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Coal and Other Mineral and Ore Merchant Wholesalers

NAICS 423520 · Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods · SBA size standard: 200 employees

Coal and other mineral and ore merchant wholesalers purchase bulk commodities from mines, maintain stockpiles at rail yards or terminals, sample and test material, and sell to industrial buyers on contract or spot basis. Specialists convert inquiries into priced quotes, quotes into sales contracts, contracts into loading and delivery schedules, track inventory by grade and quality across yards, manage sampling and assay reconciliation, handle supplier settlements, and organize environmental and permit paperwork. Pricing volatility, railcar allocation, moisture testing, final settlements and environmental permits remain with the owner.

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What makes this business different

  • Bulk commodity pricing that fluctuates daily with market indices and must be locked at time of quote or contract
  • Railcar or barge allocation, demurrage tracking and loading windows at origin yards
  • Representative sampling and third-party assay results that determine final settlement weight and quality adjustments
  • Large stockpiles tracked by grade, moisture, ash and BTU content across multiple storage locations
  • Long-term supply contracts with monthly or quarterly delivery schedules plus spot sales
  • Environmental permits, dust control plans, stormwater runoff logs and reclamation bonds
  • Industrial customers who require certificates of analysis, chain-of-custody records and precise delivery windows
  • Supplier settlements that reconcile provisional invoices against final assay results

Specialist bots

  • a worker reviewing a printed specification sheet beside a desk covered with commodity price reports and rail yard maps

    Quote and Contract Specialist

    Convert buyer inquiries into accurate priced quotes and formal sales contracts.

    Works in: Ambitious Docs, Contract Analyzer, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Quote to sales contract

    Automates

    • Reads incoming inquiries and extracts requirements
    • Pulls current pricing and available inventory
    • Drafts quotes with validity and tolerances
    • Converts accepted quotes into contract drafts
    • Logs contracts and alerts inventory team

    Stops for a person

    • Owner approves every price and term before sending
    • Final contract is signed by a person
  • a worker standing on a stockpile of coal with a clipboard watching a front-end loader fill a waiting railcar at a rail yard

    Order Fulfillment Coordinator

    Turn signed contracts into scheduled rail or truck loadings and delivery notifications.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Docs · Workflows: Order fulfillment and scheduling

    Automates

    • Assigns inventory lots to orders
    • Requests railcar or truck capacity
    • Builds loading timelines
    • Prepares bills of lading and instructions
    • Sends buyer notifications with tracking

    Stops for a person

    • The yard manager approves loading schedules
    • Carrier changes or substitutions are confirmed by owner
  • a worker taking a representative sample from a conveyor belt of crushed ore with a sampling scoop in an open industrial yard

    Sampling and Assay Manager

    Track chain-of-custody, schedule lab tests and reconcile quality adjustments.

    Works in: Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Sampling and assay management

    Automates

    • Creates chain-of-custody records
    • Schedules sampler and lab pickups
    • Compares assay results to contract specs
    • Calculates quality adjustment amounts
    • Files certificates of analysis

    Stops for a person

    • Owner reviews and approves all quality adjustments
    • Disputed assay results are resolved by people
  • a worker measuring a large outdoor stockpile of mineral ore with a survey instrument while referencing a tablet with inventory maps

    Yard Inventory Controller

    Maintain accurate stockpile records by grade, quality and location across all yards.

    Works in: Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Tasks, Process Optimizer · Workflows: Stockpile inventory and yard management

    Automates

    • Updates daily tonnage and quality data
    • Forecasts sellable inventory
    • Flags low or excessive stock levels
    • Generates supplier reorder triggers

    Stops for a person

    • Physical pile measurements are entered by yard staff
    • Owner sets minimum and maximum inventory targets
  • a worker comparing weight tickets and laboratory reports at a desk next to a window overlooking a bulk commodity storage yard

    Procurement and Settlement Specialist

    Manage supplier contracts, reconcile provisional and final invoices, and prepare payments.

    Works in: Contract Analyzer, Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Supplier procurement and settlement

    Automates

    • Drafts purchase contracts with provisional terms
    • Tracks inbound shipments against contracts
    • Reconciles assays and weights for final settlement
    • Prepares net payment requests

    Stops for a person

    • Owner approves and releases every supplier payment
    • Final settlements are reviewed before funds are sent
  • a worker organizing stacks of permit documents and water sampling bottles on a table inside a yard office trailer

    Compliance and Permit Clerk

    Maintain environmental logs, track permit expirations and prepare renewal documents.

