Please welcome our 2021 Summer Intern, Benjamin Kravets! Benjamin is currently interning with our Information Technology department. Learn a little more about Benjamin in our mini interview with him below!
I live in Pennsylvania about 2 hours southeast of Pittsburgh with my parents and one of my brothers (I have another brother; he teaches in Ohio).
We are excited to have our 2021 Summer interns at Holland! Please give a warm welcome to Colton DeJong who is interning with our marketing and sales departments. Read our mini interview with Colton below!
I transferred to Purdue University West Lafayette after one year of going to school at Dordt University for my first year.
We're proud to have our very own Sabri Cakdi give details on our newest locomotive-based autonomous system and more in the June 2021 issue of Railway Age. In the article “Precision Measuring”, Sabri described this system by saying, "We don't make any structural changes to the locomotive - there's no welding or drilling”.
This autonomous system is just one of the ways Holland is providing their customers with accessible data of their track.
To read this article and more, click the link below to access the full June issue of Railway Age.
It is an undisputed fact that regular, meaningful conversations can make a difference in our industry and help our colleagues. This is why harm prevention charities – the TrackSAFE Foundation and R U OK?- teamed up in 2014 to create the annual initiative, Rail R U OK? Day, to encourage conversations between rail staff. Holland participated in the annual R U OK? Day on April 29, 2021. This year’s Rail R U OK? Day focused on helping everyone in the rail industry know what to say when a workmate says they’re not OK and guide them through how they can follow that train on thought and have a conversation that could change a life.
With a worldwide pandemic happening over the past year, the Railroad industry has seen a great decline in in-person events. However, Australia has done a great job of keeping COVID cases at a minimum, and Holland was able to safely participate in the Australia Railway Association’s Heavy Haul event in Perth, Western Australia.
Runway rail replacement can be an expensive project. For any organization, there are multiple conditions that must be considered such as the impact on cranes, structures, and their operations as well as effects it may have on the product quality. Luckily, Holland offers electric flash-butt welding services for crane rail repairs for rail sizes ranging from 60 to 175 pounds per yard. Holland has been performing flash-butt welds since the mid-1980s and continues to prove that it is the most durable and reliable currently available.
Happy Engineer's Week! We sat down with Kevin Mann, one of Holland's Mechanical Design Engineers to learn a little more about him and the work he does for Holland. Kevin works within our Research and Development team to help develop new products and services to provide for our partners and customers.
What did you originally want to be when you grew up?
A baseball player. Go White Sox!
Where did you go to college and what led you there?
I graduated from Iowa State University in the fall of 2014. I chose my adventure at ISU for its top-notch engineering program, to tailgate BIG12 football games and because “Cyclone” by Baby Bash and T-Pain was top of the charts.
We’re excited to announce that the first Holland in-track, Intelliweld® flash-butt welder has arrived at our Australian HQ in Perth! The newest and most advanced MobileWelder® in Australia, AMW 980, was built by the skilled team of engineers and machinists in our 56388m2 Lean manufacturing facility in Chicagoland and is ready for our partners at Aries Rail to complete assemble or in-track use.
On November 4th, Holland participated in CARS Annual National Railway Day and Tradeshow. This year, we participated in the conference online. Over 150 guests were registered for this event, including attendees from CN, CP, and VIA Rail.
As part of the National Railway Day and Tradeshow, we were offered the opportunity to present at the Innovation Zone. The Innovation Zone is a platform for member companies to present their innovative products, services, and technologies. Paul Lindemulder, Senior Director of Product Development for Corporate R & D, hosted an information session on Holland’s Laser Welder technology.
On behalf of Holland LP, we would like to thank everyone that has attended online conferences this year. Thank you for stopping by our virtual booth, checking out our material, and connecting with our team.
This year has been challenging for everyone in the industry, and here at Holland, we are dedicated to staying connected but also physically distant. With that being said, we are working hard as ever to make sure our materials and our team are still easily accessible for anyone wanting to connect with us.
We are pleased to announce that Holland’s very own General Manager of Rail Services, Rob Rosencrans, has been appointed to the REMSA Board of Directors.
REMSA is governed by a seven-member volunteer board of directors comprised of regional hospital leadership as well as other regional professionals including an attorney, a CPA, and community member. REMSA has strong oversight from the Board of Directors, the Washoe County District Board of Health, the EMS Advisory Board, and the State of Nevada EMS Division.
Holland is proud to have manufactured the latest rail train in partnership with LB Foster. This rail train is officially in service and on its way to Fort Stockton, Texas! Holland’s team of sales, purchasing, engineering, support groups and manufacturing experience designed and built this 6 tier, 60 pocket rail train.
