Joe Street

Joe Street, Owner

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

Pete Savage, President/CEO

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, Chief Strategic Officer

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

Tina Clevinger, VP Finance

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

Jessica Vanover, VP People

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 Viers

Chris Viers, General Manager

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.

Dathan Vanover, Parts Manager

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, 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.

Jason Coleman

Jason Coleman, Senior Design Engineer

Jason Coleman joined the West River team in 2010 as the Production Planner. Jason’s past work experience at Ceramic Technology, AMS and Bucyrus have given him expertise in underground conveyor equipment and overland conveyor equipment design. Jason’s responsibilities at West River include purchasing, quoting, planning, and designing conveyors. He enjoys hunting, fishing, shooting, woodworking and spending time with his family.

Jeffery Sparks

Jeffery Sparks, Shop Foreman

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.

Jessica Dotson

Jessica Dotson, Administrative Assistant

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

Russ James, Western Region Sales Manager

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, Sales Manager – Eastern Region

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.

Custom Overland and Underground Mining Conveyor Equipment

OVERLAND CONVEYORS

OVERLAND CONVEYORS

Cost-effective solutions for hauling aggregates like sand and gravel over long distances.

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UNDERGROUND CONVEYORS

UNDERGROUND CONVEYORS

Improve mining operations with custom conveyors that are tested for safety and reliability.

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PARTS

PARTS

An online inventory stocked with gearboxes, fluid couplings and other parts ready to be shipped.

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CONVEYOR BELTS

CONVEYOR BELTS

Avoid unplanned downtime and injuries that can arise from worn out conveyor belts.

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Latest News

Primary vs. Secondary Conveyor Belt Cleaners

Feb 13, 2024

Project and plant managers in the mining industry face the ongoing challenge of keeping conveyor belts clean. Dust and rocks can cause many problems, including worker injuries, compliance issues, and read more »

Conveyors vs. Trucks: How to Reduce Costs in Material Handling

Jan 12, 2024

Conveyor systems and short-haul truck fleets remain the most popular and effective ways to move large amounts of bulk materials at many mining, construction, and processing operations. In this article, read more »

Top 7 Safety Features Your Conveyor Should Have

Jan 10, 2024

Adhering to complex OSHA mining conveyor safety regulations can be an ongoing challenge. There are many moving parts and areas where accidents could occur. However, failure to comply poses serious read more »