Pacific Imperial Railroad ownernship transferred; new CEO appointed

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
image description
A side boom hooked to a boxcar slowly tows 49 boxcars at once. GATX crews worked this past August to clear the Desert Line of empty boxcars.
Pacific Imperial Railroad

Conatus Capital Group, Inc., has acquired the majority controlling interest in Pacific Imperial Railroad (PIR); Arturo Alemany, principal of Conatus, has been confirmed as chief executive officer and president of PIR.

 

Alemany has more than 25 years of experience in international business development and operations in the U.S., Europe and Latin America. He is president and chief executive officer of Alemany and Associates, a company providing multi-cultural expertise in international contract negotiations and has 10 years of prior railroad experience with Amtrak.

“We welcome Arturo’s experience with Amtrak and his leadership to PIR and in his new role as CEO & president,” said Donald Stoecklein, former CEO of PIR, who will remain as chief compliance officer. “His results-oriented approach and ability to think strategically, along with his vital contacts in Mexico and New York will play a pivotal role in helping us grow.”

Conatus’ acquisition of its stake in PIR follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between PIR and Baja California Railroad on June 22, 2015. The signing of the MOU took place at the MTS headquarters in downtown San Diego, Calif.

The signing of the MOU and the amendment to the lease is said to be the beginning of a new era of binational cooperation aiming to rehabilitate the entire freight rail system serving the Cali-Baja border region and the establishment of an intermodal facility allowing for optimization of freight movement between Mexico and the United States.

PIR states that not only will a unified binational rail line be a boom for the regional economy, but it will also help reduce traffic congestion and pollution. PIR has engaged the services of JL Patterson Associates to facilitate engineering and inspections on Desert Line as improvements are made.

 

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