Businessweek

The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. operates as a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of railroad freight car equipment in North America and Europe. The company is also a manufacturer and marketer of ocean-going marine barges in North America, as well as a provider of wheel services, railcar refurbishment and parts, leasing, and other services to the railroad and related transportation industries in North America. Segments The company operates through three segments: Manufacturing; Wheel Services, Refurbishment & Parts; and Leasing & Services. MANUFACTURING This segment includes North American railcar manufacturing; European railcar manufacturing; and marine vessel fabrication activities. North American Railcar Manufacturing The company manufactures a range of railcar types in North America, which includes various railcar types other than coal cars. Its primary products for the North American market include: Intermodal Railcars: The company manufactures a range of intermodal railcars. Its primary intermodal product is its articulated double-stack railcar. The double-stack railcar is designed to transport containers stacked two-high on a single platform. An articulated double-stack railcar includes approximately five platforms each of which is linked by a common set of wheels and axles. Its line of articulated and non-articulated double-stack intermodal railcars offers varying load capacities and configurations. The double-stack railcar provides operating and capital savings through other types of intermodal railcars. Conventional Railcars: The company produces a range of boxcars, which are used in the transport of forest products, automotive, perishables, general merchandise, and commodities. It also produces various covered hopper cars for the grain, energy, sand, and cement industries, as well as gondolas for the steel and metals markets, and various other conventional railcar types, including its proprietary Auto-Max car. Its flat car products include center partition cars for the forest products industry, bulkhead flat cars, flat cars for automotive transportation, and solid waste service flat cars. Tank Cars: The company produces various tank cars that are designed for the transportation of products, such as caustic soda, urea ammonium nitrate, vegetable oils, bio-diesel, ethanol, and various other products for the North American market. European Railcar Manufacturing The company’s European manufacturing operation produces various railcar (wagon) types, including a line of pressurized tank cars for liquid petroleum gas, and ammonia and non-pressurized tank cars for light oil, chemicals, and other products. In addition, the company produces flat cars, coil cars for the steel and metals market, coal cars for both the continental European and the United Kingdom markets, gondolas, sliding wall cars, and automobile transporter cars. Marine Vessel Fabrication The company’s Portland, Oregon manufacturing facility, located on a deep-water port on the Willamette River, includes marine vessel fabrication capabilities. The United States (U.S.) coastwise law, referred to as the Jones Act, requires commercial vessels transporting merchandise between ports in the U.S. to be built, owned, operated, and manned by the U.S. citizens and to be registered under the U.S. flag. The company manufactures a range of Jones Act ocean-going and river barges for transporting merchandise between ports within the U.S., including conventional deck barges, double-hull tank barges, railcar/deck barges, barges for aggregates, and other heavy industrial products and dump barges. WHEEL SERVICES, REFURBISHMENT & PARTS This segment includes wheel services, railcar repair, refurbishment, and component parts manufacturing activities. Wheel Services, Railcar Repair, Refurbishment, and Component Parts Manufacturing The company operates an independent wheel services, repair, refurbishment, and component parts network in North America, operating in 39 locations. Its wheel shops, operating in 12 locations, provide wheel services, including reconditioning of wheels, axles, and roller bearings in addition to new axle