Rep. Jenkins tours Brown Industries in Lawrence, Kansas

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Rep. Jenkins with Brown Industries employees and guests. From left to right: Ryan McCune, Jeremiah Lahm, Dean Coleman, Brett Agnew, Les Green, Rep. Jenkins, Stuart Seeger, David Price, John Miller, Bryce White, Dustin Reece, Keith Thomas, Lindsey Douglas and Kate Webb.

On November 9, U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS-02) joined National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC) member company Brown Industries, LLC, for a tour of its facility.

 

Brown Industries CEO David Price gave an overview of the company and its current operations. Brown is a manufacturer of cargo vans and hi-rail maintenance-of-way equipment headquartered in Lawrence, Kan., with a satellite plant in Henderson, Colo. The company builds approximately 750 custom trucks per year, 10 percent of which are sold directly to Kansas-based clients.

Brown was founded in 1946 in Spokane, Wash., and moved to Lawrence in 1975. In 2008, Brown added a rail division. Since 2013, the company has nearly doubled in revenue and has added almost 20 new employees. The Lawrence plant employs 72 people.

Rep. Jenkins and guests went on a walk-through of Brown’s facility at which Brown builds track inspectors, heavy-duty track inspectors, material handlers and custom rail equipment. Its material handlers have crane lift capacities from 4,500 to 16,000 pounds, and boom lengths ranging from 22 to 30 feet. Custom crane trucks can lift up to 138,000 pounds with boom lengths of 140 feet.

“It was great to tour Brown Industries and hear first-hand from folks about their priorities so that I ensure they are my priorities,” said Rep. Jenkins. “Small businesses like Brown Industries and so many others in the rail industry world are part of the lifeblood of Kansas and American economies. I am proud to champion their cause in Washington through items like my Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act legislation promoting the 45G tax credit. I will continue to fight to ensure that these rail industry businesses have the opportunities they need to grow and compete in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”

Attendees thanked Rep. Jenkins for her leadership regarding an extension of the 45G tax credit, which leverages private sector investment in rail infrastructure by providing a tax credit of 50 cents for every dollar spent on track improvements. The congresswoman introduced the Short Line Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act of 2015, also known as H.R. 721, in February. The bill already has more than 50 percent co-sponsorship in the House with 247 co-sponsors. H.R. 721 would extend section 45G of the tax code which expired at the end of last year.
 

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