http://www.zoomchina.com.

cn/new/content/view/4301/81/
Making Friends: West Virginia Coal Needs You
News Archive - Coal & Electric Power - April news

Back in the summer of 2002, the West Virginia Coal Association conducted a strategic planning
session down in South Charleston. WVCA officers and Board members met to consider the most
effective means of communicating their concerns to the people of West Virginia. In other words,
the group was looking to enhance its public relations efforts.

After listening for some time, Warren Hylton of Beckley got to his feet to make an impromptu
speech. Up to then, Warren had not made a habit of public speaking. But, when he does speak,
he leaves no room for doubt as to what his position is. It's a family trait. Warren is the son of
pioneer coal operator and former State Senator Tracy Hylton, a well known plain speaker.

"When I went down to that meeting, I didn't know I was going to talk," recalls Warren now.
"But, WVCA Chairman Jim Bunn started off by saying that if we expect to get a different result,
we'e going to have to do something different, and that got me to thinking. I remembered back to
some of my dad's political campaigns and right then I realized what we needed to do."

The crux of Warren Hylton's idea was and is that "We have a whole lot of friends out there who
will help us if we just ask them." His colleagues were so struck by that idea that they decided to
formally ask for friendship and for help. That was the origin of the aptly named grass roots
organization, Friends of Coal. Friends of Coal is directed at the thousands upon thousands of
West Virginians whose prosperity is directly or indirectly tied to that of the coal industry.

If you want to know about Friends of Coal, just ask Warren. "Just consider how many people
work for the coal industry," he points out. "Then think about all the people who work for
companies that do a lot of business with the coal industry. Then add in the families of those
people. And the folks who run businesses that all these people deal with every week. All we
want is for these people to stand up and be counted. We want them to say “I’m a Friend of
Coal.”

“If we can get that accomplished, a lot of the problems the coal industry has just may start to get
solved,” he continues.

"This is something that is critically important for all of West Virginia. There are something like
44 people leaving this state every single day. Those are our children and grandchildren, leaving
our state because we have not provided them with the means to have a comfortable and
productive life here at home. That's intolerable. I think Friends of Coal can make a difference.
We're sure as heck going to try."

WVCA President Bill Raney thinks that the Friends of Coal campaign strikes just the right chord
for coal. "For many years," says Bill, "we have claimed that coal represents many more West
Virginians beyond the thousands directly employed by the industry. Friends of Coal clearly
indicates that this is the case."

"There are hundreds of businesses in West Virginia that rely directly on the coal industry for
business ¡ª material suppliers, equipment dealers, engineering firms, reclamation specialists and
many, many others. There are also thousands more small hometown businesses that rely on the
normal economic activity generated by the coal people who live there ¡ª barbers, banks, grocers,
insurance dealers, and the list goes on and on. With Friends of Coal, we are making an effort to
count, organize and mobilize these people. It’s time to clearly demonstrate to public officials, to
media representatives and to the general public, just how many lives are touched in a positive
way by the coal industry.”

People throughout West Virginia's coal fields are starting to get familiar with the Friends of Coal
logo which appears on oval-shaped hardhat stickers and window decals and even a few yard
signs. “This logo will be the visible proof that there are Friends of Coal all over West Virginia,”
says Warren Hylton. “The more you see of this symbol, the more you can be sure that our
message is getting across.”

The Friends of Coal message got a major boost when Don Nehlen, the popular retired football
coach of the WVU Mountaineers, signed on as the organization's official spokesman.

The Friends of Coal, usually including Coach Nehlen, have appeared at the West Virginia State
Fair, the Bluefield Coal Show, WVU football rallies and a wide variety of company picnics and
civic group meetings. With each appearance, the membership rolls of Friends steadily grow.

But Don Nehlen isn't just a spokesman. He's also a believer. "You know, I've been around these
people in the coal industry all the years I've been in West Virginia. But I never realized what a
tremendous job they do. Heck, I never thought about where electricity comes from. I just flipped
the switch and went about my business. But I know now. I know where coal comes from and
what it does and I appreciate the people who make that possible.

"And I want everybody else in this country to appreciate it too. Since I started working with this
bunch, I've spent a good bit of time traveling the coal fields and talking to these men and
women, and let me tell you, there's no better folks anywhere. They have enthusiasm in their eyes
and pride in their step and they should, because there's nobody anywhere who does a better job
than they do every day. West Virginia should be proud of its coal and of its coal people and I’m
going to do everything I can to spread that message.”

There is no doubt that coal has been a friend to West Virginia. The industry provides more than
45,000 direct and contract jobs, with over $1 billion in annual wages, and every coal mining job
generates five to eight other jobs in the state economy.

The value of all West Virginia coal production exceeds $5 billion. The industry has a $17 billion
annual impact on the state economy. Coal pays over $200 million annually in severance taxes,
including $15 million to county and municipal governments. On average every coal company is
worth $1 million per year to state and local governments.

Overall, coal pays one-third of all business taxes in the state.

The Friends of Coal message is getting out on the airwaves as well. Charles Ryan Associates,
the state's most prominent public relations/advertising firm, has spearheaded a full scale radio
and television campaign, featuring Coach Nehlen. "Advertising at that level is a major
commitment," says Warren Hylton, "but we're more than willing to do it. Our real enemy is
apathy. What we need from our friends out there is not their money. We need for them to stand
up and be counted."

It is expected that Friends of Coal will continue its rapid growth for many years. As the Friends
logo becomes more familiar and more prevalent across the state, the official membership will
expand accordingly. According to Bill Raney, Friends of Coal is starting to spread beyond the
borders of West Virginia. "We've already been in contact with people in Virginia, who are
interested in starting chapter down there, and we're also talking to people in Kentucky. We
certainly welcome all the help we can get." Friends of Coal has its own Website, at
www.friendsofcoal.org New members can register on line and then keep up with news and
activities relating to the organization and to the industry.