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The sagging North American rail-car market Feb. 8 inched up a bit for The Greenbrier Cos., which announced new orders for nearly 900 rail cars from North American and European customers — about 800 of which are pegged for North American forest-products service.
The $50 million orders, subject to final documentation, are being scheduled for production.
The North American orders will be produced either at Greenbrier's Portland, Ore., Gunderson plant or Trenton, Nova Scotia, TrentonWorks facility, affecting up to 500 jobs in either city.
The company currently produces rail cars at Gunderson; Greenbrier in mid-January delivered the last of a run of freight cars from TrentonWorks, completing plans to temporarily cease rail-car production at the plant, which is partially closed, hosting only an industrial forge operation and a small operating staff.
"Receipt of [the] new orders has caused us to re-evaluate the decision to concentrate production at our Portland facility," said William Furman, Greenbrier president and chief executive officer, in a prepared statement. "TrentonWorks has reduced its costs dramatically in recent months [and] both factories are being seriously considered for these new orders. A decision will be made within the next week."