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Weatherford Confirms It's Scouting 'Several' Sites
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Weatherford International is scouting "several" potential locations for a facility in the city, a company spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.
Weatherford communications coordinator Melanie Kunia said the oilfield services company is performing due diligence on the sites and that more information would be made available about the company's plans in the next few weeks. She could not say what type of operation the company would be locating here or how many employees it planned to hire, but that it would cover “multiple product lines.”
The company, based in Geneva, Switzerland, describes itself as “one of the largest global providers of products and services that span the drilling, evaluation, completion, production and intervention cycles of oil and natural gas wells.” Weatherford says it employs more than 50,000 at its "regional hubs in major energy-producing areas such as Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, and the United States."
Weatherford had been rumored for several weeks to be looking for a site in the Mahoning Valley; its interest was confirmed when a recruitment event for the company was set for Tuesday and today at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center in Canfield.
The job fair, which was promoted on the OneStopOhio website, on radio ads and with fliers, was abruptly cancelled Friday. Mary Ann Kochalko, chief operating officer of the One Stops of Mahoning and Columbiana Counties, said she received a phone call on her way home from work Friday notifying her that the event was postponed.
Kunia, in response to requests for comment, said in an email late Friday that the company would reschedule its job fair. She could not state yesterday why Weatherford officials decided to delay the event.
Weatherford originally had planned to be in its Youngstown operation by late April, she said.
“I don’t know if that is still happening,” Kunia said. “I just know that the job fair is delayed.”
A company website lists several pages of openings for the Youngstown site. Positions posted include equipment operators, mechanics, material handlers, electronics engineers, coordinators and supervisors.
City officials have denied any contact with the company, which reportedly had been considering its Performance Place Industrial park. Eric Planey, vice president, international business attraction, for the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, said he is not at liberty to discuss the company.
Copyright 2012 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.