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  • Here’s a recap of the 2023 SWARS Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas

    Here’s a recap of the 2023 SWARS Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas

    TGB Group was excited to be a conference sponsor and be part of the activities

    SWARS 2023 Annual Meeting

    The SWARS 2023 Annual Meeting held March 29-30, 2023, took place at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk Hotel this year.  There was a great selection of speakers, and TGB Group helped to sponsor the Food, Wine & Mezcal Tasting Event.

    A highlight of these meetings is the networking opportunity for rail industry professionals.  It’s helpful and fun to mingle with and really get to know people who are usually the face of an email.

    Fundraising at the SWARS 2023 Annual Meeting

    SWARS 2023 annual meeting
    TGB Group’s Mike Murphy (r.) and colleagues at the SWARS 2023 Annual Meeting.

    At the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers Annual Meeting this year, funds raised during the various events went to benefit the George J. Elking Scholarship Fund.

    The George J. Elking Jr. Scholarship Award was created to help individuals throughout the SWARS region achieve their educational and career goals.  SWARS would love it if the recipients ended up with careers in the logistics and transportation fields, but the association is excited to help deserving individuals regardless of their chosen career paths.

    Scholarship funding is provided for the school year beginning in the first fall semester that follows the notification of the award.

    SWARS events throughout the year

    The SWARS 2023 Annual Meeting was just one of many events the association sponsors each year.  The objective of the meetings and other events is to bring an open forum to professionals in the railroad, shipping and related industries.  It gives them the perfect opportunity to gather and discuss news and ideas that are important in their fields.

    Topics that we and other SWARS members and attendees discuss include service, car supply, scheduling, operating practices, technology and everything else that impacts our professional lives.

    Major conference events are held twice a year, in the spring and fall, at locations within SWARS’ territory.

    Learn more about the Southwest Association of Rail Shippers

    SWARS is open to everyone involved in rail transportation, including rail shippers and receivers, railroads, vendors, third parties, regulators and others.

    We’re looking forward to the next SWARS event – the 2023 Semi-Annual Meeting in San Diego!

    The TGB Team

  • Conference Theme Was “Supply Chains and Intelligent Infrastructure”

    Conference Theme Was “Supply Chains and Intelligent Infrastructure”

    The Victoria, Texas, Chamber of Commerce sponsored the conference

    The Transportation Committee of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce held its ninth annual Transportation Conference on December 6, 2022, at the Victoria College Emerging Technology Complex in Victoria, Texas.  TGB Group was proud to be a lunch sponsor for this important annual event.

    The theme this year was “Supply Chains and Intelligent Infrastructure.”  The program featured a variety of experts from many segments of the transportation industry, who presented information about current transportation issues.

    A highlight of the conference was the awarding of three $1,000 scholarships to local students who are pursuing degrees in engineering or transportation.  The scholarships were sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Victoria.

    About the Victoria Chamber of Commerce

    The Victoria Chamber of Commerce is a leader in helping to develop the business climate and economic growth within the greater Victoria area.  TGB Group always enjoys participating in events organized by this vital chamber.

    Joe Lyon, president of the Victoria Chamber, notes that “the Chamber is committed to creating connections through events and other initiatives.  They are grateful for the leadership and compassion of the Chamber members and supporters.  A strong and active Chamber provides the invaluable benefit of a unified voice for growth of business in our great city.”

    Consider attending the 2023 conference

    The ninth annual Transportation Conference was held at the University of Houston Victoria – Northwest Campus.  It was an exciting time for everyone involved and a great opportunity to learn about important issues affecting transportation in our area.  It was also a chance to meet old friends in the industry and make new connections.

    If you work in the transportation industry in or around Victoria, Texas, consider planning to attend the 2023 conference.  Check with the Victoria Chamber’s website, linked above, for information on dates, times and places.

    The TGB Team

  • TGB Group Attended the MARS 2022 Summer Meeting

    TGB Group Attended the MARS 2022 Summer Meeting

    It’s always a great time at Midwest Association of Rail Shippers events

    TGB Group’s Mike Murphy and Beth Lynn recently attended the MARS 2022 Summer Meeting in Wisconsin.  The theme of this year’s meeting was “Switching the Focus for Mutual Success.”  The meeting was held July 18-19 in beautiful Lake Geneva, Wis.

    You can learn more about the MARS 2022 Summer Meeting here.

    Possibly more than at any other time in the past, companies that work in the rail industry today need to understand how to adapt and, as the meeting title says, “switch focus” in order to be solvent and successful in our uncertain economy.

    Talks and information we enjoyed at the meeting helped us answer many questions and map out positive business strategies for the future.

    Highlights of the MARS 2022 Summer Meeting

    • Orientation for new members and young professionals
    • Fabulous networking buffet dinner
    • MARS Executive Committee meeting

    Informative presentations by leadership from MARS, Eco-Energy, N. Bowdish Company, Union Tank Car Co., Watco Companies and others included:

    • “Navigating an Uncertain Economy & Turbulent Supply Chain”
    • “Customer Experience with Current Rail Service”
    • “Global Trends in Energy & Materials”
    • “Union Pacific Railroad Operating Update”
    • “Rail Equipment Market Update”

    That’s just an overview.  All MARS events are jam-packed with great speakers, great topics and great networking opportunities for anyone whose business is connected to North American rail shipping.

