By Ann Ali
The State Journal
WEIRTON, W.Va. — Bidell Gas Compression announced March 10 it will base its first U.S. manufacturing operation in Weirton, WV, repurposing the former 100,000 square foot ArcelorMittal machine shop to fabricate, sell, lease and service natural gas and compression equipment.
(Photo by Linda Harris)
The company is a subsidiary of the Canadian company Total Energy Services Inc. and is expected to employ about 60 people this year with a goal of 100 employees by 2018.
Bidell President Sean Ulmer said in a news release the company conducted “an extensive search throughout the northeastern United States,” and Weirton provided not only the necessary building and land, but also the workforce.
The West Virginia Development Office, along with the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, worked with the Business Development Corporation of the Northern Panhandle to purchase the property from Mingo Junction Steelworks LLC. According to the Department of Commerce, additional funding and services to support Bidell’s employee training will be provided through the Governor’s Guaranteed Work Force Program.
Total Energy Services has operating divisions and wholly-owned subsidiaries that include contract dilling services, rental and transportation services and the fabrication, sale, rental and servicing of new and used equipment both for oil and gas processing, according to a news release from the Department of Commerce.
The Hancock County Commission, City of Weirton, United States Environmental Protection Agency and Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Regional Planning Commission also provided financial and technical support to bring Bidell to the Northern Panhandle.
“We thank Bidell for this multimillion dollar investment and the creation of dozens of new jobs,” Thrasher said in a news release. “We are honored by the company’s confidence in West Virginia’s outstanding business climate, world class workforce and access to global markets.”
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