Published: August 8, 2025 |

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Thousands of visitors and more than 150 exhibitors are coming to Mercer County this September when the Bluefield Coal & Mining Show brings buyers and sellers together.

Presented by the Chamber of Commerce of the Two Virginias, the Bluefield Coal & Mining Show is coming Sept. 10 to 12 at the Brushfork Armory.

“This year’s show will feature more than 150 exhibitors including 28 new companies promoting their equipment, services, products, technology and safety developments. Companies from over 20 states and Canada will be participating. Around 6,000 visitors are expected,” said Jeff Disibbio, the chamber’s president and CEO.

“We’re expecting the same crowd – if not larger – than we’ve ever had,” added Disibbio.

These visitors will be representatives of the coal and mining industries. The coal show is not open to the public. Connecting Buyers and Sellers is this year’s coal show theme.

Mercer County and the surrounding area will benefit from the influx of industry buyers and sellers, Disibbio said.

“Of course, it will bring tourism to the area. People from across the U.S. and other countries fill our hotels and airbnds and everything. They get a small sample of what we have here and many are so impressed that they talk about the next time they visit or schedule their vacations,” said Disibbio.

Attractions such as the Hatfield-McCoy Trail, the Back of the Dragon in Tazewell County, Virginia, hiking in state parks and whitewater rafting at the New River Gorge up in Fayette County help bring exhibitors and coal show visitors back to Mercer County and the region as tourists.

“The thrills of West Virginia bring them back if they’ve never been here before,” said Disibbio.

This year’s will have returning exhibitors as well as new ones bringing more significant equipment. Caterpillar is bringing a new innovation that it is introducing to the market and several local companies have taken the competition with other businesses to heart, saying that when they set up at the show, “we’re going to knock your socks off,” said Disibbio.

The coal show is not open to the public. As this year’s theme says, the show is for connecting buyers and sellers, Disibbio said.

Robert “Bob” Ramsey, the show’s general chairman, said that he encourages attendees to network, conduct business and see live demonstrations designed for the mining industry and experience the mining industry’s latest advancements.

Events like the upcoming coal show are good for the coal mining industry, he said. Companies get to learn about the industry’s new equipment and developments.

“I think it’s an important show for the coal executives, purchasing agents, engineers for the coal companies and the operations folks,” said Ramsey.

“The coal industry is a rollercoaster of an industry, but there is good optimism for the coming future. The pricing is still down, but there is optimism about the market pricing returning to higher levels,” added Ramsey.

Andy Eidson, CEO of Alpha Metallurgical Resources, will open the 25th Biennial Show and speak about the industry’s latest innovations during the media and exhibitors’ appreciation breakfast starting 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10 at the armory.

Following breakfast, Eidson will officially open the show with a ribbon cutting ceremony

Ramsey said he wanted to thank the exhibitors/sponsors for helping with the 2025 Bluefield Coal & Mining Show.

The sponsors and exhibitors include: Iwin Car & Equipment, Diamond; Jennmar, Platinum; MST Global, Platinum; J. H. Fletcher Gold; Kanawha Stone, Platinum; Lusk Disposal Service, Bronze; Appalachian Power, Bronze; Mining People, Bronze; and CoalZoom, Bronze.

A Bluefield State University Marketing Department team will be conducting live interviews and showcasing exhibitors throughout this year’s show. These interviews and showcases will be available on numerous social media platforms

This year American Electric Equipment Inc. from Beckley is providing the power center to service all exhibitors.

For more information, email the chamber at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and/or call the office at 304-327-7184.

The 2025 Bluefield Coal & Mining Show will be the latest installment of a long tradition.The region’s first coal show opened in 1939, followed by 1976 with a new coal shows. This series of shows opened every other year despite the coal industry’s economic challenges during the seventies and eighties. Only the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted this biennial schedule.

Source: Bluefield Daily Telegraph

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