THEME: THE RACE FOR GROWTH
TUESDAY APRIL 23, 2024
16:15 – Dinner Train Bus Picks Up from Saratoga Hilton
16:45 – Dinner Train – NEARS and the Saratoga, Corinth & Hudson Railroad! Board At Main Gate – 9 Railroad Place, Corinth NY 17:00 – Dinner Train Departs
20:00 – Dinner Train Returns to 9 Railroad Place in Corinth 20:45 – Dinner Train Bus Returns and Drops Off at Saratoga Hilton
WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2024
21:30 – NEARS Speakeasy Hospitality Suite – Rooms 359-360
07:30 – Golf – Saratoga Spa Golf Course, 58 Roosevelt Drive, Saratoga Springs NY 08:00 – Golf Shotgun Start
15:00 – Conference Registration Opens
17:00 – The Joseph & Eileen Gearin Networking Reception Sponsored By American Truck and Rail Audits, Inc
18:30 – Dinner On Your Own in Fabulous Saratoga Springs!
21:30 – NEARS Speakeasy Hospitality Suite – Rooms 359-360
THURSDAY APRIL 25, 2024
07:00 – Breakfast Starts (Available until 08:15)
07:30 – Conference Registration Re-Opens
08:00 – Welcome to NEARS, Safety Briefing and Housekeeping Mark Ritchey, 1st Vice President, NEARS
08:15 – Northeast Shortlne and System Growth – The Race is on! Michael Miller, CEO, Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Moderator: Jason Seidl, Managing Director, TD Cowen
09:15 – Class 1 Railroads – Finding the North American Growth Potential Rahul Jalali, CIO, Union Pacific Railroad Moderator: Dennis Wilmot, President, Iron Horse Logistics Group 10:00 – Networking Break
10:30 – Promoting Safety in a Growth Market – GX and Trespass Outreach Michail Grizkewitsch, Railroad Trespassing Program Specialist, FRA Norma Jean Griffiths, Inspector, FRA Moderator: Dennis Wilmot, President, Iron Horse Logistics Group
11:00 – Keeping Imports Running Smoothly In The New Year Chris Peckham VP Operations/ Imports OOFOS Moderator: Don Cameron, VP Enterprise Sales, STG Logistics NOON – NEARS Networking Lunch and Vendor Fair
13:30 – Keep on Track! How To Grow A Great Rail Operation in 2024 Mike Cory, EVP - Chief Operating Officer, CSX Moderator: Jason Seidl, Managing Director, TD Cowen
14:30 – What Can We Expect from Intermodal This Year and Beyond? Mark Yeager, CEO, Redwood Logistics Paul Svindland, CEO, STG Logistics Moderator: Don Cameron, VP Enterprise Sales, STG Logistics
15:30 – Networking Break 15:45 – The Highly Acclaimed, Always Informative, and Greatly Entertaining Tony & Jason Show Tony Hatch, Principal, ABH Consulting Jason Seidl, Managing Director, TD Cowen
17:00 – The Joseph & Eileen Gearin Networking Reception Sponsored By American Truck and Rail Audits, Inc
18:30 – Dinner On Your Own In Fabulous Saratoga Springs!
21:30 – NEARS Speakeasy Hospitality Suite – Rooms 359-360
FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2024
07:30 – Special Networking Breakfast Starts (Available Until 08:15)
08:00 – Opening/Announcements Mark Ritchey, 1st Vice President, NEARS
08:15 – Rail Asset Manufacturing Panel Jay Medlin, Vice President, Sales, Freight Car America Charley Moore, Chief Commercial Officer, TrinityRail Paddy O’Neill, Consultant/Contractor, The Greenbrier Companies Moderator, Dennis Wilmot, President, Iron Horse Logistics Group 09:15 – Meeting Supply Chain Needs In What We Hope To Be A Growth Market Weston Labar, Cargomatic Moderator: Jason Seidl, Managing Director, TD Cowen
10:15 – Shippers and Short Lines Growing Together Chuck Baker, ASLRRA Moderator: Dennis Wilmot, President, Iron Horse Logistics Group
11:00 – Closing Remarks and William J. Donovan Memorial Drawing
Portland Conference onDemand
In the past 6 months, I’ve used my NEARS connections to:
§ Do reference checks on a new TMS with folks who actually use the software
§ Find a location to stage railcars near a customer to reduce our lead times and better manage inventories
§ Facilitate a transload operation
§ Ask dozens of questions on railcar maintenance, repair, and design
§ Find a specialty provider for cleaning and refitting of tank cars
§ Collect estimated costs to support multiple logistics feasibility studies
§ Help me train my employees into new roles
§ Recruit new team members
§ Locate railcar capacity for short term logistical support
At the last conference, I met:
§ 4 of my Railroad Account Managers and their Directors
§ Director and VP level executives from multiple leasing companies
§ 2 Investment Analysts who provide insight into the transportation industry as a whole
§ 20 new peers (shippers who manage rail for their companies)
§ 2 Transportation Software providers, who provide services that I am in the market for
§ 2 government officials that act as consumer advocates or shipper resources
As a result of my attendance, I got:
§ Updates on the rail market place from all the speakers and contacts I made
§ Access to a full list of attendees to be able to network with them in the future
§ Access to the presentations of the speakers and permission to contact them regarding the content that I used in
business presentations
There are many organizations to choose from, so why choose NEARS?
Our BOD represents all aspects of the shipping community. As we are a shippers organization, our bylaws restrict railroad employees from becoming officers.
Scott McCalla - NEARS Executive, Director
Carl Citelli - Cargomatic, President
Mark Ritchey - Curry Rail Services, 1st Vice President
Rob Pisan - i CIT Rail, 2nd Vice President
Dennis Wilmot - Iron Horse Logistics Services, Advisory Committee Chair
Mike Barbato - Retired, Board Member
Don Cameron - Uber Freight, Board Member
Michael Clements - CSX, Board Member
Thomas Coleman - Shale Rail, Board Member
Chad Grinnell - Norfolk Southern, Board Member
Todd Hunter - North Shore Railroad Company & Affiliates, Board Member
Perry Martel - Vermont Rail System, Board Member
John Meyers - D.M. Bowman, Board Member
Stacy Ossenfort - Northeast Freight Transfer, Board Member
Erica Ray - SMBC Rail Services, Board Member
Roger Reynolds - Omya Inc, Board Member
Jason Seidl - TD Cowen, Board Member
Brian Smalley - National Steel Car LTD, Board Member
2022 - 2023 Erica Breiterman
2020 – 2021 Dennis Wilmot
2018 - 2019 Jason Seidl
2016 - 2017 Don Cameron
2014 - 2015 John Meyers
2012 - 2013 Scott McCalla
2010 - 2011 Dana Burleigh
2008 - 2009 Tammy Baker-Silver
2006 - 2007 Gerald Racette
2004 - 2005 Diane El-Hakim
2002 - 2003 Michael Cella
2000 - 2001 Kathy Dalrymple
1998 - 1999 Paula Mehan
1996 - 1997 Michael Calabucci
1994 - 1995 Joe Gearin
1992 – 1993 Brenda Horne
1990 - 1991 Joe Gearin
1988 - 1989 Kenneth Enzor
1986 – 1987 Ruth Gale
1984 – 1985 Kenneth Enzor
1982 – 1983 Ken Bowers
1980 – 1981 Gene Bernard
2017 – Present Scott McCalla
· 2004 – 2016 Joe Gearin
· 1986 – 2003 William Donovan
· 1980 – 1985 John Morton