With the gas industry gushing forth economic opportunity in the area, a construction firm figures to plant its own pad right in Williamsport.
Quandel Construction Group Inc. is opening an office in downtown Williamsport at 25 W. Third St.
"If you want to do business here, you need to be located here," said Paul Rooney.
Rooney, who has been hired to serve as Quandel's regional marketing director, is no stranger to Lycoming County.
He spent nearly 40 years in the banking industry locally.
"What my role is to acquaint them with the marketplace," he said. "Hopefully, provide companies and individuals with opportunities for construction needs."
Bob Manning, principal at the The Quandel Group, is excited about the local marketplace.
"I have never seen anything like it," he said. "The activity curve is steeper than anything we've seen."
With the bursting economic activity, much of it due to the Marcellus Shale, it only makes sense to have an office in Williamsport, he said.
"I think in large part to Paul's network, we wanted to have a presence there," he said. "Right now we have three part-time people there. We're looking to staff up with full-time people."
Quandel was selected to serve as construction manager of the Little League Museum renovation project as well as for the Park Home project off Poco Farm Road.
But it is not as if the company is new to Lycoming County.
"They were looking to get back in this marketplace," Rooney said. They have been in this marketplace."
The company's past projects have included construction management for the Trade & Transit Center and the YMCA in Williamsport and as well as the Montoursville Area High School renovation project.
"We built the Lycoming County Prison in 1980s," Manning said.
The company, he said, has felt welcome to the area.
Quandel traces its roots back 130 years to Minersville.
Over the years it evolved from general construction with just a handful of employees to more than 300 people.
"In the '70s we started getting into bigger projects and started into construction management," Manning said. "We moved our corporate headquarters to Harrisburg in 1989. We found that it was better being in the state capital."
The company has offices throughout the state in Enola, Scranton, Wyomissing and Wind Gap as well as in Ohio, Maryland and Chicago, Ill.
In addition to construction management and general construction, Quandel provides design/build services.
Rooney said the company is committed to the market.
"It wasn't like they were a new entity," he said. "They had experience here and they did quality work here."
