'Energy Surge' Fuels Area Economy
Washington PA Observer Reporter
24 February 2012
By Michael Bradwell, Business editor
mbradwell@observer-reporter.com
During the past year, Washington County attracted 45 economic
development projects valued at nearly $200 million and was named
third in the nation in employment growth and 11th in wage growth
as the county continued to experience an "energy surge" created by
the Marcellus Shale gas industry here.
Those figures were part of an assessment of recent economic growth
presented by Washington County commissioners Thursday during the
Washington County Chamber of Commerce's monthly breakfast briefing
attended by more than 200 members at the new Range Resources
regional headquarters in Southpointe II.
According to chamber Executive Director Jeff Kotula, 24 of the
county's 45 economic development projects were energy-related
company attraction and expansion projects, with 21 of those a
direct result of the Marcellus Shale gas play.
"There is no question that the development of the energy industry
has become a significant economic generator in our county and
Washington County has emerged as the energy leader in Southwestern
Pennsylvania," said county Commissioner Harlan Shober Jr., who
noted Thursday's event was being held at Range's new $30 million
regional headquarters building, where more than 400 of its
employees now work.
In addition to Range's new home, Shober noted that Southpointe II
is also home to Consol Energy Inc., the leading producer of
high-energy bituminous coal in the U.S. and the country's largest
underground coal mining company also has its $65 million global
headquarters in the park.
"In fact, over the past few years, over 50 energy and
energy-related companies have located within a one-mile radius of
where I'm standing today," Shober said. "Not only are we the
'Energy Capital of the East,' but we also can be called
'Jobland,'" he said.
But energy isn't the only impetus to the county's economy.
Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan noted the county's five-year-old
Local Share Account program, which uses a percentage of revenue
from slot machine gambling at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino,
has generated more than $46 million for 158 economic and workforce
development and community improvement projects.
"In the past five years, we've been able to match our $46.3
million in LSA funds with over $233 million in additional federal,
state and local monies," Irey Vaughan said. She noted the
investments in business parks like Alta Vista and Starpointe as
well as programs in job training, the expansion of the Washington
County Airport, infrastructure and other job creation projects
"are preparing us for future development and capitalizing on our
existing assets."
All of those factors have worked to make Washington County a top
performer in the region and the country, according to commission
Chairman Larry Maggi.
"Washington County's economy continues to expand and outperform
the Southwestern Pennsylvania region in terms of both economic
development projects and job creation," said Maggi, who noted that
in the first quarter of 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
ranked it third in the nation of employment growth, with a rate of
4.3 percent.
"That translates into about 750 workers in the natural resources
and mining sectors and approximately 900 in the professional
services and business sectors for a conservative total of 1,650
new jobs in Washington County over the past year," Maggi said,
adding the county has also seen an 8.8 percent increase in average
weekly wages, placing it 11th among the country's largest
counties.
According to Maggi, much of the growth can be attributed to county
government's partnership with the local business community to
create jobs and increase economic development activities through
collaborative public-private efforts; low taxes as well as
investments in infrastructure, business parks and other job
creation projects.
"Other counties are now trying to model themselves after what we
do here," Maggi said.