Oilfield services provider Flowserve Corp. will relocate some of its pump division operations from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, a 15-mile move that brings more than 100 jobs to a state much more supportive of the company’s bread and butter: oil and gas drilling.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced Wednesday that Flowserve will move a portion of its engineered pumps division from Phillipsburg, NJ, to a larger and more modern facility in Hanover Township, which is in Northampton County. Specifically, the company will relocate employees from its product, application, service engineering and finance offices.

Irving, TX-based Flowserve is a global manufacturer and supplier of pumps, valves, seals, automation and services to the oil and gas industry. It also serves the power generation and chemical industries.

“Flowserve is a great example of a company relocating to Pennsylvania to be closer to clients and benefit from the state’s pro-business climate and excellent quality of life,” Corbett said.

According to the Corbett administration, Flowserve plans to sign a 10-year lease and invest more than $1.5 million in the new facility. The company received a $310,000 grant through the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to make the move, which is expected to create 124 jobs within the next three years.

Reports said the Northampton County Industrial Development Authority (NCDIA) also gave the company a grant totaling $116,252 for computers, software and information technology needs.

Flowserve COO Tom Pajonas said support from the DCEC and NCDIA was essential to making the move a success. “We look forward to growing our organization and taking advantage of the strong technical base as we attract skilled positions from the schools and universities in the region,” he said.

Flowserve was created following the 1997 merger of BW/IP Inc. and Durco International Inc., two fluid motion and control companies.

Although New Jersey is not a natural gas producer, both houses of the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill calling for an outright ban on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in June 2011 (see Shale Daily, July 5, 2011). Gov. Chris Christie then issued a conditional veto and called for a one-year moratorium on fracking instead of a ban. The legislators complied, and the bill became law in January 2012.