The company has established field offices throughout the US to provide dedicated support to their current installations. Heading up the field office in Alabama is new addition, Barrie Hirst, a veteran of the longwall industry, with over forty years in the industry.
Hirst began his career in the UK working for over twenty years at British Coal where he held various management positions supervising production projects. After moving to the US, Hirst continued his longwall career at Jim Walters Resources (JWR), working as a longwall coordinator in JWR’s #3, #4 and #7 mines.
With 20 years in the industry, Joe Farinelli joins the company’s Virginia corporate facility as project engineer. His career experience includes: US Steel No. 50 as longwall foreman; Galatia mine as senior mine engineer; Arch Mineral as longwall coordinator for #37 Mine and Federal #2 mine as maintenance manager and senior longwall engineer. Farinelli relocated to Australia where he worked for Oaky Creek Coal at Oaky No. 1 mine as longwall superintendent and for Thiess as production manager at Alliance mine.
Lance Campbell joins the Purchasing Department, as Expediter and Purchasing Agent. Recently Lance completed a Bachelor or Arts degree from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island where he gained a diverse and thorough knowledge of business operations in several sectors.
Tony Campbell, CEO of the US Company says, “In recent years we have been very assertive, but disciplined, with our intentions to expand. The decision to augment our product line, our corporate staff and add field offices throughout the US, successively, has been a culmination of the companies’ stratagem. The magnitude of the expansion will extend the scope of the company tremendously.”
The company’s Australian subsidiary, Longwall Associates Australia, also added to their numbers with the appointment of Mike Robin.
The company said Robin will head up the Estimating & Planning Department and is responsible for all estimating, planning and project Co-ordination. Internally, he collaborates with the Workshop Co-ordinator to process work through the shop, in terms of production and administration. Externally, Robin is the primary customer contact and liaison for all projects, with principal focus on work in progress.