Tag: Development

  • We’re Excited to Offer 3D Model Services to our Clients

    We’re Excited to Offer 3D Model Services to our Clients

    Learn about how this technology can help your site planning and design efforts

    When you’re visualizing a new site development, standard photos of the site make it difficult to see many of the potentials and issues within the project. Now with our 3D model services, TGB gives you the ability to really grasp the visuals of your new site and see it as you want it to be.

    3D model services: what it’s all about

    3D modeling is an innovative technique in computer graphics that allows us to produce stunning three-dimensional digital representations of any object or surface.

    With this technology, we’ve been able to help our customers decide how they want their sites and rail projects designed. We take an image of their current layout or existing property and then add in the necessary visuals so they can see the “finished result” of their overall design.

    A key advantage of using 3D model services in the early stages of a project is that the leadership team can assess the visual before beginning to build. If something they originally had desired doesn’t appear quite the way they’d envisioned it, we can make alterations until we get the exact look the team is after. The project can then be built to suit.

    Look at some examples

    The photo below is the site layout of one of our customers located in Houston. They were considering the possibility of extending their current tracks to their property line as well as adding an additional turnout for a third track that would run parallel to the extended tracks already in place.

    TGB example 3D modeling before photo

     

    Our 3D model team went to work to create the photo you see below. It clearly showed the client what the facility would look like after construction. This was exactly what they wanted, and why they hired TGB to handle this design work.

    TGB example 3D modeling after photo


    Would 3D model services benefit your next project? You can learn more about our process and the many advantages it can bring you by calling Steven Surratt at (866) 217-7794. You can e-mail Steven at sales@thetgbgroup.com.

    The TGB Team

     

     

  • TSLRRA Leadership Announced at March 2022 Annual Meeting

    TSLRRA Leadership Announced at March 2022 Annual Meeting

    See who’s serving as president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and in other roles

    At its March Annual Meeting in Dallas, the TSLRRA leadership for 2022 was announced. Executive officers who were named included:

    • Paul Treangen, president, TNW Corporation
    • Ailsa Von Dobeneck, vice president, Watco
    • Rebecca Murphy, treasurer, The TGB Group
    • Jeff Van Schaick, secretary, Jaguar Transport Holdings

    President predicts TSLRRA leadership will build for growth

    President Treangen said at the meeting that he’s proud of the recent progress the Texas Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has made and expects the current TSLRRA leadership will continue building for growth in the future.

    “Representing the short line railroad industry to the state legislature and promoting the prosperity of our industry within Texas requires collaboration among our members,” Treangen said. “There’s a place for all TSLRRA members to get involved in our association and I’m pleased to see the ongoing efforts in raising awareness for TSLRRA.”

    Other key TSLRRA leadership roles announced at the Annual Meeting included:

    • Legislative: Ross Lane, G&W
    • Events: John Gravenkemper, Hatch & Kirk
    • Marketing: Cheryl Hart, TNW Corporation
    • Membership: Anabelle Cormier, Stahl Recruiting

    About the Texas Short Line and Regional Railroad Association

    Based in Texas, TSLRRA 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, partner with local governments and organizations to enhance the transportation infrastructure and bring new jobs and prosperity to Texas communities.

    Consider a membership for your firm

    If you work directly in the railroad industry or in any of its many support industries, you should consider becoming a TSLRRA member. TGB Group is proud of its membership, which allows us to learn of important breaking news and trends in the industry we serve.

    TSLRRA leadership is in place for one simple reason: to support its members as we all work together to build better jobs and futures in this always-vital industry.

    The TGB Team

  • New Jacksboro EDC Project Underway

    New Jacksboro EDC Project Underway

    TGB Group called back in to help client secure a grant

    Jacksboro EDC projectIn 2017, TGB Group was selected by the Jacksboro Economic Development Corporation to provide a master plan for an industrial park as part of a large Jacksboro EDC project. The corporation was applying for a grant through the Economic Development Agency in hopes of being selected and receiving funds to bring the project to fruition.

    Part of the initial phase 1 plan included adding:

    • A water main
    • A sanitary sewer
    • Two streets off Hwy. 59

    At that time, the Economic Development Agency did not award the grant, so the project was suspended.

    New hope for the Jacksboro EDC project grant

    Move ahead to December 2021, and the EDC’s new executive director reached back out to TGB Group to assist them once again in their pursuit of an EDA grant.

    This time, the grant was coming through funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Act was signed by President Biden for a whopping $1.9 trillion on March 11, 2021.

    Included in the Plan is $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local and territorial and tribal governments known as the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery funds.

    We’ll supply an engineering report and environmental narrative

    For this phase of the Jacksboro EDC project, TGB Group was asked for assistance in developing a preliminary engineering report and an environmental narrative, both of which were required to be submitted with the grant application.

    We were excited to help the Jacksboro EDC, and we’re hoping with fingers crossed that they’ll be selected to receive the grant, which will be decided sometime after the first of February 2022.

    If you’d like more information on the Jacksboro EDC project or want to learn about how our design and consulting services can benefit your next project, please contact Steven Surratt at (866) 217-7794 or via email at sales@thetgbgroup.com.

    The TGB Team

  • 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

    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

  • 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

    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.

  • 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