The Bright Group is a collection of privately held business entities, engaging in various business investments throughout the world. Headquartered in Summersville, West Virginia, the principal owners are William T. Bright (Chairman and Founder), members of his family, family trusts, and various minority owners.
The Bright Group businesses include: (1) Winterplace Ski Resort, a successful ski resort located near Beckley, WV, (2) Glade Springs Village, a 3,000 homesite master planned community with two Championship Golf Courses, that has sold over 1,600 lots in the first five years, and a minority ownership interest in a Four-Star Quality golf and conference resort known as The Resort at Glade Springs, (3) royalty interests in coal, oil and gas properties, (4) a 50 million gallon per year ethanol production facility in Michigan, (5) a natural gas processing plant and several gas pipeline systems in Michigan, (6) overriding coal royalties on over 60,000 acres, (7) buying and selling timber and timber properties, (8) The Elk River Railroad Inc, a short-line railroad which is located in an area where coal reserves on which we receive royalties are located that contains over one billion tons of clean, saleable coal reserves, and (9) venture capital investments.
In addition, The Bright Group maintains a significant diversified portfolio of domestic and international passive investments including private equity partnerships, hedge funds, real estate partnerships, common stocks and other securities.
Initial investment capital for The Bright Group evolved from the sale of coal and manufacturing assets and businesses in 1989 and 1990 to Nerco Coal Company, Consolidation Coal Company, and Russ Berrie Company.
Members of The Bright Group of companies include: