Employment surges at Tulsa Port of Catoosa
BY KYLE ARNOLD World Staff Writer
Friday, August 17, 2012
More than 500 new jobs have been added at the 65 companies at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa in the last year, according to numbers released by port officials.
Port officials say that employment at the end June was up 16 percent from a year ago and now stands at 3,673 workers.
“It’s been pretty evenly distributed across all the industries,” said Port Director Bob Portiss. “No one company has really done a lot of hiring, everyone just seems to be adding on a few positions.”
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is one of the region’s largest industrial parks, with many companies utilizing the port’s access to key shipping routes through the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers. It is home to mostly manufacturing and agriculture-related firms.
With the increase in jobs, the port is also enjoying a record year for shipping.
Shipments from January to July are up 38 percent over the same period a year earlier.
“Employment at the port continues to move in a positive trend, which indicates a continuing good business climate for not only our industries but also for the regional economy,” said David Page, chairman of the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority. “We expect this trend to continue.”
Based on talks with companies located at the port, officials anticipate firms will add another 100 employees by the end of September.
