Born Into Coal
Krystal Drummond was born into the coal industry and chose to stay.
Words by Micah Harrison | Images by Ryan McGill
The surname "Drummond" has been synonymous with the coal industry for decades in Walker County. Every year for Christmas and Easter, around 100 members of the coal family gather at the old Drummond homestead in Sipsey to mingle, eat, and celebrate their heritage. On these occasions, you can find Krystal Drummond looking around the room, feeling blessed to have such a strong family connection that spans over five generations.
Krystal is the great-granddaughter of Drummond Company founder H. E. Drummond. Raised in Tampa, Florida, Krystal moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, for college and finally moved to Alabama to attend law school.
"I thought it was only going to be three years in Alabama, enjoying the opportunity to be near grandparents and other family, and then I'd move on," she says.
It started that way, but her grandfather, Garry Neil Drummond, Chairman and CEO of Drummond Company at the time, had bigger plans.
When Krystal became licensed as an attorney, her grandfather invited her to shadow some of Drummond Co.'s legal experts. They were negotiating with the Japanese company, Itochu, to sell a stake in their company. This experience led to her interning with Drummond and eventually working in the company's legal department. She worked there for ten years on various legal matters, including real estate, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and other federal mining issues.
In 2017, she became the manager of Drummond's Corporate Social Responsibility Department. She enjoyed this role, saying it allowed her to "bring our employees back into the community on behalf of Drummond." Last January, she was promoted to Vice President of Community and Government Relations. In this new role, in addition to community outreach, she represents Drummond Company on a broad range of subjects before governmental entities and advocacy groups.
Over time, Drummond expanded its mines far beyond Walker County and acquired smaller companies and plants along the way, but the ground in Alabama only had so much coal to be mined. In the 1980s, Drummond officials began looking abroad for new coal mining areas, soon finding the South American country of Colombia to be a candidate. After years of research and investing, the company's first international coal production began in 1995, ushering in a new era at Drummond.
Today, the company's mining operations are based in Colombia, where the mined coal is shipped to North and South America, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Asia from Puerto Drummond, the largest coal port in the country. But the company does more than take; they also give back.
"We have extensive community investment, whether it's sponsoring literacy organizations, small business development, a local soccer team, or building hospitals or roads," Krystal says.
Although Drummond is no longer mining stateside, the company has left its mark, especially in Walker County. Drummond's retired miners frequently gather to share meals and fellowship. They are proud of their profession and the company they worked for, and Drummond is proud of them, too.
"A very integral and remarkable part of the company goes beyond the blood family members… Drummond has grown with the hard work of thousands of dedicated, amazing employees who believe in our vision. We truly are a family company." Krystal says.
And if you ask her what she thinks of coal mining, she will simply tell you: "The coal mining industry and the people within it are pretty incredible." 78