Curtis Weittenhiller Email & Phone Number

Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada

Tatum, TX

Managed equipment and facility maintenance, budgeting, cost control and strategic planning for both the Liberty and Tatum lignite surface mines. Maintenance team of 100 safely and consistently achieved high reliability/low cost for forty (40) pieces of mining equipment, three (3) 110-yard class draglines and two (2) crusher/rail loading stations. Scope: 5.

Tatum, TX

Directed all business aspects at the Tatum lignite surface mine including safety, coal production, product quality, maintenance, engineering, planning, budgeting and cost control. Scope: 98 employees; 15 pieces of large mobile mining equipment; 110-yard class dragline; coal crusher/rail loadout facility. Economically produced 2.5 – 3.0 million tons per.

Mt Pleasant, Texas

Following a workforce reduction, brought in to provide on-site leadership during the transition of three (3) lignite surface mines to final closure. Performed a strategic business review leading to the development of the remaining economic coal reserves and focused reclamation activities.

Henderson, Texas

• Managed Luminant and contractor truck/shovel topsoil and overburden prestripping activities, optimizing loading and hauling productivity.
• Successfully re-opened and developed an idled dragline coal pit with my team of 60 production employees working 24x7 utilizing a 110-yard class dragline and a FEL/hauler loading fleet.

Lexington, Kentucky

• Integral in establishing a new company chartered to liquidate 305 orphaned mining permits located in five (5) eastern U.S. states by a combination of aggressive divestiture and responsible, cost-effective reclamation..
• Directed strategic planning, corporate governance and fiduciary duties for this limited liability company with a five (5) person Board and more than fifty (50) stockholders.
• Reduced liabilities by more than $200 million and created $150 million in equity - successfully negotiating the sale of the Company that maximized stockholder value. Wins:­ - Led the safe and productive reclamation.

Ashland, Kentucky

Coordinated the timely, cost-effective reclamation and bond release of idled Appalachian coal properties throughout Chapter 11 Bankruptcy reorganization. Managed a $60 million annual budget.

Gillette, Wyoming

Implemented a comprehensive occupational health and industrial hygiene management system across Kennecott Energy’s five (5) coal operations employing 1,650.

Decker, Montana

Managed all business aspects of the surface dragline coal mine, expanding coal production 40% to 11.3 million tons per year and improving profitability by 112%. Championed behavior-based safety and consistent safety standards that led to two consecutive years without a lost-time injury.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

• Directed operations of the fourth largest surface coal mine (Jacobs Ranch Mine) and the fourth largest underground longwall coal mine (Galatia Mine) in the United States.
• Results achieved: Operating profits of $44.5 million on sales of 36.2 million tons of coal.
• Championed a cultural change to a team approach for the 1,050 employees.
• Coordinated activities during an underground mine fire and recovery.

Gillette, Wyoming

• Managed all aspects of this 25 million ton per year surface truck/shovel coal mine.
• Expanded the mine output capacity 50% to 39 million tons per year, by investing in more cost-effective 240-ton haul trucks.
• Received the MSHA Sentinels of Safety Award for being the safest coal mine in the nation and the OSM Hall of Fame Award for 20 years of Excellence in Reclamation.

Beckley, West Virginia

• Led Kerr-McGee’s venture into the Appalachian metallurgical and steam coal business, including marketing, contractor administration, reserve acquisition, and planning for two thin-seam deep mines, a contour surface.
• Turned around an unprofitable mining division by: 1) increasing sales volumes 60%, 2) applying prudent planning and cost controls, 3) modernizing the Preparation Plant, 4) renegotiating royalty rates, and 5) winning.

Master Of Science (Ms), Industrial Engineering / Management

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Mining Engineering