Florida Rail Company Expands to Northwest Indiana
Tanker truck washing is one of the services provided at the facility. (photo courtesy Patriot Rail Co.)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFlorida-based Patriot Rail Co. LLC has acquired the assets and former location of East Chicago-based United Transportation Group in East Chicago. While financial details were not disclosed, the company says the facility, now known as Lakeshore Railcar Services, allows for possible future expansion.
Patriot Rail worked with Merrillville-based industrial real estate firm Commercial Advantage Inc. to complete the acquisition. The firm says the newly-upgraded facility provides a number of services, including rail tank car and tanker truck washes, transloading, truck/trailer mechanical repair, hazardous material testing and wastewater treatment services.
Commercial Advantage says a collaborative effort from the Northwest Indiana Forum and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. allowed Patriot Rail to clear several key hurdles, especially environmental concerns.
"Lakeshore Railcar Services has different processes than the previous owners of the property performed. So, they needed the environmental permits modified," said Don Wagener, vice president of Commercial Advantage. "If it wasn’t for the accurate information we received from the NWI Forum, who connected us with the right people at the IEDC, IDEM, and EPA, this project might not have moved forward as well as it did."
Patriot Rail says the facility also includes 12 acres of undeveloped land which can be used for future development. That expansion could create 20-30 jobs over the next 2-3 years.