Native-Owned Aerospace Group Shows The World What Oklahoma Has To Offer

A local Native American Owned Aerospace company is making an impact all over the globe.

Delaware Resource Group (DRG) is a local family-owned business that has 130 locations in 12 countries that provide training and logistics services for military programs.

Owner Phil Busey said he is working to show the world what Oklahoma has to offer. And he is also building relationships with tribes to continue to develop our local economy.

"We're competing on a global stage. We need the tribal economic engines to supplement the Oklahoma economy so we can offer a wider range of opportunities for students from rural Oklahoma who are Native American in the metropolitan area and for Oklahoma and our image," Delaware Resource Group founder and CEO Phil Busey said.  

Last summer, DRG offered an internship program in partnership with Native American tribes.

"We had students from across the United States that were here for four days. We introduced them to Oklahoma City, we introduced them to other businesses in Oklahoma City," said Busey

Their goal is also to develop more talent right here in Oklahoma.

"Aerospace is now the 2nd largest industry in Oklahoma, it's the fastest growing industry in Oklahoma, we see it as a benchmark industry for the next decades," said Busey

To do that, Busey says they need even more partnerships between, tribes, businesses, and universities. Right now, his company has a strong relationship with the Cherokee Nation.

"We see the tribes as the foundation of talent development in rural Oklahoma because they cover so many different public institutions, I think there are 170 public schools in the Cherokee areas that are putting money into training teachers and robotics," said Busey.

Busey says aerospace companies are starting more conversations about how to get students interested in aerospace.

DRG plans to hold another aerospace internship program for Native American students this summer and they want to expand it to reach more tribes.

To learn more about Delaware Resource Group visit, https://drgok.com/