Texas Shippers Honored for Safety

BRG’s $9,000 donation to Point Isabel Independent School District in honor of nine “safe” shipper will provide clothing and school supplies for local students and families impacted by Laguna Heights tornado, according to OmniTRAX. BRG President Shariff Gonnella, pictured fourth from left; Norma Torres, retired BRG leader, pictured sixth from right. (Photograph Courtesy of OmniTRAX)

Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway, LLC (BRG), a managed affiliate of OmniTRAX, has presented a $9,000 donation to the Point Isabel Independent School District (ISD) in honor of nine shippers demonstrating a commitment to safety.

The nine shippers—ABC Gulf Coast Terminal LLC, Bluewing Midstream LLC, Brownsville Gulfside Warehouse, Brownsville Mineral Warehouse, Firebird Bulk Carriers Inc., Interlube Corporation, Motus Energy LLC, TEXAS KLM LLC, and Valero—were BRG’s recipients of the 2022 OmniTRAX Safe Shipper Award. “Each year, the BRG acknowledges companies that exemplify rail safety by handling sensitive and hazardous materials with no accidental releases while moving in and out of the Port of Brownsville during the previous year,” Denver, Colo.-based OmniTRAX, the transportation affiliate of The Broe Group, reported Aug. 14. “To underscore our mutual commitment to community safety, the annual Safe Shipper Awards honor BRG’s shipping partners who embody shipping excellence. These companies that achieve [a] flawless shipping record are recognized with a BRG donation to a local community partner in their honor.”

The 45-mile BRG provides exclusive rail transportation to all facilities located within the 40,000-acre Brownsville Navigation District at the Port of Brownsville, located at the southern tip of Texas. Traffic includes steel, agricultural products, food products and general commodities. With key cross-border interchanges with Union Pacific, BNSF and Canadian Pacific Kansas City, BRG is “a strategic import and export artery between the U.S. and Mexico,” according to OmniTRAX.

“Safety and service are the hallmarks of the BRG,” said BRG President Shariff Gonnella, who on Aug. 1 succeeded Norma Torres, a 2021 Railway Age Women in Rail honoree who retired. “We are deeply committed to the safety of our team, our customers and the communities we serve each day. The [May 13, 2023] Laguna Heights tornado has had a devastating impact on local students and families. As a father, I know there is no greater priority than caring for your children, and I feel deeply for each family struggling to recover from the damage. The BRG and our shipping partners are honored to help provide essential school supplies and clothing for the Point Isabel students.”

“Point Isabel ISD families living in the Laguna Heights area have suffered a great loss,” Point Isabel ISD Superintendent Terri Capistran said. “When a tornado hit our community, many of our students’ families were displaced when their homes were immensely damaged or completely destroyed. With families homeless and living in hotels, the contributions from local organizations such as BRG and the school district are providing meaningful support to help these families recover from the damage this tornado has done to our community.”