At 1600 ft. in length, this rail train consists of a single tie down assembly, hydraulic ramp assemblies and blast doors at each end. The two-car unloading unit is capable of unloading 90-141 lb rail strings two at a time.
We’re so thrilled to announce that Holland LP has been chosen for Progressive Railroading’s Readers Choice Awards for 2020!
This program recognizes products that best meet the industry's needs as selected by subscribers of Progressive Railroading. These awards feature products, systems, and technologies in the following categories: C&S Products, Innovative Products, Mechanical Products, MOW Products, New Products, and Technology Products.
Holland is proud to have been chosen for the “New Products” category for our latest innovation, the LaserWelder.
For more information on this award as well as the other winners, click here.
Meet the last of our 2020 summer interns, James Dourdourekas! James is interning within our RMSS Engineering group working with our Argus Testing Technology.
James is currently enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign in Champaign, IL, where he is pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Minor in Computer Science. He is currently on the Dean’s list for the College of Engineering and is expected to graduate in May of 2021.
We asked James to tell us a little bit about himself and this is what he had to share!
Happy July! We're so excited to introduce to you another Holland Summer intern. Meet Nicole Lynch! She is currently interning within our Accounting department. We asked Nicole to share a little bit about herself and here's what she had to share.
We're excited to introduce to you another Holland Summer intern! Yasaswi Boyapati is interning within our Rail Measurement Systems and Services (RMSS) Engineering department. We asked Yasaswi to tell us a little bit about himself and his average day as an intern. Here's what he shared!
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I am Yasaswi Boyapati, born in India. I’m pursuing my master's degree in Information Sciences at the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign. Though there are different pathways in my program, I’ve always been interested in Data Science. I’ve completed my Undergrad in Computer Science and Engineering. I’m a foodie and like to explore new cuisines. I follow NBA and F1 actively.
Our summer interns have started! Although they are working from home and things are a little different than they usually would be, we still wanted to give them a spotlight to welcome them aboard! Please welcome Shardenay to the Holland family, who is working as an intern within our Human Resources Department. We asked Shardenay to tell us a little bit about herself and what her average day looks like. Here's what she shared!
Washington, DC, June 4, 2020 – The League of Railway Women (LRW) has appointed Anne Schlegel, JD, Senior Contracts Manager, Holland, L.P., to the membership chair position..Holland l.P. is an LRW Silver Corporate Partner.
As membership chair, Anne will be responsible for leading the individual and corporate partnership programs.
“We are very excited to welcome Anne ino her new role,” said LRW President Amanda Trainor Patrick. “Connecting and cultivating women in rail is our commitment to our membership and industry. We are inspired by the vision and experience these industry leaders will share with our board and we look forward to their contributions to the organization.”
Holland LP continues to break ground in Australia by completing their very first flash-butt weld.
Beginning in 2019, Holland has been making their move overseas to Australia. There have been many steps that needed to be taken to make this transition, including shipping our flash-butt welding equipment over to Australia. Last month, Holland's equipment made its move to Australia, which then needed to be unpacked and geared to start working. Now, we have completed our first flash-butt weld, which is a milestone in our move to Australia.
April 30th is Rail R U OK? Day. Holland has taken part in this industry-wide mental health initiative to emphasize the importance of helping co workers who seem to be having a rough time.
At Holland LP, family is one of our core values. We display this value by being extremely close with our team members and respectful to anyone we encounter. We know more than anyone the everyday struggles that our team members face, and we would be the first ones to know of any life changes or big events in their life. By simply asking R U OK? an opportunity opens for a coworker to feel supported and, possibly, save their life.
Exciting progress is being made in Australia as Holland's equipment makes its landing.
Holland is very excited to make their debut in Australia. Employees Kevin Piefer and Brian Boutwell have been working hard to establish grounds overseas, and now Holland's equipment has just touched down as well. Between startup procedures, equiptment verification and final shakedown (wiring checks, router installation, antenna installation, leaks and drips cleanup), the equipment is now ensured to perform with excellence and safety.
We are pleased to announce the addition of Gary Mang to our Holland Sales Team. Reporting to our National Sales Manager Maggie Vuono, Gary will be joining us as our new Regional Sales Manager for the Northeastern portion of the United States. In this role, he will be responsible for managing and maintaining this territory to represent all Holland divisions and all our Maintenance of Way products, including: Welding (Flash-Butt & Thermite), Track Testing Services, Track Maintenance and Construction Services, as well as Equipment Sales.