    Works in: Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Sheets · Workflows: Permit and environmental compliance

    Automates

    • Generates monthly environmental logs
    • Tracks permit and bond expiration dates
    • Drafts renewal applications
    • Maintains safety data sheet library

    Stops for a person

    • Owner confirms which local, state and federal rules apply
    • All filings and corrective actions are performed by people
  • a worker reviewing printed invoices and attached assay certificates at a desk with a calculator and commodity price charts on the wall

    Billing and Receivables Specialist

    Generate provisional and final invoices, handle quality adjustments and track collections.

    Works in: Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Customer billing and accounts receivable

    Automates

    • Creates provisional invoices from loaded weights
    • Adjusts invoices after assay results
    • Prepares credit or debit memos
    • Sends past-due reminders

    Stops for a person

    • Owner approves every invoice and adjustment before sending
    • Final payments and disputes are handled by people

Workflows

Quote to sales contract

Starts when: A buyer inquires by email, phone or portal for a specific tonnage and quality spec

  1. Capture required tonnage, quality parameters, delivery window and destination
  2. Pull current market price, freight rate and available inventory by grade
  3. Draft a priced quote with validity period and quality tolerances
  4. Convert accepted quote into a formal sales contract with penalty clauses
  5. Record contract in the master log and notify inventory team

Watch for: Price must be confirmed with owner before quote is sent; Quality specs must match what the yard can actually supply

Order fulfillment and scheduling

Starts when: Signed sales contract or confirmed spot order

  1. Assign inventory lot or allocate from current stockpile
  2. Request railcar or truck allocation from carrier
  3. Build loading schedule at the origin yard
  4. Draft bill of lading and shipping instructions
  5. Notify buyer of estimated arrival and provide tracking

Watch for: Railcar availability can delay loading by weeks; Weather or mine outages can force substitution of material

Sampling and assay management

Starts when: Material loaded or received at yard

  1. Create chain-of-custody record for each lot
  2. Schedule independent sampler or lab pickup
  3. Track inbound assay results against contract specs
  4. Calculate quality adjustment payments or credits
  5. File final certificate of analysis with both parties

Watch for: Moisture, ash, sulfur and BTU values directly affect final invoice; Disputes over assay results require owner intervention

Stockpile inventory and yard management

Starts when: Daily at each yard and after every movement

  1. Update tonnage on hand by commodity grade and location
  2. Record moisture, quality test results and pile turnover
  3. Forecast available sellable tons for next 30 days
  4. Flag piles that approach minimum or maximum storage limits
  5. Generate reorder triggers to suppliers when stock drops

Watch for: Stockpiles must be rotated to prevent spontaneous combustion in coal; Dust and runoff permits require documented pile management

Supplier procurement and settlement

Starts when: New supply contract or after final assay received

  1. Draft purchase contract from mine or broker with provisional pricing
  2. Track inbound shipments and compare to contract quantities
  3. Reconcile provisional invoice against final assay and weights
  4. Calculate net amount due and draft payment request
  5. Record completed settlement in financial log

Watch for: Provisional payments are common; final settlement occurs after lab results; Owner must approve every supplier payment

Permit and environmental compliance

Starts when: Monthly reporting dates and permit renewal deadlines

  1. Generate monthly stormwater, dust control and emissions logs
  2. Track reclamation bond balances and insurance certificates
  3. Monitor expiration dates for operating permits and licenses
  4. Draft renewal applications for owner review
  5. Maintain current safety data sheets for each commodity

Watch for: Local, state and federal rules vary by commodity and storage location; Owner confirms which permits apply to each yard

Customer billing and accounts receivable

Starts when: After loading or final assay received

  1. Generate provisional invoice from contract and loaded weights
  2. Adjust invoice once assay results arrive
  3. Draft credit or debit memo for quality or quantity variances
  4. Track payment status and send past-due reminders
  5. Archive paid invoices with supporting assay and weight tickets

Watch for: Industrial buyers often require specific invoice formats and backup documents; All adjustments require owner sign-off before issuance

Bot templates for this industry

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Size Standards, Table of Small Business Size Standards Matched to North American Industry Classification System Codes, version March 2023 (effective 2023-03-17, NAICS 2022). Size standards are shown for reference only.