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Author: Doug Thomas

  • TGB Gets to Work on New Douglass Distributing Project

    TGB Gets to Work on New Douglass Distributing Project

    We’ll bring temporary and long-term solutions

    GB Group has been hired for a Douglass Distributing project to help the client develop rail access near their facility in Sherman, Texas.

    We’ll work with Douglass in the BNSF NBR (New Business Review) process and provide topographic survey and track design/rehabilitation construction documents.

    Douglass Distributing project key elements

    • Rehabilitation of an existing turnout
    • Rehabilitation of more than 1,700 feet of rail
    • Construction of a 1,250-foot gravel access roadway
    • Fencing with a turnaround on each end so that trucks can park next to the rail cars while offloading product from the cars and then take the product to the facility for processing

    Part of the Douglass Distributing project includes our team providing consulting services for the client to help them find a temporary solution for bringing product in by rail near their plant.

    We used our connections in the railroad industry to find several potential temporary unloading sites. After evaluating each site ourselves and then with Douglass reps, we recommended a site on a southern Oklahoma short line railroad that will be perfect for their operational needs.

    About Douglass Distributing

    Douglass Distributing is a diversified energy supplier that offers fuel solutions across a wide spectrum of industries and provides a variety of services from consulting and design to implementation and maintenance.

    Their expertise combined with their relentless dedication to customer service has earned them the reputation of the “Go To” company for fuel solutions for commercial, industrial, and residential applications.

    Community-focused solutions

    TGB Group does a lot of work in many Texas cities, and with every project, we’re excited knowing that the end result will benefit the local community. We’re committed to building up local resources and helping to bring jobs and economic success to the areas where we serve.

    If you’d like to know more about the Douglass Distributing project or explore our design and consulting services, please contact Steven Surratt at (866) 217-7794 or via email at sales@thetgbgroup.com.

    The TGB Team

  • Miles for Meals Fun Run 2022: Get Active, Help those in Need

    From a previous Miles for Meals Fun Run.

    Miles for Meals Fun Run 2022: Get Active, Help those in Need

    Here’s some preliminary info on this great annual event

    We’re really looking forward to the upcoming Miles for Meals Fun Run 2022 and being a sponsor of this great event yet another year.

    The Fun Run is organized by Meals on Wheels Montgomery County (Texas).  These awesome people work all year long to coordinate volunteer efforts to ensure that our area homebound seniors have nutritious means and transportation to important appointments.

    Meals on Wheels sponsors various fundraising events including the Miles for Meals Fun Run 2022.  Participants can run – or walk – along 5K and 10K courses and have a good time as they get some exercise and socialize with friends new and old.

    Miles for Meals Fun Run 2020 early registration

    To be part of the April 2, 2022 event, just register and set up your own mini-fundraiser to collect money for the good work of Meals on Wheels.  Then all you have to do is come out to B52 Brewing in Conroe, Texas, on the day of the run and get moving!

    If you register any time through Jan. 15, 2022, you can save $10 off the registration fee.

    About Meals on Wheels

    Originally known as The Friendship Center and based in Conroe, the organization was founded in 1973.  It began small, but it grew quickly as more and more concerned residents of Montgomery County and other areas got involved.

    Today, Meals on Wheels delivers close to 300,000 meals and provides nearly 15,000 rides to area seniors in need.  All this is possible only through the financial and physical contributions that come from the organization’s many volunteers.

    We get back far more than we give in our association with Meals on Wheels.  Maybe it’s something you should look into if you have a little spare time and want to do something that definitely makes a difference.

    The TGB Team

  • Get Ready for the 28th River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash 2022

    Everybody will have fun at Trash Bash 2022!

    Get Ready for the 28th River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash 2022

    We’ll be working in-person as a team while maintaining safety precautions

    TGB Group is excited to once again participate in the River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash 2022, and after difficult recent years due to the pandemic, we’re glad that it’s going to be a genuine in-person event again.

    The Trash Bash, which we’ve supported for many years, is the largest single-day waterway cleanup in Texas.  We’re expecting a great time and a lot of important accomplishments from the many volunteers this year.

    Public safety at Trash Bash 2022

    The event is being held on March 26, 2022, so mark your calendars.  Running under the slogan, “Clean it Like You Mean It,” the event will be actual and not virtual, but organizers will still follow important public health guidelines.

    Key guidelines include:

    • Masks are recommended, particularly during registration, lunch time and when collecting supplies
    • Maintain the usual six-foot distance between yourself and others
    • Don’t attend the Trash Bash if you have Covid-like symptoms, have tested positive or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive

    About Trash Bash

    The mission of Trash Bash is to clean up and promote a healthy Galveston Bay (Texas) watershed.  It was created in 1994 by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

    The first year launched with about 3,000 volunteers working at seven sites.  The event has since grown to approximately 4,000 volunteers each year with a cleanup area involving 16 sites across the Galveston Bay Watershed.

