This reduced demand and over-supply in both the global metallurgical market and U.S. thermal market has forced Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: ANR ) to take a hard look at its operations. The company has moved quickly to adapt. Over the past year, it has identified and executed on several key areas in an effort to reposition in light of the challenging operating environment. What Alpha has done is reduce its operating footprint by idling uneconomic and high-cost production. The company took hard-hitting action by announcing about 1,200 job cuts, which equated to about 9% of total employees last September, as it idled east coast mines and reduced its Powder River Basin production. The company also identified areas where it could cut back on capital expenditures to further cut costs as it reevaluates operations in in an effort to reduce operating expenses by $150 million per year.