E-REP’s Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) team recently visited Alliance Coal’s Gibson South Mine in Gibson County to learn more about an operation that plays an important role in Southwest Indiana’s economy.
Gibson County Coal has operated in Gibson County since 2000, with construction of Gibson South beginning in 2012 and mining operations starting in 2014. Today, Gibson South is an underground room-and-pillar mine producing thermal coal for coal-fired electric generation and employing approximately 370 people.
Gibson South is part of Alliance Resource Partners, which operates seven underground mining operations across its broader portfolio. Gibson South is considered a medium-to-large operation among Alliance’s room-and-pillar mines.
During our visit, we learned more about the scale and complexity of the operation, from its specialized workforce and extensive training requirements to the technology, infrastructure and logistics that keep the mine operating safely and efficiently.
The logistics alone are impressive. Approximately 1,000 truckloads of coal can leave Gibson South during a 12-hour shift, with coal ultimately able to move by truck, rail and barge to reach customers.
Technology also continues to play an important role in modern mining. Alliance utilizes technology developed by Matrix Design Group, another company under the Alliance Resource Partners umbrella, including collision-avoidance systems that use wearable devices to detect employees near heavy equipment and automatically stop machinery when someone enters a defined safety zone.
BR&E visits like this give E-REP and our regional partners an opportunity to learn firsthand about the businesses operating in our region, better understand their workforce and operations, and identify ways we can continue supporting their success.
Thank you to the Alliance Coal team for hosting us and sharing an inside look at Gibson South!
Alliance Coal / Gibson South
- Terry Marsh – Alliance Coal
- Mick Montcalm – General Manager, Gibson South
Regional Partners
Jeremy Durbin – CenterPoint Energy
Kaylie Pruiett – Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP)
Patrick Hickey – Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (E-REP)
Tami Hack – Gibson County Economic Development Corporation
Andrea Lendy – Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC)
Angie Shepherd – Southwest Indiana Workforce Board