Arch Coal Inc announced that Mr Robert W Shanks has elected to retire as president of Arch's eastern US operations on March 31 after 35 years of service.

Mr Gary L Bennett, president and general manager of Arch's Coal-Mac, Inc subsidiary, has been promoted to president of eastern operations, and Mr J Chris Sykes has been promoted from mine manager to general manager of Coal-Mac.

Mr John W. Eaves president & COO of Arch said “Bob contributed to many of the major events that have shaped Arch Coal into the world-class company it is today. We sincerely thank Bob for his outstanding contributions to Arch and thank him for serving us one last time with the management transition.”

He added “Gary brings a wealth of industry experience and expertise to his new position as head of Arch's Eastern Operations. He is a proven leader with a firm grasp of the Central Appalachian region, and I am confident he will create great value for the corporation in this new role.”