State incentive program helps Catoosa company expand, create new jobs

Family-Owned Company in Catoosa Expands

A Catoosa-based aerospace support company plans to expand thanks to an Oklahoma Department of Commerce incentive.

The company, Newton Design, is now investing $3 million in a new building and twenty new jobs.

The business was started in 1996 by Jesse Newton, co-owner Jeffrey Newton's dad. Newton began building simulation and training equipment for the aviation industry out of his shop building after the company he'd worked for shut down.

"He took his 401k money, and he built this building because he knew if he had a building, he could make a living," said Newton.

Since then, the company has grown from just one employee to more than seventy.

The company has taken on contracts with commercial airlines, the military and Homeland Security. They deliver custom-crafted simulators all over the world to help train personnel working on board all types of aircraft.

"We delivered simulators to France just last year. The year before that one went to Japan; we've delivered them to Portugal," said Newton.

The company is currently spread out across nine buildings in Catoosa, but they are running out of space to accommodate their team of engineers.

"The idea is to build a new building, get everybody in the same facility. It'll be more efficient, they'll all be able to collaborate a lot better, and that's why we went to the state of Oklahoma to ask for some help," said Newton.

The company will need to hire more engineers and fabricators once they finish construction.

Newton Design received half a million dollars for its coming expansion through the BEIP incentive. The BEIP incentive was recommended by the Wagoner County Economic Development Authority.

What is BEIP?

Executive Director of the EDGE, Evan Brown, helps businesses grow in Oklahoma through the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.

"It’s a revolving program that companies within the state can participate in on an ongoing basis to help them grow as they need to, to meet their own business demands," said Evan Brown.

In 2024 BEIP dollars enabled 40 business expansions, 376 new jobs and $334 million dollars in new investment in the state.

Overall, EDGE helped 274 businesses across the state expand in 2024 alone, creating thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in investment.

"Most people might not know that 70 percent of our growth actually is expansion companies like Newton Design," said Evan Brown, Executive Director of EDGE.

Click here for the BEIP link.