Green Country Economy Gets Boost From Texas Deal

Craig Day, News On 6

CLAREMORE, Oklahoma -- Oklahoma's economy will benefit from one company's Texas ties.

A program in the Lone Star State is helping to generate sales and jobs for a Claremore company that makes poles for traffic lights.

Pelco Structural in Claremore is a relatively young company, just six years old. But already business is booming.

"We make traffic signal poles, we make informational signage structures, we do a lot of sports lighting, we build distribution and transmission poles for electrical reliability," said Pelco President Phil Albert.

Pelco delivers those steel poles and towers to costumers in 41 states. Business is getting even better in one of the biggest states.

"The Texas opportunity is a huge opportunity for us," Albert said.

Pelco Structural was selected for the Texas Smart Buy Program. It's a three year agreement where Texas towns and counties buy traffic signal poles and arms from Pelco.

The company sells a lot more product, and lower negotiated prices in exchange for a large sales volume, saves Texas money.

"As Texas warehouses traffic control products to be installed all over the state of Texas over the next three years, those products will be built right here in Claremore," Albert said.

Pelco's president says it's already led to 20 new jobs in Claremore, and he estimates the agreement will mean $1 million in additional revenue in just the first year.

"I like it even better that they're stopping at Oklahoma products at every Texas intersection, that makes me very happy," he said.

Pelco won out over a number of companies competing for the designation. But the big winner is Oklahoma's economy.