Oklahoma City

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A monthly survey of business leaders suggests that economic conditions continued to improve last month for nine Midwestern and Plains states, according to a report released Wednesday.

Things are flying high at the Will Rogers World Airport.

It’s been six months since the Brookings Institution presented its Oklahoma City Innovation District report to a room packed with a diverse group of people; city and business leaders, employers and researchers, all invested in developing an Innovation District in Oklahoma City.

Tinker Air Force Base and The Boeing Co. share a long history, and the future remains bright as the aerospace giant continues to add to its presence at the base.

Running an installation as large and complex as Tinker Air Force Base requires a variety of purchases and services, and a large portion of the dollars spent stay in Oklahoma.

While tech hubs such as Silicon Valley draw engineers and scientists hoping to score big money with flashy apps and gadgets, the nation's military bases take those seeking to apply their skills in the interest of national security.

The Greater Oklahoma City Chamber doesn't use shouting newspaper ads to keep Tinker open. It travels to the Pentagon each year to remind the Air Force of the base's importance and works to link more companies to Tinker.

NTT DATA Services plans to expand its Oklahoma City operations as the first tenant in Westgate One, the flagship of developer Richard Tanenbaum's 94-acre mixed-use campus on Reno Avenue just east of Sara Road.