Moorman and Squires: Many opportunities ahead for NS in 2015

[NS Newsfeed]

Chairman and CEO Wick Moorman and President Jim Squires reviewed 2014 operations and expressed optimism for continuing growth and service improvements in 2015, during an employee town hall meeting in Norfolk earlier this week.



"2014 was a challenging and unusual year, but a really good year financially," said Moorman. He added that last year's extreme winter weather significantly affected network velocity and service levels across North American railroads.



Moorman and Squires credited NS' operations departments for their hard work, readiness, and management. "Our employees are doing extraordinary work under extraordinary circumstances, working around the clock to support our customers," Moorman said. "We have a great team, a solid franchise, and a great name in the marketplace. I am confident we will continue to improve our velocity and operating metrics in the coming months."



Moorman said the U.S. economy is strong, and that while NS' coal business faces challenges, we can expect to see growth in 2015 across many of our markets, including domestic and international intermodal, general merchandise, and industrial products.



Moorman and Squires referenced several ongoing infrastructure improvement projects that will continue to increase capacity and enhance service metrics, including the $160 million expansion of the Bellevue Yard.



Moorman and Squires challenged departments to execute business processes more effectively to reduce expenses during 2015. Natural employee attrition will enable departments to readjust business processes intelligently and efficiently.



Questions from employees addressed the recent closure of the Roanoke office building. Moorman and Squires said there currently are no plans for further consolidation. "We have the capacity, so we plan to use both headquarter locations," said Moorman. "Technology," he added, "makes the divide between the two locations less of an issue."