Pioneer Technology Center (PTC) celebrated the graduation of Thomas Distribution Solutions LLC from the business incubator this week. Ken and Vida Thomas’s business, State Surgical Supply, is an online medical supply store that moved its headquarters from Arkansas to Ponca City in April 2018. They were tenants of the Pioneer Tech Business Incubator until February of 2022.As an occupant of the certified incubator and PTC district client, the Thomas’s had on-site access to the Business and Industry Services (BIS) team of coordinators for assistance with government contracting, finances, marketing, and small business development.Vida Thomas recently shared during the incubator 30-year celebration. “We enjoyed our time at the Business Incubator facility. Dawn Brakey with PTAC was a vital source in helping us to navigate the ins and outs of working with the government and obtaining our certifications. I would recommend this program to anyone that wants to start a new business. You won’t find a more helpful staff in helping you succeed.”In addition to the resources available through the BIS team, tenants of a Business Incubator certified by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce may be exempt from Oklahoma state income tax for up to 10 years.“Ken and Vida made the most of their time here at PTC and successfully moved through the small business incubator program and are now operating in their new headquarters just east of Ponca City,” said Janet Schwabe, Incubator Manager. According to Schwabe, “Approximately 85% of businesses started in an incubator are still in business after five years compared to only 55% who start on their own.”Currently, there is space available for lease to businesses in the service industry, light manufacturing, distribution, and technology. Contact Janet Schwabe for information at janets@pioneertech.edu or 580-718-4309.