    About the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS)

    MARS is one of five regional associations that make up the North American Association of Rail Shippers (NARS). The organization covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota in the United States.  Canadian territories include the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

    MARS’ key objectives are to provide an open forum to discuss and resolve transportation issues, and to create programs that educate its members on railroad operating practices, new innovations in transportation and legislative matters.

    MARS has become the showcase forum for railroads and railroad customers to meet and discuss issues.  Semiannual meetings, such as the MARS 2022 Summer Meeting, welcome between 500 and 800 professionals and focus strongly on educational presentations and networking opportunities.

    We hope to see you at an upcoming MARS event!

    The TGB Team

     

  • Join TGB Group and Other Rail & Engineering Professionals at the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference

    Join TGB Group and Other Rail & Engineering Professionals at the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference

    Conference to feature education on current trends and plenty of networking opportunities

    The TGB Group will be attending the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference, scheduled for Aug. 28-31.  This year’s event will be held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Co.

    We’re proud to be a Silver Sponsor for the conference organized by the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA).  A Silver Level sponsorship investment provides much-needed broad support to help AREMA cover the costs of audio/visual services, support services and other operating expenses during the conference.

    As with past conferences, the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference & Expo will provide multiple opportunities for those in attendance to gain greater knowledge of the rail industry and add to their technical expertise.  And, of course, there will be a lot of networking going on as we renew old friendships in the industry and make new connections that will be mutually beneficial in the future.

    Key players will be at the AREMA 2022 Annual Conference

    The conference agenda includes almost 80 technical presentations from recognized leaders in the rail and engineering industries.  This is the place to be to access relevant information you can take back home and use.

    More than 300 companies will be presenting in the Exhibit Hall during the conference.  For rail professionals, this is an exciting opportunity to learn new strategies, see what others are doing and increase their knowledge base with workable ideas.

    Learn more about how you can be an AREMA 2022 Annual Conference sponsor here.

    Learn more about the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association here.

    We always look forward to AREMA conferences as well as the many other industry conferences and meetings held each year.  We learn a lot, and all that knowledge helps us continue to make our company better, stronger and more customer-oriented.

    The TGB Team

     

  • Mark Your Calendars for the 2022 TEDC Annual Conference in San Antonio

    Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk

    Mark Your Calendars for the 2022 TEDC Annual Conference in San Antonio

    Get important economic data, play some golf, support the Texas Economic Development Council!

    The 2022 TEDC Annual Conference is happening this year on Oct. 19-21 in beautiful San Antonio, Texas, home of the famous Riverwalk.  Will you be attending?

    This special three-day event hosted by the Texas Economic Development Council will include a number of industry experts, who will share critical topics centering on economic development planning and strategies.  Whether you’re a small business like the TGB Group, a very large business or a community or city in Texas, you can gain a lot of insight that will help you in many ways.

    Highlights planned for the 2022 TEDC Annual Conference

    • Future Leaders Training Seminar
    • Multiple exhibits from groups and individuals
    • Special sessions and panels
    • Networking opportunities throughout the three days
    • Silent auction
    • Sales Tax Committee meetings
    • Board of Directors meeting
    • Community Economic Development Awards Luncheon

    and much more.

    And then there’s golf

    The 2022 TEDC Annual Conference wouldn’t be complete without an exciting golf tournament.  Anybody can participate and have fun while helping to support the Texas Economic Development Council.

    This tournament is a great way to reconnect with old golfing buddies, make new golfing buddies and just have a blast in exciting San Antonio.

    Conference location

    This year’s TEDC conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk at 123 Losoya St. in San Antonio, Texas.  Even if there was no conference going on, the hotel experience in itself would be enough.  It’s a gorgeous property with tons of amenities and the first-class service you would expect from a Hyatt Regency facility.

    Go here to register for the conference with your TEDC account.

    We hope to see many of you at the 2022 TEDC Annual Conference.  It’s something we look forward to every year, and we know you’ll look forward to it each year, as well, after you’ve attended for the first time.

    The TGB Team

  • Join Us at the TEDC 2022 Mid-Year Conference, June 22-24

    Join Us at the TEDC 2022 Mid-Year Conference, June 22-24

    This is a key event for the Texas Economic Development Council

    TEDC 2022 Mid-Year Conference
    Omni Hotel, Corpus Christi

    If you have a Texas-based business or a business that operates in Texas, you should consider attending the TEDC 2022 Mid-Year Conference in June.

    TGB Group has been a participant and often a sponsor of the conference since our inception in 2016.  Our President, Mike Murphy, has been involved with the Texas Economic Development Council for more than 10 years.

    Why the TEDC 2022 Mid-Year Conference is important

    Across three days, a variety of presentations are scheduled that will be beneficial to anyone with Texas business interests.  Our company is based in Texas, so it’s a no-brainer for us to attend.

