'Critical part of our infrastructure': Muskogee businesses react to Port Muskogee expansion announcement

Some businesses near where Port Muskogee is expanding say they’re excited to see what growth it will bring to the area.

“A GREAT ANNOUNCEMENT”

Kristen Turley, the Public Affairs and Communications Manager for Georgia-Pacific, says they are welcoming the expansion.

“It’s a great announcement for them to have this development opportunity, it’s currently not used at all. It will be a really good expansion,” said Turley.

She says more development brings more people, and that only helps those businesses.

“It will be an opportunity for us to expand our recruiting efforts,” said Turley. “Any time there’s development in the area, with new jobs comes skilled labor, and that’s an important part of our workforce cycle is to get new people. Recruiting is difficult sometimes, so we have to expand our reach and look at new opportunities and so this will help us there.”

Turley is excited to see this new chapter for Green Country.

“This is a huge announcement, not just for Muskogee but also for eastern Oklahoma,” said Turley. “The port is a critical part of our infrastructure in eastern Oklahoma for the development, and so all of eastern Oklahoma will benefit from this in some way.”

STARDUST POWER STATEMENT

Stardust Power says it is excited about all the development coming to Muskogee.

The company broke ground on their facility in January.

“We are excited to celebrate the expansion of Port Muskogee and the continued investment in critical infrastructure that supports industrial growth in the region,” said Roshan Pujari, Stardust Power’s Founder and CEO. “Stardust Power’s decision to build our lithium refining facility in Muskogee was directly influenced by the Port’s strategic location, multimodal capabilities, and long-term vision for economic development. This expansion underscores exactly why we chose to invest here. The Port plays a central role in our mission to establish a secure, domestic supply chain for battery-grade lithium—a key component of America’s energy independence. We see Muskogee as a vital partner in strengthening U.S. energy security and industrial resilience. We’re proud to be part of this next chapter for Muskogee and look forward to contributing to the region’s long-term economic success.”

ADVANTAGE TERRAFAB STATEMENT

We would like to thank the Port of Muskogee for keeping the local manufacturer’s alliance running as this has been huge for Advantage TerraFab and other manufacturers in the Muskogee area," said Brandon Snook, the VP of Operations for Advantage TerraFab. "As far as any future opportunities, we will welcome any presented to Advantage TerraFab. We are always excited in the growth that the port potentially brings to Muskogee."

NEXT STEPS

Port Muskogee says the centerpiece of the expansion is the planned development of a $7 million Transload Facility, which will be served by BNSF Railway.

It says it is working on the engineering and the design for the project which will start at the beginning of next year.

Port Muskogee says 80.9 acres of waterfront land is currently available for lease. 

Related: Port Muskogee announces 125 acre expansion