Gratitude, Growth, and What’s Next

As we close out 2025, I want to begin by sharing why there has been a four-month gap since our last newsletter. In September, our Vice President (and my son, Eric) suffered a sudden serious health emergency, and our family suddenly found ourselves living out the words of Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” My priorities and workload shifted overnight, but the Lord sustained us daily with His peace and provision. We have also been encouraged by the truth of Romans 8:28, trusting that God is working even in the unexpected. Thank you for your prayers, patience, and grace during this season. By His faithfulness, we are grateful to reconnect and reflect on this year together. 

On September 23^rd I received a call that Eric was in the ER. We rushed to his side where he

lay in misery awaiting test results and next steps. He was soon transferred to the hospital where he spent the next 2 ½ weeks, then another 1 ½ weeks in rehab before being able to return home. Eric remains in recovery with multiple therapies but is making steady progress. He officially returned to active duty this week but that will be a slow progression both in time and workload. Your patience and understanding as well as continued prayers are very appreciated.  

I can report that early on at the hospital one therapist with 12 years of experience told him she has never seen anyone recover so quickly. This was in response to a specific step in his progress and one which shocked the entire medical staff. For this we give God all the thanks and glory! 

We have had some other news at Iron Horse this year. Two college interns joined us from Syracuse University and continue with IHLG. Makayla Amatuegwu is a freshman helping our logistics team, and Kailey Bergeron is a senior working with our sales team. Both have been helpful contributors in these areas and have been learning about the real-world business environment. 

Adval, our software to manage railcar fleets for railcar taxes and more, hit the market this year and continues to move toward refinement to meet customer needs. You can be a part of the journey by sharing your ideas here. 

In August I celebrated 50 years of railroading. I began my journey on the Newburgh & South Shore fresh out of high school right after turning 18 in 1974. To review my 5 decades from that day to now I published a 5-part series "Railways of Fortune: One Man’s Journey from Clerk to CEO".

Of course, big news in the industry is the UP/NS merger. In June I published an article, "Is the Unthinkable Possible?" asking if a UP/NS merger was about to happen and providing some history and perspective on railroad mergers over the past few decades.

This past year was not without its challenges in the industry. Terms like tariffs, upheaval,

uncertainty, and inflation probably create a reaction even as you read them. What will 2026 bring?  

We live in the Cleveland, Ohio area, which means we are Browns fans. If you are remotely an NFL fan, then you know the history of the Browns since their return in 1999 and even their history since their last championship in 1965. It's a history marked by near-misses and tough losses, which is why in Cleveland, after the final game is played each year, we say, “There’s always next year!”  

So, to 2025: There’s always next year!