Marcellus Revitalizes PA Company 150 Miles from Nearest Well

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PA State Senator Tim Solobay, a Democrat serving western PA’s 46th district, made the following report about the “broad-reaching economic impact” of Marcellus shale drilling and it’s power to revitalize businesses in the state:

More than 150 miles from the nearest gas well, I found signs of economic revival because of the Marcellus Shale drilling.

Last week, I joined state Sen. Andy Dinniman for a tour of a Chester County manufacturing facility that has rebounded from the recession by focusing its business on innovation in gas drilling.

Schramm Inc. has been a fixture in West Chester for more than a century and has survived the ups and downs of the economy. The 2008 recession forced the layoff of a third of its workforce, but energy exploration brought a quick recovery. The company has nearly doubled its workforce in the past two years, hiring 90 workers in the past 12 months.

This is a company that recognized the opportunity and worked aggressively to compete. That means underground shale in western Pennsylvania is good news for the economy in the southeast, as well.

Traditionally a manufacturer of drilling equipment, Schramm is developing state-of-the-art mobile drilling rigs for the Marcellus industry.

During my visit, I saw the testing of the new Schramm TXDi Telemast drilling rig. Targeted for use in the Marcellus drilling regions, the rig employs new technology to improve safety for operators as well as better monitoring of operations.*

*Canon-McMillanPatch.com (Mar 27, 2012) – Marcellus Shale’s Broad-Reaching Economic Impact