Oil & Gas Activity Helps Drive Stark County Hotel Boom

The continued progress on the hotels being built in Stark County has been a hot topic for more than a year now. Last fall we wrote of six hotels being built (5) or renovated (1) in the region.

Springhill Suites (Courtesy Canton-Stark County CVB)

Would you believe seven? That's right, another one was added to the mix when Embassy Suites announced plans to build a new hotel at the Shuffel Road exit off of I-77 at the northern edge of Stark County.

Recent updates in The Repository and from the Canton Stark County Convention & Visitors Bureau provided more details of the hotel construction boom, which is being fueled in large part by the oil & gas activity in Northeast Ohio.

Progress continues on the Springhill Suites by Marriott (set to open in June), the Hyatt Place, and the Staybridge Suites, all in the Belden Village area, along with the Fairfield Inn at the intersection of I-77 and Faircrest on Canton's south side, and the new Comfort Inn in Hartville (that community's first major hotel chain property). In addition, the major renovation of the Holiday Inn in Belden Village continues, with a projected completion set for early 2015.

These properties will not only be supported by the oil and gas industry, but also by tourism in the region (especially for the Pro Football Hall of Fame annual activities), airport traffic at CAK, and travelers to the flea market and other activities in Hartville.

Click on the links to read more from The Repository or the Canton Stark County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Ohio's Gas and Oil Output 'Should Get People's Attention'

That's what Peter MacKenzie of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association said on March 6 about the numbers released by the organization during its 67th winter meeting in Columbus.

As reported in the Akron Beacon Journal, the data shared at the winter meeting showed that oil production nearly doubled over the past year, and natural gas production rose 2-1/2 times higher.

The data "should get people's attention," the story quoted MacKenzie as saying. "It sure got my attention."

In all, Mackenzie said, oil production in Ohio rose from slightly less than 5 million barrels in 2012 to more than 9.7 million barrels in 2013. Natural gas production increased even more dramatically, from 83 million cubic feet to more than 203 million cubic feet in a year's time.

The OOGA is a close working partner of the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership. Their annual Winter Meeting brings together industry leaders from Ohio and across the nation to share news about the state of the oil and gas industry, through business sessions and a trade show. About 80 vendors participated in this year's trade show during the meeting.

More Good News On the Way for Stark County's Economy, Research Reveals

Sales receipts in Stark and surrounding counties were boosted by shale activity in 2013, reflective of a massive $8 billion investment spree taking place in Ohio due to the Utica Shale play.

(hivelocitymedia.com photo)

Edward (Ned) Hill, dean of the Maxine College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University, recently led a webinar on the status ofthe Utica shale’s development. He indicated that more gains are anticipated as a result of drilling in the state.

Hill (pictured) also had good news for Stark County in his department’s most recent edition of the Ohio Utica Shale Gas Monitor, dated January 10. CSU includes Stark among the moderate shale counties at this point, along with Mahoning, Portage, Trumbull and Tuscarawas counties.

The report said that sales receipts through August 2013 in those counties increased by 10.7% over the second quarter of 2012. “Increased sales reflect spending by land and mineral rights owners as well as spending of out-of-state workers because hotel and lodging bills are subject to the sales and use tax in Ohio, as are restaurant meals,” it concluded.

The report indicated that the larger metropolitan areas of Akron-Canton and Youngstown-Warren are benefiting because they have a stronger retailing presence than the counties that are currently the center of the most drilling activity.

This is what the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership has been promoting as we continue to point out why Stark County is a great place to live and establish a business presence.

Click here to read the CSU report: Ohio Utica Shale GasMonitor – Jan. 10, 2014

Great Turnout at 'State of the Utica' Event

More than 100 people representing area businesses, unions and associations joined the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership on Jan. 13 for our 2014 kickoff event.

The event, billed as the "State of the Utica," took place at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. A series of speakers presented updates about oil and gas developments in the region, as well as information about drug testing, health care reform and environmental issues.

Mike Chadsey of the Ohio Oil & Gas Association highlighted the industry's latest accomplishments and developments in the state, and offered insight about developments on the horizon for 2014.

Hors d'ouvres and beverages were available compliments of the partnership and key sponsors AultCare, Aultworks, AXA Advisors and the East Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council.

For local newspaper coverage, go to: Discussion highlights developments in the Utica Shale.

For complete photo coverage, go to: State of the Utica Event.

Ohio's Shale Boom Getting Closer

Only a fraction of Ohio's horizontal drilling wells are producing to this point, meaning the state's shale boom is still on the horizon.

That was the highlight of one of the presentation's at this year's Ohio Oil & Gas Expo at the IX Center in Cleveland. Dave Kirven and Brodie Haer represented the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership at the expo.

According to Peter MacKenzie of the Ohio Oil & Gas Association, most of the wells are waiting for pipelines and other facilities to be completed. MacKenzie's comments were included in an article published on Cleveland.com.

More than 200 exhibitors and 1,500 people attended the expo. Complete coverage can be found here: Ohio shale gas boom closer than many realize.

Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership Website Updated

The website for the Stark County Oil & Gas Partnership has been updated and redesigned as 2014 approaches.

Many of the former elements of the site were retained, and a number of new features were added to make the user's experience simpler. They include larger photo galleries, a more concise and easy-to-navigate member directory, and a calendar feature. The home page layout was adjusted to help users see site content at a glance.

Site design was completed by Delamater Media Group, a North Canton public relations, social media and communications company. DMG also handles blogging and social media for the partnership.

The website can be viewed at www.choosestark.com.

Oil & Gas Contributes to Hotel Boom

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Hotels are popping up everywhere, a sign that the Stark County economy is hopping. According to a report in the Canton Repository, there are five hotels in the planning or construction phases in Stark County. Four are in the Belden Village area, and another is in Hartville.

Smaller communities are also looking to welcome new hotels, and much of the growth is due to the demand from the oil and gas industry.

It's an exciting development for our region.

Click here to read more about the countywide building boom.