History in the making! Holland Lp has delivered, for the first time, its state-of-the-art Intelliweld Flash-Butt Welding Control System and supporting equipment to the Australian market. With the tireless effort of our engineers and technical staff as well as the help of our friends and partners at Aries Rail, our latest technology will be tested and showcased in Perth, Western Australia.
The Intelliweld Flash-Butt welding control system is new to the market, with over 250,000,000 welds per year and a 98% up time. Equipped with low consumption weld capability, real-time weld monitoring and real time automated data collection, the Intelliweld is the latest and greatest in welding technology. Holland is offering full-service Flash Butt Welding operational management and support to Australia, with best-in-class Flash Butt Welding experts set to train the Australian workforce.
Holland LP is closely monitoring the developing situation concerning the Coronavirus COVID-19. The federal governments of the United States and Canada have deemed railroads to be an essential service, and an integral part of our nations’ business. As a railroad contractor and supplier, Holland is prepared to meet our customer needs and requirements during this time.
On March 19, 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency ("CISA"), issued a Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers. During COVID-19 Response, designating businesses that support the transportation industry, such as Holland, essential. All rail supply operations, including critical manufacturing, repair, and maintenance of rail equipment and infrastructure, are vital in mounting an effective response to the current pandemic.
Holland LP is closely monitoring the developing situation concerning the Coronavirus COVID-19. Guided by our core values of family, respect, partnership and integrity, the health of our team members across all our locations and job sites, along with that of our customers and industry partners is our top priority at this time.
Along with our owners, Curran Group, we have spent the last several weeks preparing for how the virus may impact our employees, customers, partners, and communities in which we do business. Our fixed locations and job sites are adhering to the latest updated guidelines provided by the United States White House Coronavirus Task Force, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
On Wednesday, March 4th, industry professionals met in Washington D.C. for the annual Railroad Day on Capitol Hill. This event allows the United States Congress to be privy to issues surrounding the Railroad industry, and what changes can be made to further improve.
Holland employees who attended Railroad Day met specifically with Illinois State Delegates at their Hill appointments. With this, we were able to take matters into our own hands and put our concerns to the forefront of Congress’s decision making.
We look forward to seeing some major improvements in 2020!
For engineer's week we sat down with one of Holland's amazing engineers that help us with a variety of projects throughout the company. Ben Byma has been with Holland since 2013 and works within our equipment business unit.
What did you originally want to be when you grew up?
I think I hit the whole gamut of childhood career aspirations at one point or another—astronaut, fireman, athlete, rock star, superhero, etc.
We sat down with Justin Faanes, Holland's Argus Product Owner, to dive deep into his engineering background and what led him to Holland for Engineers Week 2020!
What did you originally want to be when you grew up?
A lot of things! One I distinctly remember though was an archeologist. My grandfather took me to a natural history museum growing up that really left an impression. Getting to see and feel fossils that were otherworldly and the thought that more could be right underneath my feet was really compelling!
Every year, team leaders from each Holland Department get together to discuss highs and lows of the previous years, and the ways in which improvements can be made in the year to come.
Presentations and breakout meetings followed by company dinners and team bonding exercises are just a few of the events that took place at this week-long learning session called Holland University.
Kicking off the New Year comes NRC's annual convention in San Diego. Maggie Vuono, Holland's National Sales Manager, has been asked to speak on a panel for the League of Railway Women once again.The topic of this year's NRC discussion panel is "Superwomen: Breaking Barriers and Biases." Maggie will be joined by Beverly Bailey of Stronghold Engineering and Amanda Bewley of Knife River Corporation on January 6, 2-4pm local time.
We're so honored to have Holland's very own Taisha Poulin featured as REMSA's (Railway Engineering-Maintenance Suppliers Association) December Member-of-the-Month! Taisha started with us this year, but she's not new to the industry! After spending the last 2 years at the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers handling their Membership Services and Events, she then joined our sales team as the Key Account Manager for Eastern Canada.
In her interview with REMSA, she sys, "The Railroads may have been known to carry the 'Old Boys Club' title in the past, but I have to say it doesn’t feel that way. I work with amazing people, men and women who are hard -working, intelligent and share the love for the industry."
You can read more of Taisha's interview and subscribe to the Mainline newsletter from REMSA by visiting remsa.org
Holland’s very own Paul Lindemulder is set to present on “The Development of Manganese Steel Laser Additive Welding as a Means of Special Trackwork Repair” at this year’s AusRAIL Conference.
Paul’s topic of presentation is on one of Holland’s newest technologies – the LaserWelder™. The laser welding service includes pre-weld material removal using plasma cutting and robotically controlled hot wire laser cladding welding to build back the damaged area on a frog repair. This service is proven to be more efficient than traditional frog repairs, cutting work time nearly in half and significantly lowering the chance of repeat damages in the future.
