Helping Small Businesses Thrive
CNX and ‘Joe Knows Energy’ Promote Appalachia First by Working Together
May 10, 2023
By Positive Energy Hub Staff
As part of its pro-people and Appalachia First culture, CNX proudly works with local businesses across the region – including for our talent acquisition needs. Companies like Ohio-based ‘Joe Knows Energy,’ a staffing entity focused on providing recruiting, consulting, and training services for energy sector jobs, is a perfect example of partnering with like-minded organizations to reach shared goals.
We asked Dan Lorenz, a veteran and owner of Joe Knows Energy who has been partnering with CNX for over eight years, what he enjoys most about our work.
“CNX gave our company a chance,” Dan Lorenz said. “We had struggled to get a foot in the door before CNX and because of their focus on working with veteran, minority and diverse businesses owners, we were able to have that opportunity. CNX came along when it was critical.”
Joe Knows Energy provides staffing and recruiting services to CNX, thoughtfully matching workers with the right culture and skillset to opportunities across the company. According to Lorenz, CNX is unique because we have an entrepreneurial feel where leaders and employees put safety and innovation above all else, despite being a large company able to take advantage of scale. Leaders here are accountable, transparent, and able to adopt that culture for their teams, Lorenz said.
Lorenz and CNX also agree on the importance of having leaders that inspire a positive culture focused on diversity, community stewardship, and retaining quality talent. When recruiting new CNX team members, Lorenz ensures they share these values to make for a successful match.
A crucial component of the Appalachia First strategy capitalizes on the Basin’s best-in-class workforce, and Lorenz shares our belief in embracing the high caliber energy workers Appalachia offers.
CNX and Appalachia are fortunate to have workers with the proper skills servicing the industry, Dan says, because other regions dependent on “fly-in” talent to fill these roles miss out on critical community investments and long-term development opportunities.
That’s in stark contrast to CNX, where a local-first culture aims to build capable and resilient talent from within. We’re proud of our 100% local employee base and that 90% of contract partners are located in our operating area.
Thanks to collaboration with companies like Joe Knows Energy, we’re able to get the right people on our team to bring an Appalachia First mentality to life: using home-grown energy and talent to generate life-changing opportunities right here first, then far beyond.
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