UPDATE 12/2/10 .

PIKE COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) --100 new jobs are coming to Pike County.
Thursday morning, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the future EQT Regional Headquarters near Pikeville.

The facility will be a 33,000 square foot office complex and a 10,000 square foot warehouse. It will create construction jobs and then 100 new permanent jobs that pay 55,000 per year.

“This is an important project not just for Pike County but for all of eastern Kentucky,” State Senator Ray Jones said.

The state offered tax benefits to lure natural gas company EQT to build it in Kentucky, but EQT officials say location won them over.

“We just thought this was the best place to locate and sort of fan out to the other areas where we're producing natural gas,” Kevin West said.

EQT is expected to pay ten million dollars for construction. Pike County funded more than one million dollars in coal severance funds for site preparation.

EQT officials hope to finish construction and open the facility in early 2012.

Gov. Steve Beshear announced the expansion by EQT Corporation Thursday afternoon.

According to a press release, the average pay for the new jobs will be over $55,000.

EQT Corporation is an integrated energy company with divisions focused on natural gas production transmission and distribution.

The company is the largest natural gas producer in the Appalachian basin.

EQT plans to build a new 45,000 square-foot complex located at Scott Fork Property off U.S. Highway 119 in Pike County. Completion of the expansion is expected to be in 2010.

“EQT will be the first corporation to establish an office in the future energy park, located on U.S. 119 at Scott Fork,” said Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford. “Its location to Pike County will cause other independent firms that contract with EQT to relocate near the energy park, thus creating the opportunity for hundreds of future jobs for the people in our area.

In addition to its eastern Kentucky operations, EQT also has natural gas operations in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority approved EQT Corporation for tax benefits up to $2.5 million under the Kentucky Jobs Development Act

ORIGINAL STORY
PIKEVILLE, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A new company could be bringing dozens of jobs to Pike County, Ky.

Tuesday morning, Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford signed the land lease for the project, but is not saying what it is until all the details with the company are finalized.

“I can tell you this, it will be one of the biggest announcements ever made in eastern Kentucky,” Judge Executive Wayne T. Rutherford said.
The jobs are expected to involve natural gas.

“We have said for sometime, we want to bring jobs around energy,” Rutherford said.

Details are expected to be finalized on Thursday in Frankfort with Governor Beshear making the official announcement later in the day.