Pictured are local residents who are employees of Steve Simpson & Associates, Inc. and Well Testing, Inc., both supplying services to the gas development industry and operating out of the Paden City Industrial Park.

The Paden City Development Authority showed their appreciation Monday for two gas industry supply services who are tenants in the Paden City Industrial Park. Steve Simpson & Associates, Inc. and Well Testing, Inc., both based in Texas, lease and occupy over half of the park’s 210,000 square-foot warehouse.

The businesses, who have both been in the park for about two years, are actively supporting major players such as Chesapeake Energy, EQT, and other gas drilling companies.

In addition to thanking them for their presence in the park, the authority wanted to highlight their practice of hiring locally. “We have been impressed with their hiring practices and commitment to hire locally when the skill set will allow them,” noted Authority Member Cork Bowen.

“Frank Hunt, site manager for Simpson, is proud to say that he has hired close to 20 people from the community as well as tagging all of his vehicles in West Virginia. Both companies try to buy local and hire local when possible,” said Bowen.

He added, “They have been very helpful in sharing some of the costs in capital improvements at the Industrial Park.”

Paden City Mayor Bill Fox praised the two tenants and thanked them for their business and also the Development Authority and their volunteer efforts in helping to make the Industrial Park a success.

Most of the nine-acres site is utilized except for one prime piece of office and warehouse space. There is currently a building with 4,000 square feet of office space connected to approximately 50,000 square feet of warehouse/light industrial utilization possibilities. “We are anxious to get that last section leased and made available to any potential new tenant,” the mayor proclaimed.

The Paden City Development Authority is a group of seven volunteers who help operate and maintain not only the Industrial Park, but also the Health and Recreation Building located on state Route 2 (the old Paden City Middle School). In addition to Bowen, the authority’s members are Patty Casteel, Kim Frum, Larry Potts, Dale Henry, Tom Martin, and Richard Gallagher.