MANAGING ADVISORS: “THE TEAM”
The RTSI TEAM has substantial professional experience, depth and industrial history to manage all assignments and the unique duties found on domestic and international railroad projects from rail accounting, construction, port / rail operations, heavy freight rail management and blue water marine shipping.
Ed McLaughlin, Rail Infrastructure Planning & System Operations
Mr. McLaughlin is recognized as a specialized rail and marine industry consultant having a wide range of experience throughout the US, Canada, and the United Kingdom. He has handled consulting for Armourtek, Inc., Burlington Northern, NAFTA Service Center, Laidlaw, Fort Worth & Western Railroad, CEMEX, Texas Industries, Inc., Redlands Stone, Lafarge US, Quality Rail Service, Overseas Carriers, Inc., Texas Utilities, Texas Industries, Phelps Dodge, American Bio Fuel, Inc., National Rail Consultants, and others.
He has an extensive 30-year career with hands on management in both the marine and railroad transportation industries. He is adept at and is experienced in project planning from concept development through budgets and capital cost rationalization, facilities planning, operational and safety plans, plus railroad track and terminal start-up management, with an emphasis toward operational administration, accounting, and physical staff training requirements. McLaughlin is experienced in track and bridge inspections to FRA standards, including railroad track construction. He is a graduate of North Texas State University, and has extensive global industry and business experience.
Bill Collins, Track & Infrastructure Construction & Repair Management
Mr. Collins has been a Roadmaster, associated with RTSI for 15-years. Prior to that, Collins worked on the Northwestern Pacific, Alaska Railroad, Southern Pacific, Cotton Belt Railroad, and others. In each of the above operations, Collins worked with its railroad maintenance and construction managers dealing with projects dedicated to keeping the railroad open to through traffic under FRA qualifications. These responsibilities have required him to interface and coordinate major excavating and construction contractors, track project material installation, winter snow train clearance, rail material suppliers with right-of-way section gangs while the railroad remained under traffic.
Collins handled track maintenance and construction where his position held full responsibility for keeping the railroad open for through freight service while under repair. He has worked tracks in mountains (9,000-ft.), tracks paralleling major rivers addressing situations prone to heavy flooding each spring resulting in major washouts and mudslides at numerous locations on the railroad. Collins has worked in coordinating with contractors, construction engineers, and equipment operators, processed contract progress reports, changes orders, material requisitions; rail supply (ballast, ties, rails, OTM) scheduling, equipment leasing and operator requirements, hired track personnel management to successfully keep the lines open under very extreme and adverse weather conditions. He can handle management and contractor coordination for all manner of railroad track maintenance and construction projects.
Mike Percifield, Train Control Signals, Communications & Track Engineering
Mr. Percifield is a 17 year veteran of rail operations in both freight and passenger services. He is a certified steam and diesel locomotive engineer and conductor, working with Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Fort Worth & Western Railroad, Fort Worth & Dallas Railroad. He is a 1993 graduate of Texas A&M University with a bachelors degree of Environmental Design. He is thoroughly knowledgeable of the multiple aspects of rail engineering and construction for both standard and meter gauge lines, different rail operations (electric and diesel), including the necessity to design adequate rail systems and facilities to support these individual rail projects, which includes railroad communication systems, information / data control, and train control signal systems.
Giorgio Cossich, Port Infrastructure, Marine Shipping & Vessel Management
Mr. Cossich has over twenty-five years of experience in business administration, maritime operations, vessel acquisition, operation, refurbishment, and EPC management for new tonnage. Since the early 80’s Mr. Cossich has actively participated in the operation formation, fleet development and subsequent sale of Sitmar Cruises, a division of V Ships of Montcarlo.
During the 90’s Mr. Cossich was President of Direct Ship Supply whereas the Company supplied goods, services, freight forwarding and customs clearing services to the cargo, tanker, and cruise ship industries. The Company also coordinated technical guarantee contracts from European shipyards for new cruise tonnage calling at US ports; under his leadership the Company proudly served the United States Navy, in particular the submarine fleet calling in the Southeast Region of the United States.
In the past 15 years Mr. Cossich has also perused renewable energy and synthetic fuels derived from the process of various feedstock, working with world known technology providers, chemical engineering companies, oil companies in Europe and in the United States. He is an active consultant to municipalities, state regulatory agencies and to the private sector, assisting reducing the importation of energy from abroad. He is a board member of TeraMeth Industries, a California corporation involved in energy reclamation serving Texaco, Chevron and the Hess Corporation; he holds an MBA from Ashford University, and is a member of the United States Naval Reserve Association and resides in Jefferson City, MO.
Mario Saia, System Communications & Data Networks
Mario Saia has held the position of Vice President of Sales with AT&T in Southern California, and Vice President of Trading for London, Jenkins, and Polanish at the World Trade Center in New York City; he brings knowledge and creativity in the areas of marketing and sales. He is a graduate of Finance from the Long Island University and attended the New School of Finance in New York training of future options trading. Mr. Saia resides in New York.
Bernard List, Terminal Management & Port Operations
Mr. List has a long career in maritime shipping and port terminal management including, but not limited to, the following Port Director & CEO of the Port of Brownsville, TX, CEO/President – Maya Lines, Assistant Port Director, Marketing and Customer Services – Port of Miami Florida, Manager, Trade Development – Tampa Port Authority, General Manager – Crowley American Transport, Inc., Director of Logistics – Del Monte Fresh Fruit Company, Senior Account Specialist – Sea-Land Service,
Berne has a Bachelor’s Degree from Oklahoma State University and attended the University of Costa Rica completing his graduate work. He is also a member of the following associations and organizations:
a) Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association – Member
b) Florida Foreign Trade Association – Board Member
c) Costa Rica-U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Vice President
d) Mayor’s International Trade Mission – Board Member
e) Mayor’s Marketing Council – Member
f) Enterprise Florida – Member
Dallas McLaughlin, Fleet Management & Railroad Operations Consultant
Dallas McLaughlin has held positions as a railcar fleet manager for various Fortune 500 companies with rail operations. He has also worked within railroad operations at the Fort Worth Western Railroad and North Western Pacific Railroad as a certified Engineer/Conductor. At the Burlington Northern Railroad, Waste Management, Laidlaw, and ISG, Inc. handling general operations and rail car fleet management. He is experienced in railroad accounting, rail car maintenance, and unit train operations pursuant to Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for heavy fleet freight operations. He is familiar with establishment and management of railroad operations administrative paperwork, reports, contracts, and related documentation, e.g., switch list, conductor reports, waybills, bills of lading, weight tickets, invoices, etc. for all manner of operations.
Dallas has many years in the rail industry managed national fleet of covered hoppers delivering fly ash for use as cement. He is familiar with rail terminal loading and discharge facilities and related infrastructure developments, including sidings, switches and hoppers, dumping bunkers and associated conveyor equipment. His professional experience has included railroad administration reports, FRA reports, repair invoices, freight rate negotiations, and rail car leases. Dallas is also familiar with railroad personnel certifications, reports, and operational management.
