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Company History
 

River Trading Company LTD. is a Limited Liability Company established under the laws of the state of Ohio. Beginning in 1986, River Trading Company (at the time, a subsidiary of Hatfield Terminals, Inc.) began business buying and reselling coal to utilities and industries in the Upper Midwestern market. The company was founded by Tom Conlan who has been its President and CEO from inception until his retirement in December, 2009.

In April 1991, River Trading Company formed a new wholly owned Corporation named River Services, Inc. Its purpose is to manage and operate the upper harbor river terminal that is owned by the City of Minneapolis.

On April 30, 1992, Hatfield & Sons, Inc. purchased controlling interest in River Trading Company, and the Eastern Division of River Trading Company was formed for the purpose of selling coal in the Eastern and Southern markets.

Hatfield & Sons, Inc. is owned by James “Toby” Hatfield, III, the third generation of Hatfield’s in the coal business since 1882 and is the Vice President of River Trading. The Hatfield companies have evolved since that time from owning coal mines, river docks, trucking companies and barge services to one of country’s leading coal marketing, trading, dock and property management firms. In January of 2010, Edward Hatfield, the fourth generation of Hatfield’s was named President.

In 1993, River Trading Company entered into an agreement to operate a river terminal in Buffalo, Iowa (Blackhawk Terminal) so the Company could properly administer over 400,000 net tons of coal annually on long term contracts. River property purchased in Muscatine, Iowa has been developed into a coal handling facility. It was completed early 2002 and allowed us to begin handling our coal contracts through it that year. We ceased operations at Blackhawk Terminal when the Muscatine facility opened. In 2003, River Trading Company purchased an additional 25 acres adjacent to our existing property which has been developed and is now part of the Muscatine facility.

Near the end of 2002, the ownership of River Trading Company re-purchased the controlling interest in Cincinnati Bulk Terminals (the original Hatfield Terminal which had been the Hatfield’s control from 1882 to 1992). Cincinnati Bulk Terminals, LLC (CBT) has evolved into not only a coal sales company, but an all purpose marine terminal. With an emphasis on customer service, CBT has provided “just in time” deliveries well before it was in vogue. The excellent location gives easy access to three interstates, as well as, the Indiana and Ohio Rail Road allowing efficient transportation for a variety of bulk and break-bulk products.

In 2004, the ownership of CBT and RTC, acquired the Port of Cincinnati, a multi-product trans-loading and warehouse facility located adjacent to Cincinnati Bulk Terminals. This acquisition has further expanded our ability to service more industries and transport more products. CBT/POC also maintains a sales office in Louisville, KY. In 2006, RTC acquired another coal trans-loading facility near Charleston, WV on the Kanawha River. This facility is Riverpoint, LLC. The facility gives access to River Trading Company to more coal fields in the West Virginia area and trans-loading services to third parties.

In February, 1995 the River Trading Company ownership formed KenWest Terminals, LLC on the Big Sandy River near Ashland, KY and began its operations in the heart of the Central Appalachian coal region. River Trading Company has become the leading shipper of coal on the Big Sandy River, one of the major arteries of Central Appalachian coal to the nation’s utility and industrial coal users. Also important is its location in the geographic loading area for physical delivery of NYMEX Central Appalachian Coal Futures Contracts.

In August, 2007, ownership of River Trading Company continued to expand its operations and breadth in the coal industry by acquiring the Docks Creek River Terminal on the Big Sandy River near Huntington, WV. This facility is a NYMEX delivery point, with river, rail (NS Railroad) and highway (US Route 52 to Interstate I-64) access. Docks Creek has more than 400,000 tons storage with efficient and rapid truck and barge loading and unloading. Docks Creek is a state of the art facility with rail service from Norfolk Southern that includes four-hour unit-train loading and batch weighing system.

In summary, River Trading Company and its affiliated companies which all share the same ownership has evolved and grown since 1986. Management and workforce have many years of expertise and experience. Every year River Trading Company has continued to grow and increase its core coal marketing volumes and market share.

River Trading Company by owning and managing all its strategically located river terminals can merchandise coal and other products to a large segment of utility and industrial accounts throughout the United States.