Gov. Kevin Stitt is taking a victory lap after Oklahoma cracked the top 10 nationally for manufacturing, a benchmark state officials link to a stronger job market and an affordable cost of living. Stitt is casting the new ranking as proof that Oklahoma’s push to lure industry and trim business costs is starting to show up in the numbers.
Oklahoma just keeps moving up the ranks! Thrilled to see our state ranked #8 in the nation for manufacturing, powered by the strength of our job market, low cost of living, and booming industry demands. With our workforce continuing to grow, it’s no surprise hardworking
— Governor Kevin Stitt (@govstitt) April 1, 2026
Site Selection Group Puts Oklahoma At No. 8
Consulting firm Site Selection Group’s Best States for Manufacturing index lists Oklahoma eighth in its 2025 rankings, placing it among states that balance labor scale, cost and logistics. According to Site Selection Group, Oklahoma posted a roughly 107.5 total index score and performed especially well on operating costs and how its workforce lines up with market demands.
Big Projects Are Fueling The Momentum
The ranking lands in the middle of a wave of large manufacturing project announcements around the state. KGOU reported that developers behind the Tulsa Port of Inola aluminum smelter say the roughly $4 billion plan would produce about 600,000 tons of aluminum a year and support about 1,000 direct jobs plus 1,800 indirect roles, pending legislative approval of incentives.
State reporting and public filings also list dozens of factory expansions and relocations - including a $300 million ammunition plant - that together have padded the pipeline for manufacturing hires and suppliers, according to an Oklahoma Department of Commerce quarterly report.
Record Investment, Now The Work Begins
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce says those project announcements helped push new capital commitments to a record $13.7 billion in 2025, a milestone highlighted in a departmental release this summer. The agency notes that a handful of mega-deals, from large data center commitments to the aluminum and ammunition projects, did much of the heavy lifting toward that total, according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
Economic development officials say the new ranking should make it easier to recruit suppliers and smaller manufacturers that like to cluster near big plants. Turning those announcements into long-term paychecks, however, will depend on steady investment in training and infrastructure. Programs such as Oklahoma CareerTech and growing apprenticeship partnerships are focused on supplying advanced manufacturing skills, as noted in recent apprenticeship partnerships coverage.
