Consolidated Terminals and Logistics Co.

𝗠𝗚 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲

MG Rail has once again earned the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (𝗔𝗦𝗟𝗥𝗥𝗔) 𝗝𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 – 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, recognizing 𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱. To receive a Jake Award, railroads must outperform the Class II and III industry average injury frequency rate reported by the FRA.

Being among a record‑breaking 371 ASLRRA member railroads to earn this highest distinction reflects the consistency, care, and teamwork of everyone at MG Rail.

As ASLRRA President Chuck Baker shared, “What stands out this year is that the average industry injury frequency rate has declined once again, raising the bar even higher for earning a Jake Award… Zero is remarkable!”

Learn more about MG Rail: https://mgrail.com/

Read the full release from ASLRRA:https://www.aslrra.org/aslrra/document-server/?cfp=/aslrra/assets/File/public/news/2026/aslrra-jakes-safety-award-program-breaks-records-for-second-consecutive-year.pdf

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮

The inland waterways may be out of sight for many, but they play a vital role in everyday life and in supporting a strong U.S. economy. Ensuring they remain reliable takes steady leadership and ongoing engagement — which is why being in Washington matters.

Recently, our SVP, Lance Rase, joined the Waterways Council, Inc. in DC to participate in conversations around the future of the inland waterways system, particularly as much of the infrastructure continues to age. Today, the vast majority of locks are beyond their original design life, increasing the need for thoughtful planning and investment.

The discussions focused on a few key themes:
• 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Commercial operators are the only users who contribute directly to the waterways trust fund, even though dams and locks serve many public and private benefits—from flood protection to water supply. Aligning funding responsibilities is an important part of long-term sustainability.
• 𝗣𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: Significant dollars are already available for waterways projects. Using those funds efficiently can help address critical repairs and reduce future costs.
• 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Maintaining a balanced funding approach helps prevent unnecessary cost increases and reduces the risk of shifting freight to already crowded roads and rail systems.

Why this matters: 𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗼 move through the inland waterways each year, including a large share of U.S. grain exports. The system’s reliability supports supply chains, communities, and the broader economy.

Proud of Lance’s leadership and grateful for partners like WCI who continue to engage constructively on the policies that keep America’s infrastructure working.

On December 11, CGB Marine and Cooper Consolidated once again joined the inland maritime community as major sponsors of the 25𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 luncheon. This event is an annual celebration of the people who keep America’s waterways moving. With a record-setting 600 attendees, the energy in the room was palpable and spoke volumes about the strength and unity of our industry.

Together, we helped raise an incredible $535,000 to support The Seamen's Church Institute. This is North America’s largest and most comprehensive mariner and seafarer service agency, providing chaplaincy, crisis response, advocacy, safety, and mariner training for our inland waterways sector. Every year, SCI chaplains visit more than 2,000 vessels, offering a lifeline of care and comfort for those who spend their lives on the water.

This year’s River Bell Award honored George Leavell, CEO of Wepfer Group, LLC — a leader whose hands-on approach and advocacy have strengthened inland waterways for decades. Wepfer is a trusted partner at multiple CGB locations on the Lower Mississippi River — from handling our boat needs for operations, to assisting in fleeting, mid-streaming, and more. We celebrate George Leavell being honored for his leadership and positive impact on the maritime community.

We’d like to especially recognize CGB’s Lance Rase, whose dedication to the River Bell planning committee reflects his deep commitment to the well-being of our maritime community. His efforts help make this event a success year after year.

“Events like River Bell reaffirm the unity of our maritime community and the vital role the Seamen’s Church Institute plays in supporting mariners and seafaring communities, and the shared mission that binds our maritime family together,” states Lance Rase. “The River Bell Awards are one way we can give back to the people who make this industry possible. These mariners sacrifice so much every day, it’s about showing up and letting them know that they’re never alone.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the Seamen’s Church Institute, visit www.seamenschurch.org
Pictured left to right: Mitch Whelan, Lance Rase, Allen Tappan, Brandon Wallace, Dave Simpson, Eric Slater, David Hillard, Mark Cruse, Joe Olin, Josh Esper.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 Waterways Council, Inc.'s 𝟮𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘂𝗺!

Serving as a leading forum for the maritime and logistics industries, the symposium brings experts together to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping America’s inland waterway system.

Chris Blanchard and Charlie Gottbrath of Cooper Consolidated were in attendance and participated in these important conversations.

This event provided valuable insights, from global market trends and economic pressures to long‑term strategies for strengthening the resilience of our inland waterways. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also shared important updates on efforts to modernize infrastructure, improve drought resilience, and advance federal investment initiatives.

Together, these efforts support goods moving reliably across our waterways and reinforce our commitment to a safe, efficient, and competitive network for the communities we serve.

As we celebrate this holiday season, we extend our sincere gratitude to our customers, partners, and vendors for your trust and collaboration throughout 2025.

CTLC wishes you a joyful holiday season and a successful start to 2026!

CTLC is incredibly proud of our team members who rose to the challenge and braved single-digit and subzero temperatures to ensure production continued smoothly. Thank you to everyone who stepped up and made a difference!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone here at CTLC.

We are grateful for all our customers and vendors in 2024, and look forward to the year ahead!

CTLC is keeping the lights on one transformer at a time!

With strategic locations throughout the Mississippi River inland waterway system, CTLC is always a stone's throw away from your next project. CTLC's terminal in Aurora, IN recently provided a customer with rail spur and operating space to directly transfer this transformer from a depressed railcar to a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT). By utilizing this location, this customer minimized their over-the-road distance - saving time and money.

CTLC has the flexibility to offer our customers a wide array of services to support their evolving needs.

Please reach out to our team for more information at [email protected]!

This spring, the CTLC project cargo team had the privilege of working with a valued customer to deliver 8x stainless steel tanks from Wisconsin to Alabama. CTLC managed the loading/unloading of hopper barges, marine logistics services, and everything in between to ensure that these tanks made it safely to their destination. In total there were two separate barge voyages, each hauling 4x tanks per barge. Each voyage covered 1,044 miles across three different river segments. Thanks to all of our trusted partners involved in this project for making sure these tanks were delivered on time and within budget.

We want to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable 4th of July - a day to celebrate our freedom and commemorate the heroes and their families who serve.🇺🇲