Gooden Group

We all know great things are happening for our Oklahoma City Public Schools through the MAPS for Kids initiative. Wouldn’t you love to see the look on those students’ faces as they celebrate their school’s makeover? Each school commemorates their MAPS for Kids renovation and/or addition with either a groundbreaking or grand opening event. Here’s a look at two schools – Southern Hills Elementary and Putnam Heights Elementary – who celebrated their school makeovers this year. 

What started in 1920 as Macklanburg-Duncan is now M-D Building Products, and what began as a small weatherization company is now a much larger one – with branches in Oklahoma City and Georgia, a 90^th anniversary under its belt and ground broken on a completely new facility.

M-D has been an Oklahoma City anchor for almost a century – that’s something to celebrate, and so they did. On Saturday, October 9^th, the company commemorated 90 years by closing down Sante Fe Avenue, erecting giant tents, bringing in three different bands/musical ensembles, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers and opening their entire factory floor as an open house. Family members could tour the factory and see what their mom, dad, brother or sister did for a living. There were games, prizes for the kids, and big, inflatable obstacle courses – entertainment for everyone.

But the day wasn’t just fun and games: it was business, too. M-D Building Products broke ground on its new distribution facility, directly across the street from its current factory. The 80,000 square foot building will augment the company’s existing 450,000 square foot distribution center and extensive product line. M-D already makes a range of residential and commercial weatherproofing products, including door and window weather-stripping, garage door weather-stripping, pipe insulation and a complete line of interior and exterior caulking products – anything and everything a home or business would need to make its building greener and more energy-efficient.

CEO and President Loren Plotkin spoke at the event, as well as representatives from the city, county and state. When Executive Vice-President Larry Sanford unveiled the new distribution center’s plans, all the employees and their families cheered. It was easy to see the pride they felt for their company. I talked to many workers who had been there for 20 or more years and were along for the ride for many more. They spoke with immense pride satisfaction of their time at the company. It was evident that when you’re part of something steadfast yet forward-moving like M-D Building Products, it’s easy to fall in love with it.

Here’s to another 90 years.

Check out the videos below of the groundbreaking ceremony and expansion plans.