ADS Logistics’, Gustafson, Elected President of Midwest Association of Rail Shippers

HOMEWOOD, Ill. - Gordon Gustafson of ADS Logistics, LLC (ADS) has been elected President of the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS). Gustafson is the Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer for ADS, the leading North American provider of integrated supply chain solutions to the metals industry.

MARS’ objective is to provide an open forum for resolving rail transportation and car supply issues, coupled with programs designed to educate and inform the membership in areas of railroad operating practices, new innovations in transportation and legislative matters. Matters affecting reliable rail service are of high importance, and MARS members find the twice per year meetings featuring top quality speakers on timely regional and national rail issues to be of benefit.

The meetings are held in January and July, with the next summer meeting scheduled for July 16 and 17 in Delavan, Wisconsin. The recently concluded January Annual Meeting featured Mr. James Hertwig, President CSX Intermodal, as the luncheon speaker and was attended by over 200 combined MARS and Traffic Club of Chicago members. Also elected at the recent Annual Meeting were 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents Frank Meidl of the Union Pacific Railroad and Craig Longardner of Steel Dynamics, respectively.

“I’ve been a member since 1979 and have always found the speakers and topics to be timely issues delivered by industry experts,” commented Gustafson. “MARS is a catalyst for identifying and resolving industry issues and providing tools that benefit members in their job performance. I look forward during my term to contributing to MARS continued success.”

MARS (www.railshippers.com), one of five regional North American (Canada, Mexico and the United States) associations linked under the North American Rail Shippers umbrella, is headquartered in the Chicago area. Membership is comprised of individuals whose companies own and use rail service, and come from the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.