Huntington / West Virginia / United States
James H. Fletcher began his company intent on developing technology that would improve coal mine productivity and reduce personnel risk by using rubber tire, non-track-mounted vehicles in underground applications. In 1938, the company showed its first products at a coal show in Cincinnati, a rubber-tire tractor and drop-bottom conveyor. Since that time, J. H. Fletcher & Co. has operated with a vigilant focus on finding ways to improve mining processes and reducing risk for the people who work there. Among its innovations are a rubber tired, battery-powered tractor; the first shuttle car with 4-wheel steer and elevating conveyor, and the first Fletcher timbering machine -three wheels. Fletchers line of mobile mine equipment includes single-head and dual-head roof bolters for high-seam and low seams, each with its own set of features that maximize safety and efficiency in varying mine conditions; longwall/utility bolters that secure roof during longwall moves and double as utility bolters between moves; degasification drills that help release methane and predict seam orientation up to 5,000-feet ahead of the working face. Fletcher created the first powered Mobile Roof Support system (MRS), used for temporary roof support in pillar extraction operations. Recently, Fletcher developed a new and improved lone of Prime Mover surface/underground tractors.
