Talk of manufacturing, technology and legislation dominated the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Manufacturers’ Council meeting on Thursday.

About 40 people attended the meeting, which was held at Zeeco’s global headquarters in Tulsa. The world’s largest supplier of combustion equipment, the company last fall dedicated the renovated, roughly 135,000-square-foot facility, which used to house U.S. Cellular.

Josh Driskell, the Chamber’s vice president of government affairs, reflected on highlights from the state’s legislative session, which last week ended two weeks early.

He also previewed upcoming state and national elections, urging companies to examine candidates’ track records.

“…As you head into these elections, you need to remember that there are pro-business candidates, and there are anti-business candidates…,” Driskell said.

Tai Neshi, founder and CEO of Organizely, and Brian Miller, president and CEO of Midwest Precision, spoke on the merits of Tech Week, which is Sept. 21-26. Midwest Precision last year was the only area manufacturer that participated, Neshi said. 

Officials from the Oklahoma Security Commission told the audience how to unlock funds from the Oklahoma Talent Accelerator, which connects employers, workers and training providers to high-demand career pathways. The program is supported by a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor and seeks to increase access to training, job creation and wages across aerospace, manufacturing and AI infrastructure.

The meeting was sponsored by JMark.

The Chamber sponsors bi-monthly meetings of the Manufacturers’ Council, which convenes Chamber-member manufacturers for networking and discussion on issues impacting their companies and the sector. For more information about the Manufacturers’ Council, contact Brien Thorstenberg, the Chamber’s vice president of economic development, at 918-560-0231.

The next meeting of the Manufacturers’ Council is scheduled for Sept. 10.