Cold Train shipments increase six-fold

QUINCY - A refrigerated train car service launched from the Port of Quincy in April just boosted its weekly shipments from 10 loads to 60 loads.

"We've come a long way from 10 loads a week," said Chris Mnichowski, co-owner of Rail Logistics/Cold Train.

He provided an update about the business during the Port of Quincy's Rural Economic Development Summit recently.

Mnichowski said they will have to add a new piece of equipment called the reach stacker, to be better equipped to move product onto the train.

Moving forward, the company is looking at expanding service into the Atlanta, Florida and New York markets.

They expect to start offering service to Florida beginning in the third quarter of 2011.

Currently, service is offered in Quincy to the Port of Chicago, and on to Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin.

In Quincy, the business created about 20 jobs, including directly employed workers and subcontractors.

Mnichowski explained how products are going in opposite directions, with frozen waffles being shipped from Chicago to Quincy while products move from Quincy to Chicago.

Mnichowski asked the group to let them know what products they have going east and what raw materials are needed to generate their businesses.

From a growth perspective, he also asked how they could attract a light manufacturer into the Columbia Basin.

He also touched on the company's history.

Rail Logistics/Cold Train was the first company to build refrigerated containers for domestic use, with the ability to double-stack.

The company also has the ability to pull dry freight.

He talked about how a drop in Class A truck sales was good for the cold train program and what they're doing intermodally.

With the downturn in the economy, everybody focused on refrigerated transportation because everybody has to eat, he noted.

"That's the phrase you have to hear from everybody," he said. "‘I have to put food on the table. Where's the food coming from?' That's one of the reasons for us looking at this space."

Year over year growth in temperature-controlled products in the truck sector was 9.5 percent in May 2009.

In the second quarter of 2010, there was 8.4 percent growth.

Mnichowski addressed the state of the economy.

Everyone he talks to, from economists at the Bank of Montreal to Commerce Bank in Kansas City and Union National Bank, is not hearing robust signs of activity.

Rail Logistics/Cold Train enjoyed a good year in 2010, as compared to 2009.

"2009 was not a good year," he commented.

But they knew they needed to continue to be in this space and grow this program, Mnichowski added.