Reading Anthracite Company

What Reading Anthracite Company does

Reading Anthracite Company is a privately held, family-owned anthracite coal mining company headquartered in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, operating since 1871 and currently in its third generation of Rich family ownership. The company extracts anthracite from what it describes as the largest anthracite reserve in the United States, and processes it through four processing plants and two drying facilities that perform crushing, washing, sizing, and drying to customer specifications. Product output includes general industrial anthracite (customizable in sizing from 0x100mm), specialty low-moisture anthracite tailored for Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking, and a waste carbon fuel classified as a Tier 2 Alternative Energy that supports regional power generation across Schuylkill and Berks Counties.

The company's primary customers are industrial buyers in metallurgy and manufacturing, including steel manufacturers, ferroalloy producers, and chemical and general manufacturing operations that require consistent, low-sulfur, low-volatility carbon inputs. It monetizes through direct B2B enterprise sales led by a dedicated sales team (VP of Sales, VP of Sales-Quality and Logistics, VP of Business Development), with products customized in specification and sizing and delivered via in-house hauling infrastructure supported by strategic proximity to rail and seaport hubs for both domestic and international distribution.

Beyond core mining, Reading Anthracite operates a diversified network of wholly owned and supporting businesses including licensed retail electricity supply, residential and commercial home heating fuel delivery, mining and municipal engineering, hauling, machine fabrication and hydraulic services, commercial lubricants, site construction, and reclaimed-land uses such as the Famous Reading Outdoors recreation property (20,000+ acres) and Coal Creek Commerce Center (90+ acres of retail and commercial development). Revenue is generated across multiple streams: industrial carbon product sales, waste carbon fuel for power generation, professional services through supporting companies, managed electricity retail, and consumer fuel delivery, with no public disclosure of consolidated financials.

Name

Reading Anthracite Company

Legal name

Reading Anthracite Company

Website

https://readinganthracite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Reading Anthracite Company is a family-owned anthracite coal miner and processor headquartered in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, extracting from the largest US anthracite reserve to supply industrial customers in metallurgy, ferroalloy, EAF steelmaking, and power generation, alongside a network of wholly owned supporting businesses in energy, hauling, fabrication, recreation, and commercial real estate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anthracite Coal Mining

NAICS

Coal Mining (2121)

SIC

Bituminous Coal & Lignite Mining (1220)

akta.pro primary industry

Anthracite Mining (IMAKAIAC)

Keywords

• Anthracite coal mining
• Industrial carbon products
• Electric arc furnace fuel
• Coal processing services
• Alternative energy fuels

Headquarters

HQ city

Pottsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Anthracite Carbon Products: Primary revenue from mining and selling high-quality anthracite carbon products. Products support metallurgical smelting, ferroalloy production, steel manufacturing, chemical production, and general manufacturing. Customizable sizing from 0x100mm to meet specific customer needs. Low-moisture anthracite for Electric Arc Furnace market.
2. Waste Carbon Fuel for Power Generation: Waste carbon fuel produced from reclamation processes, classified as Tier 2 Alternative Energy. Supports regional power generation in Schuylkill County, serving as backbone of region's electricity infrastructure.
3. Supporting Services (Hauling, Fabrication, Engineering, Construction): Network of supporting companies providing mining and municipal engineering, tri-axle hauling, site construction, machine fabrication, hydraulic services, and commercial lubricants
4. Energy & Power Solutions: Licensed retail electric supplier providing electricity sourced from independent power plants in Schuylkill County to residential and business customers
5. Home Heating Fuels: Residential and commercial fuel oil delivery throughout Schuylkill County along with heating, cooling, plumbing, electricity, and air quality solutions

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Reading Anthracite Company mines, processes, and sells high-quality anthracite carbon products from the largest anthracite reserve in the United States. Its core offerings include customizable anthracite coal (sizing 0x100mm) for metallurgical smelting, ferroalloy production, steel manufacturing, and chemical production, as well as low-moisture anthracite tailored for Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) applications and waste carbon fuel classified as a Tier 2 Alternative Energy for power generation.

