Richard J. Carlson

Dick Carlson, president of UNIT Rail Anchor Co., Inc., said: "Rail anchor shipments through the first seven months of our fiscal year are up 15 percent over year-ago levels.We attribute the increase in business to a pick-up in market share in Canada and the rebuilding of rail lines throughout the Gulf region following the hurricane damage.The main market driver for our business continues to be rail laid by our major customers.Our Class 1 railroad customers continue to invest in track infrastructure by not only upgrading main lines, but also adding additional sidings to improve train velocity and service levels to their customers.We are also encouraged by the number and size of RRIF loan projects being approved, which are serving to increase our business activity with the regional and shortline market segments.

"We continue to manufacture our bar-shaped UNIT 5 and Channel-style drive-on anchors, along with our Spring anchor design, on three production lines," Carlson noted.

"UNIT's year ends at the third quarter, so the company is one quarter into 2002 and business is looking good with the Class 1 railroads, which account for 85 percent of the company's business," said Richard Carlson, president, UNIT Rail Anchor Co., Inc."We're looking for 2002 to be a year that will be somewhat better than 2001, which wasn't bad for us.Our major customers expect to have, in most cases, a similar rail program, but some will have a larger program than last year.

"On the Union Pacific, there has been acceptance of our UNIT 5 bar-shaped anchor," he noted."UP will be using it this upcoming year.That will be a major driving factor for us as far as additional business in 2002."
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Carlson continued: "We do manufacture a channel-style anchor.However, we're having good success in getting customers to accept the UNIT 5 anchor, the drive-on-style anchor.We want to move people toward the bar-style only because our manufacturing process makes it much more efficiently and we can pass those savings on to our customers.

"We feel that, going forward, there's going to be a focus on infrastructure," he noted."There's the possibility of shortline funding and some other things that really need to be done to get the track infrastructure up to snuff.We feel good being in this segment of the business."

UNIT Rail Anchor Company President Dick Carlson said: "Rail anchor shipments through the first seven months of our Fiscal 2004 are off approximately 15 percent compared to 2003.
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Carlson continued: "We have recently seen our channel anchor adapted to attach switch heaters.

In addition to Chairman Jarosinski, this year's Scholarship Committee included Robert Andrews of Rocla Concrete Tie, Inc.; Dick Carlson of Unit Rail Anchor Co., Inc.; Ron Olds of Plasser American Corp.; and Paul Wilson of Loram Maintenance of Way, Inc.

Richard J. Carlson, President, UNIT Rail Anchor Co., Inc. Carlson joined UNIT as President in 1998. He began his career in the railroad supply business with the former Railroad Products Group of Abex Corporation in 1973. He held various sales and marketing positions at Abex, including Director of Sales and Marketing, Regional Sales Manager and Product Manager.

Before joining UNIT, he was Vice President Sales and Service for the Mechanical Products Division of ABC Rail and Vice President Mechanical Products Sales for Progress Rail Services Corporation.

Carlson received a B.S. in Business Administration from Miami University in 1973.

Richard J. CarlsonUnit Rail Anchor Company, Inc.