It would be difficult to find a state or community that is not looking for increased economic growth and job creation. Although Ohio has made progress since the economic downturn at the end of the past decade, there’s plenty of room for additional recovery and expansion.
The Ohio economy soon will receive a boost when the Rover pipeline project moves forward. With the recent announcement of an estimated $80 million slated to be spent with local businesses in the state, the pipeline will deliver not just natural gas to Ohio residents, but also jobs and other benefits.
As the pipeline’s construction begins, it will put more than 6,500 Ohioans to work. These jobs will help add financial stability to families and drive local economic growth in communities across the state.
We’re fortunate to have a diverse business community in the state that produces everything from manufactured goods to specialized professional services. The Rover pipeline will take advantage of this array of talents by acquiring raw materials such as sand, critical pipe parts, welding supplies, compressor parts, and more — all from companies here in Ohio.
With more than 8,000 member companies, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce represents an active membership hungry for opportunities that will grow our state’s energy infrastructure through projects such as this. Some of these companies are among the contracted suppliers for the Rover pipeline. Last month, Ariel Corp. of Mount Vernon, Ohio, shipped its 50,000th compressor — a unit that was sent to Wayne County, where it will be used in a compressor station along the Rover pipeline.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity, thousands of good-paying jobs, greater energy security for Ohio and America — that’s a powerful combination. And that’s why the Rover pipeline project should move forward as soon as possible.
CHARLES WILLOUGHBY
Director of Energy and Environmental Policy Ohio Chamber of Commerce Columbus