Although the wheat needs rain and there is no wheat pasture for cattle producers, the economic outlook for Enid still is positive.

Three area bankers presented an optimistic outlook for the coming year.

The areas that are creating the positive attitude are the oil and gas industry, Advance Food Co. expansion and the housing market.

Mike Barnthouse, president of Bank of Oklahoma in Enid, said slow, steady growth, which is a trademark of Enid, will continue.

He pointed to the real estate market and said home-building and home sales are still strong. One reason for that is the number of homes available is the lowest since he moved to Enid in 1998. That probably causes some appreciation in home values, he said.

“It should also spur more building activity of new homes, which we have started to see a little bit,” Barnthouse said.

Other positive factors are the expansion of Advance Food and the new jobs that will be created at Vance Air Force Base as the result of decisions made by the Pentagon.

“We have to have some place for those folks to live,” he said.

Barnthouse believes existing companies in Enid are doing well, although he said rain is needed for agriculture.

A farmer told him recently that rain always seems to come when it is needed, and he believes the increase in oil and gas activity may offset any decline in the agriculture sector.

“It may be a wash. We’re not a big agriculture lender, but cattle prices are holding and there isn’t a big run on cattle to market because there is no wheat to graze on. But, it’s bound to have an effect if we don’t get some rain soon,” he said.

Brud Baker, president of Central National Bank, also expects the area to do well this year.

“With the passing of BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure Commission) I expect retail sales and home sales to show an effect,” he said.

The announcement of Advance Food’s expansion and the growth of that company should create some job openings toward the end of the year, Baker said.

Baker thinks it is too soon to tell whether the agriculture market will be severely impacted by the drought, although he agrees the area needs rain soon.

Bert Mackie, vice chairman of the board of directors of Security National Bank, said there are very strong points for the Enid area.

Mackie said the oil and gas sector is doing well, including the service companies in the Enid area.

“They’re having a tough time finding good people, but there are a lot of jobs in that industry,” he said.

Although the weather has been dry, Mackie said the cattle industry is holding up.

“Wheat is a very sturdy plant and, hopefully, we will get some rain soon and it will come along all right,” he said.

Interest rates are still historically low and are conducive to the purchase of homes and cars and boats, he said.

The advent of the ethanol plant in Enid will provide some good jobs near the end of the year, plus be another source of alternative fuel that America needs to develop, Mackie said.

In the medical arena, Enid is still the regional headquarters for northern Oklahoma. That sector brings many people to Enid, plus Enid is still the financial center of northwest Oklahoma.

“We have a lot of people from the north and west who come here for their financial needs,” he said.

Enid no longer has the challenge of losing Vance, and Mackie said he thinks the threat was a real “downer” for the community for several years.

“We all knew Vance would be all right, but there were some people real, real concerned we may lose it. It looks like we’ve bought at least 10 years before there is another base closure. On that point alone, I’m still very positive about the economy,” Mackie said.

He also mentioned the Advance Food expansion and a “Good Morning America” broadcast listing Enid as a top 10 community in terms of standard of living.