History
Westmoreland Coal Company was established in 1854 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. From its earliest days, the company supplied coal for home heating, railroads, coal gasification and industrial manufacturing—industries that helped power America's emergence through the Industrial Age.
In 1892, Westmoreland opened the Export Mine in Pennsylvania. By 1904, the Export mines had become the largest single mining operation in Westmoreland County, employing hundreds and producing nearly 734,000 tons of coal that year.
As Westmoreland entered the twentieth century, its history became increasingly intertwined with other eastern coal operations. The company's eventual evolution would bring together a network of mining businesses operating across Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Westmoreland's eastern operations evolved substantially during the middle of the twentieth century. Production in Pennsylvania eventually ended, and in 1964 Westmoreland merged with Stonega Coke & Coal Company while retaining the Westmoreland name. Expansion into West Virginia followed later in the decade.
In the 1970s, Westmoreland began developing low-sulfur coal resources in the western United States, including participation in Westmoreland Resources and the development of the Absaloka Mine in Montana. The company also established operations in western Colorado, marking a significant shift from its eastern roots. By 1995, Westmoreland had moved its headquarters from Philadelphia to Colorado Springs and divested its remaining eastern coal operations, firmly establishing its future in the West.
The new century brought a period of substantial geographic growth as Westmoreland expanded its portfolio of western mining operations.
Westmoreland acquired the Absaloka Mine in Montana in September 2007. The mine itself had been established in 1972 as a joint venture involving Morrison Knudsen, Kewanee Oil and Penn Virginia to develop resources owned in part by the Crow Nation.
Westmoreland continued to grow through major acquisitions, adding operations in Wyoming, Canada and New Mexico and creating a mining footprint extending across western North America.
In 2019, Westmoreland emerged from restructuring as privately held Westmoreland Mining LLC, beginning a new chapter in a history stretching back more than a century and a half.
More than 170 years after its founding in Pennsylvania, Westmoreland continues to build on generations of mining experience while supporting the communities and regions in which it operates. Today's story encompasses not only mining, but safety, responsible land stewardship, reclamation and long-term partnerships with communities across North America.
