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Yesterday, Standard Car Truck Co. (SCT) announced it formed a joint venture (JV) with China's Tianrui Group to globally market cast steel wheels for rolling stock. Standard Car Truck Chairman Richard Mathes and Tianrui Chairman Li Liu Fa signed the pact in Chicago, where the JV — Barber Tianrui Railway Supply Co. — will be located.

Tianrui supplies freight-car truck castings and is preparing to open a state-of-the-art wheel plant in Ruzhou City, Henan Province, China. The plant will have an annual capacity of 400,000 wheels, with the "potential to be twice that as their market share grows both internationally and in China," according to statement issued by STC, which provides freight-car truck designs, and supplies stabilizer systems, railroad freight-car trucks and locomotive components.

Barber Tianrui Railway Supply likely will begin supplying wheels in early 2008, SCT said.