Lingering fog and low clouds kept Gov. Rick Perry from attending the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies Thursday at C&J Energy Services, Inc. The weather conditions also kept company president and CEO Josh Comstock grounded in Corpus Christi.

A leading provider of coiled tubing and pressure pumping services — and recently, fracturing services — to the oil and gas industry in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, the Corpus Christi-based company expanded its operating base to Marshall to better serve the Ark-La-Tex region.

Courtney Case/News Messenger (ENLARGE)

Local officials stand in line with C&J Energy Services, Inc. employees for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new facility Thursday at Marshall Business Park.

The new facility is located in the Marshall Business Park and, in announcing the move to this area two years ago, company officials promised to provide at least 150 new jobs and move $60 million worth of equipment to the plant within the first three years.

In a statement from Comstock, e-mailed prior to the start of the ceremonies, the company founder announced "we are a year and a half ahead of plan" to date.

Comstock, through the message read by Cliff Todd, C&J corporate sales manager and master of ceremonies for the event, apologized to the nearly 300 in attendance for his and the governor's absence, explaining, "We have made every attempt possible this morning to get to Marshall, but unfortunately, due to the poor visibility and low ceiling across the state, there is absolutely no way that we can safely fly into Marshall and be on time for the event.

"We can control a lot of things, but we cannot control the weather."

The CEO acknowledged that a lot of people were attending the opening event to see and hear Gov. Perry but added, "Today isn't about hearing me speak or getting to see the governor. It's really not even about the grand opening or ribbon cutting. It is about economic development policies that work and the opportunities they create."

Comstock, along with many of the speakers on the program, lauded the work of the Marshall Economic Development Corp., city, county and state government for providing opportunities to companies such as C&J to grow and expand.

"They do this by providing financial and other incentives, along with as much administrative assistance as needed," Comstock said. "In return, C&J comes to town and provides opportunities to the citizens of the community by spending money locally, generating tax dollars, but most of all by creating jobs. This gives the citizens the ability to choose a career, provide nice livings for their families, have the opportunity to send their kids to college, which in turn provides them with future opportunities.

"It is amazing what can be accomplished when it all works to design," he continued. "I am very thankful that our company can participate in those opportunities."

In welcoming the guests to the event, Todd, who was the executive director at MEDCO when C&J first came to town looking to relocate, recalled his first meeting with the company's officials.

"The said they were looking to expand into Northeast Texas and were looking at a number of places," Todd said. "We showed them this land and told them what we could do for them."

Todd admitted that, after the meeting, he returned to the site to pray, "and here we are, two years later," he said.

Alan Grantham, outgoing MEDCO board chairman, said he remembered being struck by Comstock's "drive, passion for his company and the quality of his team" following their first meeting in April 2007.

"Up front, we explained the stewardship role MEDCO plays with taxpayer funds and said we would need a commitment from him before we could do anything," Grantham said. "He didn't even flinch."

Mayor William "Buddy" Power added, on behalf of the city commission, that Marshall "is proud to have C&J here and glad to have the new jobs," especially in light of the difficult economic times facing much of the country.

"We are a blessed community and we thank C&J and look forward to many more years," he said.

County Judge Richard Anderson echoed Power's sentiments, adding, "Fortunately, we here in Marshall and Harrison County have not been subjected to the extremes being seen in some of the industrialized sections of the country. We may see a downturn, but we're in the 'sweet spot' of the economy as it now stands."

Since the company's inception in 1997, C&J has developed a reputation of consistently delivering to customers technically proficient personnel, high-quality and well-maintained equipment, customer responsiveness and service and crew safety.

Over the last five years, C&J has invested heavily in capital equipment and new facilities to meet rising demand from oil and gas producers in the southern United States.