American Railway Development Association

THE ARDA NEWSLETTER

January 2017

Featured Article
Winning Warehouse & Distribution Center Projects with Data

By Calandra Cruickshank, CEO and Teresa Nortillo, VP of Business Development and Consulting, StateBook International

2017 is projected to be the eighth consecutive year for U.S. economic growth, however sluggish. Certain commodities, such as lumber and grains transported by rail, are poised to grow more than others as we see bright spots in the housing and agriculture markets. Additionally, ecommerce continue to drive intermodal and rail traffic as consumers increasingly move away from "brick and mortar" shopping to online retail. As a result, the market is seeing an increasing demand for warehouse and distribution space.

As the market for distribution space tightens in the major rail hubs, the second tier market is becoming more attractive as cheaper land and lower wages allow for more robust operating margins. Areas such as Memphis, Kansas City and St. Louis are all home to intermodal and rail yards and are seeing significant growth in rail property development.

Continue Reading HERE!

2017 Executive Forum Registration is Open for 7 More Days!

The 2017 Executive Forum will take place from Noon on Tuesday, January 24 through the morning of Wednesday, January 25. at Norfolk Southern's Goode Building in Atlanta, GA. We are looking forward to a program featuring speakers on topics relating to our 2016-17 theme of "Get Connected." In addition to our educational program, attendees will have the opportunity to tour Norfolk Southern's Enterprise Command and Locomotive Control Centers.

Our program will feature speakers from all across the railroad industry discussing these topics:

Alternative Uses for Railroad Property
Avoiding Disconnections from Rising Tides
Connecting the Industry Through GIS
Helping the Public Get Connected to Rail
Push for Utility Crossing Legislation
Sources of Funding for Economic Development Projects

More details on our program, schedule, and nearby hotel options are available here . Registration for the Executive Forum is open on the ARDA website .

If you have questions regarding the Annual Meeting please contact Fred Oelsner at staff@amraildev.com or by phone at 202-715-1259.

Renew Your ARDA Membership or Join Now

If you have not yet renewed your ARDA membership for 2016-17, please visit our website at www.amraildev.com and log-in at the top right corner of the page.

Your renewed membership allows ARDA to continue fostering the industrial, real estate, natural resources, market development activities and environmental concerns of the North American railroads through the advancement of ideas and education of its members. Members also discounted registration rates at ARDA events, including a $200 discount on the Annual Meeting!

If you are not an ARDA member and would like to join, please visit our registration page.

2017 ARDA Sponsors

Thank you to all of our 2017 sponsors! Your generous support is allowing us to put together two great events in Atlanta and Memphis focused on helping ARDA Members "Get Connected."

PLATINUM:

Bartlett & West
CSX
Norfolk Southern Corp.

GOLD:

AECOM
BNSF
CN
GEI Consultants
HDR
Kansas City Southern
Norfolk Southern Corp.

SILVER:

Florida East Coast Railway
LJA Engineering, Inc.
TerraPact

TRC Solutions

BRONZE:

Daley Mohan Groble
NRCMA

ARDA Sponsorship Opportunities

ARDA offers companies the opportunity to sponsor the association on an annual basis, or by specific events at our Annual Meeting and Executive Forum. Multiple levels of Annual Sponsorship are available for your consideration. Corporate commitments greater than $1,000 also include complimentary individual memberships in ARDA.

To sponsor ARDA for 2016-17 please contact Fred Oelsner at staff@amraildev.com or 202-715-1259 .

Annual ARDA Sponsorships	Amount
Bronze Level	$1,000 - $2,999
Silver Level	$3,000 - $4,999
Gold Level	$5,000 - $7,499
Platinum Level	$7,500+

2016-17 ARDA Board of Directors

President: Alan Sisk, Norfolk Southern Corporation
First Vice President: Gary Rozmus, GEI Consultants
Second Vice President: Mark Holder, CSX Transportation, Inc.
Treasurer: Doug Morrison, Bartlett & West, Inc.
Secretary: Mike Ray, BNSF Railway Company
Past President: Stephanie Johnson, Florida East Coast Railway

For more information, visit the ARDA website or contact:

ARDA staff at staff@amraildev.com

The American Railway Development Association (ARDA) is a not-for-profit educational trade association founded in 1906 to promote Economic Development, Real Estate Development, Technology, and Environmental Activities of the North American Railroads.

The objectives of the Association are to foster the industrial, real estate, natural resources, market development activities and environmental concerns of the North American railroads; and through the advancement of ideas and education of its members, further promote the effectiveness of railway development and related work .