Midwest Association of Rail Shippers to convene next January

The Chicago-based Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) will host its annual Winter Meeting on Jan. 9-11, 2024, in Lombard, Illinois, at the Westin Chicago Lombard hotel. The theme for the meeting is “The 100th Anniversary of MARS,” in honor of the group’s centennial.

The organization, which brings together freight rail shippers including recyclers of ferrous and nonferrous scrap and recovered paper, says its January meeting will feature experts discussing their perspectives on the issues and trends currently impacting freight rail operations and shipping.

“North American railroads are in a strong position to support the safety, environmental and supply chain efficiency goals of today’s shippers,” MARS President Kathy Bathurst says. “We’ll start the second century of MARS meetings by looking ahead to those opportunities.”

At the event, MARS will offer networking opportunities and presentations from people with key positions in the freight rail sector.

Companies represented include: Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, CSX, Norfolk Southern Railway and Union Pacific from the Class I railroad sector; KBX Rail, Trinity Rail Group LLC, GATX Corp., ABH Consulting and Bunge North America from the logistics and freight support sector; and the Association of American Railroads, which will be represented by President and CEO Ian Jefferies.

The MARS scholarship program also will be highlighted and its Young Professionals chapter will have a networking opportunity. The second day of the meeting will include the election of 2024 officers and executive committee members.  

More information about the MARS Winter Meeting and how to register can be found here.