Mitch Albert – Chief Engineer, PhD
Leveraging his PhD background, Mitch Albert offers strategic advice and solutions to complex technical challenges.
Mitch is a PhD-qualified mineral economist with a B.Sc. in Geology from Cleveland State University, an M.Sc. in Mineral Economics from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in Mineral Economics from Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is one of approximately 40 Certified Mineral Appraisers worldwide (AIMA 1995-4), a Rotary International Fellowship Scholar, a Paul Harris Fellow, and the inventor of U.S. Patent No. 6,835,041B1 for a high-capacity bulk material transportation and discharge system.
His career began in South Africa, working across energy, mining, and ferroalloy commodities with organizations including Mobil Oil Corporation, the South African Minerals Bureau, and African Explosives and Chemicals. He later served as Manager of Economic Services at Occidental Petroleum’s Island Creek Coal Company, then the fourth-largest coal producer in the United States, where he led project financial evaluation and strategic planning.
Mitch subsequently joined Burlington Northern Inc.’s Meridian Minerals Company, overseeing marketing, financial analysis, and development across coal, precious metals, and industrial minerals. He played a key role in developing large-scale aggregate and ballast operations, including the establishment of multi-mine platforms supported by unit-train rail logistics exceeding 15 million tonnes per year.
An entrepreneur and operator, Mitch was President of Agile Stone Systems, Inc. and CEO of Rock & Rail, Inc., a federally certified 52-mile shortline railroad. His work includes the permitting and development of major quarry and mining projects, rail infrastructure construction, bulk logistics optimization, and expert mineral asset valuation, including testimony for the U.S. Department of Justice and federal courts.
Mitch currently operates through Dry Creek Resources, Inc., providing project development, transportation infrastructure, mineral appraisal, and strategic advisory services across the mining, aggregates, and energy sectors. He is a registered professional geologist and has held memberships in leading mining, rail, and engineering institutions.