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• FreightCar America Inc. has tabbed Sean Hankinson, Michael MacMahon and Kevin Knarr to manage its newly restructured commercial organization to more directly market the full range of FreightCar America and FreightCar Rail Services products to customers, according to a company press release. Hankinson, who has served FreightCar America for 20 years in various manufacturing and sales capacities, has been promoted to vice president of North American sales, with responsibility over North American rail cars, parts and services sales. MacMahon, who for seven years has filled finance, marketing, and business development roles at the company, has been appointed VP of marketing and sales administration. Knarr, who has 13 years of experience in FreightCar America’s customer service, has been named VP of customer service and will lead all post-sale customer relations, lease fleet management functions and parts sales administration activity.

• Axion International Holdings Inc. has obtained its first crosstie purchase order in Brazil. The nearly $200,000 purchase order covers ECOTRAX™ ties that will be installed in track facing conditions that include extreme moisture and difficult work areas, such as tunnels and mountainous regions, according to a company press release. The ties will replace shorter life-span wood ties cut from eucalyptus trees, according to Axion.

• Mark Robbins has been promoted to vice president at STV. He will continue in his role as manager of the construction services group for the Southeast region of STV's Transportation and Infrastructure Division. Robbins has more than 20 years of experience providing and managing bridge and roadway design throughout the Southeast, including design-build projects for a number of highway assignments. He joined Ralph Whitehead Associates in 1998. STV acquired Ralph Whitehead Associates in 2006.
 
• Parsons Brinckerhoff and PGH Wong Engineering have obtained a contract from Phoenix’s Valley Metro to provide program and construction management for a transit expansion project. The existing 20-mile light-rail system, which opened in December 2008, runs through Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa, Ariz. Valley Metro has begun planning, and in some cases design, for six light-rail extensions from the north and west limits of Phoenix through downtown Mesa.  Parsons Brinckerhoff was the general engineering consultant on the development of the existing Valley Metro system.