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Several Burlington Northern Santa Fe marketing executives recently hosted "academies" in China and Taiwan to train more than 250 mid-level managers at seven of the world's largest steamship companies about intermodal shipping benefits.

During the four-hour multi-media training classes, workers from China Shipping, COSCO, Evergreen, OOCL, Yang Ming Line, CMA-CGM/Sinotrans and China Railway's Container Transport Division heard presentations on North American railroading and BNSF's services.

"The academy offered a unique format to deliver our value proposition to a deeper level within our customers' overseas organizations," said Fred Malesa, BNSF assistant vice president of international marketing, in a prepared statement. "We delivered our message not only to key executives, but also to individuals within marketing, sales, operations, technology and logistics departments."

BNSF execs spoke English during the presentations, but the Class I provided attendees back-up printed materials in simplified and traditional Mandarin.

"For 90 percent of the people we trained, this was their first introduction to North American railroading," said BNSF General Director of International Marketing Pat Kinne.