The spike in natural gas development has proven to be a boon to businesses of all sorts in states located on top of the country’s the largest shale formations and basins. The most drilling and pipeline activity is being conducted in the massive formations – or “plays” – in Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Texas, where contractors are cashing in on the flurry of drilling that began in 2008.

“It’s definitely been a boon economically,” says Charles Campbell, director of special projects with Glenn O. Hawbaker, a State College, Penn.-based heavy and civil construction contractor. “And it’s all new business. The gas has been here for millions of years, but until recently none of this [business] existed.

该州还吸引了来自州外的许多企业，希望获得气体繁荣。

“公司有一个非常积极的快速增长市场，”代表该地区工作的公司Marcellus Senale Coalition（MSC）总裁Kathryn Klaber说。“在办公室里，最常见的电话是在这里，求职者是希望在这里建立联系的企业。”

In North Dakota, the desire to get in to the shale drilling and pipeline building game has overwhelmed the secretary of state’s office, which is responsible for fielding and processing new business registration documents. On April 1 the office announced it would be closed to the public every Monday in order to process the mountain of paperwork from companies looking to set up shop in the state.

北达科他州管道管理局负责人贾斯汀·克林斯塔德（Justin Kringstad）说：“他们只是被新的商业文件淹没了。”“有承包商和公司从全国各地迁入，以尽快建造这些管道。”

无论是Hawbaker还是Wilkes-Barre-based测量and environmental design firm Borton Lawson had worked in the gas industry prior to 2008 but since jumping in, the two firms say the sector now accounts for between 40% and 50% of their business, allowing both to expand.

“Since 2009 we’ve been able to nearly double our company and open four new offices,” says Chris McCue, head of oil and gas markets for Borton Lawson. “The gas industry was an absolute game-changer for us. And there are success stories like us all over the state.”