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roducts P agle Metal E Janes Co. Gross & Hurdle Machine Works K oppers Inc. R TA WEBSITE BECOME A MEMBER CONTACT CROSSTIES • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 4 F reight Rails To Spend $29 Billion On Network WASHINGTON—U.S. freight railroads plan to spend an estimated $29 billion on the na- tion's rail network and project to hire about 15,000 people in 2015, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported recently in its 2015 Outlook report. "By providing affordable, efficient and reli- able transportation of goods, from lumber to oil to auto parts and grain, freight railroads continue to play a vital role in the positive economic trends rippling through the U.S. economy—including rising gross domestic product, improving employment statistics, and plummeting gasoline and heating prices," said AAR President and CEO Edward R. Hamberger. The planned $29 billion in projected spend- ing in 2015—or approximately $79 million a day—brings the freight railroads' private in- vestments to $575 billion since 1980. The spending has covered upgraded track, new lo- comotives and freight cars needed to meet growing demand and make a safe network even safer. "Unlike most other transportation modes, freight railroads rely on their own funds, not taxpayer dollars, to build and maintain their networks," Hamberger said. "The result of spending more than half-a-trillion dollars of private funds over the last couple of decades makes this country's freight rail system the envy of the world." The new rail hires, which an estimated 20 percent will be veterans, join the ranks of those with compensation, including benefits, among the highest of any industry, averaging $109,700 per year. "The rail industry's ability to move more of what our economy needs rests on its ability to earn the capital necessary to continue record p rivate investments, while supporting jobs across the country," Hamberger said. "With the right federal policies in place, the world's best rail network is on track to be even better." SFI Names Woodworth VP Of Communications WASHINGTON—Sustain- able Forestry Initiative (SFI) Inc. announced the appoint- ment of Elizabeth Wood- worth as vice president of communications and com- munity engagement. Prior to joining SFI, ➤ N E W S S C O P E NEWS Scope Industryin the Spotlight Woodworth S u m m e r F i e l d Tr i p S e t F o r M a y 3 1 - J u n e 3 R T A w i l l h o l d i t s 2 0 1 5 S u m m e r F i e l d T r i p M a y 3 1 - J u n e 3 i n t h e B i r m - i n g h a m , A l a . , a r e a , w i t h a n i n c l u d e d d a y t r i p t o S t a r k v i l l e , M i s s . , f o r t h e f i r s t - e v e r p u b l i c r e v i e w o f t h e R T A – A l t e r n a t i v e W o o d P r e s e r v a t i v e P r o j e c t t e s t s i t e . T h e t r i p w i l l i n c l u d e t w o a n d a h a l f d a y s o f v i s i t i n g p l a n t o p e r a t i o n s i n t h e a r e a . P l a n t s s c h e d u l e d o n t h e t o u r i n c l u d e s a w m i l l s o p e r a t e d b y 2 0 1 4 S i l v e r S a w A w a r d w i n n e r L a r r y J o n e s o f I n d u s T R E E T i m b e r I n c . a n d t h r e e t r e a t i n g f a c i l i - t i e s — S t e l l a - J o n e s p l a n t s i n M o n t e v a l l o a n d C l a n t o n a n d C a h a b a P r e s s u r e T r e a t e d F o r e s t P r o d u c t s i n B r i e r f i e l d , p l u s o t h e r s " T h e s u m m e r f i e l d t r i p f o c u s e s o n h o w R T A m e m b e r c o m p a n i e s c a n e n s u r e s a f e t y o f t h e i r w o r k e r s a n d i m p r o v e p r o d u c t q u a l i t y , " s a i d R T A E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r J i m G a u n t t . " P r o v i d i n g m e m b e r s t h e o p p o r - t u n i t y t o t o u r p l a n t o p e r a t i o n s t o s e e h o w o t h e r o r g a n i z a t i o n s i m p l e - m e n t s a f e t y p r o c e d u r e s a n d o t h e r m a n u f a c t u r i n g p r o c e s s e s p l a y s a p i v o t a l r o l e i n t h e i r m e m b e r c o m p a n i e s ' o w n s u c c e s s s t o r i e s . " T h e h o s t h o t e l f o r t h e t r i p i s t h e B i r m i n g h a m M a r r i o t t . T h e g r o u p r a t e o f $ 1 2 9 p e r n i g h t i n c l u d e s f u l l b r e a k f a s t e a c h d a y f o r u p t o t w o s t a y i n g i n t h e s a m e r o o m . T o m a k e a r e s e r v a t i o n w i t h i n t h e R T A R o o m B l o c k , y o u m u s t d o s o b y M a y 6 b y c a l l i n g ( 2 0 5 ) 9 6 8 - 3 7 7 5 o r b o o k i n g o n l i n e a t h t t p : / / b i t . l y / 1 w Y i u 0 O . T i e G r a d i n g S e m i n a r T o B e H e l d J u l y 2 1 - 2 3 A l s o s l a t e d f o r B i r m i n g h a m i s t h e 2 0 1 5 T i e G r a d i n g S e m i n a r , w i t h f i e l d w o r k t o b e h e l d a t t h e S t e l l a - J o n e s m a n u f a c t u r i n g f a c i l i t y i n n e a r b y M o n t e v a l l o . T h e s e m i n a r w i l l o f f e r t h r e e f u l l d a y s o f i n s t r u c t i o n t h a t i n c l u d e s g r a d i n g s t a t i o n v i d e o s , d i s c u s s i o n a n d t e s t i n g , a s w e l l a s a n a d d i t i o n a l r e v i e w s e s s i o n o n s p e c i e s i d e n t i f i c a t i o n . T h e c o u r s e h a s a l s o b e e n r e - v a m p e d t o p r o v i d e o n e - o n - o n e t i m e w i t h t h e i n s t r u c - t o r s d u r i n g t h e f u l l - s i z e d t i e g r a d i n g s e s s i o n o n d a y t w o o f t h e s e m i n a r . " T h i s w i l l b e a h a n d s - o n l e a r n i n g e x p e r i e n c e f o r s t u d e n t s , " G a u n t t s a i d . " T h e t e a c h i n g s t a f f i n c l u d e s p r o f e s s o r s , r a i l r o a d e r s , f o r e s t e r s a n d w o o d p r e - s er v er s . Y our c l as s m at es w i l l r epr es ent a c r os s - s ec t i on of t hos e i nv ol v ed i n pr oc es s i ng, i ns pec t i ng, s pec i f y i ng and us i ng t r eat ed w ood c r os s t i es . " T he hos t hot el f or t hi s s em i nar i s al s o t he B i r m i ngham M ar r i ot t . T he gr oup r at e of $149 per ni ght i nc l udes f ul l br eak f as t f or up t o t w o i n t he s am e r oom pl us al l - day bev er age and s nac k s er v i c e t hr oughout t he ev ent . T o m ak e a r es er v at i on w i t hi n t he R TA R oom B l oc k , y ou m us t do s o by J ul y 1 by c al l i ng ( 205) 968- 3775 or book i ng onl i ne at ht t p: / / bi t . l y / 16aC s i N . ■ RTA Summer Field Trip & Tie Grading Seminar Announcements Online Registration & Agenda Registration for the Summer Field Trip is open at www.RTA.org, under the "Events" tab. Registration will open soon in the same place for the Tie Grading Seminar. The Summer Field Trip helps member companies improve safety. MiTe Industr Industr MiTe