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Rail News Home Rail Industry Trends

4/10/2008



Rail News: Rail Industry Trends

Updates from Orgo-Thermit, Midland Manufacturing, Kustom Seating, All Railroad Services, Greenbrier, Bentley Systems and ADS Logistics


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Rail industry suppliers and service providers continue to share recent developments:

• Orgo-Thermit Inc. recently named Dave Randolph president. He will be responsible for the North American Market, developing the company's market position, and introducing new products and services. Orgo-Thermit provides welding kits, tools and training programs to the rail industry.

• Tank-car valve and equipment supplier Midland Manufacturing will unveil a new valve remanufacturing facility May 1 in Skokie, Ill. The company plans to hold a grand opening ceremony at the plant. A division of OPW Fluid Transfer Group, Midland recently created a valve remanufacturing program to enable customers to re-qualify their Midland tank-car valves and restore them to like-new condition.

• Rail-car builder Hyundai Rotem Co. awarded a contract to Kustom Seating Unlimited Inc. (KSU) to design and produce seating for 104 commuter-rail cars. The contract includes an immediate option for 16 additional cars. Rotem is building the cars for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. KSU will deliver seats for the first three pilot cars in the third quarter, then launch full production in second-quarter 2009. Siemens Transportation Systems Inc. also exercised an option with KSU to provide seating for an additional 55 light-rail vehicles in Denver. The option follows a current base order of 34 cars.

• All Railroad Services Corp. (ARS) recently acquired four Kershaw Yard Cleaners 29-3 from Loram Maintenance of Way Inc. The acquisition is part of a strategic plan to expand ARS' services, the company said.

• During its second fiscal quarter ending Feb. 29, The Greenbrier Cos. generated revenue of $260 million, up 8 percent year over year. The company also reported net earnings of $1.4 million vs. a net loss of $6.1 million a year ago. During the quarter, Greenbrier renegotiated a multi-year new rail-car contract, substituting covered hopper cars and Auto-Max® auto-carrying cars for double-stack intermodal cars, and changed the mix of remaining double-stack cars from 40- to 53-foot models to reduce its backlog by 2,100 units. As of Feb. 29, the company's backlog stood at 18,800 units valued at $1.64 billion vs. 22,200 units valued at $1.73 billion on Nov. 30, 2007.

• Bentley Systems Inc. has appointed Christopher Barron vice president of corporate marketing. He most recently was chief executive officer of Stone Face Group, a marketing strategy, branding, communications and Web site consultant. Bentley provides various transportation-related software, including railway maintenance products.

• ADS Logistics L.L.C. has promoted William Edwards from vice president-Roll & Hold Division to president and chief executive officer. He joined ADS in 2001 as general manager for Roll & Hold, a warehousing and distribution division, and last year assumed added responsibility for the western intermodal division. ADS also named William Ritter VP of the flatbed trucking division, and promoted Jeff McCord from assistant VP for both the Roll & Hold and western intermodal divisions to VP of the divisions to succeed Edwards. ADS provides rail and intermodal services through a proprietary intermodal network, and trucking and other transportation-related services.