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Marcellus Shale Attracts Swift Worldwide Resources to Pittsburgh

The Marcellus Shale boom in western Pennsylvania has gained the attention of oil and gas companies, and they are seeing new opportunities in Pittsburgh.

One of the businesses making a move to Pittsburgh is Swift Worldwide Resources.

The outplacement company opened an office in Robinson. The new office will focus on hiring people for management and supporting roles in the oil and gas industry.

These roles include positions in technical shale drilling along with safety and environmental consulting.

Swift moved to Pittsburgh in response to one of its clients, Chevron, growing its business in the region. But Swift Business Development Manager Allison Fountain said that's just a start.

“Our focus is to grow and expand the business outside of what we currently have established with Chevron, so expanding what we have into other clients both on a contract consultant level as well as direct hire permanent placements, as well, and to us, that is success,” she said.

Swift relocated members from its Houston office in July, and the new office has already placed a mix of workers who have mostly relocated from the South, where there is a pool of expertise in the business, according to Fountain.

But Fountain said Swift is looking to tap into the local talent pool, which it is quite small compared to Texas and Louisiana.

“The oil and gas industry is fairly new as of 2004 out here in response to Marcellus and Utica Shale plays, so it’s not the well established talent pool that we’re accustomed to in Houston and other locations down South, where the shale plays are much more established and explored,” Fountain said.

Swift is trying to find talent by taking part in community events and volunteering at local industry functions.

To reach out to Swift about a position, Fountain suggested calling, emailing or simply walking into the new office. Fountain said more the tech-savvy could find Swift on its LinkedIn and Twitter pages.

The new office is located in the Penn Center West Complex in the Robinson area.

Jess is from Elizabeth Borough, PA and is a junior at Duquesne University with a double major in journalism and public relations. She was named as a fellow in the WESA newsroom in May 2013.