Tulsa World: Week in review

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Week in review
A look back at the week's top stories

The city's sole Panda Express restaurant will be augmented with more locations in the area. STEPHEN HOLMAN/Tulsa World

By Staff Reports
Published: 10/25/2009 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 10/25/2009 4:34 AM

Appliance rebates aim to recycle older units

Oklahomans may soon be eligible for their own Cash for Clunkers-like deal for appliances.

The Oklahoma Department of Commerce hopes to soon get approval for $3.5 million worth of rebates to help consumers trade in old household appliances for new, energy-efficient models.

The agency hopes to start the program in early spring, giving rebates of $50 to $250 for the purchase of power-saving appliances with the Energy Star rating.

The federal government is sending about $300 million for the appliance rebates, and states are charged with drafting and administering their own programs.

Oklahoma Commerce Secretary Natalie Shirley expects the state to get the go-ahead on its program by Nov. 30.

The appliance rebates will be good only for people buying new models and recycling older machines, said Commerce Department spokesman Jason McCarty.

—Kyle Arnold, World staff writer

Panda Express to open more restaurants

Pandas are notorious for being difficult to breed, so their numbers have remained low.

Panda Express is a different matter. The fast-casual Asian food chain will augment its first Tulsa restaurant with two more in the area by early next year, and it hopes to establish at least four more around town in the near future.

Laura L. Lund, regional real estate manager for the Rosemead, Calif.-based chain, confirmed it will soon break ground on the southwest corner of 21st Street and

Yale Avenue, and at the Shops at Broken Arrow near Lynn Lane and Kenosha Street.

Panda Express has more than 1,260 locations, including one near 71st Street and Mingo Road.

—Robert Evatt, World staff writer

Braum's Sapulpa store one of biggest in chain

Sapulpa is getting a new Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores location — and it's a big one.

The restaurant and store under construction at 701 S. Main St. will come in at 5,756 square feet when it's finished Nov. 2 and be one of the biggest Braum's buildings in the Tulsa area, said Andie Schwab, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma City-based company.

The facility will be more than twice the size of the store the company demolished last month to make room for the new building.

The grocery section will be greatly expanded, allowing for more meats and produce alongside the chain's signature ice cream, Schwab said.

Employment will be expanded as well. The store will employ 50 to 60 people, up from 20.

—Robert Evatt, World staff writer

August airline jobs at lowest total since 1993

U.S. airline employment dropped to 384,396 workers in August, 5.5 percent fewer than August 2008 and the lowest total for any month since 1993, the U.S. Department of Transportation said Tuesday.

DOT's Bureau of Transportation Statistics said the decline in employment in August was the 14th consecutive decrease from the same month of the previous year.

All the major network carriers decreased employment in August, as did low-cost carriers and regional carriers.

American Airlines, with 67,800 employees in August, down 6.5 percent from August 2008, employs the most among the network carriers.

—Robert Evatt, World staff writer

Holly to buy Tulsa's Sinclair refinery

Dallas-based Holly Corp. announced Tuesday it has a definitive agreement with Sinclair Oil Corp. to buy its Tulsa refinery for $128.5 million. Holly bought the Sunoco refinery only five months ago.

Holly's headquarters will stay in Dallas. Once the Sinclair transaction is closed, however, the company could employ more than 600 refinery workers between the two local facilities, although work-force details are still being determined.

Holly plans to operate the two refineries as one, company officials said. Clifton said additional pipeline work will be needed to better connect the two.

"It's a powerful combination," Holly spokesman Neale Hickerson added. "One plus one equals 3."

The deal, subject to regulatory approval, could be completed by the end of the year, he added. The two facilities, once coordinated, would give Holly about 125,000 barrels per day of processing capacity in Tulsa.

What attracted Holly to the Sinclair facility was its ability to produce ultra low-sulfur diesel and further finish gas oil into gasoline and diesel. Holly had "$125 million plus a little more to get to the same place and an additional 40,000 barrels."

—Rod Walton, World staff writer

AMR Corp. loses $359 million in third quarter

AMR Corp., the parent of American Airlines, reported a third-quarter loss Wednesday of $359 million, or a loss of $1.26 per share, as a weak economy and travel market overwhelmed dramatically lower fuel prices. In 2008's third quarter, traditionally the strongest months for travel, AMR had net income of $31 million, or 12 cents per share.

AMR's third-quarter revenue was $5.12 billion, down 20.2 percent from $6.42 billion in last year's third quarter.

—D.R. Stewart, World staff writer

Jobless rate dips, but economists say no trend

Oklahoma's jobless rate dipped in September, but economists say it's too early to call it a trend.

The state's unemployment rate edged down from 6.8 percent in August to 6.7 percent, the fifth lowest rate in the nation, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission reported Wednesday. Oklahoma's rate was 4.0 percent in September 2008.

The rate fell at least once previously this year — in June — before a routine revision showed that it had held steady instead.

The state had fewer unemployed people last month, Hazelton said. Statistically the labor force was stable. Oklahoma's number of unemployed dropped to 119,440 from 120,610 in August.

—Laurie Winslow, World staff writer

Tulsa lauded as top city by BusinessWeek

The oil and gas industry has played a key role in helping Tulsa weather the recession, according to a new BusinessWeek study that ranks the metro area near the top of the 40 strongest in the nation.

Tulsa ranked No. 7 on the list, with BusinessWeek's editors also noting the community's solid housing market. Oklahoma City was No. 3.

Using data and analysis from the Brookings Institution's new MetroMonitor study, BusinessWeek.com selected the 40 top economies based on job growth, employment, economic growth and home prices.

"This ranking, as have the many accolades Tulsa has received this year, validates what we've been saying about the strength of our regional economy," said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Metro Chamber, in e-mailed comments.

He noted that recognitions from national publications give Tulsa a competitive edge for recruiting new businesses and workers.

San Antonio ranked No. 1 in the study. In fact, five Texas communities were among the top 10.

—Laurie Winslow, World staff writer By Staff Reports

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