Mayor Scott James visited Old Main in St. Albans, West Virginia, on a recorded business-spotlight segment and spoke with Michael Irvin, owner of Coal River Coffee, about the shop’s local role and recent growth. "It's a wonderful addition to our community, our town, and Old Main," James said.

Michael Irvin said Coal River Coffee opened in August 2018 and has expanded from a small, home-roasting operation into a shop with on-site roasting and a micro roaster. "We actually opened in August 2018," Irvin said. He described converting an old garage into a roasting plant and said the business is "in the process of transitioning into a bigger roasting facility here."

Irvin said the business employs 14 people year-round and that staff numbers rise to about 20 during the holidays. "We have 14 people that work for us throughout the year and that goes up to 20 throughout the holidays," he said. He also described the company’s manufacturing and roasting expansion as a major driver of growth.

The owner said Coal River Coffee sells beyond the local market. "We sell it all over the country, but we also sell it throughout the world, throughout the globe," Irvin said, and noted that each bag is labeled "St. Albans, West Virginia." He highlighted popular blends such as Appalachian, Wild O' Wonderful and Almost Heaven.

James credited the shop with helping Old Main’s live-music scene, saying Coal River Coffee hosts music nights that have contributed to a broader growth in local performances. Irvin said the shop provided a venue where local musicians could flourish and named several longtime local performers who supported the scene.

The mayor also noted the business serves breakfast and lunch in addition to beverages and described the coffee as "award-winning." The segment closed with James encouraging other St. Albans business owners to contact the mayor’s office to request a business spotlight.

The meeting-style segment was promotional in nature and served to highlight a local small business’s operations and contributions to the St. Albans community.