Market report · Tulsa, OK
The State of Outbound Sales in Tulsa, 2026
How outbound selling looks across the Tulsa, OK metro right now: who the buyers are, which trades have room, what is being built, what a rep costs to hire here. Then a 4-tool kit to work the market this month.
- 2,605business sites with 20+ people across the categories trades sell to, #53 of our 100 metros
- 6.0buyer sites per commercial cleaning company, #6 of 100 markets: the best rank of any trade here
Sites: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023; rank among the 100 metros on our market pages. Room: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 sites per contractor in U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2026 Q1, among markets with at least 10 contractors.
Executive summary Read this if nothing else
5 things to know about outbound sales in Tulsa
Biggest buyer pool
Restaurants: 748 sites
with 20 or more people, the largest buyer category in Tulsa, ahead of retail stores (537).
Where the metro leans
Commercial property managers: 2.20x the U.S. mix
Also over-represented: nonresidential building owners (1.68x) and bank and credit union offices (1.43x). Trades that serve these buyers have more of them here than the national average suggests.
Most room
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial: #6 of 100 markets
6.0 buyer sites with 20+ people for each of 185 local commercial cleaning companies. The most crowded is fire protection, #93 of 96.
Biggest reason to call
Meta Tulsa data center (Project Anthem), More than $1 billion
Under construction (broke ground April 2026), completion expected 2028. One of 11 named, sourced projects in this report.
Hiring locally
$124,700 for an in-house SDR's first year (illustrative)
At a $55,000 base salary, once commission, payroll taxes and benefits, tools, recruiting and training, turnover and manager time are added, before ramp time.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2026 Q1; project sources as of 2026-09; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Full list at the end.
Chapter 01 The market
Who buys in Tulsa
2,605 business sites in Tulsa have 20 or more people on site in the categories commercial trades sell to. That ranks #53 of the 100 metros we publish. Here is what those buyers are and where they sit.
The largest buyer categories
Sites with 20 or more people are the ones worth an SDR's time: big enough to have a facility lead, a service budget and a contract that comes up for renewal. The "vs. U.S. mix" column compares each category's share of local employment with its national share (1.00x is the U.S. average).
| Category | Sites with 20+ | All sites | vs. U.S. mix | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RestaurantsLargest pool | 748 | 2,069 | 1.05x | -36 |
| Retail stores | 537 | 3,120 | 1.14x | -89 |
| Manufacturing plants | 393 | 1,108 | 1.24x | -24 |
| Medical, dental and outpatient offices | 275 | 2,183 | 1.20x | +78 |
| Wholesale distributors | 239 | 1,240 | 1.36x | +32 |
| Senior living and nursing | 97 | 178 | 0.96x | -26 |
| Grocery stores | 81 | 300 | 0.68x | -5 |
| Churches and religious organizations | 78 | 799 | 0.38x | +4 |
| Bank and credit union offices | 71 | 631 | 1.43x | +10 |
| Auto dealerships | 48 | 156 | 1.27x | -11 |
Tulsa leans toward commercial property managers (2.20x), nonresidential building owners (1.68x) and bank and credit union offices (1.43x). A trade that already sells to those buyers elsewhere has a deeper pool here than the national numbers suggest, and a case study from one of them travels well on the phone.
It is thinner than the U.S. mix in churches and religious organizations (0.38x) and grocery stores (0.68x). A program built around those buyers runs out of fresh accounts sooner here.
Growing fastest over the past year, by establishment count: medical, dental and outpatient offices (+78), wholesale distributors (+32) and apartment and residential property managers (+16). New sites have no incumbent vendor yet.
The metro
Tulsa, OK: 7 counties in this report's counts.
Tulsa County, Rogers County and Creek County hold 92% of the larger business sites, so most programs start there.
Where the sites are
| County | Sites with 20+ | Share of metro |
|---|---|---|
| Tulsa CountyStart here | 2,101 | 81% |
| Rogers County | 165 | 6% |
| Creek County | 123 | 5% |
| Wagoner County | 56 | 2% |
| Okmulgee County | 30 | 1% |
| Osage County | 16 | 1% |
| Pawnee County | 8 | 0% |
Chapter 02 The competition
Which trades have the most room in Tulsa
Buyer sites per contractor is a rough read on how crowded a trade is: more sites for each local competitor means more doors nobody else is knocking on. Each trade's Tulsa figure is ranked against the other markets we track.
