Rail supplier news from CTC, Loram, VLS, Vossloh, Siemens and CAI Logisitics (Aug. 8)

Rio Grande Pacific Corp. (RGPC) has appointed Nathan Neblett chief executive officer of CTC Inc., the company's communication and signaling systems provider. He'll lead long-term planning to support growth and market positioning expertise across business lines, RGPC officials said in a press release.

Loram Maintenance of Way Inc. has appointed Luke Olson vice president of sales and marketing. He will be responsible for contract services, sales and marketing, as well as new and existing product development. He joined the company in 2003 as international marketing coordinator and most recently served as director of rail grinding. He played an "instrumental" role in developing the 400 Series Rail Grinder and expanding Loram's global presence, company officials said in a press release.

VLS Recovery has acquired Beauchan Rail Services, a provider of rail-car cleaning and product transfer services. The acquisition adds two locations to VLS' existing rail-car cleaning network, company officials said in a press release. Beauchan's locations east of Houston provide VLS with direct access to Union Pacific Railroad, BSNF Railway Co. and the Port Terminal Railroad Association. Financial terms of the transaction weren't disclosed.

Vossloh Australia Pty Ltd. has signed a contract to acquire Australian rail infrastructure firm Austrak Pty Ltd., which manufactures concrete ties, switch ties and concrete elements for rail crossings. Over the next few years, the Australian market is expected to provide "good growth opportunities" for Vossloh, particularly due to significant mining projects in Western Australia and major infrastructure projects on the country's east coast, company officials said in a press release. Austrak will be part of Vossloh's tie technologies business unit. The purchase price of the transaction is estimated at $37 million.

Siemens has unveiled a new company structure under its Vision 2020+ strategy. The firm will be divided into three operating companies: gas and power, smart infrastructure and digital industries. Siemens also will be divided into three strategic companies, encompassing the planned Siemens-Alstom merger, Siemens "Healthineers," and Siemens Gamesa. The strategy aims to give Siemens' individual businesses more entrepreneurial freedom under the company brand to "sharpen their focus on their respective markets," according to a Siemens press release. The company's Vision 2020+ strategy also includes plans to strengthen its portfolio through investments in new growth fields such as Internet of Things integration services, distributed energy management and infrastructure solutions for electric mobility.

CAI International Inc. is uniting its Hybrid Logistics and Challenger Overseas brands under the CAI Logistics brand. The newly combined company will leverage and enhance each brand's strengths to offer better customer service in the third-party logistics sector. CAI Logistics provides intermodal transportation services through domestic rail, truck brokerage, ocean freight and air freight, and is focused on serving clients in all verticals shipping in or out of North America. The company has more than 200 employees and is recruiting to meet its growth plan, CAI Logistics officials said in a press release.