KBS
Grain Valley, Mo.-based KBS on Sept. 4 reported achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification, which it described as a “globally recognized standard for quality management systems.” The certification, valid through 2028, covers all the company’s major engineering, project management, operations and service sites across North America. KBS said that under the ISO framework, it is required to “monitor customer needs, address issues transparently, and drive ongoing refinement—keeping quality and responsiveness embedded in everyday operations.” Annual independent surveillance audits will be conducted to confirm compliance, according to the company, which supplies end-to-end wayside and onboard conventional signaling Control, Command, and Signaling (CCS) platforms and systems.
This is the first ISO 9001 recognition under the KBS name, following the company’s 2024 transition from Alstom Signaling North America into the Knorr-Bremse Rail Division. “While many KBS employees have long worked within ISO-certified systems, achieving the certificate as a stand-alone company required extensive effort to streamline, scale, and update processes for KBS’s current size and portfolio,” according to the company.
“When customers see ISO 9001 certification, they know they are working with an organization whose processes have been validated by a third party to meet demanding international standards,” KBS Quality and Safety Director Jay Kochman said. “It confirms the stability of our operations, the strength of our processes, and our ongoing commitment to meeting and exceeding customer expectations.”
“Achieving ISO 9001 demanded a full transformation of our quality management system,” added Michael Bupp, QMS Manager at KBS. “We transitioned from being part of a much larger, global framework to a stand-alone system designed for KB Signaling’s portfolio and scale. The process strengthened our documentation, streamlined methods, and reinforced a culture of continuous improvement—giving us a more agile and responsive foundation to serve our customers.”
Further Reading:
- One Year of KB Signaling
- New from KB Signaling: Rail TempEst™
- KB Signaling Launches IXC-R20™
- KB Signaling Showcases QuEST™ Rail Software-Based LCP at Railway Interchange 2025
- KB Signaling Expands WSDMM
NARS / ZA
Fort Worth, Tex.-based NARS on Sept. 4 reported “a strategic combination” with Brandon, Miss.-based ZA to form what it called “the leading provider of railroad-related design, maintenance, repair, construction, and other support services in the U.S. and Canada.”
ZA was founded in 2010 as a provider of outsourced rail support services to the U.S. Class I, short line, and industrial rail sector, according to NARS, which was established in 2021 following DFW Capital Partners’s acquisition of American Track. Like American Track, ZA will be a subsidiary of NARS. Among NARS’s other subsidiaries: Universal Rail Systems, North American Rail Products, and Tri Innovations.
“We are looking forward to partnering with [ZA Founder] Zach [Ainsworth] and the whole ZA team, who have built a great American business doing critically important work to keep the nation’s Class I and short line railroads operating safely and efficiently,” said Tom Lucario, President and CEO of NARS, which serves a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, petrochemical, mining, agricultural products, food and beverage, basic raw materials, ports, transload facilities, transit, and Class I and short line railroads. “We are confident that we can bring strategic direction, valuable capital, shared services and other support to help ZA continue to grow into the leading player in its markets.”
“I am excited about this combination with NARS, which will allow ZA to continue to service our important Class I, short line, and industrial customers, while benefiting from the resources and North American reach of a much larger company,” Zachary Ainsworth noted. “I look forward to being part of the NARS team and expanding the customer base, capabilities and value proposition of the combined business.”
In related news, NARS recently acquired Rapid Track. It also appointed Doug Severidt as Procurement Director and Wyatt Cox as General Counsel.
Wabtec
Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Wabtec on Sept. 4 reported that it was “Proud Partner” of the Pittsburgh Steelers, an NFL franchise that has 21 million fans across the nation. In this capacity, the company’s branding and interactive displays will be visible at the football team’s Acrisure Stadium throughout the season. Wabtec will serve as the presenting sponsor of the Steelers’ weekly “Power Play”—a content series deployed across the team’s social media channels, and is said to have the third-highest social following among all 32 NFL clubs—to highlight a “standout moment” from every game.
“With a shared commitment of forging the next generation of innovators,” Wabtec reported that it will also be a Co-Presenting Partner of Steelers STEM. This program is said to empower students across Western Pennsylvania to explore the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on experiences—from interactive online programming to in-person events. According to Wabtec, this program has impacted more than 24,000 students across the region since 2019.
Additionally, Wabtec will act as a Supporting Partner of the SteelHERS Social, an annual spring event that takes place at Acrisure Stadium. An extension of the Steelers’ Women of Steel initiative, this platform launched in 2023 “to celebrate, connect, and empower the team’s female fanbase,” according to Wabtec.
The partnership officially launches at the Steelers’ home opener on Sept. 14, 2025, with additional activations and community programs rolling out throughout the season, Wabtec reported.
“Partnering with the Pittsburgh Steelers is a natural extension of our deep roots in this region,” said Gautham Appaya, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of Wabtec. “Together, we celebrate Pittsburgh’s proud legacy of innovation, adaptability, teamwork, and resilience—qualities that define both our organizations.”
“We’re excited to welcome Wabtec to the Steelers family,” commented Ryan Huzjak, Senior Vice President of Business Operations for the Steelers. “This partnership unites two historic Pittsburgh-born organizations that are recognized across the globe.”
Editor’s Note: Wabtec’s relationship with Railway Age goes back more than 150 years. George Westinghouse (1846-1914), among whose signature inventions was the automatic air brake, actually introduced his revolutionary device publicly in the magazine, having brought a model of it to our Chicago offices in 1869. He obtained a patent for it in 1873. In 1886, Railway Age was the first technical publication to use color on advertising pages, for the Westinghouse Air Brake Company.
