Our History

While many know Kyanite Mining Corporation as the only producer of Kyanite in the United States, and one of the only family-owned mines still in existence, few know the remarkable story of how KMC came to be.

It all started with a third-grade dropout and a bankrupt quarry.

Gene Dixon Sr. was what some might call a visionary—he saw the potential of Baker Mountain and had the work ethic, luck, and brains to build something that would impact generations of the Dixon family, Buckingham County residents, and the world.

Gene Dixon Sr. did not have the finances, affluence, or education that is often associated with these kinds of endeavors. He dropped out of school in the third grade, worked as a coal miner, and ran a lumber mill. When the bankrupt quarry on Baker Mountain came up for sale, he pooled his money with his father, Guy A. Dixon, and several friends and scraped together the $55,000 to buy the property.

While the value of Kyanite was first realized during World War I when it was used in spark plugs, the Baker Mountain operation had failed under every previous owner. Gene Dixon Sr. and Guy A. Dixon bought out their partners in 1948 and by the 1950s, business was truly booming. 

Kyanite mining begins at Willis Mountain in 1957.

In 1957 mining began on Willis Mountain and less than 10 years later, the third generation of the Dixon family, Gene Dixon Jr., joined the company.

When Gene Sr. passed away in 1974, the reins were passed to his son, Gene Dixon Jr.

Gene Jr. took his father’s vision and expanded on it, growing the company, production, and developing markets all over the world. He also invested deeply in the environment and led the company to win countless reclamation awards for their work returning mined land to a natural, flourishing state.

Gene Jr. was known affectionally as “Mr. Gene” by those who worked for him and earned the trust of longtime employees by his down-to-earth demeanor and willingness to tackle any job—from collecting the change out of the coke machines to serving as President of Kyanite Mining Corporation.

 “He was a wonderful man to work for. He believed the personal touch was invaluable. I know employees that wouldn’t have had homes if it wasn’t for him…he was the first person to help out but he never wanted recognition. He was very unassuming and the perfect example of a true giver. Someone who gave for the sake of it.” said Faye Shumaker, a recently retired Kyanite employee. Faye worked in sales for over 58 years at KMC and saw the company grow immensely in her almost six decades at the company.

“When I went to work there, we were so basic. I used a manual typewriter and when we got an international order, the railroad station would let me know we had a telegram. Things have changed a lot,” Faye said.

Faye believes it is the personal touch and importance placed on relationships that have allowed Kyanite Mining Corporation to grow and remain successful for decades. “When Mr. Gene was serving in the military, I sent him a report every week with updates on KMC. I didn’t think much of it, but years later when he was sick and I was visiting him, he shared with me that I could never imagine how important those notes were to him. He was very human in that way. He made us feel like we were part of a family-owned operation that loved its employees and its customers. He employed hundreds of people and they had better lives because of Gene,” Faye said.

Gene was always the first to credit the Kyanite employees that poured their hearts and souls into the company each and every day. He believed strongly that without the hard work and dedication of Kyanite team members, the company would never have achieved the success it did, and continues to.

During Gene Jr.’s tenure at the company, he oversaw the construction of the Mullite plant (mid 1960s) in Dillwyn, the opening of the East Ridge facilities (1978), and the building of Gieseke (1990s). Gene Jr. passed away in 2017.

Guy Dixon, Terrell Dunnavant, and Gene Dixon

His son, and current President, Guy Dixon, joined the company in 1998, and became the fourth generation Dixon to run Kyanite Mining Corporation.

Guy has continued to carry the torch first lit by his great grandfather and has led the company to new heights with an increased focus on exceptional quality. 

“I am proud that we are still family-owned and family-operated after four generations. At the end of the day, we’ve become very good at what we do. We have always focused on quality, but we have taken the quality of our Kyanite to the next level in recent years,” Guy Dixon said.

We’re so proud to still be in this business decades later. We would be honored to help with your kyanite needs—please reach out to us and let us know how we can help!