Coal Preparation Society of America

Message from the President

We were expecting More In 24 and we achieved just that!  More attendance at the show, more exhibitors on the floor, and more members at the members night out event.  To all our sponsors, members, and exhibitors that attended the CoalProTec 2024 show in Lexington, it would not be possible without your participation and we thank you.   The workshops put together on magnetite recovery and screening were excellent along with the full slate of technical presentations.  Much appreciation to all who took time out of your schedule to contribute to the ongoing education in the coal preparation industry. Mel Laurila and Kathryn Dew put in many hours of hard work to put together an excellent show and the board and I thank you.   

Building on the success of the show, the CPSA board is already planning for the 2026 conference back in Lexington.  I would like to thank Jeff Walkup for all that he was able to accomplish during his term as president. Jeff was able to champion several Coal Prep 101 classes with more attendance than we have had in a number of years.  The involvement of both operators and industry suppliers is critical to our mission of educating the industry as we go forward, and that was no more evident in these classes.  Your continued involvement on the board will contribute to the success of our organization.  

Within our industry change is always happening and the CPSA is not immune to that change either.  One change that you will notice is that the printed journal will no longer be available, but new content and news will continue in a digital journal on the website.  As was mentioned during the membership meeting at the conference, Kathryn Dew will be retiring from her duties with the CPSA at the end of this month.  Kathryn has been an integral part of the society for many years and has been critical in helping to keep the organization operating smoothly.  Many thanks go to Kathryn for all she has done. 

Both thermal and metallurgical markets have seen a recent downturn. We are in a time of increasing power demand from non-traditional sources such as electric vehicles, data centers, and cryptocurrency mining yet there is increased regulatory pressure placed upon the coal industry.  When we should be looking to rely on our current baseload supply hopefully the opposite does not happen. 

In conclusion, it is a great honor to serve as the President of the Coal Preparation Society of America.  I thank both the board and the membership putting me in the position to lead the society forward.  If there are any needs or ideas reach out to myself or any board member as we are here to serve the membership and look forward to your continued support. 

Work Safe, Work Efficient and God Bless,
John Nielson