| Trade | Rank among markets | Sites per contractor | Contractors | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Cleaning & JanitorialMost room | #6 of 100 | 6.0 | 185 | -1 |
| Commercial Landscaping | #43 of 100 | 3.9 | 346 | -5 |
| Managed Service Providers | #74 of 100 | 2.1 | 722 | +8 |
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical | #81 of 100 | 7.5 | 128 | -3 |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings | #72 of 86 | 47 | 30 | 0 |
| Commercial Roofing | #76 of 89 | 45 | 31 | -2 |
| Commercial Construction | #93 of 100 | 2.4 | 370 | +19 |
| Commercial Electrical | #93 of 100 | 6.0 | 208 | -11 |
| Paving & Asphalt | #88 of 94 | 26 | 49 | +5 |
| Fire Protection | #93 of 96 | 23 | 68 | +2 |
Commercial cleaning & janitorial (#6), commercial landscaping (#43) and managed service providers (#74) rank best in Tulsa. For those trades a program can work longer before it calls the same building twice, and fewer competitors have already pitched each owner.
Fire protection is the most crowded trade here, #93 of 96: 23 buyer sites for each of 68 local fire protection contractors. Winning there takes a sharper reason to switch than a lower price.
Commercial electrical (-11) and commercial landscaping (-5) lost contractor establishments over the past year, so the same buildings are split among fewer firms than a year ago. Commercial construction (+19) and managed service providers (+8) added them.
Not ranked here: commercial flooring (9 contractors). With fewer than 10 local contractors the ratio is noise, though a thin field is itself a sign of open ground.
Open programs
Our availability workbook does not cover Tulsa yet. We take one client per trade per territory, so ask before you plan around it.
Chapter 03 The projects
What is being built, and who owns the buildings
11 named, sourced projects and 6 anchor owners in Tulsa. Each one is a reason to call that has nothing to do with your company and everything to do with the buyer's building.
The projects
- 01 · More than $1 billion Meta Tulsa data center (Project Anthem) Under construction (broke ground April 2026), completion expected 2028 Meta's first Oklahoma data center, an AI-focused facility in east Tulsa between 11th and 21st Streets near the Creek Turnpike. Meta expects over 1,000 construction workers at peak, with electrical, closed-loop cooling and fire suppression as the largest scopes, followed by site paving and long-term facility maintenance. News On 6, 2026-04-21
- 02 Project Clydesdale (Google data center campus) Under construction, completion timeline not announced A Google data center campus with Beale Infrastructure on 506 acres in unincorporated Tulsa County near Cherokee Industrial Park, west of Owasso. A multi-building campus means a long run of electrical, mechanical and fire protection packages, plus paving and landscaping across a large site. News On 6, 2026-08-19
- 03 · more than $4 billion Oklahoma Primary Aluminum smelter, Tulsa Port of Inola Proposed; construction moratorium and legal challenges pending A primary aluminum smelter from a joint venture of Emirates Global Aluminium and Century Aluminum on a 441-acre site at the Tulsa Port of Inola in Rogers County. If it clears legal challenges, a three-year build projected at about 4,000 workers would carry heavy electrical, mechanical and industrial construction scopes; treat it as a watch item until the moratorium resolves. News On 6, 2026-09-23
- 04 · $140.9 million Gilcrease Museum new building Nearing completion, reopening March 2027 A new purpose-built Gilcrease Museum building in north Tulsa with 14 permanent collection galleries on 460 acres of grounds. Late-stage museum work brings finish trades (flooring, painting) and precise climate control commissioning now, then specialty cleaning and grounds maintenance contracts after the March 2027 opening. The Tulsa Flyer, 2026-09-28
- 05 · nearly $70 million Tulsa public safety headquarters Renovation starting 2026, departments move in 2027, fully operational 2028 Renovation of the former State Farm building off the BA Expressway into a combined headquarters for Tulsa Fire, Police and Emergency Management. The scope includes structural upgrades, code compliance, a storm shelter and backup generators, which means electrical, mechanical and fire protection work, then interior finishes before the 2027 move-in. 2 News Oklahoma (KJRH), 2026-07-13
- 06 Tulsa Space Test Center Under construction, completion slated for 2027 A rocket engine hot-fire test facility from Agile Space Industries next to Tulsa International Airport. Test stands and support buildings need heavy electrical, mechanical and fire protection work, plus paved access and pads around the site. News On 6, 2026-02-23
- 07 · $609 million Tulsa Public Schools 2026 bond package Approved by voters April 2026 Four bond propositions for Tulsa Public Schools across the city of Tulsa, including a $276,000,000 Learning Environments proposition for facilities. The facilities proposition puts more than $100 million into remodeling school buildings district wide and also funds roof repair, HVAC repair and replacement and new furniture, so roofing, mechanical and interior finish contractors should watch TPS bid lists as projects are released. 2 News Oklahoma (KJRH), 2026-04-08
