The Marcellus Shale formation stretches from the edge of Maryland to Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia and the Appalachian Ohio region along the Ohio River. The boundaries of the deeper Utica Shale formation extend under the Marcellus Shale region and beyond. Shale gas has the potential to meet the total U.S. natural gas demand for generations.

Ohio's state geologist estimates that recovering 5 percent of the reserves in the 100-mile wide Utica Shale formation in eastern and central Ohio could produce 5.5 billion barrels of oil and 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, making the Utica a significant contributor to the national fuel supply while creating thousands of jobs in the state. At the lower 1.2 percent recovery rate being seen in the Bakken Shale formation in the West, the Ohio play could produce 1.3 billion barrels of oil and 3.75 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Energy companies looking to achieve the fastest return on their start-up investment benefit from the Ohio Appalachian Region's optimal location in the five-state Marcellus and Utica Shale region and the state's manufacturing know-how and its world-class logistics infrastructure. Everything that made Ohio the ideal location choice for suppliers to the automotive industry is in place for Tier I and II suppliers to leverage to efficiently and affordably supply the Marcellus and Utica Shale gas industry over the life of the shale gas reserves. This standing capability results in lower operating costs and maximum return on investment.

Each natural gas well itself involves about 75 jobs ranging from highly skilled positions such as seismologists, engineers and geophysicists to construction positions and others to check meters and tend the wells. There are also a number of indirect jobs associated with the production of natural gas. The shale gas development could trigger work in many trades, from environmental consultants, to lawyers, to truck drivers, to those who train for jobs at well sites, making it important to have access to a readily available skilled labor pool.

Energy companies have a growing need for engineers, researchers and skilled manufacturing workers, which are readily available in Ohio. Ohio's colleges and universities are ready to meet the need for new technologies and skilled green collar workers through new research, degrees and training specific to the advanced energy industry through programs such as The University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio (UCEAO) and investments through Ohio Third Frontier.

In addition, a number of colleges and universities throughout the state, such as Kent State University, Hocking College, Marietta College, The Ohio State University, and Zane State University, offer world-class natural gas industry training programs.

Youngstown State University recently announced the development of a new institute designed to educate professionals and provide research for the emerging multi-billion dollar shale natural gas industry. The YSU Natural Gas and Water Resources Institute will provide bachelor's degree level courses in science and engineering that will lead to an academic minor in gas technologies and also will provide research opportunities for industry focusing on analysis of water used in the shale gas extraction process.

Read more about how Ohio's affordable, skilled labor pool is ready to meet the demands of the shale gas industry in today's press release.

While serving as director of adult learning services at a major state institution, his passion for quality education inspired him to seek a better way for his distance-learning students to obtain their course materials. Finding none, he created his own.

Two companies later, Dr. Mark is credited with creating a niche industry around the fulfillment of content and course materials for distance learning, career and multi-campus colleges.

A native New Yorker, Dr. Mark went to college at Ohio University and found that Appalachia was “just too pretty a place to leave.” And, when it came time to start his companies, the serial entrepreneur found the ideal business startup location in Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachia.

“I am here because of the Ohio Promise,” Dr. Mark shared in a recent interview with me. “My favorite thing about living in Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachian Region is that you can achieve professional success within the context of a fulfilling life.”

Click here to read the rest of my interview with Dr. Mark.

For decades, this ravaged steel town struggled to reinvent itself. Over the last few years, though, something special has happened in Youngstown. Several strong-minded business spirits are putting their heads together to create the rebirth of Youngstown as an innovative technology center.

The Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI), led by Jim Cossler, is one such organization that is taking the city by storm. YBI offers budding tech companies consulting services and facilities support, such as office space and bandwidth for free or at a deferred cost.

Experts agree there are four ideal location criteria for entrepreneurial start-ups: access to business capital and support services, access to supply chain and markets, access to knowledge and labor, and access to a balanced life. All of these resources are abundant in Ohio, and YBI is just one shining example of how entrepreneurs can benefit from having ready access to these resources.

Read more about how YBI works with entrepreneurs to mitigate risk, reduce expenses, and develop and execute viable business plans, which all helps to improve their likelihood of success.

According to small business experts, there are four criteria that make up an ideal location for business development: access to knowledge and labor, access to business capital and support services, access to supply chain and markets and access to a balanced life.

Ohio's Enterprise Appalachia Region offers an ideal start-up environment, providing all the criteria to develop a successful small business. The region offers access to these resources and much more. Read success stories of executives growing their business in Ohio’s Enterprise Appalachia Region.

Leveraging its legacy as a strong supply chain and manufacturing state, Ohio is opening its doors to natural gas exploration and building jobs to support companies involved in natural gas extraction. As Ohio capitalized on its cost-effective location and market access to become the top automotive supply chain state in the country, Ohio is fast becoming the preferred supply chain location for companies involved in the commercial development of Marcellus and Utica Shale.

• Close proximity to all five primary states spanned by the Marcellus and Utica Shale formations
• Established supply chain industry which lowers costs and maximizes investment
• More than $54,000 miles of natural gas distribution pipeline
• Multi-modal and inter-modal networks that guarantee "just-in-time_ delivery to suppliers of natural gas drill sites

The same advantages that allowed suppliers for the automotive industry to grow and flourish are in place to efficiently and affordably supply the Marcellus and Utica Shale gas industry: central location, transportation infrastructure, workforce and talent, and favorable tax structure. Supply companies that want to be accessible to the Marcellus and Utica Shale natural gas reserves will find Ohio is the ideal location choice to achieve the fastest return on their start-up investment and will benefit from the state’s manufacturing know-how and world-class logistics infrastructure. Find out more.