Keystone Energy Forum

Shale Successes and Surprises

Development of the Marcellus Shale has benefitted Pennsylvanians in communities and businesses across the state.   Read some local success stories and you'll be pleasantly surprised at some of the individuals that are benefitting from Marcellus natural gas production:

• The Marcellus Shale industry has not only brought countless new businesses and jobs to the ommunity, but also a wave of generosity and compassion to organizations such as the Lycoming County United Way (LCUW) .  Companies and employees have donated both money and time to help members in their community through services provided by LCUW.  According to Kate Pachaca of LCUW, "LCUW funds 43 local human service programs throughout Lycoming County and we couldn't do it without the kindness and generosity of folks like this".  
• Success sometimes start with the simplest ideas to fill a pertinent need.  That's what happened with Rigmaids' founder, David Pfleegor.  Pfleegor opened a cleaning business, Rigmaids, marketed specifically for energy companies in Pennsylvania's northern tier.  With insurance, workers' compensation, safety equipment and clothing, he has built a reputable cleaning company, with currently 10 employees and hoping to grow to 20 this year.
• As demand for compressed natural gas (CNG) for fueling grows, so does the market for "steel pressure vessels", or containers, to store and transport industrial gases such as hydrogen, helium and argon, as well as CNG.  Shipments of vessels from CP Industries to hold CNG are up 28 percent from a year ago. The company has 111 employees and plans to add crane operators, quality control workers and others as sales increase.
• With demand popping for vehicles involved with Marcellus Shale drilling, J&J Truck Bodies & Trailers is expanding its manufacturing work force by up to 80 people in 2012, including skilled welders, mechanics, fabricators, industrial painters and general laborers.
• It began a little more than a year ago, along the banks of Walburn Run north of Brockway. There was one primary product there were three employees. Today, "it" (Superior Hose & Fittings, now Superior Energy Resources) has three major divisions with 105 employees providing around-the-clock service to customers in four states.  Their products?  Rig mats - the base on which rigs are mounted - are customized to drillers' needs and can cover as much as 40,000 square feet or more.  Hose and fittings and pumps and "everything customers need to conduct fluid or air transfer". Gas field services installs environmental liners.  And the company continues to expand.
• In business for 50 years, family-owned Dura-Bond, located in Export, anticipates 10 percent growth this year in its tubular business, due to expanded growth in the Marcellus and Bakken Shale formations.  Dura-Bond is positioned to take advantage of demand for large industrial pipe to transport natural gas from wellheads to trunk lines, and for the coating required to protect pipe against corrosion.
• In business since 1937, Cleveland Brothers, a family-owned company that provides heavy equipment, did not see the natural gas industry as a target market five (5) years ago.  With development of the Marcellus Shale, however, the company's number of employees has grown by about 30 percent to more than 1,100 at the company's 27 locations throughout Pennsylvania and West Virginia.  Cleveland Brothers' inventory includes earth moving equipment to get sites ready to bring in drilling rigs and equipment to get infrastructure in place to lay pipeline to transport natural gas harvested from wells.
• They call them "gumbanders" -- Pennsylvanians who went away for a decade or two but have been pulled back.  The Marcellus Shale is bringing Pennsylvanians home, not only to good jobs, but also to an area where they can raise their children and root for their hometown Steelers and Pirates.
• Local colleges are training students to fill jobs in the Marcellus Shale.  Watch this video to see what Lackawanna College is doing to help Pennsylvanians.
• Towns, such as Cranberry Township, are experiencing the benefits of the "trickle-down" effect from Marcellus Shale development.  And even more importantly, they are seeing long-term job stability with the establishment of corporate offices that will stay long after the drilling is complete.  Cranberry Township manager, Jerry Andree, originally predicted that each job created by a corporate office move, such as Westinghouse, would create nine spin-off jobs.  They are seeing those jobs from environmental engineers, water treatment companies and equipment manufacturers to restaurants, dry cleaners, childcare providers, and a host of other local businesses.
• Companies like Atlas Energy in Fayette County are not only adding Pennsylvania jobs in and related to natural gas development, but are also contributing financially to communities.  Atlas Energy grew its staff from 25 to 250 people in less than a decade, and as the Herald-Standard reports, "For every Atlas employee, the company estimates that four to five jobs are created through its contractors."" Marcellus companies, like Atlas, are also contributing to communities through financial support, such as grants. "We have always been a contributor to Fayette County, averaging about $35,000 a year," cites Rich Weber, Atlas Energy Inc. President.
• Residents and business people of Mansfield, Pennsylvania discuss the central role that the natural gas industry has played in creating jobs and boosting the local economy in this video. Mansfield, PA can continue to see these economic benefits through continued exploration of the Marcellus Shale.
• Counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania are beginning to see well production that exceeds estimates, according to analyses of data recently released by the state.  The top five (5) counties in overall natural gas production from July 2009 through June 2010 were Bradford, Susquehanna, Washington, Tioga and Greene.  The growth has been so prolific in Bradford County, that drilling companies have built a $7 million residential complex and training center for workers.   
• Lycoming County is one of many areas experiencing  "a new path to prosperity," in the words of Jack Moran, owner of the Old Mill manufacturing corridor in Mongtgomery Borough, which is rebuilding to support Marcellus Shale development.  And according to the Sun Gazette, between June and September, CareerLink in Lycoming County reported 596 new hirings, including 214 directly attributed to gas-related positions. 
• Small businesses completely unrelated to the natural gas industry, such as Abby Signs in Lycoming County, are servicing the natural gas companies.  Abby Signs' business has already grown 18% by making signs for companies that are drilling in the Marcellus Shale, and owner, William Abernatha Jr., told reporters that he’s never seen anything like the business he’s gained through the Marcellus Shale boom.
• Companies are recruiting, training and hiring Pennsylvania veterans to join the ranks of the Marcellus drilling operations.  Veterans, such as Jason Chilson, of Towanda, cited in a recent interview with the Times Leader, “I love my job. It’s something different every day. I like the (schedule), the stability. It’s a big industry and it’s right here”.

Do you have a success story to share?  Contact us and let us know how the Marcellus Shale has benefitted you or your community!