NPDC was created in 2002 as a program committed to strengthening rural economies through job creation focusing on Oklahomans in small, rural communities.

 

The NPDC pilot year showed that product development assistance could have a significant positive impact on the State of Oklahoma and began making plans to assist more small to medium sized manufactures in the coming years. By focusing on rural communities, NPDC was able to help manufacturers commercialize their innovative ideas through research, development and implementation. 

 

In 2010, an ECAR award was granted to NPDC to assist manufactures in developing proposals for state and federal funding. It also helped with introduction of new products and provided process innovation support for small manufacturing companies in Oklahoma and ultimately paved the way for NPDC to transition in to what it is today.

 

Today, the program has grown into a self-sustaining unit through a variety of grant awards, industry funding companies, Inventors Assistance Service program, and an assortment of work with small to medium sized manufactures around the state with the goal to provide engineering support to small companies and inventors to encourage economic development in all 77 Oklahoma counties.

 

The NPDC team includes director Dr. Robert Taylor, P.E.; assistant director Jodi Prouty; program specialist Brenna Long; senior design engineer Jennifer Vinyard; and design engineer Jacob Weierman along with 10-15 undergraduate engineering and marketing research interns.