David Burnett, director of economic development for the Midwest City Chamber of Commerce, also is trying on a new hat as the director of the newly formed Defense Industry Alliance.

“We feel like this is an opportunity to build a coalition, especially since we’re looking at Tinker taking on such a leadership role in military aircraft sustainment in the year ahead,” he says. “I think having a defense alliance organization centric to Tinker Air Force Base and centric to Tinker and the Primes becomes all the more relevant.”

Burnett says the new alliance of defense-centered businesses will take on an added importance as Tinker’s role in the region expands. In November, the Air Force announced restructuring that would elevate the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center to a lead role over two other logistics centers in Utah and Georgia.

right, Dave Burnett, Midwest City Chamber of Commerce director of economic development, serves as director of the newly formed Defense Industry Alliance.

That announcement was just icing on the cake.

Burnett noted the chamber already had realized it was in over its head with Tinker and the Primes.

Since 2005, businesses around the country have descended on Midwest City each year to participate in the networking event focused on Tinker and the defense industry as a whole.

The event has taken on a life of its own in more ways than one.

“We’ve had hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of companies participate in Tinker and the Primes from across the nation,” Burnett says. “One of the things we’ve found is it costs a lot of money and a lot of liability.”

The Defense Industry Alliance was created to take over those responsibilities and the six-figure cost that goes along with the event.

It also will focus on the chamber’s AfterCareers Career Transition Project, which was started in 2007 to help military retirees move into the private sector.

Burnett says he will never forget a Tinker commander telling him one time that Tinker “buys everything from roads to commodes.”

That’s why the alliance is much more than just a bunch of aerospace firms.

“Yes, there is a strong aerospace focus, but the aerospace business and Tinker Air Force Base buys a lot of other stuff — other than airplane parts,” he says. “The other thing is there are a lot of people out there who want to do business with defense contractors that they won’t meet through any local chamber of commerce.”

Photo by Mark Hancock