General Chairman appointed for Bluefield Coal Show 2019

’Bob’ Ramsey serves as the President of Peters Equipment Company and Ramsey Industrial, both family owned businesses. The Ramsey’s maintain corporate offices and two fabrication plants in Bluefield, Virginia and have two West Virginia engineering offices in Millwood and Beckley. Peters Equipment provides engineering and fabrication services, primarily to the coal industry. Peters also manufactures the Peters Heavy Media Vessel, that is marketed and sold throughout the world. Ramsey Industrial combines engineering services, fabrication services, project management and general contracting services to provide engineered solutions for the coal, coke, aggregate, general industry and utility markets. Peters Equipment Co. was acquired by the Ramsey family in 1997.

“We could not be happier with Ramsey’s agreement to serve as Chairman of this prestigious show,” said Chamber President/CEO Joshua Cline. “His connection to the mining industry, our area, and our past chairman, Charlie Peters, in addition to his own outstanding characteristics make him a highly qualified leader of this important event in the Chamber’s programme of work.”

Ramsey serves as only the second Chairman of The Bluefield Coal Show, which was previously chaired by Charles A. Peters from 1976 - 2017 until Peters passing in May 2018. The show’s highly regarded reputation in the mining world is attributed to Peters who worked to build a show upon his reputation while withstanding many peaks and valleys within the industry’s lifecycle.

“We believe the 2019 show will be an excellent one for our exhibitors due to the significant increase in business activity within the coal industry,” said Ramsey. “While the show’s focus remains on the coal industry, we hope to highlight a few companies in the upcoming show that are reaching out further in their offerings to the entire mining industry.”

The Bluefield Coal Show is hosted every other year by the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce. The show was revived by the Chamber in the mid-1970s when a group of volunteers sought to grow the impact of the Chamber in the region and provide a trade show for coal-based businesses to exhibit their goods and services. It has grown to be the premier show in the eastern United States and the second largest in the nation promoting the mining industry.

Exhibitors and attendees from over 32 states and several international groups descend on the area creating an estimated three to US$4 million impact to the local economy in Tazewell and Mercer counties. Furthermore, several locally based companies participate in the show, moving product from our area to the rest of the country and around the world.

Volunteers and staff from the Chamber continue to operate the show each year making it a unique trade show within the coal industry.

“The show is hosted and staffed by so many dedicated volunteers from inside this industry and from within our community,” said Ramsey. “They make the show a wonderful opportunity for the men and women inside our industry to network and conduct business. We could not do it without our volunteers.”

The Bluefield Coal Show will be held 11 - 13 September 2019 at the Brushfork Armory in Bluefield, West Virginia. The Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce is currently merging with the Princeton-Mercer County Chamber of Commerce with the new Chamber of Commerce taking effect 1 January 2019.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/01112018/general-chairman-appointed-for-bluefield-coal-show-2019/