    As of late May, scheduled topics and activities for the conference include:

    • Strategies for blending the worlds of workforce, economic development and education
    • TEDC Executive Committee meeting
    • Initiatives in alternative and sustainable energy in Texas
    • The role of The Port of Corpus Christi in the global economy
    • Ideas for employee recruitment and retention
    • Best practices for screening leads and vetting projects
    • Leadership lessons for economic developers
    • Workforce Excellence Award recognition
    • Reenergizing the small business ecosystem
    • Overview of employee trends in Texas

    and so much more.

    Review sponsors and full tentative itinerary >>>

    Network with like-minded professionals

    Throughout the three-day TEDC 2022 Mid-Year Conference, there will be plenty of opportunities to network and connect with the “movers and shakers” who make Texas’ business run.

    Being able to meet and get to know other like-minded professionals is in itself enough reason to attend the conference.  Based on our experience at past conferences, many of the key players in Texas business, economics and transportation will be there.

    All this and great golf!

    Education and networking are important, but making the conference even better is a fun golf tournament scheduled for June 22 at the NorthShore Country Club Golf Course in Portland, Texas.  If you play, you can get involved.  TGB Group is one of the tourney’s sponsors.

    Where it’s happening

    The TEDC 2022 Mid-Year Conference will be held at the Omni Hotel, 900 Shoreline Blvd., Corpus Christi, Texas.  Registration closes on June 15.  You can register at the Omni Hotel link above.

    The TGB Team

     

  • 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

     

     

  • Register to Attend the TSLRRA Annual Meeting this Year in Dallas

    (Photo from Hilton website, linked in the text.)

    Register to Attend the TSLRRA Annual Meeting this Year in Dallas

    Meeting is March 31 – mark your calendar

    If you haven’t made plans to attend the TSLRRA Annual Meeting scheduled for the end of March, there’s still time.  Just visit the TSLRRA Annual Meeting page.

    If you’re not already a member of the Texas Short Line & Regional Railroad Association, you can get a membership through a link on that page.  If you are a member and would like to be a sponsor of the meeting, you can get set up for that, as well.

    TGB Group is a sponsor, along with many other companies and individuals that work in the rail industry and related industries.

    This year’s sponsors include:

    • Hondo Railway
    • Texas Rail Advocates
    • CDL Electric
    • Andrew Stahl
    • Hatch & Kirk
    • Dallas, Garland Northeastern
    • TekTracking
    • Edna R. Rice
    • Lubbock & Western Railway
    • Koppers Railroad Structures
    • Gallagher

    Benefits to expect when you attend the TSLRRA Annual Meeting

    TSLRRA annual meeting site
    (Photo from Hilton website, linked in the text.)

    Anyone (or any company) that works in the short line rail industry or support industries will enjoy a variety of benefits when they attend the TSLRRA Annual Meeting.  You’ll learn about the latest news and trends that affect the rail industry in America and therefore could have an impact on your business or operation.

    Expert speakers are always lined up to deliver important talks that give us a broader understanding of the larger world in which we work.  TGB Group team members who attend always come away with valuable knowledge that helps us with our marketing and business-building strategies.

    The Annual Meeting is also a chance to network and forge new and profitable relationships with fellow rail professionals.  And, of course, the meeting is perfect for renewing old friendships and catching up with seldom-seen associates.

    A beautiful setting for this year’s Annual Meeting

    This year, the meeting is being held at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Dallas – Campbell Centre, which is located at 8250 N. Central Expressway.  Even if there was no meeting, this is the type of resort atmosphere that will revitalize and energize you with its quality and luxury.

    We invite all rail professionals to attend the TSLRRA Annual Meeting 2022.  Pack your bags and get ready for a great time!

    The TGB Team

  • We’ll Be Working with Ardurra Group on this Track Design Project

    We’ll Be Working with Ardurra Group on this Track Design Project

    Here are some details and timeline projections

    TGB Group has been selected to partner with another civil engineering firm, Ardurra Group Inc., for a track design project in the Corpus Christi, Texas, area. Our team will provide track design activities, produce bid documents and conduct construction administration.

    Track design project specs

    This project will consist of rehabilitating existing rail, turnouts and a diamond, while also adding two additional turnouts and 1,500 feet of rail.

    Design is expected to start in mid to late March 2022 and have 30 percent of the plans completed so after for the client’s review. After we receive comments from the client, we will then complete the design for 100 percent pre-final submittal to the client for review at the end of May.

    Final sealed construction documents are set to be ready by the middle of June, and the project is expected to go out to bid later in June through the first of July. Final contractor selection should take place mid to late July, with construction anticipated to begin around the middle of August.

    About TGB Group

    Based in Spring, Texas, and working throughout many areas in the U.S., TGB Group is a full-service consulting and civil engineering firm specializing in track design, planning and oversight of projects for short line and Class I railroads and their customers.

    We opened for business in 2016 and currently serve a variety of clients in transportation-related industries. With every project we undertake, we bring years of professional experience and an unmatched record of outstanding service, vision and results to our clients.

    If you’d like to learn more about this track design project in Corpus Christi, or want to find out how our design and consulting services can benefit your next project, please contact Steven Surratt at (866) 217–7794 or reach out via email at sales@thetgbgroup.com.

  • 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