North Carolina Railroad elects new chairs; Watco installs new managers

North Carolina Railroad Co.'s (NCRR) board recently elected Duane Long as chairman and Franklin Rouse Jr., as vice chairman.

A board member since 2011, Long succeeds John Atkins III, who was chairman since 2009 and will remain on the board. Long is chairman of Longistics, a global logistics services provider he and his wife formed in 1984. He currently is second vice chairman of the American Trucking Associations, and previously chaired the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and co-chaired the Regional Transportation Alliance.

Rouse also has served on NCRR's board since 2011. He is president of Rouse Insurance Agency Inc. and is active in various Brunswick County, N.C., business organizations, including the Brunswick County Association of Realtors and North Brunswick Chamber of Commerce.

NCRR owns and manages a 317-mile rail corridor between Morehead City and Charlotte.

Meanwhile, Watco Transportation Services L.L.C. has named Jeffrey Buck general manager of the Mississippi Southern (MSR) and Vicksburg Southern (VSOR) railroads. He most recently was an engineer and dispatcher for the Georgia Northeastern Railroad.

Buck previously served as an engineer for the Walking Horse and Eastern, Nashville and Ashland City, and Sequatchie Valley railroads, as well as Norfolk Southern Railway.

Watco also named Justin Rhodes marketing manager for the MSR, VSOR and Louisiana Southern railroads. He most recently was GM for the Arkansas Southern Railroad, MSR and VSOR, and previously served stints as an engineer, track inspector and trainmaster for MSR and VSOR.