September 22nd - 25th was filled with fun at Railway Interchange in Minneapolis, MN! The show debuted some of Holland's latest innovations as well as featured some of our very own rail experts. Our indoor booth was bustling as we shared information on our new Gage Inspector, Rail Car Products, Sparkless Carbide Saw, and Manufacturing Capabilities.
We also featured techncial sessions on various products and softwares that help our customers make the best decisions for maintenance of way projects.
Maggie Vuono, Holland's National Sales Manager, spoke at the League of Railway Women (LRW) Panel at this year's Railway Interchange in Minneapolis, MN. Maggie was joined by four members of the LRW for the panel; Lisa Tuningley of T-RAIL Products Inc., Kate Suprenuk of Union Tank Car Company, Pam Arpin of Canadian Pacific, and Shannon Emberly of Canadian National. Panelists spoke on strategies for achieving a highly impactful career as a woman in the rail industry.
We're so excited to now offer Hang-On Geometry Systems for your track testing needs. Holland's Gauge Inspector offers real-time gage measurement and is usable under any conventional hi-rail vehicle with any size trailer hitch. These are designed to be low cost, low power, and lightweight.
This product was recently unveiled at this year's Railway Interchange. You can find an interview on the Gauge Inspector with RT&S Magazine and Russ Newberg (Holland's Director of Operations for Rail Measurement Systems and Services) here.
We're in full swing preparing for Railway Interchange in Minneapolis, MN! This show from Sunday, September 22nd through Tuesday, September 24th will be full of new innovations for all to see.
Holland's indoor booth (Booth # 2650) will feature:
We're so proud to announce our latest partnership with Custom Truck One Source! Holland's newest 650-series contract testing vehicle was built by Custom Truck One Source and will be featured at their outdoor booth at this year's Railway Interchange. You can view this build up close in outdoor booth # 203.
The 650 Series provides track geometry and rail profile measurement data along with track strength information from our patented lightweight load axle in a medium duty package. This versatile testing vehicle has the flexibility you need to get a comprehensive assessment of your track condition to keep your track up and running safely and efficiently
Runway rail replacement can be an expensive project. For any organization there are multiple conditions that must be considered such as impact on cranes, structures and their operations as well as effects it may have on the product quality. Luckily, Holland offers electric flash-butt welding services for crane rail repairs for rail sizes ranging from 60 to 175 pounds per yard. Holland has been performing flash-butt welds since the mid 1980s and continues to prove that it is the most durable and reliable currently available.
Join Maggie and three other distinguised woman as they discuss their roles of leadership in the rail industry, key leadership traits and strategies, as well as resources and opportunities that they have used along the way. This League of Railway Women panel will be taking place at this year's Railway Interchange on Monday, September 23rd at 10:00 AM.
Founded in 1997, the League of Railway Women (LRW) is committed to improving the railroad industry by connecting and cultivating women in rail. You can find more information about this organization at railwaywomen.org
Panel: When Women Lead – Reflection & Strategy for Achieving a Highly Impactful Career
Monday, September 23rd 10:00 AM
We're so proud to introduce our latest innovation to add onto our sparkless service offerings. Holland's LaserWelderTM creates a new standard for safer, longer lasting repairs.
Traditional repairs to frogs often only last weeks to six months before requiring additional maintenance. Holland's LaserWelderTM service includes pre-weld material removal using plasma cutting and robotically controlled hot wire laser cladding welding to build back the damaged area.
This process provides improved welding through lower heat input, on parent material, maintaining temperatures below 500 degrees. The resulting repair is higher quality, longer lasting and can be completed two to three times faster than a traditional repair weld. This helps reduce costs and maintenance time, keeping your track up and running.
We would like to congratulate our Holland Transportation Technology business unit for officially reaching 1000 days injury free! This is a tremendous safety milestone and we're so proud of this accomplishment. Thank you to the HoTT team for working with safety in mind always!
Holland’s HoTT business unit provides a variety of specialized rail car products to ensure your cargo arrives at its destination safely and undamaged. Our rail car products secure containers, safeguard automobiles, or protect lading against shifting en route. These products include bridge plates, cable and chain securements, container locks, and more.
On July 8th, 2019, Holland attended the 127th Annual Damage Prevention and Freight Claims Conference (AAR) in Omaha, Nebraska.
Holland’s very own Chris Roberts had the delight of speaking about the Multi-Purpose Chain Assembly Success Story at the show.Chris discussed how gathering input from various industries helped to create a chain made for flat car flexibility.
