Updated 8:22 p.m. CT March 12, 2023
On Wednesday, March 1, Landus team members provided Union Pacific senior leadership with a tour of the Boone location to see Landus’ first loading of a Union Pacific shuttle on and showcase the new blueprints that outline the future bulk storage being built for chemical and fertilizer.
Union Pacific representatives present included Marketing and Operations Kenny Rocker, EVP Marketing & Sales; Laura Heisterkamp, AVP Grain & Grain Products; Tami Johnson, General Director Unit Train Solutions; Nick Smick, General Director Unit Train Solutions; and Ryan Raess, General Director Marketing & Sales.
Landus representatives in attendance were Jon Setterdahl, Products & Services Leader; Matt Brown, Business Unit Leader; Dustin Weiner, Grain Merchandising Lead; Brandon Finke, Animal Nutrition Lead; and Jay Sturtz, Boone Hub Lead.
During this tour, representatives of both parties engaged in constructive discussions focused on the importance of competitive rates, access to more markets, and joint growth plans. Using the Ralston location as an example, members of the Landus team also conveyed the importance of train ETA accuracy and its effect on labor and quality of life for employees.
Being the only Iowa agribusiness with access to seven different railroads, Landus is committed to putting these priorities into action and bettering its railroad business practices. A step Landus is taking is loading our first Union Pacific shuttle! To do this in front of Union Pacific leadership is a symbolic gesture of the future partnership between the two organizations.
Reliability and price-competitive market access are the most important aspects of Landus partnerships. That’s especially true in the case of Landus relationships with its railroad partners. This past year, reliability has been poor. This has been well-documented in the press and got so bad that the Surface Transportation Board had to get involved to monitor weekly metrics demonstrating improvement. Landus looks for service to become much more reliable in the next few months.
