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The rail supply/service provider world shares some news involving several continents:

• Ansaldo STS is expanding into southern Africa. The company, which provides signaling, communications, automation and control equipment systems to the rail and mass transit industries, formed Ansaldo STS Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. — a wholly owned subsidiary of Ansaldo STS Australia — and joint venture firm Ansaldo STS-InfraDEV South Africa (Pty) Ltd. to serve South African markets. Ansaldo STS has been working with the Botswana Railways to develop and commission a signaling system, and expects to work with South African passenger railroad MetroRail on maintenance and other projects.

• North American Technologies Inc. appointed Rod Wallace president and chief executive officer to succeed Alex Rankin, who resigned. Since joining the company last year, Wallace has led an operations team charged with increasing production. He previously was vice president of Sann Lii Corp., where he directed operations and was responsible for production facilities in Brazil, China, Europe and Mexico. North American Technologies subsidiary TieTek produces composite crossties and other engineered products.

• Siemens named Horst Kayser chief executive of Siemens plc to succeed Tom White, who resigned. Most recently head of Siemens corporate strategy, Kayser also will become chief executive officer of Siemens' northwest Europe cluster, which manages business activities in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Since joining Siemens in 1995, he has headed the industrial automation systems division and led a regional company in South Korea.

• MHF Logistical Solutions Inc. named Mitch Luciano president of new brokerage division Magellan Transport Logistics, which will begin providing intermodal, truckload, warehousing and other logistics services next month. Luciano most recently was president and chief operating officer of third-party logistics firm 4 Elements Inc. He previously held various positions with NYK Logistics Americas and CH Robinson, including executive director of business development and vice president of reverse logistics. MHF provides transportation services — including rail — for radioactive, hazardous and non-hazardous waste and materials.