How Does Plant Buck Downsizing Trend?

By Emory Bryan, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- There are exceptions in Tulsa to what's happening in the national economy.  That includes a local manufacturing company that has just expanded and is tripling its workforce.  The company is M&M Manufacturing.  How did they do it? 

Steve Norris learned to do his job at M&M Manufacturing by working at the company.  He runs a milling machine that creates high precision parts.

"Started out here eight years ago and they've been really, really good to me," said Steve Norris with M&M Manufacturing.

There's a demand for this kind of manufacturing which has led to a major expansion for the company.  M&M has announced plans to hire 80 additional employees.

The Chamber of Commerce CEO says this kind of small business expansion is Tulsa's best hope for new jobs.

"They are the ones that are creating jobs and they are the ones that will continue to create jobs in the year to come," said Tulsa Chamber of Commerce CEO Mike Neal.

M&M recently moved into a new building six times larger than their old building.  The company is bucking the national trend towards downsizing until the economy improves.

The president of M&M says the company is able to keep growing and hiring because it makes indispensable parts for industries that are still growing.  Those parts primarily are made for the oil and aviation industry.

"Our biggest boom has been some of the smaller private aircraft companies like Cessna and Embraer that are catering to the corporate community and seem to be selling a lot of planes," said Kenneth Statton with M&M Manufacturing.

Steve Norris is looking forward to helping the new hires at M&M learn the trade.  He believes the company is successful because it provides so much on-the-job training.

"What they don't learn, we'll teach," said Steve Norris with M&M Manufacturing.