Just past the Alfred Complex on U.S. Route 50 East and a stone’s throw before you get to Reep Graphics on the same stretch of highway, a neatly tailored gravel road can be seen darting back around the hillside. Just out of site is a brand new facility that not only means good news for the local economy, but also could mean opportunity for those wanting a career.

 

Allied Oil & Gas Services, LLC, a large company started in 1967 in Russell, Kansas, officially opened its doors Sept. 1. The company, headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas with more than 500 employees, will hold a grand opening this coming Thursday with an official ribbon cutting.

 

“We became fully operation at this site on September 1,” said Vince Mckibben, a senior account manager with the company.

 

The new building should meet their immediate needs. The office covers 8,000 square feet and the maintenance shop and wash bay is also 8,000 square feet. In addition, there is 4,300 square feet of bulk storage available and a laboratory that covers 1,000 square feet. Most important is that the site and facility is built to be able to handle future growth.

 

While the company is in the oil and gas industry as their name indicates, they are a support company for the companies doing drilling. The function of the new facility is cementing.

 

“We do the cementing for the oil and gas companies with the goal of protecting water aquifers. We protect the casing in the ground with the job that we do here,” said Mckibben.  “By adhering the casing to the ground, we protect the water zone and anything that can migrate up and around the pipe.”

 

Allied utilizes high-powered pump trucks to deliver cement downhole at the work sites. Their product enhances structural stability of wells, limits gas migration and isolates production zones. The new company blends the cement needed for various down-hole conditions at their new facility.

 

The new Allied facility is situated on a little more than six acres and currently has roughly 70 people on staff. The good news is that Mckibben said Allied is hiring. In fact, he said the goal is to have more than 100 employees. There is a catch, but it’s a good one.

 

“Everybody is looking for a job, but I’m looking for people ready to work,” said Mckibben. “If you’re that person, we’ve got competitive wages and a great opportunity. If someone wants to make money, the time is now.”

 

Mckibben said workers need a Class A CDL driver’s license. Having hazmat is a good thing, but it is not required, he said.

 

“What’s important is having a good, clean driving record, a good background check and, as I’ve mentioned, be an individual that likes to work because we run 24/7,” said Mckibben, who has more than a quarter century of experience in the cementing and fracking industry.

 

The company’s new office is filled with vehicles and workers. In fact, more than 40 vehicles are there doing work from Washington, Pa. all the way down into North Central West Virginia. Mckibben said the company is also hiring in Ohio.

 

“We have a facility in Cambridge that we’re ramping up that already has 12 or 14 individuals and we’d like to get up to at least 20,” he said.

 

West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio aren’t the only places where Allied has a strong presence. They are also operating with high standards in Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, and North Dakota. Many of their clients are familiar names in the region, including Antero Resources, Chesapeake Energy, PDC Energy, Consol Energy and a host of others. In fact, they have more than 320 active customers.

 

For individuals seeking an opportunity with the company, call 304-626-3078. You can visit their Web site and learn more about the company by clicking HERE.

 

Editor's Note: Top photos show parts of the new facility just off of U.S. Route 50, while Vince Mckibben is shown in the bottom photo in front of one of the company's vehicles.