New jobs are coming to Muskogee as a company there expands its operations.

For city leaders in Muskogee, the brand new CaptiveAire facility means an economic investment in the area, and it also means new jobs.

The North Carolina-based business makes everything from commercial kitchen vent hoods to the ductwork that keeps the air in their facility fresh.  

Plant manager Shane McCullough says this expansion in Muskogee is focused on HVAC systems, like the ones sitting on top of the new 130,000-square-foot building.

“It's a heating and cooling that provides fresh air at the right temperature, the right humidity for commercial environments," said McCullough.

The $30 million expansion means a need for more employees. Nearly 60 have already been hired, with a plan to hire 30 to 40 more in the coming year. 

"Looking around at these guys working making a good wage, a lot of them are coming out of our career tech here, which I'm very proud of," said Wren Stratton with the City of Muskogee Foundation.

She says the expansion shows that Muskogee is still worth investing in.

"It sends that message to our current manufacturing community that we are in to help; we are good partners," she said.

For Stratton, being good partners means giving CaptiveAire a $500,000 incentive package to expand.

"It's almost hard to put a value on it. We know that we're in for a half a million dollars, but wow, it's worth so much more than that," said Stratton.

She hopes this will also encourage other companies in the area to deepen their roots in the community.