Oklahoma Is "A-OK" With Taking Jobs From California

CNBC is reporting:

The economic success story of the past decade is well documented, but I'll humbly brag about a few highlights. Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" told the story of Oklahomans moving to California, but a reverse trend is well under way that has seen a net migration in excess of 20,000 to Oklahoma from California in recent years.

Boeing has made Oklahoma a strategic division by moving jobs from Long Beach, Calif., and Wichita, Kan. General Electric announced in April that it would build a $110 million global research center in Oklahoma dedicated to driving innovation and technological advancements in the oil and natural gas sector. GE got help from pro-business Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, who used $3 million from the state's new "closing fund" to close the deal.

These companies and others utilize the state's Quality Jobs program, which provides tax credits in exchange for new hires.

Big brands are fun to name drop, but the real economic growth is by small businesses, many with entrepreneurial, non-energy-sector roots, like mine. Of the 38 Inc. 5000 privately held Oklahoma companies in 2012, only five are energy related, which shows nice diversity.

Energy still carries weight, and Oklahoma's energy sector is unique in that many of our public companies were homegrown start-ups themselves. Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy, SandRidge Energy and Gulfport Energy (to name a few) have roots with an entrepreneur founder.

Oklahoma is just one of several states taking jobs from California. Texas is another.