Canoo and George Kaiser Family Foundation Announce Partnership to Bring Tech Jobs to Tulsa
Collaboration will Amplify Community Impact of Canoo Investments
Tulsa, OK – (November 15, 2021) – The George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) and Canoo (Nasdaq: GOEV), a manufacturer of breakthrough electric vehicles (EVs) that are reinventing mobility, today announced a groundbreaking new partnership to attract, train and retain a dynamic and globally competitive Tulsa technology workforce.
Sparked by Canoo’s planned expansion in Oklahoma, including an R&D center and a software development center that will bring at least 375 high paying jobs to Tulsa with a focus on recruitment, training and expanding workforce diversity, the partnership will mobilize new resources and leverage existing programs to build local skills and draw diverse talent to northeastern Oklahoma.
“I thank George Kaiser for his leadership in ensuring Tulsa is the land of opportunity, creating a path for families and workers to succeed. Working together, Canoo and the George Kaiser Family Foundation will amplify the impact of our individual investments in Tulsa and contribute to a more diverse, dynamic and competitive local economy,” said Tony Aquila, Investor, Chairman and CEO of Canoo, Inc. “Canoo’s American made electric vehicles will be a catalyst for talent, growth and innovation in Oklahoma.”
“We are excited to have the Canoo software engineering and tech hubs in Tulsa. The presence of these high quality jobs from Canoo can benefit from and complement the various public-private programs that are based in Tulsa, supported by GKFF and which specialize in critical areas such as automotive and software engineering, cyber security, advanced mobility, among various others,” said Ken Levit, Executive Director of GKFF. “I know Tulsa will welcome these new members of our community with open arms and support their success in every way.”
The greater Tulsa region is fast emerging as a center of electric vehicle research, development and manufacturing power. In June, 2021 Canoo selected Mid America Industrial Park in Pryor, Oklahoma as the site for its U.S. manufacturing facility.
“Over the past year, we have made substantial investments in the City’s innovation infrastructure through partnerships like the 36 Degrees North Incubator at City Hall and the Greenwood Entrepreneurship Incubator at Morton – both of which have been executed with the goal of supporting the growth of the next generation of innovative companies,” said Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum. “Today’s announcement is yet another sign of the power of these investments, as well as the need to craft innovative workforce and training strategies to prepare more Tulsans for technology-based jobs.”
"Canoo has already made transformative investments in northeast Oklahoma, and we're grateful the company is furthering its commitment to our region and our workforce," said Arthur Jackson, senior vice president of economic development at the Tulsa Regional Chamber. "Canoo's planned software development center and partnership with GKFF will spur the region's growing technology ecosystem and strengthen our efforts to attract and develop a highly-skilled, diverse workforce. Investments like this wouldn't be possible without the strong public-private partnerships and regional collaboration facilitated through Tulsa’s Future."
About the George Kaiser Family Foundation
George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) is a charitable organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through investments in early childhood education, community health, social services and civic enhancement. Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, GKFF works primarily on initiatives developed in collaboration with Tulsa-based direct service organizations. For more information about George Kaiser Family Foundation, visit GKFF.org.
About Canoo
Canoo’s mission is to bring EVs to Everyone. The company has developed breakthrough electric vehicles that are reinventing the automotive landscape with bold innovations in design, pioneering technologies, and a unique business model that spans the full lifecycle of the vehicle. Distinguished by its experienced team from leading technology and automotive companies – Canoo has designed a modular electric platform purpose-built to deliver maximum vehicle interior space that is customizable across all owners in the vehicle lifecycle to support a wide range of vehicle applications for consumers and businesses. Canoo has offices in California and Texas.
For more information, please visit www.canoo.com. For Canoo press materials, including photos, please visit press.canoo.com. For investors, please visit investors.canoo.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of financial and performance metrics, projections of market opportunity and market share, expectations and timing related to commercial product launches and achievement of other operational milestones, including the ability to meet and/or accelerate anticipated production timelines, Canoo's ability to capitalize on commercial opportunities, anticipated customer orders, and expectations regarding development of facilities and the negotiation, availability or receipt of state incentives. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of Canoo’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of Canoo. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination with Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. IV; the rollout of Canoo's business and the timing of expected business milestones and commercial launch; future market adoption of Canoo's offerings; risks related to Canoo's go-to-market strategy and manufacturing strategy; the effects of competition on Canoo's future business; the ability to issue equity or equity-linked securities, and those factors discussed under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Canoo's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 31, 2021, as well as its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, copies of which may be obtained by visiting Canoo's Investors Relations website at investors.canoo.com or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that Canoo does not presently know or that Canoo currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Canoo’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. Canoo anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause Canoo’s assessments to change.
However, while Canoo may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, Canoo specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Canoo’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.
Media Contact
Houda Elyazgi
GKFF Press Contact
helyazgi@saxum.com