Manufacturing Jobs Coming to Oklahoma City

By Colleen Chen, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The old Lucent Technologies Building in west Oklahoma City has sat mostly vacant since 2001, but it won't for much longer.

The last time the building was used was back in 2008 when it housed Hurricane Ike and Gustav evacuees.

Cellu Tissue will now occupy 325,000 square feet of the facility. Business leaders said even though it is just a fraction of the entire space, it's an important fraction.

"It's kind of like developing a shopping center and you get an anchor tenant. It always makes it easier to get other tenants," said Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce CEO Roy Williams.

The company is currently spending millions of dollars refurbishing the space, which will become operational this June. Cellu Tissue will manufacture private label napkins, paper towels, bath and facial tissues at the new plant.

The move will bring jobs to Oklahoma City, but company officials have not specified how many. Cellu Tissue is currently accepting applications. Request information and email your resume to careers@cellutissue.com.

Mike Seney with the Oklahoma Manufacturers Association said any number of jobs will be welcome considering the state has lost 20,000 manufacturing jobs in the last two years.

Cellu Tissue said they chose Oklahoma City after a nationwide location search because of the low cost of doing business and central location.

Learn more about Cellu Tissue and employment opportunities.