    Trash Bash is managed by the Texas Conservation Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, with additional guidance and leadership from its Coordination Committee and H-GAC.

    How to get involved

    Check out the official Trash Bash site and learn more about public safety guidelines, how to register, site locations where you or your team can work and a lot more.

    We hope more and more people find a little time in their schedules to help this worthy cause and keep Texas clean.

    The TGB Team

  • Survey and Design Project for Chemical Company

    Survey and Design Project for Chemical Company

    Completion of the project expected in late 2021

    TGB Group had the privilege of providing survey and design for a future chemical company facility in Houston, Texas. The survey and design project consists of three separate portions:

    • Demolition
    • Site civil
    • Rail construction

    Survey and design project specs

    The demolition portion of the project began with a pre-construction meeting between TGB Group and the selected contractor on August 3, 2021.  Demolition began on August 7.

    Now that the demolition phase is complete, the contractor is working on the site/civil and rail portion of the project, which is expected to be completed in late November or early December 2021.

    The rail portion of this survey and design project consists of rehabilitating the existing turnout and the existing 1,100 feet of lead track as well as adding more than 1,700 feet of new track and a single new turnout.

    There will be a storage track for cars to be spotted on as well as an unloading track for the chemicals to be unloaded from the rail cars for the facility to use.

    About TGB Group

    Since its inception, TGB Group has been known as a go-to choice for a wide range of survey and design project management services.  With a specialty in the rail industry, we work throughout the state of Texas and the rest of the U.S.

    Learn more about our professional engineering services for your next project by contacting TGB President Mike Murphy at (866) 217-7794.

  • Engineering & Rail Design Project

    Engineering & Rail Design Project

    Project completion expected in January 2022

    TGB Group is working with Zinc Resources LLC on an engineering and rail design project to assist a future recycling facility located at the Port of Victoria, Texas.

    Zinc Resources hired us because of our documented expertise in rail design project engineering and management.

    Rail design project specs

    The lead track for this project ties into another project that TGB Group designed: the Port of Victoria North Rail Loop. This current project consists of:

    • More than 4,300 TF of track
    • Four turnouts that lead to two unloading tracks
    • Three storage tracks for the customers’ use in their recycling operations

    Upon completion of this rail design project, Zinc Resources will have a new state-of-the-art recycling facility that recycles dust from steel production and turns it into usable zinc and iron products.

    A very positive benefit will be the addition of 60 new jobs to the Victoria, Texas, area.  Zinc Resources has estimated that the facility will have an annual payroll of $2.5 million, which is great for everyone involved.

    Zinc Resources is investing $60 million in the building of this new facility.

    Construction commenced on August 16, 2021 and is expected to be completed by the middle of January 2022.

    About Zinc Resources

    The Zinc Resources team brings more than 100 combined years of professional experience in the recycling of zinc materials.  The company encourages innovation and empowers its employees to deliver exceptional products while making positive impacts on the local community and the environment.

    Learn more about Zinc Resources

    TGB Group is excited about this new venture and the chance to help our local Texas communities grow and thrive.  If you want to know more about the Zinc Resources rail engineering project or any of our civil engineering specialties, reach out to TGB President Mike Murphy at (866) 217-7794.

    The TGB Team

  • 2021 SWARS Fall Golf Event: We had Fun for a Good Cause

    Brookfield Country Club

    2021 SWARS Fall Golf Event: We had Fun for a Good Cause

    TGB participated as a Beverage Cart Sponsor

    Once again, the SWARS Fall Golf Event & Scholarship Fundraiser was a great time to play some golf, win some prizes, re-connect with rail industry associates and most of all support the George Elking, Jr. Scholarship Fund.

    The tournament was held Sept. 29, 2021 at the Brookhaven County Club in Farmers Branch, Texas.  We love Brookhaven, which is made up of three awesome courses: the Master’s Course, the Championship Course and the President’s Course.

    The golf event is held annually, with proceeds from event fees going to benefit the Elking Scholarship Fund.  Well-known in the rail industry, George Elking, Jr. was president of the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers (SWARS) in 1995.  He went on to serve as president of the North American Association of Rail Shippers in 1998.

    We’re regulars at the SWARS Fall Golf Event

    swars fall golf event
    Our booth at the SWARS fall golf event

    This was the fifth consecutive year TGB Group has officially participated in the golf event.  Some of our employees have been attending special SWARS golfing events for more than 15 years.

    This year, we sponsored a beverage cart as a way to help raise needed funds for the scholarship.  But you can ask any of our team that attended, the enjoyment far outweighed the small participation and sponsorship fees.

