Joe Bower attended West Virginia University, where he received a BS in Mining Engineering. He worked in coal mining and related industries for 42 years before retiring as Vice President of Engineering from Heintzmann USA. Joe led the development of a unique mining roof support technology that was patented by Heintzmann and became an industry standard in providing stability to underground coal mines operating in high stress conditions. He has also patented a grid-scale storage system for renewable energies such as solar and wind.