By Jeff Bowers

In Washington County, thousands of local jobs have been created and millions of dollars have already been spent by drilling companies. Several drilling companies are opening offices in the region and even businesses not directly tied to drilling are seeing an economic windfall.

WASHINGTON, Pa. — The natural gas industry is slowly moving into the Ohio Valley and while some might question its ability to create local jobs and rejuvenate the economy, a quick glance at Washington County, Pa. shows what the future could hold.

In Washington County, thousands of local jobs have been created and millions of dollars have already been spent by drilling companies. Several drilling companies are opening offices in the region and even businesses not directly tied to drilling are seeing an economic windfall.

Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi said local jobs were slow to develop when the industry first moved into the region in the early 2000’s.

“That’s true,” Maggi said. “[They don’t employ many local workers] for the first couple years. But now we are employing our own people. And that trickles down.”

He said that thought both private and public efforts, workers were eventually trained to fill job openings when the companies started hiring.

“People whose children in the 1980’s and 1990’s that had to move away are coming back here for good paying jobs,” he said.

Range Resources is one of the companies hiring local workers.

“[We are hiring local workers] not because it’s the right thing to do, but because the talent is here,” said Range Resources spokesperson Mark Windle. “A lot of phenomenal people from this region are looking for a job or just looking for a better job.”

Windle said that Range Resources has a long history in the region and just recently opened a new regional headquarters which employs 400 local people.

“We started with one employee here in this region – southwestern Pennsylvania – in 2007,” he said. “Now we have 400 employees – local employees – working here in this office every day.”

Local residents not working in the gas industry are also feeling the economic boost. Both residents who leased their land and business owners have all seen increased income.

“I was a dairy farmer!” said Dawn Hamilton who now has three wells producing on her property. She now owns and operates the Hopewell Diner where she serves meals to an ever-growing customer base, mostly composed of gas workers.

“It was a really, really bad mile year when the wells went online,” she said. “So it was a windfall. And it’s been amazing.”

The gas boom is also changing the way some people do business.

“I employee close to 30 people now,” said Frank Puskarich who owns Hogfathers BBQ in Washington. “Probably 15-20 of them are directly related to the gas business.”

Frank began delivering meals directly to the rig sites and says his kitchen has never been busier.

“The opportunity isn’t just the guy that’s actually drilling the hole,” he said. “It’s everyone servicing the gas business.”

So, What does this mean for the Ohio Valley? If you ask local business leaders, it means a lot.

“I think that the impact they’ve seen there is what’s coming out way,” said Progress Alliance Executive Director Ed Looman. “From what I can see, it’s all positive.”

Looman estimated that the boom being felt in Washington County right now is headed into West Virgnia and eastern Ohio and that dramatic changes are coming in 2012 and 2013.

“We’re really getting started now,” Looman said. “And it’s going to continue this year and on into next year … We’re a lot closer now that we were a few months ago when we were described on national TV as being the next boomtown.”

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