Garry N. Drummond

Garry Neil Drummond Sr.
Born	(1938-06-08) 8 June 1938 Sipsey, Alabama, U.S.
Died	13 July 2016(2016-07-13) (aged 78) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Business leader, philanthropist
Years active	1961–2016
Known for	Chairman and CEO of Drummond Company

Garry Neil Drummond Sr. (June 8, 1938 – July 13, 2016) was a prominent American business leader, heir, and philanthropist based in Alabama. He held the positions of chairman and CEO at the Drummond Company, a privately held coal enterprise with operations in Alabama and Colombia.

Early life

Drummond was born in 1938 in Sipsey, Alabama to Heman Edward Drummond, who established the Drummond Company in 1935. At the age of fifteen, he began working in his father’s coal mines. He later obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama located in Tuscaloosa.

Drummond Company

Starting his career at the family-owned coal business in 1961, Drummond advanced to become chief operating officer before assuming the roles of chairman and CEO from 1973 until his passing. The company’s mining operations span locations in Alabama as well as Colombia.

Between 1979 and 1980, Drummond, along with his brother Elbert Allen "Larry" Drummond and another executive, faced indictments related to allegations of bribing Alabama legislators through the provision of prostitutes; however, after a three-month trial, Judge Frank McFadden dismissed the case and sealed all records.

In the 1980s, Drummond spearheaded the company’s expansion into Colombian coal mining despite ongoing regional conflicts. The inaugural Colombian mine commenced operations in 1995 but encountered security difficulties including attacks by FARC on transportation routes.

In 2013, he revealed plans to develop a new coal mine near Birmingham adjacent to the Black Warrior River.

Corporate directorships

From 2001 until its acquisition by Wachovia in 2004, Drummond served on the board of directors for SouthTrust. He also held directorship roles with the Alabama Coal Association and was appointed by United States Secretary of Energy Donald P. Hodel to the National Coal Council in 1984 during President Reagan’s administration. Additionally, he chaired Alabama’s Governor’s Commission on Affordable Health Care.

His board memberships extended to the National Mining Association and the Economic Development Partnership for Alabama. Recognitions include induction into the Alabama Academy of Honor (1989), Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame (1997), and Alabama Business Hall of Fame (2003).

Drummond also contributed to academia by teaching Engineering courses part-time at Walker College.

Invention

Alongside Eugene Honeycutt and Harold Gene Anderson, Drummond secured a patent on February 5, 2013, for a particular technique related to "open pit bench mining."

Philanthropy and political activity

Drummond participated on the Executive Board of Directors for the Boy Scouts of America and served as a trustee at the University of Alabama.

His political contributions favored Republican figures such as Richard Shelby, Terry Everett, Robert Aderholt, Butch Otter, Mike Rogers, and Jo Bonner. He also supported the George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2004. Furthermore, he donated to Coalpac—the political action committee for the National Mining Association—and contributed US$50,000 toward Bob Riley’s gubernatorial campaign in 2002.

Personal life and death

Married with five children, Drummond was recognized by Forbes in 2015 as Alabama’s wealthiest individual with an estimated net worth nearing US$980 million. He passed away at age 78 due to cancer-related complications on July 13, 2016, in Birmingham.