Good news for southeastern Ohio’s struggling economy: 350 good-paying jobs – directly tied to the safe, responsible development of the Marcellus shale – are coming to the region.

The Youngstown Vindicator went with the headline “The area could use some good news, and it got it” in an editorial today hailing the expansion of V&M Star Steel, which will initially produce 350,000 tons of steel tubing a year in support of Marcellus shale gas development in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

This from the editorial:

“The area could use some good news, and it got it …The facility will provide new, well paying jobs to 350 people. They will be producing oil-country tubular goods, a product that has a bright future as long as there is a need to extract energy from the ground. And as much as everyone talks about new, green sources of power, we’ll be running on fossil fuels for some time to come.”

According the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce, this expansion is a “defining moment” and “a pivotal step in the rebirth of the Mahoning Valley’s economy.”

V&M Star President Roger Lindgren told WYTV News that “We are ideally situated to serve the Marcellus Shale,” in a segment entitled “Steel Is Back.”

Lindgren adds this: “We are going to build a state of the art mill here in Youngstown and Girard to supply the growing market for the smaller OD [outside diameter] pipe used for the shale drilling. It will be high-grade pipe for the very challenging requirements of shale drilling.”

U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), a member of the powerful Energy and Water Development appropriations panel, called the shale-gas related economic development “a game-changer.”

Here are several local news articles about this announcement:

V&M Star to Officially Expand, Create 350 Jobs
WYTV, 2/16/10

“For a French company to recognize this as a place they want to make a $650 million investment, is a game-changer for us,” said Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH).

The mill should be fully running by the end of 2012. About 350 jobs will be created once production begins.

“It’s jobs, first and foremost,” said Ryan. “There are people, families who are going to go work, get off the unemployment line, make a good living. These wages, benefits, vacations. These are well-paying jobs.”

Youngstown area to get 350 more jobs when new steel tube plant opens
Cleveland Plain Dealer, 2/15/10

In addition to the manufacturing jobs, which are expected to pay more than $50,000 per year, many indirect jobs will be created in other areas like construction, shipping and the service industry.

“We’re talking about thousands of jobs that are going to be created here,” said U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat whose district includes the region. “It’s going to be transformational for the Mahoning Valley.”

Williams, Melfi: Success shows value of regional cooperation
Youngstown Vindicator, 2/16/10

The expansion will create 400 construction jobs. When the plant opens, there will be 230 employees working directly for V&M and 120 specialized service providers who’ll work at the plant.

“I hope that we all recognize that when we work together and do things together and check our egos at the door in the best interests of our community, great things happen,” said U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, whose office was involved heavily in the negotiations.

V&M announces $650M Youngstown expansion
Salem News, 2/16/10

U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan, D-Niles, said the announcement marks another turning point away from the Mahoning Valley’s image as a Rust Belt area. “Today’s unprecedented announcement by Vallourec is a watershed event for the Mahoning Valley,” he said in a statement.

“This $650 million investment will result in 350 new jobs, and sends a clear message that we have a world-class work force and a globally competitive business climate.

“Simply put, this is the game-changer for the Mahoning Valley.”