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Rosebud Mining
Company's history began in 1979 when the company was founded by J. Clifford
Forrest in East Brady, Pennsylvania and operated a railroad siding, loading
coal on railcars. Three years later in 1982, the Queenstown Coal
Cleaning Plant facility was acquired. After purchasing the cleaning
plant, Rosebud began mining coal out of its first deep mine, Rosebud #1, during
January 1983. Rosebud #3 began operations in May of 1987 to
replace the production of Rosebud #1. The company began operating
multiple mines when Roaring Run Mine was developed in November
1992.
During the mid 1990's, Rosebud developed reserves located in other
areas of Armstrong, Cambria, and Indiana counties which it had leased or
acquired throughout the years. Mines were developed as the market
demand for coal allowed, with Rosebud opening new mines in the following
order: Rosebud #2 (May 1996), Tracy Lynne (March 1997), Dutch Run
(January 1998), Josephine #3 (July 1998), Armstrong Run (May 1999), Twin
Rocks (August 2000), Clementine Mine and McVille
Preparation Plant (January 2001), Stitt Mine (September 2001), Logansport
(January 2002), and Little Toby (April 2003). Beaver Valley Mine,
Beaver County, PA, was purchased in August 2003. Lady Jane Preparation
Plant (purchased in 2003) began operating in May 2004. Keystone East
Mine began producing coal in August 2004. Logansport Preparation Plant was
completed and started operation in September of 2004. During June
2005, Rosebud Mining Company purchased the Tusky
Mine in Tuscarawas County, Ohio and continued operations at the mine.
Penfield Mine began operation in May of 2006, along with the beginning of
the rehabilitation of Mine #78, which is now operational. Mine #78
Preparation Plant was completed and started operating in February of 2008.
In March of the same year, Toms Run (Burrell) Mine was purchased and
reopened. Bigler Preparation Plant was purchased
in June of 2008. In August of 2008, Rosebud completed and began operation
at its Tusky Preparation Plant, opened its Lowry
Mine, and purchased Darmac #2 Mine. The Heilwood
Mine opened shortly after in September 2008. In July of 2009, the Harmony
mine was opened.
On April 1, 2010,
Rosebud purchased most of the assets of Buckeye Industrial Mining Company
in Eastern Ohio. The purchase included five small surface mines, a deep
mine renamed Bergholz #7 in Jefferson County, and the Kensington Prep
Plant. In addition, Rosebud also completed the purchase of Parkwood
Resources, Inc. on April 1, 2010. Parkwood owned and operated the Cherry
Tree Mine in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.
On December 31,
2010, Rosebud acquired TJS Mining, Inc. and most of its affiliated
companies. This acquisition included two deep mines, Rossmoyne
and TJS #6 Mine, and four surface mines, along
with TJS's Dutch Run Preparation Plant. All of TJS's operations are located
in Armstrong or Indiana counties, Pennsylvania.
Rosebud acquired
Action Mining, Inc. and its associated companies in January 2011. Action
Mining consists of 7 surface mines in Somerset County, PA and a tipple on
the CSX Railroad at Meyersdale, PA.
Rosebud opened the
Starford mine in Indiana County, PA in April 2011. Starford was a permit
acquired when Parkwood Resources, Inc. was purchased. Also in 2011, during
October, Long Run Mine in Armstrong County was opened.
Now, the company
operates 21 underground mines, 14 surface mines, and 8 coal preparation
plants. All of Rosebud's mines are located in Pennsylvania and Ohio,
mining coal from the Upper Freeport, Lower Freeport, Upper Kittanning,
Middle Kittanning, and Lower Kittanning seams. The different seams
provide flexibility to our Sales & Logistics team to blend coals into
the specific qualities that our customers desire. Various locations
mitigate the risk of geologic problems effecting performance.
Rosebud Mining
Company also operates McVille Preparation Plant, a mine-mouth coal cleaning plant which is fed a
continuous supply of raw coal produced from the Clementine #1 deep
mine. During late 2000 - early 2001, the cleaning plant at Queenstown
was dismantled, transported, and reconstructed as the McVille
Preparation Plant. The coal is removed from the mine and delivered to
the plant by conveyor belt. At the cleaning plant, coal is cleaned
using modern coal preparation technology. Cleaning involves removing
impurities in the coal such as rock, shale, and sulfur to produce a higher
quality coal (increases BTUs and decreases sulfur and ash content).
After the coal is washed, it can then be loaded onto trucks or railcar on
the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad by the automated railroad load out.
During October of
2003, Rosebud purchased Penfield Collieries, LLC, which owned the Lady Jane
Preparation Plant in Clearfield County. Lady Jane now washes
metallurgical and steam coals and ships via the Buffalo & Pittsburgh
Railroad. It was upgraded in 2005 to include a flood load out system and
an expanded clean coal inventory site.
Additionally, the
Logansport Preparation Plant was constructed during the fall of 2004,
becoming our second mine mouth cleaning plant. The plant uses a heavy
media vessel. The plant ships on the Norfolk Southern Railroad via
the Kiski Junction Railroad, an affiliate of
Rosebud Mining Company.
Another mine mouth
cleaning plant, Mine #78 Preparation Plant, began operating in February of
2008. The plant is able to clean 600 tons per hour, and has rail access to
Norfolk Southern.
The Bigler Preparation Plant was purchased in June of 2008.
It is a 300 ton per hour plant and is serviced by RJ Cornman
Railroad. Rosebud employees completely overhauled the plant in late
2008/early 2009.
The construction of
the Tusky Preparation Plant, which is also a mine
mouth cleaning plant, was completed in August of 2008. The plant is also a
clean 300 ton per hour plant, and has rail access to the Ohio Central
Railroad, which is now owned by the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad.
The Buckeye acquistion added the Kensington Prep Plant as of April
1, 2010. Kensington is a 200 ton per hour plant and is on the Norfolk and
Southern Railroad. With the TJS Mining, Inc
acquisition on 12/31/2010, Rosebud acquired the Dutch Run Preparation
Plant, a 300 ton per hour heavey media cycleing plant. Dutch Run Prep Plant shipts on the Norfolk Southern Railroad from a rail
siding at Avonmore, PA.
The present owner
and President of Rosebud Mining Company, J. Clifford Forrest, feels that the company's employees are Rosebud's
greatest resource. All employees, whether working underground,
maintenance, plant, or supervisory, each has contributed to the company's
successful growth since 1979. In December 2011, total company-wide
employment approximated 1,450 people.
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