YOUNGSTOWN - Officials from the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber spent three days this week meeting with Houston companies and agencies in an effort to attract shale-related investment to the area.
Chamber officials said they held 13 meetings over the three-day span, including with several manufacturers of components in upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas activities and a large developer of mid-stream processing systems.
Several of the companies requested meetings with the Chamber officials Sarah Boyarko, vice president of Economic Development, Business Retention and Expansion; and Eric Planey, vice president of International Business Attraction and the Chamber's point person for shale development, to learn more about specific needs for investing in the Utica Shale play.
"The visit assisted us in accessing the decision-makers at the manufacturing firms,'' Boyarko said. "They appreciated us coming to Houston. ... Likewise, they went out of their way to inform us of other opportunities that they see the Mahoning Valley benefiting from. Our list of follow-ups from this trip is extensive."
"We also are coming back to the area armed with more information on how to grow the Valley's recognition as being the supply chain hub for the Utica and Marcellus Plays," Planey added.
Boyarko and Planey said they also were pleased to hear of these firms' desire to consult on work force development issues.
Fact Box
The Regional Chamber met with several Texas-based companies over a three-day span this week about potential local expansion. They included:
Several manufacturers of components in upstream, midstream, and downstream oil and gas activities.
A financial services firm that caters to investment in the oilfield industry.
A global oilfield service company.
A large developer of midstream processing systems.
A well-established law firm that has significant experience in Ohio law for the energy industry.
A consultancy that assists companies with API certifications for the shale supply chain.
The Canadian Government's office of the Trade Commissioner for Energy.
Source: Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber
The trip to Houston was on the heels of the Chamber's participation in the Ohio Oil & Gas Association's trade show Dec. 4-6 at the I-X Center in Cleveland. There, Chamber executives said they met more than 60 companies over the two-day event at their exhibition space.