GREENWICH, Conn. – Genesee & Wyoming Inc. has offered up a “rebalancing” of its North American operating regions, which company officials say is needed as a result of growth.
“The value of our regional structure is its responsiveness to customers and business opportunities in each of our operating units,” said Mortimer B. Fuller III, Chairman and CEO of Genesee & Wyoming. “This realignment, effective Jan. 1, 2007, reflects our focus on maintaining these advantages.”
Under the “rebalancing,” a new Southern Region will consist of 13 railroads that were formerly part of the company’s Rail Link Region, which has grown significantly in the last 10 years.
Also, a new Rocky Mountain Region will include the predominantly coal-hauling Utah Railway as well as Contract Coal Loading, the company’s extensive operations in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin and in Colorado, Illinois and Ohio that were previously managed as part of its Industrial Switching and Port Operations.
Finally, the Tomahawk Railway moves from the Rail Link Region to the Illinois Region.
Billy Eason, who currently leads the Rail Link Region, has been appointed to lead the new Southern Region, the company’s largest. He will be succeeded in the realigned Rail Link Region by Bill Jasper, currently its vice president of operation services.
“These changes were recommended and driven by Billy Eason to optimize customer service and operations and take advantage of regional development and growth opportunities,” Fuller said. “We are also pleased to create the opportunity for Bill Jasper to lead the reconfigured Rail Link Region and to build its ports and industrial switching businesses.”
Railroads in the new Southern Region are the Arkansas Louisiana & Mississippi Railroad, AN Railway, Atlantic & Western Railway, Bay Line Railroad, Chattahoochee Bay Railroad, Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad, East Tennessee Railway, Fordyce & Princeton Railroad, Kentucky West Tennessee Railway, Little Rock & Western Railway, Louisiana & Delta Railroad, Meridian & Bigbee Railroad, Valdosta Railway and Western Kentucky Railway.
The reconfigured Rail Link Region includes Industrial Switching and Port Operations, as well as the Commonwealth Railway, First Coast Railroad, Georgia Central Railway, Riceboro Southern Railway and York Railway Company.
GWI is a leading operator of short line and regional freight railroads in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and Bolivia. GWI railroads operate in 26 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces and serve 12 U.S. ports. GWI operates more than 5,900 miles of owned and leased track and approximately 3,700 additional miles under track access arrangements.
– PRNewswire-FirstCall
