Peabody Arclar miner rings opening bell at NYSE
SALINE COUNTY – An Arclar Complex miner joined U.S. and Australian colleagues to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange earlier this month.
Josh Knight, a head surveyor at Peabody Energy's Arclar Complex – located in Gallatin and Saline counties – was among five Peabody miners chosen to represent the company when it returned to public trading on April 4.
Peabody trades under the stock symbol BTU.
Knight joined Peabody in 2012 and was an underground operator before transitioning to his current role.
Knight said he was extremely honored to represent Peabody's Midwest operations by the invitation to travel to the Big Apple with his fellow colleagues and company leaders.
"I'm very grateful that I had the opportunity to be part of the celebration, and I was extremely humbled to represent my fellow employees," Knight said. "My teammates and I are like family, and it was great to be at the NYSE on their behalf."
Knight said coal is an abundant and affordable resource that should remain an essential part of the energy mix. 
"Coal is an important resource for meeting today's energy needs. The industry provides a lot of good, skilled jobs here in the Midwest," he added.
Peabody announced on April 3 that it has emerged from Chapter 11 protection with a transformed capital structure.
As part of Peabody's emergence, each employee was given a BTU stock grant with the vision that every employee will be an owner of the new company over time. The grants commemorate a new and exciting phase in Peabody's history and offer a way to unify employees on the path ahead through Peabody's shared mission and values.
Knight was joined on the NYSE podium by Tim Tafoya, mechanic and welder at El Segundo Mine in New Mexico; Suzie Williams, warehouse manager at North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Wyoming; Ashlee Windsor, production team member at Moorvale Mine in Australia; Colin Crowther, electrician at Wambo Underground Mine in Australia; and Stephanie Weiler, manager, financial communications, at Peabody's St. Louis Corporate Office.
The Arclar Complex includes the Wildcat Hills and Cottage Grove mines, and employs about 240 workers. 
The complex sold approximately 1.9 million tons of coal in 2016 and injected approximately $170 million in direct and indirect economic benefits into the region.
Peabody is the world's largest private-sector coal company and a Fortune 500 company. The company is also a leading voice in advocating for sustainable mining, energy access and clean coal technologies. 
Peabody serves metallurgical and thermal coal customers in more than 25 countries on five continents. For further information, visit PeabodyEnergy.com.