Rail supplier news from Dewberry, ELM, American Rail Engineers, Wabtec, SunTrust Bank and Antea (Jan. 16)

The North Carolina Department of Transportation's (NCDOT) Rail Division has selected Dewberry to provide general rail engineering support. Contract services could include rail project management and technical support, as well as track, roadway and structure design and associated planning. Other services may include engineering feasibility studies for rail corridor projects and program management support for federal grant programs.

Iowa-based Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing Inc. (ELM) has chosen Chugoku Kogyo Co. Ltd. Hiroshima to serve as its exclusive nationwide distributor in Japan. Before the venture, the two companies studied the market potential for biobased grease and lubricants in Japan and determined the country is ready for biobased products, ELM officials said in a press release. It's expected that biobased grease and lubricants will become a growing commodity in Japan, ELM officials said.

American Rail Engineers (ARE) Corp. has acquired Media Wing LLC, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data collection and video production company. The acquisition expands ARE's engineering, software development and bridge inspection services to include unmanned flight operations, image analysis, GIS modeling and video rendering. Media Wing previously acquired AirShark to enhance its remote sensing and data processing capabilities.

Wabtec Corp. has appointed Donald Itzkoff vice president of government relations and public affairs. He previously led U.S. government affairs for GE Transportation. Before joining GE, Itzkoff was a partner with Nossaman LLP and with Foley & Lardner LLP. Itzkoff also served as deputy administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration during President Bill Clinton's administration, as well as senior majority counsel with the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. 

Former CSX Corp. exec Ellen Fitzsimmons has joined SunTrust Bank Inc. as general counsel and corporate executive vice president. She previously served as CSX's executive vice president of law and public affairs, general counsel and corporate secretary. Fitzsimmons and two other high-ranking officials left the railroad as part of an executive team shake-up announced in October 2017. At SunTrust, Fitzsimmons will oversee all legal affairs and become a member of the company's executive council. She succeeds Raymond Fortin, who previously announced his intention to retire.

Mark Murphy has joined Antea Group as vice president specializing in emergency response and incident management for environmental spills and natural disasters. He has previously provided technical direction and project management for spill-related events across chemical, manufacturing, oil and gas, and rail industries. Before joining Antea, Murphy served as vice president and North American railroad service line leader for GHD. That position involved developing and managing a large-scale incident response program used to deploy qualified first responders, emergency management personnel and industrial hygiene professionals at environmental spill sites across North America. He is a member of the International Spill Control Organization.