Representatives from East West Drilling Company talk to interested attendees at the Central Susquehanna Gas and Oil Expo on September 19.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Lock Haven University Small Business Development Center is working with area agencies and organizations to inform business owners on how they can tap into economic benefits of the Marcellus Shale.
Networking definitely helps get business and at the Central Susquehanna Gas and Oil Expo on September 19, 150 local businesses were given a platform to network and make many valuable connections with the Marcellus Shale Exploration industry.
Matt Henderson, business consultant for the Lock Haven University Small Business Development Center, was one of the main organizers of the event along with collaborative efforts from the Independent Oil and Gas Associations, the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and the Penn State Cooperative Extension. Their efforts put together an expo which over 1,000 people attended. The expo allowed them to promote the benefits and employment opportunities projected to boost the local economy within the next ten years.
According to Tim Keohane, director of the LHU SBDC, “The Marcellus Shale exploration and recovery activities within Central Pennsylvania will most likely have a tremendous economic development impact throughout the region.” He added, “It is our goal to ensure that small businesses in the area are well poised to take advantage of the opportunities within this industry, which we will continue to promote collaboratively with other resource providers through educational outreach, networking events, and focused consulting engagements.”

The LHU SBDC and the Penn State Cooperative Extension are hosting a webinar series beginning on October 14. The webinar series will provide information for business owners to learn more about how their business can benefit from the Marcellus Shale industry. Information about the webinar series, as well as other educational opportunities and online resources, is available on the LHU SBDC website: http://www.lhup.edu/sbdc.