RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Massey Energy Company (NYSE: MEE) today announced the promotion of Steve Sears to Vice President - Sales and Marketing. Sears has also been named President of Massey Coal Sales Company, Inc., Massey Energy's subsidiary sales company.

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Sears joined A.T. Massey Coal Company in 1981. Two years later, Sears became a Sales Representative with Massey Coal Sales Company. Sears has held various positions of increasing responsibility within the sales department and most recently served as President - Massey Utility and Industrial Sales. Throughout his tenure with Massey Coal Sales, Sears has demonstrated a unique entrepreneurial ability to generate expanded revenue opportunities for the Company. In 1984, Sears was the founder and architect of the Company's industrial sales division. Today, Massey now sells coal to more than 50 industrial sales customers with revenue in excess of $225 million. Sears has also been the innovator of two significant projects in the industrial sales area. Sears spearheaded the founding of Coal Handling Solutions, LLC, a partnership with Penn Virginia, that builds, owns and operates material handling facilities at customer plants. Sears also oversaw the formation of Coalsolv, a joint venture between Massey and Shell Global Solutions that markets Cansolv liquid scrubber technology to coal fired power plants in the United States.

Sears received a Bachelors in Business from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Averett University. "Steve's more than twenty five years with the sales department ideally positions him to help the Company optimize revenue by continuing to create new business opportunities for the Company as well as by providing increased coordination between the Company's sales and operations areas," said Don L. Blankenship, Massey's Chairman and CEO.

Massey Energy Company, headquartered in Richmond, Va., with operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, is the fourth largest coal producer by revenue in the United States and is included in the S&P 500 Index.

SOURCE Massey Energy Company