Rail supplier news from TerraMarine, RailWorks, TUV Rheinland, IBM, CIT Rail, Sasser and Timken (Aug. 23)

TerraMarine GEO L.L.C. (TMGP) formed an exclusive partnership agreement with J P Concepts Co. (JPCO) to supply geosynthetics and erosion control products to the railroad industry. The partnership "will lead to great opportunities in the railroad industry for both companies," said Jennifer Geis, president of TMGP. JPCO is a Disadvantaged/Woman Business Enterprise headquartered in Fort Myers, Fla.

ENR magazine recently expanded its rankings of top international contractors from 225 to 250. RailWorks Corp. appears on the list for the first time, coming in at No. 232. The list was based on the company's submission for the magazine's Top 400 Contractors survey, which was released in May.

TUV Rheinland will now offer ISO 50001 certification service to companies across all industries that want to enhance their energy performance, reduce production costs, and improve sustainability and competitiveness in the marketplace, according to a company press release. Organizations that already have a fully functioning ISO 14001 Environmental Management System can fast-track implementation of an Energy Management System, TUV Rheinland officials said.

IBM announced that the Slovenian Railways adopted its cloud solution to improve business operations and customer service. The cloud-based centralized information technology system is designed to provide the company a more holistic view across its freight, passenger and logistics operations so it can more effectively maintain and manage rail traffic, according to an IBM press release.

CIT Rail has appointed John Glynn senior vice president of rail-car leasing. Based in Chicago, he will be responsible for account development and management for covered hoppers and pressure differential cars. Glynn, who has more than 20 years of rail industry experience, joined CIT Rail in 1998.

Jeff Walsh has joined Sasser Family Holdings (SFH) as chief operating officer, North America. In his new role, he will partner with the North American SFH business heads of Chicago Freight Car Leasing, Union Leasing, CF Rail Services and NxGen Rail in providing leadership, driving strategy and overseeing operations. Prior to joining SFH, Walsh spent 16 years at GATX Corp., where he most recently was group executive of structured finance and general manager of three business groups: rail structured finance, industrial equipment finance and marine.

The Timken Co. recently updated its online magnetic encoder catalog site to include expanded product descriptions, convenient navigation, optimized performance for tablets and smartphones, and a better sales experience, according to a company a press release.