Natural gas boom boosts companies from coast-to-coast

There are no drilling rigs in Holland, Mich., but the local economy is still feeling the effects of America’s natural gas drilling boom.

The same is true in Newton, N.C., which is hundreds of miles from the rich natural gas deposits being tapped in North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Texas.

In those places and many others, the massive supply chain for the natural gas industry is breathing new life into all facets of the country’s manufacturing sector, thanks to demand for pipes, equipment and technology.

“From a natural gas supply chain perspective, outside of the oil patch, we’re a great example of a company benefiting from the development of natural resources,” said Chris Wysong, president of Hemco Gage Corp., who spoke with Watchdog.org last week as he surveyed the inside of a brand new 30,000-square-foot building that soon will house an expansion of Hemco’s sister company.

America’s natural gas and oil industries now support more than 9.8 million jobs, according to a new report released last week by the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group.

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