The Chickasaws also have pledged to pay for water, sewer and roads serving the plant. “This is a commitment on their part to create mainstream jobs for the plant and its suppliers and vendors,” Nuttle said.

State incentives are another important part of the formula. The Quality Jobs Program will provide a 5 percent tax credit for creating good paying jobs. The state’s Career-Tech system will provide technical training for employees. And the state legislature has set aside $15 million from the newly created “Opportunity Fund” for upgrading the runways at Ardmore Air Park to accommodate 747 cargo planes.

The University of Oklahoma component also is vital to the deal, Nuttle said. “NAC is adamant about R&D. The initial role of MG’s R&D Center will be in ‘homologation,’ or getting the cars certified for federal safety standards.” OU will be involved in engineering and designing future MG models, he said. “NAC also is interested in fuel efficiency and hybrid battery research.”

A visit to Norman after announcing the plant decision in Oklahoma City was a positive experience for NAC officers, Nuttle said. “The city and OU are beautiful. The people are nice. It was the first trip to the U.S. for Yu Jianwei, president of Nanjing Automobile Corporation. He was very impressed.”

The partnership created to bring MG to Oklahoma required public and private sector teamwork and exhaustive preparation. Nuttle said Don Wood, executive director of the Norman Economic Development Coalition, “found the deal and invited me to the table.”

He said MG North America sent requests for proposals to all 50 states. “The Oklahoma Department of Commerce needed a site to pitch, possibly an airport with access to runways taking 747s.” While the university’s Westheimer Airport cannot accommodate large jets, Wood provided the catalyst for future developments, Nuttle said.

NAC narrowed its search to six states, then three. In February, the Oklahoma team joined Alabama and North Carolina in making presentations to NAC management in Longbridge.

“Alabama was offering $25 million up front that didn’t have to be repaid,” Nuttle said. “I asked NAC if they had a 25-year plan. I told them they would make more money in Oklahoma long-term. Later they bought our economic model.”