CEO PERSPECTIVE, RAILWAY AGE APRIL 2025 ISSUE: R.J. Corman is unique; we have some of the most talented people in the industry with a can-do spirit that has defined us since day one. If something can be done, the team at R. J. Corman will find a way to do it. This is the spirit we work to nurture daily throughout every level of our organization.
IKEA’s founder, Ingvar Kamprad, said: “The feeling of having finished something is an effective sleeping pill … A company that feels that it has reached its goal will quickly stagnate and lose its vitality … We will move ahead only by constantly asking ourselves how what we are doing today can be done better tomorrow.” I like this quote. We strive for perfection each day but must settle for excellence. We know that tomorrow provides an opportunity for us to build on what we accomplished today.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as is the definition of success. We are focused on defining success through the eyes of our clients. The “R. J. Corman way” is listening to our clients’ wants and needs and leveraging our team members’ talents to deliver a result the client has defined. This helps us create long-term partnerships and win-win relationships. The approach we take for our external clients is the same as the approach we take with our internal clients, the R. J. Corman team members. We seek the best possible solution for their needs. Our success as a company begins with the success of each team member. This focus and level of communication are crucial for team members’ personal growth and for our companies. It is essential to listen to the voices of those in the field and for management to effectively communicate the vision and strategic plan to those team members.
We all know the railroad industry is a capital-intensive industry. It occurred to us that we have not historically celebrated our capital maintenance spend at the local level. The fact that we are spending millions of dollars on vehicles, heavy equipment, rolling stock, locomotives, ties, rail, etc. should be celebrated, and the team members that are going to utilize the new or replacement tools should know it is a vote of confidence in them and the business. This reinvestment helps us grow, fulfill our goals, and support our clients while providing our colleagues with the right tools to get the job done.
Also, to better support our team members, we transformed our HR operations into a dedicated business partner model, which has revolutionized employee support across our network. In this streamlined system, employees from each operating company now have a single point of contact for all HR needs, ranging from conflict resolution to payroll inquiries, benefits administration, leadership development, and employee training and coaching.
This strategic shift has led to measurable improvements in response times and employee satisfaction. Instead of navigating multiple departments, employees can address their concerns through their designated HR business partner, who understands their company and the unique operational context of their division. The model’s scalability has been particularly valuable as our organization grows, allowing us to maintain consistent service quality while expanding our workforce.
This model applies also to our finance team. Our accounting business partners understand the specific needs of each organization, each division and ultimately each team member. This discovery methodology is focused on “finance” NOT using finance language. Rather, “finance” must ask about the variables in the equation that yields the financial results. These variables are really the KPIs that drive the business. Words are important but listening and understanding is critical. This strategic shift drives an entirely different conversation and has resulted in ongoing efficiency gains and improved service delivery across the company.
We continually prioritize our clients’ needs (starting with our internal customers), and that is how we grow. How do we achieve this? By saying yes. Every day our team members are empowered to think about how we can offer our clients the best solutions to their issues.
Communication is the foundation of our success. By listening to our clients, our team members pave the way for continued growth and success. Let us embrace the spirit of collaboration and innovation, constantly striving to improve each day.
