Rail supplier news from The Andersons, Wabtec, Odyssey, Hitachi and Alstom (Dec. 4)

The Andersons Inc. Rail Group President Rasesh Shah will retire in July 2018. Shah, who began his career with the company in 1978, was "instrumental" in creating the Rail Group in 1989, according to a press release issued by The Andersons. The company has selected Joseph McNeely to serve as the new president of the Rail Group, effective Jan. 8. Shah will provide transition assistance until he retires. McNeely has more than three decades of experience in the financial, manufacturing and distribution industries, specializing in the rail-car business. Most recently, he served as president and chief executive officer of FreightCar America Inc. McNeely also held vice president roles at Mitsui Rail Capital and GATX Corp.

Wabtec Corp. has acquired turbocharger manufacturer Melett Ltd., which has operations in Europe, North America and China. Melett, which has annual sales of around $40 million, provides turbochargers and repair parts to more than 100 countries in the world, Wabtec officials said in a press release. The acquisition is aimed at complementing Wabtec's overall turbocharger strategy and its overall product portfolio. Financial details of the transaction weren't disclosed.

Odyssey Logistics and Technology Corp. subsidiary Linden Bulk Transportation LLC has opened expanded its footprint by establishing a new location in Joliet, Illinois. The location enables Odyssey to offer more capacity and services in greater Chicago and Midwest, according to a company press release. The Joliet facility also provides access to all major roadways and rail lines in the region that feed into national routes.

Hitachi Rail Europe has partnered with component supplier and logistics company Optimas to simplify component and supply chain requirements at Hitachi's train manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe, England. In particular, Optimas focused on increasing the efficiency of transporting fasteners from storage to the production line. The company also assisted Hitachi by developing a "kanban" system, which is a lean manufacturing inventory control framework. The system is designed to increase production efficiency by ensuring an optimum number of parts are available at one time, according to an Optimas press release.

Alstom has delivered the first of seven overhauled BB 36000 locomotives to rolling stock leasing company Akiem. Alstom is completing the work under a midlife overhaul contract signed in April 2016. The overhaul includes obsolescence monitoring, driver cabin modernization and parts repair. The work is being performed at Alstom's sites in Le Creusot, Tarbes, Villeurbanne and Belfort, France.