Published in the March 2008 Coal USA Magazine

Company sales and marketing vice president Jack Fairchild Jr. said the decision brings the company geographically closer to its market base in a region that is on a significant growth trend. He added that the company’s intention is to provide sales and service support to existing and future clients there.

The new facility is about two hours from St. Louis and will be headed up by Ralph Shockley Jr. The new addition to the Fairchild International group was previously a Freeman Energy maintenance supervisor.

Shockley has also held various mine maintenance positions with Freeman, Arch of Illinois and Carter Coal, and has federal electrical and Illinois state mining certifications. Fairchild said the decision was great for the company's growth plans.

"He has great knowledge and experience in mining equipment, and especially the Fairchild product line. His hands-on experience and knowledge of the industry will help us to create new market opportunities."

The 18,500-square-foot building Fairchild International chose for its new warehouse is being renovated, but Fairchild said he hopes to have the office complete and fully functional sometime in March.

As operations kick off, there will be a staff of two or three at the Midwest division, a number Fairchild said will grow as the company's plans for rebuild capabilities become reality. All of the Illinois office's staff will be new hires, trained with the help of current Fairchild International team members; no staff transfers will be necessary, he noted.

"We're excited to be in the Midwest with all of the activity," Fairchild said of the new space. "The timing is ideal for us as a company and for our product line."

The fifth warehouse is considered to be phase one of the company's growth plan, Fairchild said. Looking ahead based on a continued trend of success, he hopes that phase two will bring a support facility to the coalfields of Alabama, and future plans could include a Western US branch.