Reading & Northern announces changes in its corporate leadership structure to better deal with the unprecedented growth in its anthracite coal business.
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. As western sanctions were imposed on Russia a seismic shift occurred in international purchasing of anthracite, a key carbon source in steel making and other industrial production. Anthracite producers in northeastern Pennsylvania responded by making significant investments in their facilities to fill the void. Since almost all North American anthracite originates along RBMN tracks, RBMN also made investments to handle the increased international demand. At the same time, domestic demand increased as electric arc furnace steel mills shifted to anthracite as their carbon source. And with domestic steelmaking booming due to tariffs on imported steel and increased infrastructure spending that requires “Buy In America” steel, domestic steel mills sought additional anthracite.
Over the last two years RBMN has responded to these demands by increasing its train service to coal producers, purchasing more coal freight cars and hiring additional customer service staff. In light of the fact that the demand for Pennsylvania anthracite will increase by double digit levels in the years to come, RBMN is realigning its senior management resources in order to better manage this growing market segment.
Eric Peters, currently VP Transportation, is now taking on the role of also managing the RBMN coal fleet. RBMN currently owns 2,000 coal cars including aluminum and steel open top hoppers, aluminum rapid discharge cars and covered hoppers. These cars will handle over 12,000 cars of business in 2024. With demand increasing and the fleet aging RBMN has decided to move management of the car shop and related facilities under Eric. “With his experience at
Norfolk Southern and his recent experience overseeing the day-to-day transportation network that has handled RBMN’s 60% surge in coal business over the last two years, Eric is the perfect choice to handle this assignment,” said Wayne Michel, RBMNs president. “In his new role as EVP Transportation and Fleet Management Eric will report to me on fleet management and continue to report to our EVP Operations, Tyler Glass, as he manages the transportation
network.”
Tyler Glass will continue to oversee all operations including freight and passenger trains as well as the movement of work trains for the maintenance of way department. Glass also oversees the locomotive shop that maintains 70 locomotives and the communication and signals department. On the coal marketing side of the house, Jim Cerulli has been added to the team as VP Coal Business Development. Jim joins SVP Coal Marketing Bill Clark, another veteran of Norfolk
Southern, and recently hired Mike Sharadin, VP Coal Sourcing. Sharadin focuses on the supply side by working closely with producers to make sure they have the infrastructure and equipment resources they need to ship the coal. Cerulli will focus on working with Bill Clark to handle the demand side. Critical to their work is establishing service to new and expanding steel mills by developing direct rail options as well as establishing transload centers with truckers.
-via Press Release
