Rail supplier news from Knoxville Locomotive, Saddle Creek Logistics, Retlif, L.B. Foster and Kennedy/Jenks (Aug. 14)

New York New Jersey Rail LLC received three new diesel-electric freight switching locomotives from Knoxville Locomotive Works (KLW) as part of a $5.25 million contract. KLW's SE series low-emission switchers will operate at the railroad's terminals in Jersey City, N.J., and Brooklyn, N.Y., as well as position rail cars for cross-harbor freight operations. The new units are estimated to decrease existing emission levels by more than 80 percent, KLW officials said in a statement.

Saddle Creek Logistics Services broke ground on a new distribution center in Chicago. Slated to open in early 2016, the facility is part of the company's ongoing plan for strategic expansion nationwide. The new distribution center is located in CenterPoint Intermodal Center, which is the nation's largest inland port, as well as a designated foreign trade zone, according to Saddle Creek officials. Adjacent to Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway Co. yards, the facility will be able to accommodate two-day service to many major markets.

Retlif Testing Laboratories has finalized the accreditation process for its new composites testing lab in Plainview, N.Y. The new laboratory is now fully accredited to the IS0-STD-17025 international standard. The accreditation enables a broader acceptance of test data generated, as required in industries were composites are widely used, including rail.

For the second quarter of 2015, L.B. Foster reported net income of $5.4 million, or 52 cents per diluted share. The figure marks a decrease from the same period last year, when the company logged net income of $6.9 million, or 67 cents per diluted share. L.B. Foster finished the quarter with total sales of $171 million, compared with $166 million in 2014's second quarter. Robert Bauer, the company's president and chief executive officer, said the results reflect "the significant acquisition activity the company has engaged in during the fourth quarter of 2014 and first quarter of 2015." This includes the impact from interest, amortization, transaction and integration costs associated with recently closing three significant acquisitions, he said.

Heather Wood joined Kennedy/Jenks Consultants as ports area market leader. She will focus on growing the firm's ports and maritime markets nationwide. Wood comes to Kennedy/Jenks from the Port of Virginia, where she worked since 2001. Most recently she served as the port’s director of sustainability.