U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa) on March 9, 2016 joined National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) member Atlantic Track & Turnout Co. for a tour of its facility in St. Clair, Pa.
Attendees included Rep. Matt Cartwright; Bob Morgan, District Director for Congressman Cartwright; Bill Hanley, Senior Economic Development Specialist for Congressman Cartwright; Peter Hughes, President, Atlantic Track & Turnout Co.; Ron Hikes, Plant Manager, Atlantic Track & Turnout Co.; Shane Baker, Asst. Manager, Atlantic Track & Turnout Co.; Bryan Freed, Plant Engineer, Atlantic Track & Turnout Co.; Paul Schuler, Sales, Atlantic Track & Turnout Co.; John Fehr, Sales, Atlantic Track & Turnout Co.; and Lindsey Collins, VP of Grassroots Advocacy at NRC.
Hughes gave an overview of Atlantic Track & Turnout Co. and its current operations. Atlantic Track was established in 1923. Atlantic Track inventories new and used rail products including relay rail, joint bars, ties, switch timbers, and tie plates. Atlantic Track also provides products for crane runway systems and transit systems, and services including surveys, inspections, installations, repairs, maintenance, and project management.
Hughes gave a tour of the facility, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Atlantic Track provides a mix of manufacturing and distribution services supporting the railroad and transit industries at their Pottsville facility, which opened in 1976. It is one of only two companies that makes electric third rail used in transit systems. Customers include transit systems in New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Atlanta. In addition, the facility houses machines for the milling, grinding, cutting, and drilling of railroad rails and other steel items. The facility employs 38 people.
“I‘d like to thank Atlantic Track & Turnout Co. and the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association for the opportunity to tour its facility in St. Clair,” Rep. Cartwright said. “Manufacturing and engineering are critical pieces of Pennsylvania’s economy, and we must do everything we can to ensure we’re making things here in Schuylkill County. I’m committed to expanding skilled jobs like the ones at Atlantic by supporting policies such as extending the short line rail tax credit, which would help create these jobs and further promote rail.”
Congressman Cartwright was first sworn into Congress on Jan. 3, 2013. He was appointed to serve on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where he is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health Care, Benefits, and Administrative Rules. He is also a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources. Cartwright was additionally named to the Democratic Outreach and Engagement Task Force by Assistant Minority Leader Jim Clyburn.