    Friendly competition

    While none of us are “expert” golfers, we loved the competition that included contests for the longest drive, the straightest drive, the closest approach shot, the longest putt and the $10,000 hole-in-one challenge – which none of us won.

    For those of you who work in the rail industry, consider looking into attending a future SWARS Fall Golf Event.  You’ll have a great time and be helping out a good cause.

    Check out the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers website and learn about annual and semi-annual meetings, industry news and more.

    The TGB Team

  • Best of Spring 2021 Award – TGB Group a Recipient for 4th Consecutive Year

    Best of Spring 2021 Award – TGB Group a Recipient for 4th Consecutive Year

    This recognition further validates our mission of service and excellence

    The Spring Award Program has again honored TGB Group with a Best of Spring 2021 award in the “Civil Engineering and Consulting Company” category.

    Based in Spring, Texas, the Best of Spring 2021 award is presented to area businesses that have demonstrated outstanding success in marketing and service as well as those that have enhanced the positive image of small businesses in general.

    This is the fourth year in a row we’ve received this award, and we’re proud and humbled, to say the least. While we’re a civil engineering company and do all the work one would expect from this kind of business, we’re also a people business. This is what has brought us our success over the years.

    The entire TGB team believes that excellence isn’t some “far-off” goal, but rather something we aspire to every day in our hands-on work as well as our relationships with clients and members of our staff.

    In selecting award recipients, the Spring Award Program collects a lot of information, including data provided by third parties, to use in its analysis. The Best of Spring 2021 award was given based on quality, not quantity (i.e., scope/revenue of the business), according to an official press release.

    What the Best of Spring 2021 award means to us

    Receiving this award for the fourth year means one important thing: we’re doing something right. Actually, it means we’re doing many things right. The award is validation of the time and effort our team has put into marketing practices and the clear targets we’ve set for outstanding service coupled with outstanding work.

    About the Spring Award Program

    Best of Spring awards are given annually to local businesses in the Spring, Texas, area. The Spring Award Program works closely with business owners, trade groups, professional associations and advertising and marketing groups.

    The program’s mission is to recognize the many positive contributions that small businesses make to the U.S. economy.

    The TGB Group team would like to extend congratulations to all the area businesses that received a Best of Spring 2021 award.

  • Goodwill Industries: It’s More than a Place to Donate Our Unwanted Items

    Goodwill Industries: It’s More than a Place to Donate Our Unwanted Items

    We can all help Goodwill provide “not charity, but a chance”

    Just about everybody has heard of Goodwill.  We know it’s a place we can give unwanted items like clothing, furniture, electronics and whatnot.  We say, “Oh, don’t throw that away – Goodwill will take it.”  What a lot of people don’t realize is what Goodwill Industries actually is and what it does.

    The organization was founded in 1902 by Rev. Edgar J. Helms in Boston.  Helms’ created the “not charity, but a chance” philosophy that has guided Goodwill Industries in its nearly 120 years of service.

    Today, there are more than 3,300 Goodwill stores in the United States; the organization has a presence in 14 countries, and in 2020 alone served almost 22 million people worldwide.

    What Goodwill Industries does

    Goodwill operates thrift stores, where items donated by the public can be purchased at extremely reasonable prices.  With the generated revenue, Goodwill teams help people looking to improve their lives by providing training for rewarding careers in healthcare, IT, banking and other fields.

    Goodwill Industries also provides support services for individuals who want to learn the English language and generally further their education.  Goodwill in some communities provides access to transportation and child care.

    In addition to materials donations, Goodwill accepts financial donations that help further its mission.

    Shop online

    Rev. Helms would have been shocked and thrilled to see how our advancing technology has allowed his organization to flourish.  An online e-commerce site, ShopGoodwill.com, allows people shop conveniently from their homes or devices and access many bargains they probably wouldn’t find in their local brick-and-mortar Goodwills.

    Goodwill benefits the environment

    A major side benefit to Goodwill’s operation is the literal tons of stuff that gets diverted from dumps and landfills and ends up in the hands of people who can get a lot of use and enjoyment out of it.

    Whether it’s clothing and accessories, children’s toys, home or office furniture, cookware and so many other items, Goodwill has been the place to turn for well over 100 years for new and close-to-new items at amazing prices.

    The TGB Group believes strongly in the mission of Goodwill Industries.  We support the organization, and we encourage everyone to “think Goodwill” before discarding household items that still have a lot of life left in them.  Somebody, somewhere, will thank you for it.

    The TGB Team

  • SWARS Golfing Fundraiser in March in San Antonio

    SWARS Golfing Fundraiser in March in San Antonio

    We’ve been part of this exciting event for 15 years

    Once again, members of the TGB Group team were excited to participate in the SWARS golfing fundraiser and tournament held March 10 at the J.W. Marriott Resort in San Antonio, Texas.

