January 17, 2019
R. J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC Announces Railroad President, Signaling Vice President, Other Leadership Changes
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky – R. J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC announces the appointments of key leadership positions within its companies:
- Ray Goss – President, R. J. Corman Railroad Company
- Mike Philpot – Vice President of Operations – South, R. J. Corman Railroad Company
- John Phillips – Vice President of Operations – North, R. J. Corman Railroad Company
- Jimmy Spencer – Vice President, R. J. Corman Signaling
- Chris Stevens – Vice President of Operations, R. J. Corman Railroad Switching Company
- Greg Miller – AVP of Mechanical Operations, R. J. Corman Railroad Switching Company
- Noel Rush – Senior Vice President, R. J. Corman Railroad Group
- Justin Broyles – VP of Commercial Development – Railroads, R. J. Corman Railroad Group
- Chase Armstrong – VP of Commercial Development – Contracted Services, R. J. Corman Railroad Group
- Mike Robinson – VP of Commercial Development – Logistics, R. J. Corman Railroad Group
“With the new leadership our company has in place, and the many opportunities that we have realized, 2019 is off to a great start for R. J. Corman,” Ed Quinn, President & CEO, stated. “We have an extremely talented leadership team that are stepping into key roles, and are bringing on experienced, highly-respected individuals to complement their capabilities. I’m excited about the continued growth we will see in 2019 and beyond, and I look forward to working with these individuals.”
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Ray Goss will lead the R. J. Corman Railroad Company as its President, effective January 21. He will succeed Brian Miller, who announced his resignation in September of 2018 to pursue other interests.
“I am looking forward to this new opportunity and I feel honored to lead such a great company,” Goss said. “I am committed to providing our customers the first-rate service that they have come to expect from R. J. Corman, while also maintaining high safety standards and efficient operating practices.”
Goss joins R. J. Corman after 15 years at Genesee & Wyoming Inc., where he held the positions of Senior Vice President of Engineering and Chief Engineer, Senior Vice President of Northeast Region, and Senior Vice President of New York and Pennsylvania Region. Goss brings to the position experience in operations, engineering, and safety with both freight and passenger operations. In his new role with R. J. Corman, he will lead all aspects of the short line railroads, including transportation, engineering, mechanical and economic development of all 13 short lines.
Mike Philpot and John Phillips have been selected to serve as Vice President of Operations of the South and North, respectively. Serving in these roles, Philpot and Phillips will report directly to Ray Goss and will oversee the day-to-day operations, safety, training, and ensuring compliance with all FRA related rules and regulations. They will work with all railroad personnel and facilitate customer satisfaction from an operating standpoint at their corresponding railroads.
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Jimmy Spencer now leads R. J. Corman Signaling as the Vice President, following the retirement of Ray Sipes at the end of 2018. “Ray was an asset to R. J. Corman and was especially strategic to the growth of the Signaling company”, said R. J. Corman Railroad Group’s President and CEO, Ed Quinn. “The success the company has seen under Ray’s stewardship is the result of his leadership and knowledge. We wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.”
Spencer joined R. J. Corman in July 2017, when he took on the role of Director of Signal Construction. Prior to joining the company, he worked at CSX Transportation for 20 years, serving as the Terminal Superintendent, Electronics Engineer, Signaling Supervisor and Signal Construction Foreman. In his new position, Jimmy will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, overseeing all signaling personnel, and will create and maintain customer relationships.
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Chris Stevens is promoted to Vice President of Operations for R. J. Corman Railroad Switching Company, filling the role most recently held by Mike Philpot. Stevens has been with the company for six years, previously holding the positions of Assistant Vice President of Operations, General Manager of Operations and Assistant General Manager of Operations. In his new role, Stevens will be responsible for overseeing terminal and yard operations for all R. J. Corman Railroad Switching Company locations, as well as the strategic planning of logistics and production for the company.
Additionally, Greg Miller joins R. J. Corman Railroad Switching Company as the new AVP of Mechanical Operations. Miller brings over 40 years of railroad experience, most recently serving 18 years as the President and CEO of Mid America Rail Storage, a company he co-founded in 1997. Miller entered the railroad industry in 1976 when he was hired on at United Industries Corporation, an independent car repair facility in Louisville, Ky. In his new role, Miller will be responsible for railcar repair operations for customers of R. J. Corman Railroad Switching Company.
“I look forward to working closely with both Chris Stevens and Greg Miller”, said Vice President of Transportation, Paul Lauritzen. “Chris has proven to be an asset to our company for many years and we look forward to seeing how he will continue to build on the strong foundation of the company. Greg comes on board with new ideas and experiences and will work with Chris and myself to continue the trend of growth and innovation within the company.”
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Finally, R. J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC announces the organizational change of their Commercial Development team to better serve their customers, appointing Justin Broyles, Mike Robinson, and Chase Armstrong to new Vice President roles. Noel Rush moves to Senior Vice President and will work closely with the President & CEO to develop and implement the company's long-term strategies and oversee
the company's executive relationships and government affairs.
The commercial efforts have been segmented into three divisions, each led by a knowledgeable and experienced professional. Robinson will oversee the Logistics area which covers Switching, Distribution Centers, Transloading and Trucking. Armstrong will oversee the Contracted Services area: Railroad Services, Signaling and Material Sales; Broyles will oversee the 13 short line railroads and Storm Team. The three divisions will work closely together to create customized solutions while adhering to the core values of the company to provide a consistent, high-quality product.
Altogether, R. J. Corman Railroad Group employs approximately 1,500 people in 22 states. In addition to short line railroad and switching operations, R. J. Corman companies provide a broad scope of services to the railroad industry such as emergency response, track material distribution, track construction, signal design and construction as well as building fuel-efficient locomotives.
