Benzinga | Feb 25, 2021 07:39AM EST

CNX Unveils Partnership with Bettis Brothers and The Bus Stops Here Foundation

CNX Resources Corp. (NYSE:CNX), Bettis Brothers, and The Bus Stops Here Foundation announced a partnership intended to bring greater awareness and access to opportunities in the natural gas industry to disadvantaged urban and rural communities within the Pittsburgh region. Additionally, CNX laid out comprehensive goals related to its supply chain and sourcing efforts in the critical area of local workforce diversity.

"With a 157-year legacy in this region, our responsibility to our local communities is something we never stop thinking about and never stop working on. So, the opportunity to partner with Jerome and John Bettis, and their foundation, to help advance this important topic was a no-brainer for us. Jerome is a Pittsburgh legend, and we share his passion for the wellbeing of the people and communities here in our backyard," said CNX Chief Excellence Officer Yemi Akinkugbe. Mr. Akinkugbe continued, "At CNX, we have a home-grown, diverse team and our desire is to continue to build and expand the local talent pool through tangible 'hire local' and diversity targets and goals that help advance middle-class opportunities for all in our region."

With a growing need for local family-sustaining jobs, CNX announced it will purchase all services and materials from providers that, in aggregate, maintain at least a 90% local resident employee base (southwestern PA, eastern OH and northern WV) and will dedicate 40% of the total CNX small business spend to companies within the tri-state area. CNX also committed to a 6% Diverse Business Enterprise (DBE) spend and 7% DBE representation on the CNX vendor roster in 2021.

"Our hope and expectation is that this partnership will advance the conversation and bear tangible results when it comes to opening doors to opportunities that exist in the natural gas industry to the communities that need these opportunities the most. We're proud to help lead this effort within the region we love," said John Bettis, Chief Operating Officer of Bettis Brothers.

As part of the partnership between CNX and The Bus Stops Here Foundation, Jerome Bettis and CNX President and CEO Nick DeIuliis will soon visit Sto-Rox High School to deliver needed technology solutions and speak with students regarding career opportunities in the natural gas industry. This follows recent CNX-led classroom technology efforts with West Greene School District and other community partners in the region. Additional details regarding the Sto-Rox event and other future events related to the partnership are forthcoming.

CNX President and CEO Nick DeIuliis commented, "To us, the concept of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance means that we, first and foremost, focus local. We want to be that pipeline that connects local, disadvantaged populations within our region to family-sustaining jobs in energy and manufacturing. Our industry builds broad value for the region and underpins the middle class, and this partnership will help sustain and grow those efforts."

To learn more about CNX's unique Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) approach, accomplishments, and goals, please visit: https://responsibility.cnx.com/esg-overview.html