PITTSBURGH — Robert A. (Bob) Pietrandrea, a founder of Railroad Development Corp. along with RDC Board Chairman Henry Posner III, has retired from his position as president of the company, as well as vice chairman of holding company the Hawthorne Group.
His retirement was effective July 29, 2022.
Pietrandrea’s first job in railroading was as a track laborer on the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad in 1972; he went on to work with rail equipment and construction firm L.B. Foster Co. before forming RDC with Foster in 1987.
“The story of RDC could not have been written without the balance of personalities that Bob and I developed by our many trials by fire,” Posner said in a press release. “Bob’s retirement leaves an enormous void in our leadership despite the succession planning that has positioned us well for the future, so it will never be the same… just different.“
Our business model and reputation will serve us well in the years ahead as much of our DNA comes from Bob. We are fortunate that he will have a continuing role with board service on both the Iowa Interstate and Ferrocarril Central Andino, two companies whose structure and culture are heavily reflective of his leadership style.”
Hawthorne Group President John Hensler called Pietrandrea the “brakes to Henry’s throttle,” while Iowa Interstate President Joe Parsons said Pietrandrea “had a pivotal influence” on the railroad for more than 30 years: “His unwavering support for its employees, customers, and communities is evident inso many ways, but most especially in the quality of our facilities and infrastructure.”
