DARIEN, Conn. — Genesee & Wyoming says its business development efforts in 2021 led to 69 projects totaling $1.5 billion in customer development and expected to generate more than 1,000 news jobs.
“Based on last year’s customer investments, G&W’s freight transportation services continue to be critical to companies’ logistics strategies and the greater supply chain,” Mike Peters, G&W’s chief commercial officer, said in a press release. “Going forward, we expect companies to increasingly look to rail transportation to meet Environmental, Social and Governance targets, and we are prepared to assist them in finding sites and services that help reach those goals.”
G&W says investment involved all major commodity groups. Among developments highlighted by the company:
— A facility on the Indiana & Ohio Railway in Delta, Ohio, that will receive steel coils to make pipe. It is the fourth steel customer to expand business along the railroad since 2015.
— Sustainable projects include a biodegradable plastics facility on the Georgia Southwestern Railroad in Bainbridge, Ga.; a Williams, Calif., plant on the California Northern Railroad that will produce renewable carbon pellets, and two wind-turbine transload sites: in Havana, Ill, on the Toledo, Peoria & Western, and in Remington, Ind., on the Illinois & Midland.
— Transloading facilities for biodiesel and renewable diesel on the San Joaquin Valley Railroad in Visalia, Calif., and one for feldspar minerals on the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad in Oral, S.D.
The company — with 113 short line and regional railroads in North America, as well as operations in the United Kingdom and Europe — maintains a database of more than 600 potential business sites along its routes at this page on its website, as well as a catalog of more than 200 transload locations at this page. It also offers an in-house team to help customers create track designs for new facilities at this page.
Was amazed when a few years ago a certain C1 touted at a shortline conference that 13, new, CSR’s for the rail carrier would be hired from the hospitality industry. Apparently the goal was to be a “welcoming voice and manner” to the C1’s “guest” clientele, the shortline carriers. Sadly, when those CSR’s answered the phone, that’s all they knew about the railroad business. And if it wasn’t on the computer screen, it didn’t happen.
But if they go out and drum up new business, then they will have to break the PSR stranglehold and hire more crews, run more trains, etc.. Heaven forbid!
Honestly, this appears to be the “growth” the Class 1’s should be pursuing but ignoring. It takes a short line to establish the relationships with the businesses involved to win deals.
Maybe the Class 1’s should make their sales team actually go into the field and talk with their customers instead of making them call you in your glass walled office 4 states and 2 time zones away.
Good business always starts locally. Instead of always trying hit home runs, why don’t you hit a few singles first.
As a former employee of CSXT, you are exactly correct, 4 states away and well, one time zone away. It is embarrassing when the customer knows where their car(s) are and you, the employee doesn’t have a clue.
Havana, IL is on the Illinois & Midland. Remington, IN is on the Toledo, Peoria & Western.