Product overview

Reading Anthracite Company operates as a single unified product offering centered on high-quality anthracite carbon production for industrial applications. The core product line consists of anthracite coal products with customizable sizing (0x100mm), complemented by specialty Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) anthracite featuring low-moisture properties, and waste carbon fuel for power generation. Processing services including crushing, washing, sizing, and drying are integrated into the product delivery to ensure consistent quality. The company also maintains a network of supporting business units (engineering, hauling, reclamation, fabrication, site construction, energy solutions, retail, and outdoor recreation) that serve internal operational needs rather than external product integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Famous Reading Outdoors: Outdoor recreation destination offering over 20,000 acres of rugged terrain in Pennsylvania's anthracite region for off-road enthusiasts featuring trails for ATVs, dirt bikes, and 4x4 vehicles on reclaimed mining land.

Products and services

• Anthracite Coal Products
• Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Anthracite
• Waste Carbon Fuel
• Anthracite Processing Services
• Retail Electric Supply
• Home Heating Fuels
• Famous Reading Outdoors Recreation
• Mining and Municipal Engineering Services
• Tri-Axle Hauling and Site Construction Services
• Machine Fabrication and Hydraulic Services
• Commercial Lubricants Supply
• Coal Creek Commerce Center Retail

Quantifiable outcome

• Power distribution to over 400,000 people and 165,000+ homes across Schuylkill and Berks Counties

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Philadelphia and Reading CorporationhistoricalOthers · 1 January 1961Reading Anthracite Company was sold to the Rich family by The Philadelphia & Reading Corporation in 1961, marking the company's separation from its railroad origins. Warren Buffett served as an analyst on the deal while working with the Graham-Newman partnership. This transaction transitioned the company from its founding entity established in 1871 to family ownership under John B. Rich.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Peabody Energy: Largest U.S. coal producer with diversified metallurgical and thermal coal operations serving global steel and power markets. Comparable broad customer base in industrial carbon, though at much larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Ramaco Resources: U.S. metallurgical coal producer focused on premium coal for the steel industry, including facilities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Comparable end-market exposure to Reading Anthracite in supplying metallurgical customers.
• Arch Resources: Major U.S. coal producer with metallurgical and thermal coal operations serving steel, infrastructure, and power generation markets. Comparable customer base to Reading Anthracite, particularly in metallurgical-grade coal supply.
• CONSOL Energy: Pennsylvania-based coal producer with operations in the Appalachian region, supplying both domestic and international markets with thermal and metallurgical coal. Geographic and operational overlap with Reading Anthracite's Pennsylvania footprint.
• Alpha Metallurgical Resources: Largest U.S. producer of metallurgical coal for the global steel industry, operating multiple mining complexes. Comparable to Reading Anthracite as a supplier of carbon inputs to steelmaking, though focused on bituminous metallurgical coal rather than anthracite.
• Coronado Global Resources: Major international metallurgical coal producer supplying global steel manufacturers. Operates U.S. coal mining assets comparable in end-market exposure (steel/ferroalloy customers) to Reading Anthracite, though at much larger scale.
• SunCoke Energy: Largest independent producer of high-quality coke in the Americas, supplying metallurgical coal-derived coke to integrated steel producers. Adjacent to Reading Anthracite in the metallurgical carbon supply chain serving steel customers.

Direct peers

• Blaschak Coal Corporation: One of the largest U.S. anthracite producers, operating mines and preparation plants in Pennsylvania's anthracite region. Direct competitor to Reading Anthracite in mining and selling high-quality anthracite coal for industrial and residential heating markets.
• Lehigh Anthracite: Historically significant Pennsylvania anthracite mining operation, producing anthracite coal for metallurgical and heating markets. Closely comparable to Reading Anthracite in geography, product offering, and customer base.

Regional players

• Jeddo-Highland Coal Company: Pennsylvania-based anthracite coal producer with operations in the same anthracite region as Reading Anthracite. Direct geographic and product overlap, though smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/readinganthracite

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reading Anthracite Company