- 08 · $415 million Broken Arrow 2026 general obligation bond Approved by voters April 2026 Seven approved city bond propositions in Broken Arrow, including a new Elam Park community center, a southeast fire station, a South Broken Arrow Library and expansions of the senior, history and veterans centers. Beyond $205 million for roads and intersections, the package funds several new and expanded public buildings, which means new roofs, interior finishes and then custodial contracts as each facility opens. The Tulsa Flyer, 2026-04-07
- 09 Union Public Schools 2027 bond program Proposed; project list in public input stage for a 2027 five-year bond A proposed five-year series bond for Union Public Schools in south Tulsa and western Broken Arrow, following the district's $152 million bond approved in February 2023. The preliminary list names elementary school interior renovations, updated mechanical systems, roof replacements and major HVAC replacements for systems over fifty years old, so roofing, HVAC and flooring contractors can get in front of Union's facilities team before the bond goes to voters. Broken Arrow Sentinel, 2026-04-28
- 10 Tulsa Tech Peoria Campus tornado rebuild Damaged March 2026; rebuild estimated at up to two years Rebuilding of Tulsa Tech's Peoria Campus in north Tulsa after a March 2026 tornado caused significant damage and moved its programs to other campuses. Remediation and cleanup crews were on site within a day, and a rebuild of a heavily damaged school building brings roofing, mechanical and general construction work over the next two years, then building cleaning before students return. News On 6, 2026-03-11
- 11 · $357 million Saint Francis Hospital South expansion Opened January 2026 A multi-year expansion of Saint Francis Hospital South in south Tulsa with 283,600 square feet of new construction, 51,000 square feet of renovated clinical space and a new patient bed tower. Capacity nearly doubles to 194 beds and 14 operating rooms, which grows the hospital's ongoing demand for environmental services and terminal cleaning, HVAC maintenance in surgical suites and fire protection inspections. Broken Arrow Sentinel, 2026-01-29
Projects current as of 2026-09; each source is linked on its card. Values are as reported by the source.
The anchor owners
Health systems, campuses, large employers and industrial parks hold the biggest concentrations of commercial buildings in Tulsa. One relationship with a facilities team here can cover many buildings.
Health system · Tulsa, Tulsa County
Saint Francis Hospital
Saint Francis Health System says its flagship Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa is licensed for 1,112 beds and calls it Oklahoma's largest hospital.
The system runs the flagship campus, Children's Hospital, Hospital South and more than 110 Warren Clinic locations across northeastern Oklahoma, each with mechanical systems, roofs, floors and parking to maintain.
Saint Francis Health SystemHealth system · Tulsa, Tulsa County
Ascension St. John Medical Center
Ascension says St. John's Hospital officially opened on February 22, 1926, with a 125-bed wing added to the south side in 1948.
A midtown hospital campus with buildings from several eras means ongoing mechanical, roofing, life-safety and interior work.
AscensionMajor employer · Tulsa, Tulsa County
American Airlines Tech Ops - Tulsa
The base sits on 246 acres at Tulsa International Airport with approximately 3.3 million square feet of building space, six hangars and 22 support facility buildings, and nearly 5,000 team members.
Hangars, engine shops and support buildings on one airport campus carry heavy electrical, mechanical, roofing and pavement needs.
Oklahoma Business Voice (State Chamber of Oklahoma)Airport · Tulsa, Tulsa County
Tulsa International Airport (TUL)
The airport says it served 3.24 million passengers in 2024 and is adding a 45,000-square-foot international customs facility to the terminal.
Terminal, concourse and airfield-side buildings plus surface parking need constant cleaning, HVAC service and pavement upkeep.
Tulsa International AirportIndustrial park · Catoosa, Rogers County
Tulsa Port of Catoosa
Tulsa Ports describes the Port of Catoosa as a 2,000 acre industrial park, barge port and rail transload facility with 50+ existing companies employing nearly 3,500 Oklahomans.
Manufacturing plants, warehouses and terminals in one industrial park share needs for roofing, paving, electrical and fire protection.
Tulsa PortsCampus · Tulsa, Tulsa County
Tulsa Community College
TCC reported 17,211 students enrolled for Fall 2026, its largest Fall enrollment since 2013.
Multiple campuses across the metro, including Metro, Southeast and Riverside, run classrooms, labs and parking lots that need cleaning, HVAC and grounds work.
Tulsa Community CollegeAnchor facts checked 2026-10; each source is linked on its card.
