Joe Street is the Co-Founder West River Conveyors. A former school teacher and public service figure, Joe decided he wanted to be in business for himself. With his partner Jerry, they formed West River Conveyors in 1981 out of the need to rebuild mining equipment and conveyors for the mining industry in Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky, and Southern West Virginia. Joe’s expertise in speed reducers and conveyor equipment has made him a name in the industry. Joe’s certifications and knowledge come from more than 45 years in the mining industry. He’s a graduate of Pikeville College and the University of Virginia. Joe enjoys golfing, fishing, and spending time with his four grandchildren.
Pete Savage joined the West River team in late 2010. After spending almost six years in the United States Army, Pete joined West River as an Account Manager. Pete quickly developed sales experience, product knowledge and expertise in all conveyor related products. He was promoted to President/CEO in October 2021. Pete is a 2005 graduate of Virginia Tech. He enjoys fishing, exercising, barbecuing and spending time with his wife and children.
Jessica Savage joined the West River team in 2005. After a few years absence from 2007-2010, Jessica returned in late 2010. She handles marketing, advertising, continuous improvement projects, business development and most recently strategy for the company. She is a 2005 graduate of Virginia Tech and enjoys running and spending time with her husband and three children.
Tina Clevinger has been with West River since the beginning in 1981. She has widespread experience in all things West River including in depth product knowledge and financial expertise. Tina’s knowledge about conveyor parts and drives is broad. She is able to assist customers with just about anything they might need. She enjoys traveling, motorcycle riding, her many animals and spending time with family.
Jessica Vanover joined the West River team in April 2015. She is responsible for Human Resources functions including employee benefits, performance management, safety, and compliance. Her focus is company culture, continuous improvement, and the employee experience. She is a 2014 graduate of King University and enjoys exercising, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Chris joined the West River team in the Fall of 2021 as a Manufacturing Engineer. Prior to joining West River, he worked as a Maintenance Foreman for Coronado Coal. He has 14 years of experience in mining and mining machinery. Most of those years included installing and troubleshooting belt drives. He is a Bluefield State graduate with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering Technology. He enjoys time at the lake and spending time with his family.
Jeff joined the West River team in early 2010. He began as a welder and worked his way into the Shop Foreman role. He served in the military in where he learned many leadership responsibilities. He has been in the manufacturing industry for the past 17 years. Jeff enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family.
Dathan Vanover joined the West River team in 2022 with 10+ years of experience in parts management. Dathan manages our speed reducer shop where reducers are rebuilt and tested for quality assurance. In the event of a breakdown situation, Dathan knows what it takes to get our customers up and running. Dathan is a 2016 graduate of King University and enjoys making fishing lures, fishing, hunting, and spending time with his wife and two sons.
Jessica Dotson joined the West River team in October 2021 as the Administrative Assistant. After working for over 20 years in the healthcare industry, this position was a “much needed” change for her.
She enjoys camping, fishing, and spending time with her husband and two sons.
Russ James joined the West River team in 2014. He has extensive experience with underground conveyor systems, including sales, installation and troubleshooting. Prior to joining West River, Russ worked as an Underground Sales Manager and Conveyor Service Manager for FMC Technologies. He has been working with conveyor systems since 1986. His responsibilities at West River include working with customers to determine best conveyor equipment design options and needs, overseeing terminal equipment installations, and providing conveyor troubleshooting. Russ enjoys traveling, UTV riding, working out and reading.
Richard Calfee joined the West River team in 2008. Richard has 35+ years of experience in mining and mining equipment. He has extensive experience in machine work, service work on underground belt drives and sales. He has certifications in both machine work and laser alignment. Richard has worked in sales for more than 15 years. He enjoys hunting, fishing, meeting new folks, and spending time with his family.
Cost-effective solutions for hauling aggregates like sand and gravel over long distances.
LEARN MOREImprove mining operations with custom conveyors that are tested for safety and reliability.
LEARN MOREAn online inventory stocked with gearboxes, fluid couplings and other parts ready to be shipped.
LEARN MOREAvoid unplanned downtime and injuries that can arise from worn out conveyor belts.
LEARN MOREFor any mining operation, conveyor systems are critical, especially when it comes to handling materials in corrosive environments. In Louisiana, one of our longstanding customers operates an underground conveyor system read more »
Reducer gearings or gearboxes are the unsung heroes of conveyor operations, turning raw engine power into the right combination of speed and torque to keep your belt rolling day in read more »
Suppose you’re a project manager planning a heavy construction or mining project. In that case, you’re likely already weighing the advantages of using fixed construction conveyors vs. trucking and hauling read more »