Cheap Gas? Fuel at $2.99 suddenly looks like bargain
The weekend began with a pleasant surprise for me when I saw signs advertising gas prices at $2.99 at local 7-Eleven stores.
Turns out, the news was even better.
I stopped at the Sam’s Club at Memorial Road and Pennsylvania on Friday evening and was able to fill up my car for $2.93, with a 5 cent per gallon discount I got with my Sam’s card. Shades of, what, 2007?
Then I drove over to Fort Smith to visit my parents, and when I fueled up again to return back to Oklahoma City, the price there was $3.15. Downer.
Not sure what fuel prices will be to start the week. I’ll look on my way to work today and report what I see.
UPDATE: My editor, Clytie Bunyan, reported that she filled up for $2.89 a gallon this weekend at a southside station. Fellow reporter Debbie Blossom said that a 7-Eleven at NW 10 and May Ave. was advertising gas prices at $2.89. Fill up and enjoy it while it lasts!
Business Writer
Nothing’s safer than money in the bank
I spoke to three bankers in the span of two days last week, and within the first 60 seconds of each conversation each of them made the same statement: “Nothing’s safer than money in the bank.”
Of course, it’s a media and customer education campaign, but it’s also pretty good advice. Particularly in Oklahoma, where our robust energy and agricultural sectors combined with an unusually strong housing market, have left banks in good shape.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Financial literacy on the TechCrunch 50 Stage
Shane Kempton had just the right look for Oklahoma City-based Shryk LLC as it stated its case for investors and media at the TechCrunch 50 conference this week in San Francisco.Kempton flawlessly demonstrated Shryk’s online banking software for children and young adults, showing how it helped young “Lacy” determine wants from needs and how it taught 17-year-old “Jay” about doing a business start-up.Jim Rogers, enterprise director for i2E, reported that a prominent angel investor said that he would invest in iThryv before taking a flyer on another start-up that was pitched by Demi Moore’s latest (or is it “ex”) flame Austin Kutcher.Maybe it was the confidence or even the youth that Kempton showed in the presentation. You can watch it via the link above. Shryk was co-founded by long-time financial services software veteran Gary Nelson, who declared himself too old to pitch the company from a San Francisco stage.“Everybody out there presenting looks to be young hip guys,” Nelson said. “They have the look. You have a 50-year-old dinosaur like me up there it probably wouldn’t go as well.”Shryk is up for a $50,000 prize if judges at the event like Kempton’s presentation better than his rivals. Read the story about Shryk’s presentation and its innovative software in Wednesday’s Oklahoman Business News section.Jim StaffordBusiness Reporter
Thunder ticket pool shallow
Many of the best Oklahoma City Thunder seats have been “claimed.” The seat backs covered with a white sleeve are not available.
If you’re waiting to pick out your Thunder season tickets, be advised: many of the best seats were gone before even the first randomly selected group walked into the arena. I picked out my seats with today’s 10 a.m. group, and essentially all seats between the baselines in the first two levels were gone when I arrived.
However, when my friend asked about the dearth of $125 a game seats, a ticket representative asked if we had already booked something on the telephone. I suspect some of those “taken” seats might be somewhat available. If you’re not scheduled to visit for several days and you’re interested in very good seats, I would suggest contacting your ticket rep to see if you can book something ahead of time.
Having said that, be aware that the tickets reps are extremely busy with the patrons in the arena. A lot of people in the early group were buying tickets in the corners (which is where my little ticket consortium bought some).
When they let you in the arena, you are free to select your seat. But you need a ticket rep to hold the seats. So look for people carrying a clip board with credentials around their necks. My ticket rep was willing to hold some seats while we evaluated other locations. When you’re ready to buy, they will place a white cover on the seat back.
Good luck.
Addendum: Our sports editor, Mike Sherman, tells me there were some high-dollar seats still available when he visited this afternoon.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Final word on poverty stats
The U.S. Census Bureau’s voluminous statistics on poverty, income and the uninsured produced a lot of stories, including here at NewsOK.com. But the Oklahoma Policy Institute has extracted a lot of local data.
Check out the group’s Web site for a lot of pertinent information.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
The sky’s the limit
We made a little skyscraper news in Oklahoma City. Now that we’re on the world stage for big buildings, what could be next?
Think BIG!
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Oklahoma’s Grow Your Own Success Stories
All right class, get out a clean sheet of paper and a No. 2 pencil. Pop quiz time.
First question: What does a Tulsa-based drilling and exploration company have in common with an acoustics and drywall company in Moore, or an Oklahoma City-based gun range and sales business?
Time’s up! Got a clue?
They are all members of the 2008 Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing businesses. In fact, 40 Oklahoma firms were on the list this year, beginning with No.91 ranked Latshaw Drilling & Exploration of Tulsa, which had average three-year growth of 2,045 percent.
Here is the complete list of Oklahoma companies on the Inc. 5000:
91 Latshaw Drilling & Exploration, Tulsa, 2,045 %
203 Computer System Designers, Oklahoma City, 1,223 %
455 Select Engineering, Tulsa 696.5 %
633 TMA Systems, Tulsa, 523.5 %
1054 Maestro Services, Oklahoma City, 354.9 %
1063 InterWorks, Stillwater, 352.4 %
1200 Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Broken Arrow, 314.6 %
1202 Trinity Restoration, Tulsa, 314.4 %
1252 Perimeter Technology, Oklahoma City, 302.4 %
1451 Northwest Crane Service, Woodward, 260.6 %
1469 Element Fusion, Oklahoma City, 257.8 %
1484 Weather Decision Technologies, Norman, 255.1 %
1605 Paycom, Oklahoma City, 236.3 %
1749 Northwest Logistics, Woodward, 215.6 %
1903 Oracle Packaging, Tulsa, 196.1 %
2085 brass brick homes, Oklahoma City, 177.2 %
2110 Miko Group, Norman, 175.3 %
2217 Long Wave, Oklahoma City, 166.2 %
2330 H&H Gun Range Shooting Sports Outlet, Oklahoma City, 158.8 %
2340 GDH Consulting, Tulsa, 157.4 %
2414 Oklahoma Forge, Tulsa, 153.0 %
2545 J & K Dozers, Pocasset, 144.0 %
2637 Smart Lines, Oklahoma City, 138.6 %
2768 Totally Tickets, Norman, 131.2 %
3250 K&B Machining, Claremore, 104.3 %
3350 Mark Westby & Associates, Tulsa, 99.8 %
3437 Challenger Services, Tulsa, 96.4 %
3487 Brown Aviation Tool Supply, Oklahoma City, 94.2 %
3535 Baldwin Acoustics and Drywall, Moore, 94.2 %
3776 Mobile Cardiac Imaging, Tulsa, 91.8 %
3962 Regal Car Sales and Credit, Tulsa, 74.5 %
4023 Robyn, Oklahoma City, 72.2 %
4065 Valir Health, Oklahoma City, 70.7 %
4136 Bridgelogix , Tulsa, 67.7 %
4335 Express Employment Professionals, Oklahoma City, 61.8 %
4429 Busey Group, Oklahoma City, 57.9 %
4434 HostBridge Technology, Stillwater, 57.8 %
4783 Oklahoma Breast Care Center, Oklahoma City, 47.0 %
4875 IMAX, Tulsa, 44.6 %
4877 Impressions Printing, Oklahoma City, 44.6 %
Jim Stafford
Business Reporter
