Rail supplier news from Protran, dFuzion, Ontario Trap Rock, Strato and Avtec (Oct. 18)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and acting Federal Transit Administrator K. Jane Williams last week met with Protran Technology founder Peter Bartek for a demonstration of the company's safety technology for pedestrians and track workers. Chao visited company officials at the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) 2017 EXPO trade show, which ran Oct. 9-11. Protran provides track worker secondary warning systems to meet federal safety standards. The company has more than 13,000 warning systems in revenue service.

Amtrak has chosen dFuzion Inc.'s rMetrix®-A ride performance assessment systems for performing continuous vehicle/track interaction monitoring services on ACS-64 locomotives. The system enables operators to rapidly identify and prioritize locations for corrective and preventive maintenance, dFuzion officials said in a press release. The technology also helps detect vehicle and track abnormalities that may impact passenger comfort, equipment reliability and operational safety.

Ontario Trap Rock has unveiled a new logo and tagline. The rebrand is aimed at creating clear and consistent brand recognition in the market. The move also gives the company the opportunity to reposition itself in the rail ballast and asphalt markets in the United States and Canada, Ontario Trap Rock officials said in a press release. The company has a 1,000-acre specialty quarry that provides trap rock used for hot-mix asphalt production and rail line ballast. The new logo was first revealed at Railway Interchange 2017, which was held Sept. 17-20 in Indianapolis.

Strato Inc. has hired Paul Olmstead as vice president of quality assurance. He has more than 25 years of international experience in engineering, manufacturing and quality assurance programs. Before joining Strato, Olmstead developed and managed an international supplier quality program at Anvil International. He also worked at Parker Hannifin, where he implemented and managed ISO quality programs for manufacturing facilities across the United States.

Avtec Inc. Chief Executive Officer Michael Branning has named Arjen Maarleveld president. The appointment came after former President Kevin Williams announced his plan to step down from the position to start a business venture. To make the transition smoother, Williams will remain with the company until mid-2018, Avtec officials said in a press release. Maarleveld has served on Avtec's board of advisers for the past three years. He has executive experience in the land mobile radio and telecommunications sectors. Maarleveld also has held leadership positions for Apple, Oracle and Alcatel, among other technology companies.