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• On Wednesday, Stella-Jones Inc. completed its acquisition of Thompson Industries Inc. The purchase price was $39 million, subject to post-closing adjustments, Stella-Jones officials said in a prepared statement. The company financed the acquisition through existing credit facilities and an unsecured vendor note of $6.5 million, they said. Thompson’s sales for fiscal-year 2011, which ended Sept. 30, were $49 million. The acquisition will enhance Stella-Jones’ status as a provider of treated wood ties and products to the North American railroad industry, said Stella-Jones President and Chief Executive Officer Brian McManus. “We expect the transaction to be immediately accretive to earnings and to yield synergies, as our continental network will benefit from greater operating efficiencies.”

• Thomas Lawton has been named president and chief executive officer of Ansaldo STS USA as part of an ongoing reorganization of Ansaldo STS, according to a company press release. Lawton, a veteran member of the Ansaldo STS USA executive management team, will succeed Alan Calegari, who is leaving Ansaldo, company officials said. “This change comes as a result of an April 2011 new organization Ansaldo STS, which focuses on streamlining efficiencies globally to better serve customers in an increasingly competitive global rail transportation market,” the press release states.

• Railinc has launched a “Car Accounting Self-Service” application, a tool that “more effectively enables car accountants to access and analyze car hire liability data,” Railinc officials said in a prepared statement. Using the application’s web interface, car accountants can save time by performing searches themselves. The application translates data into additional information on scenarios such as Rule 5 transfers of liability, they said.

• This month, Crouch Engineering will mark its 20th year in business. The engineering firm’s clients include more than 120 Class I and short-line railroads, and private rail operations for Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, General Motors and Volkswagen support facilities, Crouch Engineering officials said in a prepared statement. “We started as an outside resource for railroad operators who were not big enough to have an internal engineering staff,” said Harvey Crouch, the firm’s president. Over the years, the firm expanded to include railway engineering and track design for passenger, commuter and industrial rail, as well as bridge inspections, design and compliance.