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JAMES R. BLAZE

 

Director Strategic Planning & Special Studies

________________________________________________________________________

 

Summary of Qualifications:

 

Diversified transportation background in both public and private industry.  Hands-on experience in implementing transportation privatization and joint ventures and mergers.  Wide range of assignments in strategic planning; public policy analysis; multiple-mode competitive analysis; business restructuring; senior management culture change; and marketing/operations analysis.  Public speaking assignments in Asia, Europe, South America, Canada and the US.  Guest lecturer at the US Merchant Marine Academy and Penn State's School of Logistics and Business.

 

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY:

 

1998 to present            ZETA-TECH Associates, Inc.

Director Strategic Planning & Special Studies

Post merger service monitoring reports for prospective clients.  Proposals for urban integration of multi-mode freight movements.  Cost allocation process using engineering measurements of competitive access or so called open access for rail freight services

 

1996-1998                   The Kingsley Group

Consultant

Merger and Acquisition assignments for several clients, include Norfolk Southern.

Provided field study support during winter period to help NS prepare the basis of an NS/CR operating plan, under conditions of a possible unfriendly takeover.

Prepared background reports for use by NS executives in solicitation of public support.  Prepared sections of the NS operating application to the federal regulatory agency (the STB).  Analyzed environmental consequences of the merger based on the NS operating plan.

Analysis of US/Mexican automotive distribution strategy in the emerging post privatization structure of the Mexican railways.  Examination of specific manufacturer's distribution processes if combined with an emerging Ford/NS network.


 

1975-1996                   Consolidated Rail Corporation  (Conrail)

Director, Strategic Analysis

Strategic market development and planning assignments for Office of Chairman.  Guided the preparation of Conrail's 1991 and 1994 Strategic Plans. Conrail benefited with a consistent record of improving financial performance between 1989 and 1996. Helped form Conrail’s first Logistics Program in 1991-92.

Privatization advice given to senior railroad managers and government leaders in Europe, Asia, Mexico, and South America.

 

Responsible for Conrail’s Contract Service Branch Line Program: 1976-1979

 

1975-76                       Conrail Merger Activation Team

Project Manager charged with implementing day-one Conrail operations.

 

1974-75            United States Railway Association (a US Govt. Agency)

Manager responsible for State technical liaison and public policy. White Paper on public ownership of the Northeast Corridor passenger line.

 

1968-74                       Illinois Department of Transportation

Managed transportation demand and capital programs for Chicago area.  Reports covered highways, mass transit, aviation, and rail freight issues.  Recommended policies significantly altered plans for $4 billion of government investment.  Chicago work papers on urban freight movement in the early 1970's were a prototype for the current LA/Alameda Corridor Project.   CATS freight studies managed became one of just two prototypes of subsequent FHWA Urban Goods Movement studies now done in the nineties by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs).

 

EDUCATION:

 

1989                            Advanced Management Program, Penn State University

 

1972                            Best Practices: European Public Transportation

 

1968                            M.A. Geography (Transportation and Economics), University of Chicago.  Thesis: Potential for Containerization: Chicago & the St. Lawrence Seaway.  Forecast of commercial impact as Seaway general cargo was subjected to emerging intermodal forces.  Seaway was built to satisfy other business objectives.  Paper concluded that Seaway container trade would be subjected to emerging rail competition via the US East Coast.

 

1966                            B.A. Magna cum Laude Liberal Arts, St. Anselm's College, Manchester, NH

 

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:

 

Chairman Automated Logistics Corp.  Dallas, TX.

Jointly owned held by several railroads and a steamship company, this was an AMTECH technology based company that specialized in software to sort and communicate location tracking information.  The company developed specialized software programs for these tracking applications.  Included were terminal (yard) programs for monitoring hazardous material shipments, and programs for monitoring car cycle times along strategic routes.  The company was closed when it became evident that competitive forces among the owners would not allow sufficient expansion of the reader network.

 

Board of Directors, Transportation Research Forum (TRF)

President of Philadelphia Chapter in early 1990’s

 

Member Economic Regulation Committee, Transportation Research Board (TRB) 

 

Chairman, Exclusive Bus Lane Project, HRB – National Academy of Science  (1970)

 

Chairman, Urban Goods Movement Committee, Highway Research Board, 1971-74

 

MAJOR PRIVATE REPORTS & PUBLICATIONS:

 

ZETA-TECH Associates, Inc.

