The Greenbrier Cos., Inc., Lake Oswego, Ore., and its subsidiary, Greenbrier Management Services LLC (GMS) expanded its railcar asset management business with the launch of a new regulatory services group.

The group will be led by James Rader as vice president of regulatory services. Joining Rader is said to be a respected rail regulatory compliance team in North America. As a part of GMS, the new group offers regulatory, engineering, process consulting and advocacy support to the tank car and petrochemical rail shipper community, among other services. 

The new group complements GMS' existing service portfolio and customer base, and offers immediate financial contributions to Greenbrier. The regulatory services group also allows Greenbrier to deliver the most complete offering to customers in the railcar market. For example, a railcar built utilizing Greenbrier's safer tank design can be financed through Greenbrier Leasing Co.; managed by Greenbrier Management Services; operate in compliance with relevant regulations after consultation with the Regulatory Service Group; receive replacement wheels and parts from Greenbrier; and be professionally maintained and recertified through the GBW Railcar Services joint venture.  

Members of the new group formed Watco Compliance Services in 2011, where they grew a division focused on assisting rail asset owners and railroad users of various types to develop standard operating procedures to comply with a broad range of technical specifications, legal requirements, agency regulations and safety rules. Watco is exiting the compliance services business for strategic reasons, as it emphasizes its short-line and terminal operations.  

"Watco thanks our compliance service team for a job well done and wish them well in their new role with our good partner Greenbrier," says Eric Wolfe, head of Watco Supply Chain Services. "Most importantly, we believe this is a good outcome for our team and our mutual customers and customers at GBW." 

"Expert people paired with proprietary technology are at the core of what we do at GMS,” adds Dan Weiler, senior vice president, asset management, Greenbrier Leasing Co. and head of GMS. “Our new regulatory services group, with decades of expertise in railroad-related compliance, offers great synergies with the industry-leading fleet management group along with the advanced software systems we have built at GMS. It will produce further opportunities to collaborate across Greenbrier's integrated businesses."