It was a community party of sorts as 60 of our employees welcomed close to 400 area residents at a picnic in Moundsville, W.Va.

Williams is investing in natural gas pipelines and midstream infrastructure in the northern panhandle, and the Sunday afternoon “Picnic in the Park” was our way of getting acquainted with our neighbors.

While kids enjoyed inflatable bounce houses, yard games and face-painting clowns, information booths were staffed by our employees who answered questions and generally got acquainted with area neighbors, community leaders and merchants. One retailer, who sells clothing and boots, told us that her second-generation store was close to going out of business when Williams and other energy companies entered West Virginia. Now her kids’ college education is assured.

Today we have 109 employees in West Virginia and that number is growing. We expect to hire at least 70 more by year-end.

Wherever we operate, Williams invests in the community and we encourage our employees to get involved as community volunteers.

At the Moundsville community picnic, our general manger of Williams Ohio Valley Midstream, Darrell Bull, presented a large check to the outdoors retailer Cabela’s. The $10,000 grant will help with the restoration of Bear Rock Lake, a nearby state wildlife and recreational area. The Williams-Cabela partnership will allow for renovation of handicap access areas to allow more residents to enjoy the lake.