 

Shippers and the Conrail Transaction:  You Need a Contingency Plan,  New England Trade & Transport Conference,  Newport RI, April 1998

 

The Conrail Transition: Getting Ready for Intermodal Changes between 1998 & 2003, NYC Transportation Research Forum, June 1998

 

If Competitive Rail Access becomes Public Policy in the US, How to Objectively Figure the True Costs,  Agriculture Transportation Coalition, San Francisco, June 1998

 

What Intermodal Really Means, Traffic World,  June 15, 1998, pg. 15

 

“Winners and Losers”,  Rail Merger Intelligence Newsletter, Frank Wilner, June 15, 1998

 

Kingsley Group

NS Application to Acquire Conrail (1996-97)

CSX and NS Environmental Assessment based on Volume & Route Density Changes

- Field Studies of Consolidation Opportunities during hostile bid process

- Public Affairs and Government Affairs representation and documentation

 

Conrail

Strength and Weaknesses of Conrail’s Strategic Plan(s)

-      Private counsel for President & Chairman (1992-95)

 

Southern Pacific Acquisition Strategy:

- Government & Public Affairs representation and documentation (1995)

 

Conrail Strategic Merger Analysis  (1983-1995)

- More than 18 detailed merger simulations about Conrail options

-         Presentations to senior Conrail officers

 

Lessons from Conrail Commercialization and Later Privatization: “From $350 million in losses to more than $700 million in operating profits: THE Benchmark”

- Novosibirsk, Russia, 1992

- Hong Kong Rail Conference, 1993

- Sao Paulo, Brazil, (BAH) 1995

 

Conrail Role in Logistics as a service to its rail customers (1991-94)

 

International Strategic Market Plan submitted to Senior Conrail officers

-         Conrail North Atlantic International Business Plan ( NVOCC Basis), (1993)

-         Based on strategic marketing survey of more than thirty large customers

-         $ 600 million in potential revenues as a new Sales/Marketing strategy

 

AEI electronic tracking business process report given to Senior Conrail officers

-         Resulted in investment in ALC, a multiple carrier tracking business (1990-95)

-         Private rail car tracking business;  private terminal monitoring; using automatic identification technology to help rail customers monitor inventory

 

Global Rail Privatization Opportunities

-         Presentations and counsel to variety of international officials

-         Courtesy lectures to visiting foreign delegations

-         Investment analysis as potential Conrail portfolio diversification

-         Provided business support to Booz-Allen, Mercer Management, Pepper Hamilton Law and others  involved in overseas consultant projects  (1992-96)

 

Conrail Southern Tier NY State Report: History-Issues-Options (1989)

-       White paper with tactic review and recommended new strategy options

 

Indiana Harbor Belt Report (1987-88)

- Conrail options for improving strategic value of this terminal property

 

Pennsylvania Truck Lines (PTL) Business Study

-       Strategy options and prospects for this intermodal terminal operator

 

Due Diligence

-       Support of Conrail initial public sale (1984-87)

 

Who Would Buy Conrail and Why?

-       Report to Chairman of the Board, Stanley Crane, (1983)

 

Arbitration Study of operations and marketing in Buffalo region

- Report for Law Department; arbitration with USRA & D&H,  (1982)

 

Conrail System Maps, Rand McNally,  1979-86)

 

Report to Congress:  Options for Conrail  (1980)

- Research of a stand-alone Conrail versus a CR Auction & split-up

 

Conrail Strategic Business Plans (Annual: 1976 – 1980)

-         Plant Rationalization studies; drive for efficiency; specific line costing

-         Strategy for contract services

 

Conrail Light Density Line Contract Service: Contract Terms and Creation

-         Negotiated and managed $ 65 million service

-         Eliminated cross subsidy of unprofitable freight services

-         Continued “essential public services” on a contracted basis

-         Resulting operation equaled the overall size of three of the US’s largest regional railroads at that time (B&M, MC, and P&LE)

-         Provided a mechanism for four year re-engineering of light traffic issues

-         First extended use of contracting; previewed later Staggers Act methods

 

United States Railway Association (Federal Government Agency)

Final System Plan, USRA (Washington, DC: 1975)

- Prepared key energy marketing section; assisted with local operations plans

 

Lake Erie Port Redevelopment Plan

-         Ashtabula Ore and Coal redevelopment and sale (1975)

-         Allowed Conrail managers to focus on “core competencies”

 

Project (Energy) Independence & Relevance to the Conrail Plan, (1974)

-  Conrail financials could not depend upon projected Govt. coal forecasts

 

Chicago Area Transportation Study (MPO of Region)

Strategy Options for Rail Reorganization: Sec. of Illinois DOT,  (1973-74)

 

Value of Rail Real Estate as Rail Freight Service is Transformed, CATS

 

Conversion of Chicago Cross-town Expressway to an Exclusive Truck-Way

- Special report to Sec. Ill. DOT,  (1973)

 

Atlas of Regional Freight Facilities  (1971-72)

1:24000 scale map series of all transport modes

 

Motor Vehicle Traffic Survey,  ‘Commodity Flow Survey Design’, 1972

Origin/Destination freight survey as input to intermodal and truck trip generation models and highway connector studies

 

Compendium of Freight Terminals and Services: Chicago Region (1971)

1st comprehensive measurement of private and public freight investments

 

O’Hare Airport: Alternative Rail Transit Access

- Special study for City of Chicago Dept. Of Public Works, (1968)




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