FrazierHeiby Receives Four Central Ohio PRSA PRism Awards

COLUMBUS, Ohio — FrazierHeiby was recognized with four Awards of Excellence at the 2012 Central Ohio Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) PRism Awards April 24 at the Ohio Union.

PRism Awards honor the greatest examples of marketing-communications work throughout central Ohio, ranging from print collateral and campaign programs to digital promotional pieces and websites.

Winning Entries:

• Multifaceted Campaign-Special Events — “The Quality Institute of the Ohio Hospital Association Encourages Central Ohio Hospitals to Scrub Up!”
• Earned Placement Feature Story — “Free Trade Agreements Earn Ohio Soybean Association Media Coverage”
• Editorials/Op-ed Columns — “Ohio Oil and Gas Association Op-ed in Response to the ‘Deep Pockets’ series in The Columbus Dispatch”
• External Website — “Introducing FrazierHeiby Online”

For more than 28 years, FrazierHeiby has enhanced awareness of and improved relationships for its clients.

To learn more about the PRism Awards, visit centralohioprsa.org

Energy-industry study: Oil, gas could add 200,000 new jobs in Ohio over 4 years

By  Dan Gearino
The Columbus Dispatch
September 20, 2011

Growth in Ohio’s oil and gas production could lead to 200,000 new jobs and $14 billion worth of investment in the next four years, according to a study issued today by energy-industry groups.

But at least one economist says the numbers are an overly optimistic view of a rapidly changing situation.

The release of the study, a day ahead of Gov. John Kasich’s energy summit, arrives at a time when industry groups increasingly optimistic about the economic potential of drilling oil and gas from shale formations. At the same time, environmental groups warn that the drilling technique known as fracking will lead to pollution.

“We stand here today firmly united in a common message that this resource will be responsibly developed and doing so will benefit all Ohioans who are looking for economic opportunity and energy security,” said Tom Stewart, executive director of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association.

James Newton, chief economic adviser for Commerce National Bank in Columbus, says the study should be viewed as a best-case scenario as opposed to a likely scenario.

“These kinds of studies are almost always going to give a really exaggerated look at the potential economic impact,” he said.

That said, the numbers would be substantial even if they fell far short of the forecast. For some perspective, Ohio’s oil and gas industry employed 4,490 last year, the study says.

The study was conducted by Kleinhenz & Associates Inc., a Cleveland-area research firm, showing that the oil and gas industry will produce 4,614 new jobs this year, both those directly involved in the industry and those indirectly related to it. That number, including direct and indirect jobs, would rise to 204,520 by 2015.

The figures are based on confidential reports from energy companies about their anticipated hiring and spending, which were then analyzed by the research firm and by faculty at several colleges, including Ohio State University.

To generate such growth, energy companies would need to make rapid progress drilling in the Utica shale, a largely unexplored formation that covers the eastern and central part of the state. The study anticipates drillers will have 20 wells completed in the Utica this year, rising to 1,501 wells completed in 2015 alone.

The forecast for jobs and investment depends on meeting this ambitious target.

Industry groups talk about the need for common-sense regulation of drilling, and Kasich has spoken about his desire to balance environmental and economic interests.

John Felmy, chief economist for the American Petroleum Institute, took a more partisan stance, saying that Obama administration has been hostile to oil and gas drilling.

“This is not a surprise, given its view that oil and gas are yesterday’s energy technology,” he said at a news conference.