatre – 8:30 AM

Picture Courtesy of Claremore PAC

2/13 – “Sweet Dreams” A Patsy Cline Tribute – Main Theatre – 7:00 PM – $45 Lower Orchestra; $35 Upper Orchestra & $25 Balcony – $10 discount per ticket for groups of 10 or more!

2/14 – “Sweet Dreams” A Patsy Cline Tribute – Main Theatre – 2:00 PM – $45 Lower Orchestra; $35 Upper Orchestra & $25 Balcony – $10 discount per ticket for groups of 10 or more!

2/16 – WES Kindergarten Program – Main Theatre – 7:00 PM

Picture Courtesy of Claremore PAC

2/20 – The Taffetas – Main Theatre – 8:00 PM – $45 Lower Orchestra; $35 Upper Orchestra & $25 Balcony – Ask about group discounts!

2/25 – CHS & WRJH Band – Mid Winter Jazz Band Festival – Main Theatre – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

2/26 – CHS & WRJH Band – Mid Winter Jazz Band Festival – Main Theatre – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

For more information and to double-check dates visit http://www.claremorepac.org/

You can see it at work in every great city. But it won’t be stated as the deciding factor for a business choosing to locate in the area. It isn’t tangible. It can’t be measured. But every progressive city needs it and must have this characteristic in order to move forward and realize future opportunities: Faith.

With over 60 churches in Claremore Oklahoma, is it any wonder that faith is a major part of the success and character of Claremore. Faith maintains that our city and region will continue to charge ahead and become everything that we can be. It maintains that the future will be bright for our city and for our families in spite of sometimes difficult circumstances. This kind of faith enables entrepreneurs and business owners to believe in themselves and move their organizations forward. Faith moves community leaders to continue expecting more from themselves and for their city.

No great city is an accident. Cities that move forward ultimately believe that they will realize future opportunities and act accordingly. Faith is paramount to successful economic development. It is the basis for our efforts, and it is why we know the best is yet to come.

www.claremoreusa.com

In every city and region there are distinct business location advantages and disadvantages. Claremore has many geographical advantages for businesses and residents. Geography is just one of the 20 things to love about Claremore.

Central Location
Claremore provides outstanding central access to many metropolitan cities and states in the continental US. Consider this; Claremore is a 1 day drive (8 hours) to 15 metropolitan cities and 13 states. Not impressed yet. Claremore is a 2 day drive to 64 metropolitan cities and 28 states. Businesses can find 2 day truck access to Mexico or Canada. Whether you are a family in search of the next great road trip or a business seeking a central location, Claremore provides many distinct logistical benefits.

Transportation
At the center of Eastern Oklahoma’s I-44 Corridor, Claremore provides direct access to Interstate 44, Route 66 and highways 20 and 88. For air travelers, both the Claremore Regional Airport (8 miles) and Tulsa International Airport (22 miles) are easily accessible. In addition to great road and air access, Claremore is less than a 15 minute drive from the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, one of the largest inland waterways in the US. The Tulsa Port of Catoosa provides a cost-effective waterway transportation option to area businesses.

Energy
For many years Oklahoma has been a center of corporate oil and gas activity. Perhaps no region has had more success with Oil and Gas Pump production than the Tulsa Metropolitan area. These companies are in abundance in Claremore and represent more than 1500 jobs. Now in addition to the large presence of the oil and gas industry Eastern Oklahoma welcomes green industries like wind energy production and others. No other state knows energy like Oklahoma. With the recent advances in green technologies and with energy talent already in place, Oklahoma is well positioned for future energy success.

Climate
Oklahoma offers perhaps the nation’s most diverse terrain. According to the EPA with 11 eco-regions, Oklahoma is one of only four states with more than 10. Adorned by lakes, rivers and streams, this diversity of terrain provides unlimited recreational opportunities to residents and visitors.

Claremore does in fact offer many unique benefits to residents, businesses, and site selection professionals. With such an outstanding array of geographic advantages, the only question left to ask is, “When can we expect to see you here?”

Executive Director
CIEDA
www.claremoreusa.com

Claremore Recreation Center

The Claremore Recreational Center is an asset to the entire community.  The impressive property is outfitted with something for the whole family.

The huge Junior Olympic size indoor swimming pool is used year round.  It is perfect for swimming laps, playing with your family or having a great birthday party for your child.  They offer lifeguard training programs as well as swim lessons.

