North Shore Railroad Newsletter 2015 First Quarter
2015 First Quarter Table of Contents Feature from the President page 2 A Fresh Set of Eyes page 3 Beyond the Tracks page 4-5 Our Railroad Family back cover Feature from the President Notes from Gary At the North Shore Railroad Company, we take very seriously the transportation choices our customers must make and the direct effects that these choices have upon their bottom line. Our success is contingent upon being part of their transportation choice, and we have built our business philosophy upon providing exceptional service to our customers. As such, we take extra steps to make sure our transportation value is the best possible option, relative to cost and service, to every existing and potential customer. Whether building existing lines of traffic or pursuing new opportunities, we take pride in being customer focused. The efforts of our entire company whether they work in Operations, Customer Service, Accounting, Maintenance of Way, Maintenance of Equipment, Locomotive Repair, Communications and Signals, or Administrative Departments result in the confidence and trust that we will do everything it takes to handle the current and future needs of our customers. With over 30 years of operational success, we are able to draw from a wealth of knowledge and experience to market the railroad to companies of all sizes, handling a wide variety of commodities. Our Director of Marketing, Todd Hunter, manages our Marketing Department and is highly regarded as a marketing innovator in the short line railroad industry. He is passionate, creative, and a driving force within our company. Todd is supported by two experienced marketing professionals, Joe Kantz and Charlie Barker. All three work jointly with customers to arrive at the most viable, efficient, and cost effective solution to their shipping needs. Each solution may be different, but our company excels at providing the best possible options, no matter how out of the box any shipping or receiving idea might seem. In this quarterly issue of On Track we highlight Marketing, a segment of our company that has been recognized for its outstanding efforts by national transportation publications, industry trade groups, our Class I Railroad partners, and most importantly our customers. Gary Shields President & CEO 356 Priestley Avenue Northumberland, PA 17857 570.473.7949 (phone) www.nshr.com On Track, edited by Blanchard, Briner, and Stotter 2
A Fresh Set of Eyes Notes from Joe I ve never needed corrective lenses in my life. But when I start employment at a new company, I have the opportunity to see things from an outside perspective, a point-of-view that seasoned employees eventually forget or miss. Recently, I had the privilege to give a few remarks at a SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority meeting, and I was reminded of this reality once more. Since I started working with North Shore, in late August of last year, I ve come to see that economic development in Central PA is alive and well. Sure, we d always like to see more, but we do have signs of growth in our backyard. I have learned that railroads offer one of the most important resources for companies (both large and small) that have the need to ship various materials in and out of their facilities. While some may have forgotten, our region still has businesses that rely on the railroad for the vast majority of their materials and shipments. Without our help, they could be forced to shut down production. My dad just retired from truck driving after more than 30 years. Like my dad, many truck drivers are retiring and any business owner knows it is more and more difficult to hire responsible, safe drivers who are tasked with hauling tremendous weights on a very crowded highway system. That's why I've come to realize that shipping via railroad is great for our customers. It eliminates the hassle and added liability and presents cost savings verses shipping on highways. I've been working to develop some new rail customers and I get so excited when I run comparison figures that show my customers how they can save thousands and in some cases, even hundreds of thousands of dollars each year just by switching their truck shipping to rail shipping. I've balanced million dollar budgets as a County Commissioner and I can tell you from experience, anytime I can save those kinds of dollars, without cutting services, that is a winning strategy! I still have much to learn about the railroad business, and it is ever evolving, but one thing I have learned already is that we as a society need a strong transportation system for commerce to grow. I have been in sales most of my adult life and I ve never seen an industry that has as much potential for helping the business community as rail. It s exciting to be part of this industry. I may be working in just marketing but I feel like I m a part of the economic engine that drives Central PA. If you haven t noticed the boost in economic growth in the region, it s time to clean your lenses because things are happening and it definitely looks to me like better and brighter days are ahead. Joe Kantz Marketing Representative 3
Beyond the Tracks Notes from Todd Sometimes gaining access to rail is a shipper s greatest challenge to moving goods economically. If you do not have direct access to rail, transloading may be a good option for you. North Shore Railroads excel at providing solutions for customers needs. Some things we have assisted customers transload are: wind farm components, machinery, trucks and cranes, heavy equipment, transformers and other large electrical components, pipe, poles, lumber, plastics, food products, aggregates, coal, precast concrete structures, among many other commodities. The possibilities are endless! We are able to assist anyone with transloading needs, regardless of location, coordinating with the appropriate parties to make shipments possible. Our marketing team knows the local rigs, trucking companies, and material handlers to assist in the loading and unloading of just about anything. We also have various locations that have specialized infrastructure, like: docks, pits, a high wall, and even an overhead crane for handling of materials. To see a list of our available transloading sites, check out the Transload Locations portion of our website, www.nshr.com. Todd Hunter Director of Marketing From the odd, to the heavy and unusual, rail can handle it! Here are several examples of materials and equipment we have moved by rail! 4
Beyond the Tracks Transloading in Photos 5
Our Railroad Family Employees in the Community There is much talent in our company, exhibited during and after work. Many of our employees are actively involved in their communities. We would like to brag about it! Even though we keep Todd Hunter pretty darn busy here at North Shore, that s not where his dedication stops. Todd is actively involved with many groups that help nurture and support his community and the rail industry. Since 1984, Todd has been a member of the Associated Rail Operations, Bucktail Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, in St. Marys, PA. Even though Todd lives two hours from this group, he enjoys the time he gets to spend with his daughters on the chapter s Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad. Working on this narrow gauge railroad, Todd enjoys welding, constructing, running equipment and steam locomotives, along with working on other miscellaneous projects - aspects of railroading that he does not get to practice in the Marketing field. Todd is also heavily active in his county of residence, Lycoming County. His insight uniquely qualifies him to serve on many committees. Throughout the years, Todd has served on: the Transportation Committee (since 2003, and in 2014 being appointed to Chairman), the Gas Well Task North Shore in the Community Force Zoning and Property Subcommittee (since 2010), and the Industrial Properties Board (Since 2010). Last year, Todd became a non-voting board member and committee chair for the Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce and joined Loyalsock Township s Planning Commission. In 2004, Todd joined SEDA-COG s Freight Advisory Committee and was instrumental in giving the freight community a voice in the regional planning process. Then, in 2011, he joined SEDA-COG s Long Range Transportation Steering Committee, aiding in the region s transportation planning for the next 20 years. Since 2009, Todd has been active on the NS Caucus Group s Short Line Advisory Panel. In the short line industry, Todd keeps us well represented, serving on the Board of Directors for the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (in 2010) and the Northeast Association of Rail Shippers (in 2012). He also became a Rail Committee member for the Transportation Research Board in 2013. We would like to thank Todd for going above and beyond the call of Marketing! Nate Johnson, from our LVRR Engine House, had a 16 year-old student from Elk County job shadow him in our locomotive shop this past January. North Shore has again sponsored Focus Central PA, a non-profit, regional economic development marketing alliance, demonstrating our commitment to economic development. 6 Our very own Diana Williams, Pete Simcox, and Pete Symons joined up with approximately 40 other short lines at the 2015 American Short Line Railroad Association s Annual Convention to help with a very special service project on March 28th. They volunteered to help clean up the Give Kids the World Village, which partners with Make-A -Wish groups from all over the world. Together they offer children who have life-threatening or terminal illnesses and their families a break from the hospitals and doctors, to let them be kids again.