Ed M
December 6th, 2005, 12:51 AM
Effective today, TFM, S.A. de C.V. has been renamed "Kansas City Southern de
México, S.A. de C.V." Here is the press release in English:
__________________________
KCS Renames Mexican Railroad "Kansas City Southern de México, S.A. de C.V.",
Announces Restructuring of Management; Changes Bring Closer Coordination between
U.S. and Mexican Companies and Improved Operations and Customer Service
Kansas City, Mo., December 5, 2005 - Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU)
today announced that it has changed the name of its Mexican subsidiary, TFM,
S.A. de C.V., to "Kansas City Southern de México, S.A. de C.V." (KCSM). KCS also
announced that it is combining the management of certain marketing and support
services for its U.S. and Mexican railroads, as well as other management changes
at KCSM.
The new name communicates to various audiences the common ownership and seamless marketing of services on both sides of, and across, the U.S.-Mexican border. It
also communicates KCS' pride in its Mexican railroad and its commitment to
Mexico.
By combining the management of marketing and support services, KCS will promote
close coordination between the U.S. and Mexican operations as the company moves
forward on the significant international opportunities made possible by the
recent full acquisition of KCSM.
The integration of many of the marketing and support services for U.S. and
Mexican operations has already begun. In November 2005, KCS announced the
appointment of Richard M. Zuza, senior vice president of international
purchasing and materials, who is responsible for purchasing for the entire KCS
enterprise. The intermodal and automotive sales and marketing functions of The
Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR) and KCSM have been combined and will
be led by Michael J. Smith, vice president sales and marketing intermodal and
automotive business unit. The new combined group will focus on longer-haul and
cross-border traffic. Likewise, vice president and chief information officer
Scott E. Arvidson will lead the information technology function for both KCSR
and KCSM. KCS plans to implement its Management Control System (MCS) at KCSM
sometime next year, fully integrating the two railroads' operating platforms.
Other marketing and support services will be combined over the next month. Each
of these steps will enable KCS to realize better efficiency and ensure a
coordinated approach on cross-border opportunities.
Additional management changes to improve KCSM's operations will be implemented
upon the departure of KCSM's current chief executive officer Javier Rión. Mr.
Rión will depart from KCSM within the next three months. KCS will file a Form
8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding Mr. Rion's
departure. KCSM intends to begin a search for a new president who will report
directly to its board of directors.
As part of this restructuring, Manuel Zulaica Lopez, KCSM director of
operations, will have direct responsibility to the KCSM board of directors. He
will continue to lead the KCSM train operations department headquartered in
Monterrey, Mexico.
"In the months since KCS acquired full ownership of KCSM, we have steadily
sharpened our focus on day-to-day operations and customer service. Javier Rión
has assisted us greatly during our transition and helped us address a number of
management challenges," said Michael R. Haverty, KCS chairman, president and
chief executive officer. "We intend to keep management of train operations of
KCSM in Monterrey with Mexican management, but we also want to realize the
benefits of integration in marketing, information technology, purchasing and
other areas. The new management structure announced today will help us realize
our vision of a seamless transportation company serving the growing markets
between Mexico and the U.S.," said Haverty. Haverty is the chairman of the KCSM
board and will remain in that capacity going forward.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., KCS is a transportation holding company that
has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary U.S.
holdings include KCSR and Texas Mexican Railway Company, serving the central and
south central U.S. Its international holdings include KCSM, serving northeastern
and central Mexico and the port cities of Lázaro Cárdenas, Tampico and Veracruz,
and a 50% interest in Panama Canal Railway Company, providing ocean-to-ocean
freight and passenger service along the Panama Canal. KCS' North American rail
holdings and strategic alliances are primary components of a NAFTA Railway
system, linking the commercial and industrial centers of the U.S., Canada and
Mexico.
You can see the new logo here:
http://www.tfm.com.mx/
Regards
México, S.A. de C.V." Here is the press release in English:
__________________________
KCS Renames Mexican Railroad "Kansas City Southern de México, S.A. de C.V.",
Announces Restructuring of Management; Changes Bring Closer Coordination between
U.S. and Mexican Companies and Improved Operations and Customer Service
Kansas City, Mo., December 5, 2005 - Kansas City Southern (KCS) (NYSE: KSU)
today announced that it has changed the name of its Mexican subsidiary, TFM,
S.A. de C.V., to "Kansas City Southern de México, S.A. de C.V." (KCSM). KCS also
announced that it is combining the management of certain marketing and support
services for its U.S. and Mexican railroads, as well as other management changes
at KCSM.
The new name communicates to various audiences the common ownership and seamless marketing of services on both sides of, and across, the U.S.-Mexican border. It
also communicates KCS' pride in its Mexican railroad and its commitment to
Mexico.
By combining the management of marketing and support services, KCS will promote
close coordination between the U.S. and Mexican operations as the company moves
forward on the significant international opportunities made possible by the
recent full acquisition of KCSM.
The integration of many of the marketing and support services for U.S. and
Mexican operations has already begun. In November 2005, KCS announced the
appointment of Richard M. Zuza, senior vice president of international
purchasing and materials, who is responsible for purchasing for the entire KCS
enterprise. The intermodal and automotive sales and marketing functions of The
Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR) and KCSM have been combined and will
be led by Michael J. Smith, vice president sales and marketing intermodal and
automotive business unit. The new combined group will focus on longer-haul and
cross-border traffic. Likewise, vice president and chief information officer
Scott E. Arvidson will lead the information technology function for both KCSR
and KCSM. KCS plans to implement its Management Control System (MCS) at KCSM
sometime next year, fully integrating the two railroads' operating platforms.
Other marketing and support services will be combined over the next month. Each
of these steps will enable KCS to realize better efficiency and ensure a
coordinated approach on cross-border opportunities.
Additional management changes to improve KCSM's operations will be implemented
upon the departure of KCSM's current chief executive officer Javier Rión. Mr.
Rión will depart from KCSM within the next three months. KCS will file a Form
8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding Mr. Rion's
departure. KCSM intends to begin a search for a new president who will report
directly to its board of directors.
As part of this restructuring, Manuel Zulaica Lopez, KCSM director of
operations, will have direct responsibility to the KCSM board of directors. He
will continue to lead the KCSM train operations department headquartered in
Monterrey, Mexico.
"In the months since KCS acquired full ownership of KCSM, we have steadily
sharpened our focus on day-to-day operations and customer service. Javier Rión
has assisted us greatly during our transition and helped us address a number of
management challenges," said Michael R. Haverty, KCS chairman, president and
chief executive officer. "We intend to keep management of train operations of
KCSM in Monterrey with Mexican management, but we also want to realize the
benefits of integration in marketing, information technology, purchasing and
other areas. The new management structure announced today will help us realize
our vision of a seamless transportation company serving the growing markets
between Mexico and the U.S.," said Haverty. Haverty is the chairman of the KCSM
board and will remain in that capacity going forward.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., KCS is a transportation holding company that
has railroad investments in the U.S., Mexico and Panama. Its primary U.S.
holdings include KCSR and Texas Mexican Railway Company, serving the central and
south central U.S. Its international holdings include KCSM, serving northeastern
and central Mexico and the port cities of Lázaro Cárdenas, Tampico and Veracruz,
and a 50% interest in Panama Canal Railway Company, providing ocean-to-ocean
freight and passenger service along the Panama Canal. KCS' North American rail
holdings and strategic alliances are primary components of a NAFTA Railway
system, linking the commercial and industrial centers of the U.S., Canada and
Mexico.
You can see the new logo here:
http://www.tfm.com.mx/
Regards