Williams closing OKC Office, hundreds of Jobs to Tulsa

[cannon_fodder]

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Tulsa-based Williams Cos. will close its office in Oklahoma City and plans to move most of the 400 jobs to Tulsa.
The energy and pipeline company said in a statement Wednesday that most of the 400 employees are expected to move to the Tulsa headquarters, while some jobs will be eliminated. Williams said a severance package will be offered to employees who lose their jobs.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/30/tulsa-based-williams-closing-oklahoma-city-office-/

Oklahoma City news take on it:  (not much to it really)
http://www.koco.com/article/photo-of-burned-bible-passage-found-at-dollywood-goes-viral/8384778

Tulsa World:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/energy/williams-cos-to-close-oklahoma-city-office-move-most-jobs/article_3784d1df-6a4c-552e-936a-37791a53945d.html

Obviously great news. That's up to 400 top end jobs that will support at least that number of secondary jobs (usually a multiplier). These aren't $12 medicaid eligible jobs (those jobs are needed too, but you don't see the same multiplier effect) and we didn't have to bribe Williams to do it.

Next question - where does Williams put 400 new Tulsa employees? If all 400 jobs materialize, that's ~70,000 square feet needed by conventional standards.  Or they were all put in a cubical farm they could fit into about a floor and a half of One Technology Center (City Hall).  Or 3 1/2 floors in one of the black towers (fka Williams I & II). I don't think any of those structures have that space available, and Williams will want Class A space - the Tower has reportedly been full for years.

New building rumors? Anchor tenant for some new development?  (I have no knowledge, just throwing out guesses)

[Hoss]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/30/tulsa-based-williams-closing-oklahoma-city-office-/

Oklahoma City news take on it:  (not much to it really)
http://www.koco.com/article/photo-of-burned-bible-passage-found-at-dollywood-goes-viral/8384778

Tulsa World:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/energy/williams-cos-to-close-oklahoma-city-office-move-most-jobs/article_3784d1df-6a4c-552e-936a-37791a53945d.html

Obviously great news. That's up to 400 top end jobs that will support at least that number of secondary jobs (usually a multiplier). These aren't $12 medicaid eligible jobs (those jobs are needed too, but you don't see the same multiplier effect) and we didn't have to bribe Williams to do it.

Next question - where does Williams put 400 new Tulsa employees? If all 400 jobs materialize, that's ~70,000 square feet needed by conventional standards.  Or they were all put in a cubical farm they could fit into about a floor and a half of One Technology Center (City Hall).  Or 3 1/2 floors in one of the black towers (fka Williams I & II). I don't think any of those structures have that space available, and Williams will want Class A space - the Tower has reportedly been full for years.

New building rumors? Anchor tenant for some new development?  (I have no knowledge, just throwing out guesses)

Hmm...

I work at PennWell Publishing at 15th/Sheridan.  Down the street from us until just last month, Gateway Mortgage had a two story office complex.  I don't think it will hold 400 people (I hope not else there will be parking problems like there were before Gateway moved to Jenks last month) but it's now for sale.

Not an ideal location given their Tulsa office though.

[johrasephoenix]

Seems like a perfect tenant for the Santa Fe Square office component!

[New Slang]

As a Williams employee in Tulsa, I can attest that there is plenty of empty space here in the Tower and Williams Resource Center (i.e., lower building connected to the Tower).  As you'll recall, Williams let about 250 people go from the Tulsa office in March (not to mention quite a bit of natural attrition during the ETE debacle).  Plus, there is a large, recently completed, and currently empty build-out on the 3rd floor of the Resource Center that belongs to Williams.  Apparently, the company is putting its money where it's mouth is regarding cost cutting/savings.  This is a good thing for the long-term health of the organization, though the former Access employees in OKC have had a wild ride the past few years!

[DowntownDan]

Are Mary Fallin and the Chamber taking credit yet?

[Conan71]

Tulsa, FTW!!!

[swake]

Tulsa, FTW!!!

Between this and OPEC's deal to cut output today, Tulsa's energy sector should be on the rebound now. Hopefully, another burst bubble survived.

[cannon_fodder]

As a Williams employee in Tulsa, I can attest that there is plenty of empty space here in the Tower and Williams Resource Center (i.e., lower building connected to the Tower).  As you'll recall, Williams let about 250 people go from the Tulsa office in March (not to mention quite a bit of natural attrition during the ETE debacle).  Plus, there is a large, recently completed, and currently empty build-out on the 3rd floor of the Resource Center that belongs to Williams.  Apparently, the company is putting its money where it's mouth is regarding cost cutting/savings.  This is a good thing for the long-term health of the organization, though the former Access employees in OKC have had a wild ride the past few years!

Welcome to the forum!

And thank you for the information. I forgot that they let people go, even knowing several of them personally it slipped my mind.  So my "busting at the seems" rumors are outdated a year.  Maybe the availability of space was part of the financial reason this makes sense now.

But it is way more fun to speculate on new buildings. 

[SXSW]

A year or two ago this would likely mean they would be looking for new space and maybe a new building.  But as was mentioned they let go of 250 employees earlier this year and there is unused space in the Resource Center.  Also remember Newfield is closing (or maybe already closed) their Tulsa office with a few hundred employees and they were in the Tower.

[davideinstein]

Good news for downtown retail.

[TheArtist]

Good news for downtown retail.

Sweetie, those people do not walk over to this part of downtown.  Good if you deliver sandwiches on bikes though! 

Every year before Mayfest I add another something to the mural off of Main and 3rd.  I work on and off over the course of multiple days and often around lunch time or around 5 ish.  You could fool me that there is anyone even in those buildings!  I may see a dozen or two at most cross the street each day even around lunch time. You sure see a whole line of cars heading out around 5. Its the strangest thing.  Perhaps there are a lot of people that head north across the tracks each day?

[Breadburner]

Sweetie, those people do not walk over to this part of downtown.  Good if you deliver sandwiches on bikes though! 

Every year before Mayfest I add another something to the mural off of Main and 3rd.  I work on and off over the course of multiple days and often around lunch time or around 5 ish.  You could fool me that there is anyone even in those buildings!  I may see a dozen or two at most cross the street each day even around lunch time. You sure see a whole line of cars heading out around 5. Its the strangest thing.  Perhaps there are a lot of people that head north across the tracks each day?

Hahaha....Sweetie....Good one....!!!

[TheArtist]

Hahaha....Sweetie....Good one....!!!

I try lol. 

[Breadburner]

I try lol. 

Good work....!!!!

[davideinstein]

Sweetie, those people do not walk over to this part of downtown.  Good if you deliver sandwiches on bikes though! 

Every year before Mayfest I add another something to the mural off of Main and 3rd.  I work on and off over the course of multiple days and often around lunch time or around 5 ish.  You could fool me that there is anyone even in those buildings!  I may see a dozen or two at most cross the street each day even around lunch time. You sure see a whole line of cars heading out around 5. Its the strangest thing.  Perhaps there are a lot of people that head north across the tracks each day?

They actually walk down Boston Ave. every day to eat lunch in the Deco District daily. Tons of them. Not sure why you're being condescending. Additional 400 jobs in fantastic news for the district.