They Claremore Recreation offers something for everyone including basketball, volleyball, racquetball, tennis courts, aerobics and spin classes.  The facility features an outstanding weight room with free weight, nautilas equipment, and numerous treadmills and cardio machines. In addition, you can find an indoor running track with walking and jogging lanes, 2 full length indoor basketball courts, indoor tennis and racquetball courts, and indoor batting cages.  In 2008, the City of Claremore also completed a brand new skate park just outside the facility. The Claremore Recreation Center is a wonderful place for the entire family to have a great time and maintain an active lifestyle.
Click here for membership rates!   They have great deals for students and seniors!  http://www.claremorecity.com/index.aspx?NID=229

Claremore Lake

Located just off of Blue Starr Road the Claremore Lake is a beautiful 470 acre getaway for families. Constructed in 1930, the lake features outdoor and indoor fishing docks, running trails and outdoor children’s play equipment. Enjoy a picnic in the shade at Claremore Lake, and be prepared to bring some extra bread to feed the ducks. In addition to Claremore Lake, our city is located within 30 minutes drive of Grand Lake, Oologah Lake, and Lake Hudson.

Tim Hight

www.claremoreusa.com

Claremore offers many historical and cultural attractions for residents and visitors. The ClaremoreUSA.com team has highlighted just a few of those attractions that we enjoy the most.

Will Rogers Memorial Museum

The Will Roger’s Memorial Museum is located near Rogers State University on twenty acres originally purchased in 1911 by Will Rogers for use as a future retirement home. The museum was built using limestone from a nearby quarry and opened in 1938. The sunken garden and beautiful hilltop provide a magnificent view of Claremore and the Tiawah Valley.

Inside the interactive 16,652-square-foot museum, you can learn about Will Rogers’ life, wisdom and humor.  From the 71 motion pictures to listening to live radio replays, there is plenty for the entire family to enjoy. The museum features 8 galleries and contains art, memorabilia, and artifacts and is home to the world’s largest Will Roger’s document collection.  You will learn about Rogers’s life as a trick roper, movie star, radio commentator, columnist, author and philosopher.  The Will Roger’s Memorial Museum is a great part of the culture of Claremore, USA. Learn more at www.willrogers.com

J.M. Davis Historical and Arms Museum

In 1916, JM Davis traded 2,000 acres of Arkansas land in exchange for the Mason Hotel in Claremore, Oklahoma. Davis used the hotel to house a gun collection that he had started as a seven year old boy. Davis continued building his collection and by 1929 it had grown to 99 guns. He displayed the guns on the hotel lobby walls along with swords, steins, saddles, music boxes, musical instruments, political buttons, posters, and Native American artifacts.

As the lobby walls got crowded, Davis extended the collection to hotel hallways and private rooms. With a consistent flow of visitors, Davis became recognized as a gun expert and was featured in many publications. To manage the fast growth, in 1965, Davis shifted ownership of the collection to the J.M. Davis Foundation Inc. The Foundation leased the collection to the State of Oklahoma with the condition that the state build and maintain a museum to house the memorabilia. On June 27, 1969, the JM Davis Gun Museum opened on Mr. Davis’ 82nd birthday. The 40,000 square foot museum is free of charge to the public with gun displays totaling over one mile in length. Learn more at www.thegunmuseum.com

Belvidere Mansion

Built in 1907, the Belvidere is a three story Victorian mansion located two blocks east of downtown. In 1901, John M. Bayless along his wife, Mary, and six children moved to Indian Territory from Cassville, Missouri. By 1902, Bayless began construction of his castle-like Claremore mansion. Sadly, Mr. Bayless died before the Belvidere was complete in 1907.
A written description doesn’t do justice to the Belvidere Mansion. The house is brick with a tile roof and four towers. The third story ballroom contains around 3,000 square feet of absolute elegance. Blue sky and clouds highlight a vaulted ceiling with an old-fashioned sky-light. Large windows are adorned in lace and offer great views of Claremore. The front entrance is covered by a large porch with a balcony directly above. Most of the mansion’s trim and woodwork were brought from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. The floor features tile laid by an Italian craftsman. Many of the rooms are accented by pocket doors and fireplaces. Just as unique as the Belvidere are the stories behind the mansion and the man who built it. Learn more at http://rogerscountyhistory.org/
Learn more about Claremore at www.claremoreusa.com

