Opinion

Clarksburg paper names Arch Coal Job Creator of Year

An editorial from the Exponent-Telegram

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — One look around national headlines, and one would say that 2013 was not a good year for coal.

The natural resource that has powered this great country for much of its existence has been given little credit by some national leaders. And some call into question what the future holds for the “black gold” that has long been dug from West Virginia’s hills.

But there remain those committed to coal, both today and into the future.

And one of its biggest supporters is Arch Coal Inc., owner of the Leer Mining Complex in Taylor County, which produces high-quality metallurgical-grade coal that is used in a variety of industries.

Arch Coal has pumped more than $400 million into development of the longwall coal mining operation, employing more than 400 people in the process.

The development of the complex has earned Arch Coal a spot in The Exponent Telegram’s “Difference Makers” series as the “Biggest Job Creator of the Year.”

“It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of work,” mine President and General Manager A. Scott Boylen told Staff Writer Roger Adkins during a recent visit. “But it’s helped create jobs, so it’s something to be pretty proud of.”

Arch Coal has several reasons to be proud of the Taylor County site, as a recent visit by Adkins, Exponent Telegram President Brian Jarvis and Publisher Andy Kniceley found a well-run operation with highly motivated workers.

Going deep underground for about five hours, The Exponent Telegram team saw first-hand the dedication and skills that the workers at Arch Coal possess.

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