Founded in 1907 and built on one of the world’s richest limestone reserves, this client is the most diversified producer of high-quality lime and calcium-based products in North America. With thousands of rail shipments per year, a diverse mix of car types and fleets, and complex infrastructure requirements for in-plant and outside plant storage and switching, the client needed to reduce costs and optimize the operations and efficiency of the company’s complex rail activities, procurement, assets, and physical plant.
Services Provided
- Comprehensive rail assessment, including benchmarking and analysis of freight spend, fleet assets, switching operations, inventory control, rail-to-barge operations, in-plant infrastructure, technology, and carrier negotiations
- Identified, quantified and prioritized cost reduction and efficiency improvement initiatives
- Developed rail strategy to support client’s commercial objectives and long-term corporate planning
- Developed ROI and business case for various short line strategies, including new corridor construction to expand access to new modes and markets
- Performed needs assessment, competitive bid process, and implementation assistance for new technology system to provide fleet and shipment tracking and control
Results
- Conducted thorough review of all aspects of client’s rail activities and developed objective and attainable goals for seven-figure cost reductions
- Deployed P.E.s and rail operations experts to reorganize track layouts and create an operating plan that resulted in labor, locomotive, fuel, and railcar storage and handling cost savings at client’s flagship limestone mine, the world’s largest
