Coudersport in Potter County was the venue for Natural Gas Expo on March 17-18.
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The event was to facilitate making connections between energy companies igrating to Potter County, established local businesses interested in tapping into new opportunities, and engrepreneurs who can see the bas industry's employment in the gas industry.
The event was an outrgowth of the Potter County Natural Gas Task Force which included County Commissioners; Douglas D. Moreley, Parul W. Heimel and Susan F. Kefover; Terry Cole from the PA Department of Labor & Industry; Douglas Boston, Communications Director fort he INdependent Oil & Gas Association of PA; Bob Veileux from the Penn State Cooperative Extension Service; Helene Nawrocki, Executive Director of the Potter County Education Council, Ann Robinson, Director of trhe University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Business Resource Center; Tina Johns Lorson, Executive Director at the Cameron County Chamber of Commerce and Any Thompson, event planner.
As previously reported here, CLICK HERE the counties that helped sponsor this Expo and those surrounding it have some of the highest umployment rates in the state:
- Potter County 12.14%
- McKean County 11.22%
- Cameron County 17.07%
- Elk County 12.28%
March 17 Education and Employment Day and was focused on programs and opportunities for individuals to meet with the many companies exhibiting there to seek employment. Local students attended and were two educational presesntations for High School students which occurred three times during that morning.
These were:
- Energy & You: The Oil and Gas Industry in Yoru LIfe Every Day
- Marcellus Shale Phases of Development & Career Opportunities.
The information sessions in the afternoon focused upon career opportunties and furture needs in the industry.
March 18 was focused on Business to Business Opportunities. Information sessions occurred all day and free food was provided on both days.
The information sessions were:
- How to Get Gas Serving Contracts wtih the Major Gas Companies
- How to Market your Business to the Gas Industry
- Polytanks
- Water Resources & Natural Gas
The venue was an unlikely one, the Gospel Tabernacle in Coudersport, but it was really a wonderful venue, with ample space for meetings exhibition space. The only minor problem was parking, but the days were warm and beautiful.
I spoke to Michael J. Duffy, a banker from First Niagara Bank out of Pittsburgh. "There will be great opportunites for the next 20-30 years in many sectors, due to the development of the Marcellus Shale,: he commented. First Niagara recently completed two major acquistions in 2009, aquiring 57 local brances of PNC-National City Bank in Western Pennsylvania and Harleysville National Bank which was headquartered in Montgomery County.
Bruce Sampson, of Penn General Energy of Warren County retired from PPL in Allentowna can moved to Warren County. "The development of Marcellus Shale in this area (Western, PA) is 12-18 months behind areas in Northeast PA, such as Susquehanna County," he commented.
