Bowie Taps BHP Billiton Executive As New CEO

Bowie Resource Partners, LLC (Bowie) has announced the hiring of Manie H. Dreyer, of Johannesburg, South Africa, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Dreyer comes to the Louisville based company from BHP Billiton (BHPLF), where since 2009, he has been President of BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa (BECSA), a mining operation based in Johannesburg, with 9,500 employees and contractors, producing 35 million metric tons of thermal coal annually; 15 million tons of which are exported to customers throughout Asia and Europe. Prior to his tenure as President of BECSA, Dreyer's roles within BHP Billiton included various operational, business development and marketing roles spanning four continents, having worked in South Africa, South East Asia, South America and the U.S.

John J. Siegel, Bowie's Chairman and retiring CEO said, "We conducted a six month, international search to find that special leader who not only possesses the requisite commercial and operational skill sets, but who also shares our vision of the future of, and our unique position in, the rapidly changing global coal industry. After having considered over fifty highly qualified candidates from all over the world, we feel blessed and excited to pass the baton of leadership to Manie at this critical juncture in our company's evolution." Siegel added, "Manie's 21 years of experience with BHP Billiton, across all aspects of their global coal activities, will hold him in good stead as he works to solidify and expand our domestic base business, and to, together with our partners, Galena Asset Management and the Trafigura Group, aggressively grow our Western Bit export footprint."

Bowie is the largest producer of Western Bituminous coal in the United States and is the only producer with Western U.S. export terminal capacity. Bowie will sell approximately 17 million tons in 2014 to customers in the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala, Chile, Japan and China. Bowie is based in Louisville, Ky., with a regional office in Grand Junction, CO and a workforce of 1,200.