Which trades the work touches
| Trade | Projects and owners |
|---|---|
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical | 15 |
| Fire Protection | 10 |
| Commercial Roofing | 8 |
| Commercial Electrical | 8 |
| Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial | 7 |
| Paving & Asphalt | 7 |
| Commercial Flooring | 7 |
| Commercial Construction | 5 |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings | 4 |
| Commercial Landscaping | 3 |
Chapter 04 The calendar
The Tulsa selling calendar
Outbound runs every month, but the weather changes what a buyer wants to hear. These are the NOAA records for the Tulsa metro's counties, month by month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail and damaging wind reportstotal, 2015 to 2024 | 2 | 2 | 105 | 154 | 270 | 168 | 139 | 107 | 25 | 48 | 32 | 7 |
| Cooling degree daysaverage month | 0 | 2 | 17 | 35 | 146 | 360 | 518 | 488 | 257 | 50 | 4 | 0 |
| Heating degree daysaverage month | 859 | 649 | 453 | 193 | 44 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 171 | 469 | 777 |
| Average high (°F)average month | 48 | 53 | 62 | 72 | 79 | 87 | 93 | 92 | 84 | 73 | 61 | 50 |
NOAA logged 366 hail reports of 1 inch or larger and 693 damaging wind reports across the metro's counties from 2015 to 2024: #11 of 100 markets for hail and #21 for wind. April, May and June carried 56% of the reports. Storm calls are a real door-opener here, and the contractor who is already known before the season gets the inspection.
The metro averages 1,877 cooling degree days a year (#27 of 97 markets) and 3,642 heating degree days (#53 of 97). Cooling load peaks in June, July and August; heating in January, February, March, November and December. Peak months are when HVAC calls lead with service and response times; the rest of the year they lead with planned work and budgets.
9 months average a high of 60°F or more (March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November). That is when exterior painting, paving and landscaping crews are busiest, so in-season calls catch owners while they can see the work that needs doing. The contracts themselves are bid on each property's own dates, so the selling runs all year.
Trades with no weather season
Cleaning, construction, electrical, flooring and fire protection sell on contract end dates, budgets and inspection cycles. Learn each account's date on the first call and come back before it.
Roofing demand spikes after hail and wind events, when owners want an inspection and documentation for their insurer, so be the known contractor before the storm, not one of many calling after it. Planned work follows each owner's budget: inspections feed capital requests, and replacements are approved ahead of installation. Outbound runs every month, keyed to each building's roof age and budget date.
Chapter 05 The numbers
What one meeting takes, trade by trade
What booking a meeting has taken on our own calling floor for the trades we run in Tulsa, next to the records we can prospect here. The sales center figures are national; it does not break them out by city yet.
| Trade | Dials per appointment | Reached proposal | Proposals won | Dials for 10 meetings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire ProtectionFastest to book | 78 | 21.6% | 13.2% | about 780 |
| Paving & Asphalt | 86 | 32.2% | 7.4% | about 860 |
| Commercial Landscaping | 88 | 18.8% | 12.7% | about 880 |
| Commercial Electrical | 96 | 14.6% | 21.1% | about 960 |
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical | 98 | 16.6% | 24.9% | about 980 |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings | 115 | 31.2% | 14.4% | about 1,150 |
| Commercial Flooring | 122 | 30.8% | 9.8% | about 1,220 |
| Commercial Roofing | 140 | 25.9% | 16.1% | about 1,400 |
| Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial | 142 | 23.9% | 21.7% | about 1,420 |
| Managed Service Providers | 162 | 10.0% | 20.5% | about 1,620 |
All of these trades together: 122 dials per appointment
The records behind a Tulsa program
Before a program starts we size the list: the decision-maker records Abstrakt can prospect for each trade in the Tulsa-Muskogee-Bartlesville territory.
- 3,169Commercial Roofing
- 3,169Commercial Construction
- 1,330Commercial HVAC & Mechanical
- 1,068Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial
Source: Abstrakt territory record counts, as of October 2026: estimated decision-maker records Abstrakt can prospect for each program in the territory. Shown for the programs the count covers.
Read it this way
Divide the records by the dials one meeting takes and you see how long a list lasts before it repeats. A thin list means a program has to work every record well, not just call more.
Chapter 06 Build or buy
What an in-house SDR costs in Tulsa
Before you hire a sales development rep in Tulsa, price the whole job, not just the salary.
