Rail supplier news from R. J. Corman, Thales, The Andersons, Ports America Group and Hanson (June 4)

R. J. Corman Railroad Switching Co. LLC has opened a new rail-car switching and track maintenance location in Montgomery, Alabama, for SABIC, a global chemical and plastic company. The new site will provide opportunities for future construction and car repairs, R. J. Corman officials said in a press release. The company will deploy 12 employees to switch about 1,000 rail cars each month at the plant. R. J. Corman's switching services include the movement of cars at the facility, and to and from the interchange point with CSX.

Thales has acquired Danish company Cubris, which provides driver advisory systems (DAS). The systems enable secure real-time information exchanges between railroads and locomotive engineers to help optimize train driving and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, according to a Thales press release. DAS also will help pave the way for autonomous trains, company officials said. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The Andersons Inc. has appointed Brian Valentine senior vice president and chief financial officer, effective Aug. 1. He has more than two decades of senior management experience. Since 2011, Valentine has served as corporate vice president and chief financial officer for The Lubrizol Corp., a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. Before that, he held numerous financial leadership positions within the company while it was publicly traded.

Marine terminal operator and stevedore Ports America Group Inc. has named Mark Montgomery president and chief executive officer. He succeeds Michael Hassing in the role. From 2010 to 2014, Montgomery served as president and CEO of Ports America Chesapeake. He currently serves as senior adviser and operating partner for Oaktree Capital Management L.P.'s infrastructure investment strategy. Meanwhile, former Kansas City Southern CEO Dave Starling was named chairman of Ports America Group's board. He currently serves on board of The Greenbrier Cos. Inc.

John Redden has marked his 20th anniversary at Hanson Professional Services Inc. Now a senior railroad designer in the firm's Kansas City office, Redden worked for 19 years in Conrail's design and construction department before joining Hanson. At Hanson, Redden provides analysis and permitting of quiet zones at crossings. He also manages projects that involve state transportation departments, transit agencies and major railroads.