Joining Chris at the AAR convention was four other members of Holland’s HoTT (Holland Transportation Technologies) team. The HoTT team supplies specialized rail car products that ensure your cargo arrives at its destination safely and undamaged. With safety as their top priority, the HoTT teams takes pride in the fact that they are on their sixth year of no recordable injury.
Gauge Face Angle is becoming an increasingly important measurement in the railway industry, particularly on rail transit systems. The shutdown of a transit system in the Eastern US after a derailment in which high gauge face angle was recorded has brought the measurement to the attention of transit systems across the country
Gauge face angle (GFA) is an angle measured at the contact point of the wheel flange and the
gauge face of the rail, typically 5/8 inch below the top of rail. It is derived by fitting a straight line to
a restricted region of the gauge face of the rail. The region is bounded by two user-defined points,
one, typically about 2 mm above the gauge point and one about 2 mm below the gauge point. The
GFA is the angle in degrees that this line makes with a vertical line, defined by reference to
track level.
Committed to creating a culture of safety at Holland, we are proud to announce our latest project with the Village of Crete, IL to promote rail safety throughout our community. Painted sidewalk signs at high pedestrian traffic points now offer a permanent warning to community members who are crossing the railroad tracks by foot.
According to FRA Statistics, there were 1,050 pedestrian rail trespass casualties in 2018, and Illinois is ranked fifth with 44 last year alone. The goal of these sidewalk signs is to urge the community to cross the railroad tracks only where it is marked at a crossing and to “Stop, Look, and Listen” before crossing the tracks.
Holland is so excited to be a part of the first ever Crete Rail Safety Day!
Join us on July 12th from 1 - 3 PM to learn about trains and rail safety with special guests Operation Lifesaver and the Midwest Rail Rangers.
Holland is proud to announce its latest railway innovation: The Sparkless Carbide Saw. Railways all over the world will now be able to increase their efficiency safely with the ability to destress rail while cutting spark free.
Holland’s Director of New Product Development, Paul Lindemulder, described the multiple safety and risk management improvements to field operations saying, “Using carbide tipped steel blades, rotating at low RPMs, provides spark and dust free cutting of rail. Spark free cutting reduces the risk of fires started on the job that can result in significant loss. Dust and fumes are eliminated compared to abrasive saw cutting that can be a breathing hazard.” These features make the saw ideal for bridge and tunnel work, as well as work in high fire risk areas.
Holland is proud to announce that they have received the 2018 Contractor Safety Award courtesy of Railway Track and Structures and Commercial Insurance Association. Holland is so proud of this accomplishment that shows the entire company’s commitment to safety.
The award was given to Holland during the 2019 National Railroad Construction (NRC) Conference in Marco Island Florida. Mike O’Grady, Holland’s Chief Operating Officer, graciously accepted the award on behalf of Holland at the conference.
Holland is proud to announce that its Transportation Technology (HoTT) business unit celebrated its second consecutive year with zero recordable injuries on November 9, 2018. We are so proud of this accomplishment that embodies not only the unit’s but the entire company’s commitment to building a culture of safety.
Holland’s HoTT products are for the majority produced at the manufacturing facility in Kenova, West Virginia. “The entire Kenova team has done an excellent job of leading and incorporating safety into daily operations resulting in a positively growing safety record of 2 years with no recordable injuries” said David Wright, Holland’s Safety Director.
Randy Haberman, Vice President of Holland’s Equipment Division continued saying, “Our company culture thrives around safety, so it’s a great accomplishment to see our business units hitting these safety milestones. We’re very proud of the entire HoTT team for taking safety as seriously as they do.”
We are excited to welcome Rob Rosencrans who joins Holland LP as the General Manager of Holland Turnkey Engineering & Construction (HTEC). Rob will be responsible for the safety, strategy, product development and daily operation of the business unit. In this role, Rob will propel Holland to its next level of growth by working closely with customers, sales and all supporting divisions to continue to provide exceptional track maintenance and services including new track construction, repair welding, turnout and surfacing work, cut and slide work, and crossing installation, just to name a few.
Holland is proud to announce that its Railway Measurement Systems and Services (RMSS) business unit celebrated its fifth consecutive year with zero recordable injuries on February 18, 2018. This is a tremendous accomplishment that embodies not only the unit’s but the entire company’s commitment to building a culture of safety.
“Five years injury free is incredible given the challenging environment we operate in,” noted Jordan Wolf, President. He continued to recognize the commitment and continued effort demonstrated by RMSS’ achievement of this milestone saying, “they really lead the way and provide inspiration to the rest of the company and myself. If they can achieve such a tremendous goal, we all can.” Holland’s 2020 Safety goal is to achieve zero injuries across all business units.
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