Recently I had the opportunity to load my family up into the van and take a road trip to New York. The trip was great and full of tourist attractions, learning and family fun. What occurred to me more than at any point in my career in economic development, was just how many factors make a city great. Not just with large cities like New York, but communities like Claremore. What are those characteristics that help us better appreciate the places in which we live? My three-year old started this thought process for me. Before we had pulled out of the driveway, she asked her customary road trip question, “Dad, when am I going to get home to Claremore?” So, what are those distinct features that make businesses choose cities for expansion or relocation and make residents call towns home? Over the next few weeks the claremoreusa.com team will be highlighting those characteristics that residents and businesses love most about Claremore. For those who are familiar with our city but haven’t had the chance to visit lately, Claremore is growing at a fast rate while continuing the proud tradition of being a family friendly community with a rich heritage of faith, culture, and commitment to business success. Yet, it isn’t the same place that you may remember from 10-15 years ago. The next 20 blog segments will be dedicated to past, and current community strengths. Hopefully, by the time that we have finished the series you will be asking yourself the question, “When am I going to get home to Claremore?”

Tim Hight
www.claremoreusa.com

Recently CIEDA commissioned Federal Reserve Branch Executive Mark Snead to provide a comprehensive 2009-2010 economic forecast for Claremore. The results reflect the considerable job growth of our city since 2003. ClaremoreOklahomaEconomicOutlook.doc Since CIEDA released the forecast data, I have been repeatedly asked, “Why is Claremore’s economy so strong in the midst of the challenges faced by the rest of nation?”

Geography

Oklahoma’s market position provides businesses with direct access to many metro markets and millions of customers. Claremore’s is within 50 miles of being equidistant to both coasts and features air, rail, truck, and port transportation access. In addition, Oklahoma was fortunate to not experience the highs of the real estate boom and conversely now isn’t seeing the lows of the current real estate market. Many publications including Forbes and Fortune have identified both the Tulsa and Oklahoma City markets as recession proof.

Industry

Claremore is a Northeast suburb in the Tulsa Metropolitan area. For many years the Tulsa area has had considerable market share within the Oil and Gas production and component manufacturing sectors. From 2003-2007 over 1,000 jobs were created in Claremore in the manufacturing sector alone. Many of these jobs were created in the oil and gas pump component industry. Claremore has over 30 manufacturers and while in some cases production has been slower, these firms are well positioned for future success. Healthcare has also seen substantial growth within the last 5 years, largely due to the growth of Claremore Regional Hospital. In addition, new and emerging green technology firms like Heath Technology are taking full advantage of the labor provided by the Tulsa\Claremore labor market area. Learn more about Claremore’s highly skilled workforce and labor assets at Claremore 2008 Labor Force Briefing.pdf

Business Conditions

Oklahoma offers highly attractive business conditions to executives and site selection professionals. Claremore has low business opportunity costs, low energy costs, skilled labor, and excellent business incentives. These factors make Claremore an affordable option for business expansion or relocation.

Skilled Labor

While it is often said that people are an organization’s greatest strength, it is particularly true of cities. Claremore offers a skilled workforce that fuels growth and investment opportunities for manufacturing, energy, and healthcare firms.

While the current economic challenges certainly haven’t subsided, Claremore is well positioned to facilitate future job growth and to continue to accommodate new investment. With over $104 million in announced new investment within the last 24 months, your next business home is waiting for you in Claremore.

Come Grow With Us!

Tim Hight
www.claremoreusa.com

Recently, Claremore was featured in an article entitled Happy Places by Global Corporate Expansion Magazine. This feature along with other recent discussions about the outstanding quality of life in Claremore have a raised a few significant questions.

1. How are we currently defining quality of life?
2. What are the components of a strong quality of life?
3. Does quality of life matter to site selection consultants?

For our purposes we will broadly define quality of life as those local characteristics and amenities that contribute to a better standard of living for current residents and help make the city a destination for businesses, visitors and future residents. Here a few key quality of life components: education, history & culture, economic climate, recreation, entertainment, and weather.

Does quality of life matter to site selection consultants? While it may not be a top 3 or even top 5 concern for site selection consultants, quality of life will always be relevant as long as businesses have to hire and retain employees. In spite of current economic challenges, workforce is a major factor in site selection. Site selection professionals want to know if communities can support their business with a steady and highly skilled workforce. This only happens when skilled workers want to live in or near cities that create jobs. Cities that are concerned about job creation must then continuously improve their local quality of life in order to continue to attract new workers. A proud history and culture, strong economic climate and the continued growth of local recreational and entertainment amenities will keep Claremore strongly positioned for future job growth.

Tim Hight

Executive Director
CIEDA
www.claremoreusa.com