It is no secret MarkWest Energy Partners has made significant investments in Ohio over the past couple of years.  The company has invested billions of dollars in Ohio, with  cryogenic complexes in both Harrison and Noble Counties, a fractionator in Harrison County and a condensate stabilization facility under construction just outside Cadiz.

Now with the groundbreaking of its administration building in Cadiz, MarkWest has now officially begun cementing its roots in eastern Ohio — and local officials are taking notice.  On Wednesday, MarkWest hosted business leaders, elected officials and residents to take part in the ceremonial groundbreaking of their brand new office building at the Cadiz Industrial Park across the street from their Cadiz cryogenic facility.

“Our office building that we plan on building here, 20,000 square foot and should house 100 to 120 employees.  We currently have all of those employees scattered throughout the county and we look forward to bringing them all together.  Obviously this is a demonstration of MarkWest putting our roots down here in the Cadiz area as well.  This will be the regional headquarters for our entire Ohio operations.”- Dave LeDonne, MarkWest, VP of Operations, Utica

Following the introduction and overview of the project by Mr. LeDonne, local officials from the area shared their views on MarkWest and what this announcement means not only to the community but to the region as a whole.

Ohio State Senator Lou Gentile (D) applauded MarkWest for being a truly professional company and great partner in providing jobs and opportunity for the region.

“First and foremost, thank you for the investment this company, MarkWest, has made not only in HarrisonCounty but through out my entire Senate district.  The 30^th Senate District has been a benefactor to all of the investments that you have made and the number one issue, I think, facing this entire region is the need to create jobs, good paying sustainable jobs and we believe your company and your industry has been doing that here and we value the partnership.  I also want to thank you for your professionalism.  In working with my office to see to it we provide local community members with job opportunities.”- State Senator Lou Gentile (D) 30^th Senate District

Following Senator Gentile’s remarks, the President of the Harrison County Commissioners, Don Bethel, spoke on what this investment means to the families in the county hoping to keep their children at home instead of seeing them leave for opportunities in other cities or states.

“Today’s groundbreaking is a special day.  Why?  Because it should only give us hope.  The hope that events like this will continue.  The hope that companies like MarkWest will help us reverse that trend.  So HarrisonCounty brings back our youth and to reap the benefits of our own investment, and the hope that the future of HarrisonCounty will belong to our children and our children’s children. So for that on behalf of the Harrison County Commissioners, Commissioner Dale Norris, Commissioner Bill Host and myself, we thank you.  We congratulate you and we wish you success.”- Don Bethel, President of the Harrison County Commissioners

To conclude the remarks Mike Sliva, President of the Harrison County Community Improvement Corporation (CIC), discussed what the oil and gas industry — and more specifically MarkWest — has meant to the county over the past couple of years.

“We knew if we could land MarkWest.  If they would choose Cadiz, we knew the obvious.  The obvious was jobs. And that is evident because our unemployment rate in HarrisonCounty by more than 4 percent.  Payroll tax into the general fund for the village of Cadiz, in just two years, has almost doubled.  It’s adding a little more than half million dollars into our coffer today than it was just two years ago.”- Mike Sliva, President of the Harrison County CIC

As one can tell from the remarks of the local officials, MarkWest’s groundbreaking doesn’t just signify the building of an office, but the rebuilding of a community that has needed opportunities to regain the greatness it once had.  Thanks to MarkWest and the oil and gas industry in general, Harrison County is poised to be that much more attractive for children graduating high school or college, who can stick around close to their families because there is opportunity now and in the future to keep them in the region.