Clarion University Hosts Railway Forum

Two hundred members of the rail and manufacturing industries convened Oct. 24 in Gemmell Student Center at Clarion University of Pennsylvania for the “Next Generation Rail Supply Chain Connectivity” forum. Attendees included representatives from ElectroMotive, GE Transportation, Nippon Sharyo, Siemens, local manufacturer Brookville Equipment and others.

Hosted by Northwest Industrial Resource Center and Northwest & North Central Partners for Regional Economic Performance, the forum fostered discussion between large car builders and smaller U.S. manufacturers, working toward the goal of reaching 100 percent domestic content in railcars.

The all-day event included networking activities, professional panels and speeches. Among those addressing the audience were Kevin Kesler, chief of the Department of Transportation’s Rolling Stock division; Linda Martin, senior attorney at the Department’s Federal Railroad Administration; and Congressman Glenn Thompson. Clarion University President Karen M. Whitney welcomed the group.

“The Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Northwest Industrial Resource Center did a wonderful job of bringing this national, high-profile event to our region,” said Dr. Kevin Roth, director of the Clarion University Small Business Development Center. “This was a tremendous opportunity for manufacturers from the region to receive specific information regarding the Next Generation Rail Supply Chain. Most importantly, this event helped to directly connect rail OEMS with manufacturers interested in becoming suppliers to support intermodal transportation in the U.S.”

Clarion joined a select list of cities/communities that were chosen as forum sites. The list also includes Sacramento, Kansas City, Orlando and Chicago.

Clarion University is the high-achieving, nationally recognized, comprehensive university that delivers a personal and challenging academic experience.

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