The salary is the smallest part of the decision. About 2,870 people hold the role in the Tulsa, OK metro, and every one of their employers is competing for the same hires.
| Cost | Year one |
|---|---|
| Base salary | $55,000 |
| Commission and bonus | $15,000 |
| Payroll taxes and benefits (25% of pay) | $17,500 |
| Tools and data ($550 a month) | $6,600 |
| Recruiting and training | $7,000 |
| Turnover (35% a year, rehiring) | $2,450 |
| Manager and QA time (5 hours a week) and admin (4 hours a month) | $21,150 |
| Total, before ramp time | $124,700 |
Headcount: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services and travel (SOC 41-3091). The cost lines are the starting values of our SDR cost calculator: $15,000 commission, 25% payroll taxes and benefits, $550 a month in tools, $7,000 recruiting and training, 35% yearly turnover, and manager, QA and admin time. Change any of them there.
$124,700
for one in-house SDR's first year at a $55,000 base salary.
That buys one rep. It does not buy the list, the manager's coaching system or cover when the rep leaves.
Part two Apply this
The Tulsa market toolkit
4 working tools built from the chapters above. Tick the boxes as you go (they stay ticked in this browser), copy the scripts into your CRM, or save the whole guide as a PDF and print this part as a worksheet.
Tool 01
Account scorecard
Before an account goes on the call list, check every line that fits. Call the accounts with the most ticks first, and leave the ones with none for later.
Tool 02
Discovery question bank
Ask fewer, better questions. Pick three or four for the call and save the rest for the meeting. Each one comes with the reason it earns its place.
Restaurants: 748 sites here
From our fire protection talk track. Staying open and passing inspection. Multi-unit operators are worth more than single locations.
- When was your hood suppression system last inspected, and when is the next one due?Due dates tell you when to call and what to offer.
- Have you had a failed inspection or a citation recently?Failed inspections threaten the ability to stay open and create urgency.
- How many locations do you operate, and does each one use a different vendor?Multi-unit operators are more valuable and often want one vendor across locations.
Retail stores: 537 sites here
From our landscaping talk track. Store appearance and snow safety. In shopping centers the landlord usually controls the contract, so qualify who buys.
- Is this a freestanding store, or does the shopping center landlord handle the grounds?In centers the landlord usually buys, so this qualifies whether you are talking to the right company.
- Is grounds and snow bought store by store or through a regional or national program?Regional programs need a different conversation and a different contact than a single store.
- How is snow and ice handled before the store opens?Opening-time snow coverage is a safety and liability issue that gets attention fast.
Manufacturing plants: 393 sites here
From our cleaning talk track. Audits and shift schedules. Ask which areas the production crew cleans and which they wish someone else did.
- Which areas does your production crew clean, and which do you wish someone else handled?Work that pulls operators off the line is the scope a plant manager will pay to hand off.
- What shifts do you run, and when could a cleaning crew work without getting in the way?Shift schedules decide staffing, access and whether the job fits your crews.
- Do you have customer or safety audits coming up that look at housekeeping?An upcoming audit creates a date and makes high dusting or floor scrubbing an easy yes.
Any first meeting
Plain practice that works in every market.
- How are you handling this today, and what would you change about it?The gap between today and what they want is the whole reason to meet.
- What happens if nothing changes this year?Tells you whether there is a cost to waiting, or only curiosity.
- Who else would need to agree before anything moves?Names the people who can stall the deal, while you can still invite them.
- When does the current contract or budget come up for review?Gives you the date to plan around, even when the answer today is no.
- What would make a first meeting worth your time?Lets the buyer set the agenda, which is the agenda they will show up for.
Tool 03
Trigger watchlist
Each of these changes gives a buyer a reason to take the call this month instead of next year. Tick the ones you will track, and set a news alert or CRM field for each so you hear about it first.
Tool 04
30-day action plan
4 weeks, 15 steps, nothing you need to buy. Tick each one off as you finish it; your progress stays in this browser.
Week 1Draw the territory
Week 2Check the rules, then write the talk track
Week 3Make the calls
Week 4Measure and decide
Sources and notes
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023: business sites by category, size and county, Tulsa, OK.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2026 Q1: contractor establishments, one-year change and concentration (location quotient).
- Projects: named public sources linked on each card, current as of 2026-09.
- Anchor owners: sources linked on each card, checked 2026-10.
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2015 to 2024: hail and damaging wind reports by month across the metro's counties.
- NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county monthly series, 1991-2020 averages: degree days and average highs by month.
- Abstrakt sales center, Performance Intelligence, national, as of October 2026: dials, appointments, proposals and wins by trade. Method.
- Abstrakt territory record counts, as of October 2026: decision-maker records per program in the Tulsa-Muskogee-Bartlesville territory.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025: Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services and travel (SOC 41-3091).
- The toolkit's discovery questions come from our trade talk tracks; the plan and checklists are sales practice, not data.
