Williams Companies hits hard times
By Vanessa Clark

One of Tulsa's financial pillars has decided to sell some of its assets in order to pay off its accumulating debt. The sale will result in relocating or laying-off nearly a third of the company's Tulsa workforce.

Former ORU student and now full-time Williams employee, O'Neil Bent explains that Williams Companies has not only been a strong economic force in our nation and city, but has also provided key job opportunities for Oral Roberts University students.

Williams Companies is composed of Williams Communications and Williams Energy, a spin-off of the communications company.

Many business, information technology and engineering students begin their careers as interns for the company, and are then recruited after graduation by other businesses after gaining experience with such a reputable company. Others are actually hired on at Williams after their internship.

Joshua Guthman is one of those students. He attended ORU and went on to have a successful internship with Williams, where he has now worked full-time for over three years. Aug. 30, Guthman received his notice of dismissal.

"I'm pretty lucky," he said. "I've already got another local job lined up; a lot of people are probably going to have to leave the city. It's going to hit Tulsa hard."

As hard as it hits the city, it will also hit the students. With corporate downsizing increasing, many students will look to small businesses for internship and career possibilities.

According to John Brown, director of the College and Career Guidance Center, the increase in small business employment has been a trend throughout much of the 90s and into the new millennium. Due to the current economic climate, however, small business will most likely experience hardship as well.

"The current trend is based upon economic contraction, and when we are in a recessionary economy, such as we are now, corporate America is affected as well as small business," Brown said.

Small businesses in Tulsa now represent 70 percent of the city's revenue, and that number is growing quickly, according to the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce. Ex-corporate employees may decide to stay in the city and start their own businesses. They will provide the upcoming opportunities for students.

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