    The tournament took place on two separate TPC courses: the Oaks and the Canyons.  One of the great things about golf in general and the SWARS golfing fundraiser in particular is the beauty of the courses and the enjoyment and peace you feel when you’re out there – no matter how well you can play.

    On the Oaks course, it was individual play by each golfer; on the Canyons course, it was a 4-person scramble.  Several different holes on the Canyons course had various competitions such as the longest drive, straightest drive, closest approach, longest putt, etc.

    TGB Group was proud to sponsor hole #1 on the Canyons course, which was the straightest-drive contest.

    Golfing fundraiser proceeds

    While we’re all out there having fun, we keep in mind that the proceeds from each SWARS golfing fundraiser go to benefit an important cause.  The last few events have benefitted the George Elking Jr. Scholarship Fund.

    George Elking Jr. was SWARS president in 1995.  In 1998, he served as president of the North American Association of Rail Shippers in 1998.

    Everyone at TGB Group believes strongly in education, and we’re always ready to support events that give educational opportunities to deserving people.  We’ve been involved with the SWARS golfing fundraiser for 15 years and started sponsoring holes in the tournament in 2016.

    In all, about 200 golfers from rail-industry companies take part in the SWARS golfing events.  There’s a feeling of unity and brotherhood as we go out there and make every attempt to hit the golf ball in the direction we want it to go.  We’re just a fun bunch of professionals – at railroad services, not golf.

    Learn more about the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers (SWARS).

    The TGB Team

  • TSLRRA Membership Has Many Benefits

    TSLRRA Membership Has Many Benefits

    A recap of the 2021 TSLRRA Annual Meeting and the importance of the association

    TGB Group’s TSLRRA membership allowed us the pleasure of attending the first virtual Texas Short Line & Regional Railroad Association Annual Meeting on Feb. 24, 2021. We’ve belonged to the TSLRRA four years now, and it has always been a key part of our professional lives.

    The TSLRRA forwards to us important details about current short line rail news on both the legislative and local levels and provides many other benefits.

    Paul Treangen, TSLRRA president, says:

    Our advocacy is at the state level, including TxDOT, but we also work with ASLRRA at the federal level. Also, we provide access to, and partner with, Class 1 government affairs staff, hold annual meetings, and provide visibility/engagement to our non-railroad members.

    TSLRRA membership has added benefits of special access to background screenings and drug testing through eVerifile’s service, eShortLine (a contractor screening and security administration program explicitly formed for short line railroads).

    Why TSLRRA membership is important

    We believe in supporting an organization like TSLRRA because of its ongoing outreach to assist “mom and pop” railroads in numerous ways. The annual meeting is part of this outreach and gives these smaller railroad owners a perfect chance to meet and get to know other rail-industry professionals and gain access to helpful talks presented by knowledgeable speakers.

    Short line railroads get overlooked too often, but the fact is, they’re very important for the factories and farms that link to major shippers and exporters.

    TSLRRA Annual Meetings always bring us plenty of critical information such as details about heavy regulatory initiatives. These initiatives can hinder growth and Austin short line tax credit.

    The TSLRRA and other short line associations are encouraging Congress to institute an ongoing tax credit that will help short line railroads enhance their infrastructure.

    Want to know more about TSLRRA membership? Go to their LinkedIn page.

    About TSLRRA

    The Texas Short Line & Regional Railroad Association is a nonprofit professional organization representing the interests of the more than 40 short line railroads and industry related businesses in Texas.

    Established in 2003, TSLRRA’s purpose has been to promote the state’s economy, champion public safety issues and partner with local governments and organizations to enhance the transportation infrastructure and bring new jobs and prosperity to Texas communities. Learn more about the Texas Short Line & Regional Railroad Association.

    Benefits of TSLRRA membership
    1. Industry expertise

    TSLRRA provides members with countless resources to keep them informed about ever-changing regulatory and legal issues pertaining to short line and regional railroads. Members can call or meet with in-house experts to discuss inquiries and get guidance. Bi-weekly newsletters, as well as ASLRRA’s exclusive data publication Industry Fact Book, summarize market trends and opportunities for railway operators, so members will never miss an opportunity or be caught unaware of changing tides in the industry. Members also have access to a library of webinars from trade experts and see speakers at regional meetings and seminars.

    1. Networking opportunities

    Through annual conventions, events, and regional meetings, members have a wide range of opportunities to meet with like-minded individuals, learn emerging trends and make important, lasting business connections. To get even more involved, members can serve on a number of committees or participate in mentorship programs.

    1. Advocacy programs

    ASLRRA represents small railroad operators in Washington D.C. In doing so, their team of lobbyists works with lawmakers to prevent unfair taxation and regulation. Through this advocacy, railroad owners have the ability to voice their concerns and provide recommendations directly to the government.