More than 1,000 people turned out for the U.S. Coal Show in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A crowd of about 120 packed the room to hear Keith Hainer, CEO, Allegheny Metallurgical deliver the keynote address, Developing America’s Newest Met Coal Complex: The Longview Mine. In addition to talking about the $500 million project, Hainer shared some insights from a career in coal that spanned more than 30 years. He stressed the importance of executing a business plan, keeping it in focus, and avoiding being derailed. Engineers and managers need to be willing to evaluate alternatives and quickly change course, Hainer explained. He encouraged people to look for the best path, not necessarily the easiest path. He reminded the audience that “the devil is always in the details,” and they need to do the work needed to get the required results.
Hainer said successful executives hire good managers and they let them manage. He closed with the importance of attitude. Hainer said attitude can make or break a project, and the success Allegheny Met has experienced can be directly attributed to the positive attitude of the workers, managers, investors, and suppliers that worked on the project.
During the 2.5-day conference and exhibition, more than 20 mining professionals spoke on coal operations, mining equipment and technology. The scope of the event, which was formerly known as Longwall USA, was expanded to include room-and-pillar mining and coal handling and storage. The discussions ranged from operating longwalls from the surface to the evolution of continuous miners (see Continuous Miners, p. 18) to health and safety (see Dust Control, p. 24). Seven executives from leading suppliers participated in a lively panel discussion.
The U.S. Coal Show exhibit experienced a great deal of change also. At Longwall USA 2019, ZMJ dominated the floor with two shields. This rendition had four shields on the floor, only one of which was from ZMJ, along with two shield haulers, a locomotive and a mantrip. Several other companies like Swanson, Highland Machinery, Seetech, Fasing, HBT and Becker had a more commanding presence on the floor.
During the event, Coal Age recognized three mines with its coveted Longwall USA Top Performers Award (see Top Performers, p. 32). The winners were Signal Peak Energy’s Bull Mountains mine in Montana, CONSOL Energy’s Enlow Fork mine in southwest Pennsylvania and Coronado Global’s Buchanan mine in Virginia.
Mining Media International (MMI) and Coal Age would like to thank everyone who helped make the 2023 U.S. Coal Show a success. Planning is already underway for the next U.S. Coal Show, which will take place in Pittsburgh during June 2025.
