Patriot Coal Corporation

Type: Public
On the web: http://www.patriotcoal.com
Employees: 4,300
Employee growth: 16.2%

Patriot Coal Corporation could fill the Christmas stockings of bad little children for years to come. With 13 mining complexes in Appalachia and the Illinois Basin, Patriot Coal mines coal used for electricity generation (about three-quarters of its production) and steel manufacturing. The company's operations include company-managed mines, joint ventures, and numerous contractor-operated mines, which put about 1.8 billion tons of proved and probable reserves under Patriot's control. It produces around 30 million tons annually. Peabody Energy spun off its coal mining operations in West Virginia and Kentucky to form Patriot Coal in 2007.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending December, 2011:
Sales: $2,402.5M
One year growth: 18.1%
Net income: ($115.5)M

Officers:
Chairman: Irl F. Engelhardt
President, CEO, and Director: Richard M. (Rick) Whiting
SVP and COO: Charles A. (Chuck) Ebetino Jr.

Competitors:
Alpha Natural Resources
Arch Coal
James River Coal