Feature from the President
Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About

There is so much to talk about in this newsletter.

Our Employees

Each year, our fourth quarter On Track serves as a year-end recap of our employee recognition and celebrations. This tends to be the time we also reflect on our employee retention rates. Part of my management team’s mission is to continue to develop North Shore into a company that treats our employees with respect, rewards them well for their efforts, and is worth being proud of.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median tenure of an employee is 4.1 years. More than 80 percent of our current employees have surpassed that threshold – and, in fact, over a third of our employees have been with the company for 15 years or longer. This is a good reminder that our management team and our employees are doing a very commendable job of accomplishing our mission at North Shore!

Our Customers

We don’t want to simply serve our customers. We also want to support them, and that is why I am excited about this edition of On Track! For the first time in our company’s history, we have compiled a list of how we can personally and directly support our customers. This is our own version of “shop local. “ Keep reading this newsletter to learn more.

Our Partners & Communities

More great news comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) on the announcement of rail freight grants being awarded across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Notes from Marketing section will report in more detail on the grants in our region.

We are extremely grateful to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and PennDOT for their continued support of rail and rail infrastructure improvements. These grants not only benefit railroads and customers, but every person who drives on PA roadways. Every railcar we handle takes an average of four tractor trailers off the highways– making safer traveling conditions for the public, and less wear and tear on public highways and infrastructure. Furthermore, the funded projects almost always result in new job creation, which is a huge win for our communities. We are fortunate to live in a state that sees the value of rail and fosters its growth.

Railroad Family

2022 New Hires

10 Year Anniversaries

15 Year Anniversaries

20 Year Anniversaries

35 Year Anniversary

Made in PA, USA
Shop (Manufactured) Local

After Thanksgiving, and around the holidays, there is a lot of emphasis on “shopping local.” Well, we are a freight railroad, and our customers don’t exactly have shops you can stop in to support. With that said, we can still support our local manufacturers – which is not only buying products made in the US, but made right here in PA - or for those not from around these parts - Pennsylvania (us Pennsylvanians tend to truncate our state’s name down to a two-letter ordeal).

So, let us introduce you to our version of SHOP LOCAL…. categorized for your convenience.

Remember these brands and products as you shop throughout the year. Buy USA. Buy PA. Buy local.

Notes from Marketing
Growing & Grants

It was another crazy, fast year - robust with new business. In 2022, we were excited to introduce several more, new customers to our lines:

• JVRR - Grain Transload

• LVRR - Plastics Transload

• LVRR - Frac Sand, Unit Train Terminal

• NBER - Grain Facility

• NBER - Plastics Transload

• NSHR - Compressed Gas Terminal

We had a lot to celebrate with our customers this past year as well:

• JVRR - Trinity Plastics Track Expansion

• NBER - Happy Valley Blended Products Track Expansion

• NSHR - Button Oil & Propane Ribbon Cutting

• NSHR - Kreamer Branch Addition to the System

• UCIR - Country View Family Farms Groundbreaking

• UCIR - High & Wide Transload

It is already looking like 2023 is going to bring further expansion and growth to our lines. Just this month, we learned of several customers who were awarded Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) RFAP Grants. These funded projects will occur across our system:

• JVRR, Mifflin County - Feed Producer - rehabilitate and re-align tracks to improve rail and truck access

• LVRR, Lycoming County - Scrap Steel Producer - rehabilitate a rail siding and extend it by 300 feet to improve railcar capacity

• LVRR, Clinton County - Bulk Transload Terminal - rehabilitate yard tracks and raise a section of track to improve transloading

• LVRR, Clinton County - Seed and Grain Facility - Construct approximately a 1,000 foot siding to provide new rail access

• UCIR, Union County - New Grain Mill - construct a 110-car capacity loop track and unloading equipment to provide new rail service to the feed mill

We are always happy to help our customers, in any way we can, while they seek grants for their rail projects.

Another important grant award was also awarded this year went to the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority to rehabilitate track and realign the wye near Bellefonte Yard and replace a switch on the NBER main line in Centre County.

If you are interested in being added to our ever-growing list of new customers, give us a call. Perhaps we can help you secure a grant to help make your next business venture possible!

In the Community

Tartaglia Railroad Services
Our Railroad Contracting Company