ENID, Okla. — Enid Regional Development Alliance has awarded $35,000 in grants to two local businesses to help them grow.
Unique Designs T-Shirts & More received a $10,000 Small Business Renovation Grant from ERDA, while Great Salt Plains Health Center received a $25,000 Business Opportunity Grant.
Unique Designs
Unique Designs has used the grant to buy and outfit a new mobile custom apparel unit.
Owner Mark Burrow said this will give him the ability to reach out to customers at community events.
Rather than customers having to guess at amounts when they pre-order merchandise, his mobile unit allows him and his staff to make products, including T-shirts and hats, on site.
The new mobile unit will roll out to festivals, school events, fundraisers, sporting events and community gatherings, he said. By producing apparel only when purchased, the business can reduce waste and maximize sales opportunities.
As an example, he said if he brought the van to a soccer tournament, he would already have the event’s design ready to go, along with some of his own soccer-related designs. He would have shirts available in three popular colors — white, gray and black — and popular sizes. He also could provide other colors if customers let him know, along with any special sizes.
“I try to help them out with a lot of sizing on what I sell. I want to help my customers,” he said. “I’d give you a little bit of the profits at the end.”
The van has been renovated, and uses Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing technology to create custom T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and other apparel, according to an ERDA news release.
“This project reflects the kind of innovation and entrepreneurship that keeps our local economy moving forward,” said Marcie Mack, executive director of ERDA. “Unique Designs has built a strong reputation in Enid, and this expansion creates new opportunities to serve customers in a creative and efficient way while supporting future business growth.”
Unique Designs, 1814 N. Grand, purchased the van as part of a $50,000 expansion project.
High Caliber Fabrication, located across the street, made the tables and put in the window in the side of the van where customers would order products. S&S Coatings did the powder coating, Burrow said, and Fisher Electric did the wiring.
The van, Burrow said, came from Dense Mechanical, which “made me a heck of a deal.”
The project is expected to generate an estimated $90,000 in additional sales over the next two years and create one to two new full-time positions, according to ERDA.
Burrow said ERDA was ideal to work with.
“I went down there and talked to them, and they told me what I needed to do and how I needed to do it,” he said. “They were awesome to work with.”
The Small Business Renovation Grant program is designed to support the growth and improvement of local businesses by providing matching funds for eligible expansion and renovation projects, according to ERDA.
For more information about ERDA’s business assistance programs, visit GrowEnid.com.
Great Salt Plains Health Center
Great Salt Plains Health Center will use its $25,000 grant to support its growing Enid Family Medicine Residency Program.
Located at 231 S. 30th, the residency program launched in June 2025 with a mission to train and retain physicians in Northwest Oklahoma, helping address the region’s long-term need for primary care providers, according to ERDA. The program at capacity will support 12 residents.
As part of the program’s continued expansion, GSP Health is investing $82,000 in required technology infrastructure, including laptops, monitors, peripherals, power supplies and electronic health record access, according to ERDA. These resources are essential for residents’ daily clinical operations and patient care.
“This investment supports one of the most important needs in our region — access to quality healthcare,” Mack said. “By helping equip the Enid Family Medicine Residency Program for growth, we are investing in the future of healthcare in northwest Oklahoma and strengthening the workforce pipeline for years to come.”
The three-year residency program produces board-eligible family medicine physicians, creating a sustainable pipeline of healthcare professionals who can serve communities across the region.
“We are so proud and excited to have ERDA continue to partner with us to support healthcare in Northwest Oklahoma,” said Tim Starkey, CEO of Great Salt Plains Health Center. “We are hoping to make a big difference throughout the area by improving access to high-quality medical services for many years through the Enid Family Medicine Residency Program.”
ERDA’s Business Opportunity Grant program is designed to support business growth, workforce development and strategic investments that strengthen the regional economy.
