Excitement Builds Around Bluefield Coal Show

Source: EMJ / Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce

Organized by the Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias, the Bluefield Coal Show will take place September 11-13 at the Brushfork Armory-Civic Center in Bluefield, West Virginia. Numbers are up slightly this year, according to the organizers, with nearly 190 exhibitors set to showcase their services and products at the three-day event.

 

Attendees can also expect several new events at this year's show. They have added a business resource center and a job fair. Deborah Maynard, vice president of membership services for the chamber, said the show will also feature information about foreign trade.

 

Jimmy Brock, CEO of CONSOL Energy, will deliver the keynote address at the media and exhibitor appreciation breakfast at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 11. "CONSOL Energy is a major operator in the American coal industry and Jimmy Brock is a highly respected leader with a career spanning five decades and an extensive knowledge of the industry," General Chairman Robert W. "Bob" Ramsey said. A ribbon cutting ceremony will follow the breakfast at 9:50 a.m. at the front entrance of the armory. The exhibit hall will then be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

The exhibition will continue on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Coal Age spoke with a select group of exhibitors to get a preview of what attendees can expect at the show.

 

Force Control Celebrates 50 Years – Booth No. 1207

Force Control Industries Inc. will be celebrating their 50^th year designing, manufacturing and supporting industrial clutches and brakes at this year's show. The company will feature its MagnaShear electric release, spring-set motor brakes at the show, which are made in the U.S., and are ideal for underground applications, preparation plants, and shipping and loading facilitites, according to Stan Porter of Force Control Industries. Force Control clutches, brakes and clutch brakes are used in coal sweep samplers, rail car and barge positioners, conveyor tensioners, and processing equipment.

 

Longwall Mining Services Debuts New Name, New Products – Booth Nos. 1109, 1111

Longwall Mining Services (LMS) is transitioning to a new name – Limitless Mining Solutions. It was established in 2005 to find "new products and new solutions to existing problems," President John Whitfield said. Something that continues to hold true today. "We try to focus on the fact that we are continually looking for new innovations and solutions," Whitfield said. The company will feature several new products at the show.

·The Starclean conveyor belt cleaner is the latest German-designed and engineered cleaning product that performs superior cleaning in a cost-effective way, Whitfield said.

·The company will be debuting a new fan, the LMS Mine Ventilation Fan, which has a modular construction and new blade technology. This technology improves efficiency and performance while reducing noise.

·LMS will also feature new mine ventilation products for the North American market from Rocvent. Rocvent offers duct and tubing, curtains and accessories.

·The company will also showcase GE eletric motors. New lighting products for outside warehousing will also be featured. LMS will be the North American outlet for a "well-established supplier," Paramount Lighting, Whitfield said. Another product the company will feature is a premium super-absorbent polymer called Premium SAP.

 

Quaker Houghton Will Promote Products for Safe Work Environment – Booth No. 207

At this year's show, Quaker Chemical Corp. will unveil a new name thanks to its merger with competitor Houghton International. The two companies have combined to create Quaker Houghton and will be the "global leader in industrial process fluids to the primary metals and metal working markets," the two companies said. The company will continue to focus on products that "support a safe working environment," said Jessica Sabedra, directos of global marketing communications.

 

At the show Quaker Houghton will present dust suppressants, industrial lubricants, and fire-resistant hydraulic-fluid products. One of these products is MINE-TECH Q-FOAM, which has a low pressure, two-component, spray polyurethane foam used as ventilation sealant. Another product the company will feature is the DUSTGRIP JFP-95. This is a dust suppressant formulated to lower the surface water tension, allowing it to penetrate and effectively knock down dust particles, the company said.

 

QUAKERHYD, a complete line of hydralic fluid formulated from high-quality base oils and carefully selected additive systems to offer outstanding thermal stability, will also be featured at the show. Lastly is the company's QUINTOL-UBRIC 888. This product is designed to replace anti-wear, mineral oil-based hydralic fluids used in applications where fire hazards exist.

 

Strata Showcases Diverse Product Mix – Booth Nos. 1728, 1729

At this year's show, Strata Worldwide will showcase several products, including the advancements it has made with electronics. "Building on our Digital Bridge systems, we have a new system that integrates with leaky feeder," said Paula Gunnels, marketing manager, Strata Worldwide. "It essentially puts a digital ethernet into a leaky feeder system, which would allow the mine to run cameras, phones and WiFi systems over leaky feeder."

 

In the area of roof support, Gunnels said the company would have its AFS (Advanced Foam Solutions) for filling cavity and rock consolidation. "We will also be discussing the recently announced partnership with Burrell," Gunnels said. Strata Worldwide recently signed a distribution agreement with Burrell Mining International for the promotion and distribution of Burrell's CAN and Omega Block coal mining products to the North American mining market. The CAN is a popular yieldable secondary roof support and Omega Blocks are used to build stoppings underground. They are three times the size of standard masonry blocks and weigh significantly less, according to the company.

 

www.bluefieldchamber.com/bluefield-coal-show