Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business.
General
Trinity Industries, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (“Trinity,” “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) own businesses that are leading providers of railcar products and services in North America. We market our railcar products and services under the trade name TrinityRail ® . The TrinityRail platform provides railcar leasing and management services; railcar manufacturing, maintenance and modifications; and other railcar logistics products and services.
Trinity was incorporated in 1933 and became a Delaware corporation in 1987. We are headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and our principal executive offices are located at 14221 N. Dallas Parkway, Suite 1100, Dallas, TX 75254-2957. Our telephone number is 214-631-4420, and our Internet website address is www.trin.net .
Unless otherwise stated, any reference to income statement items in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the "Form 10-K") refers to results from continuing operations.
Reportable Segments
We report our operating results in two reportable segments.
Reportable Segments
Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group
Rail Products Group
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Business Overview and Current Business Strategy
Our purpose is delivering goods for the good of all by being a premier provider of railcar products and services. We operate industry-leading railcar leasing, manufacturing, and services businesses, providing a single source for comprehensive rail transportation solutions and services in North America. Our objective is to deliver attractive leased railcar portfolio returns and outstanding customer experiences by providing high quality, innovative products and services. We continuously grow and enhance our product and service offerings to optimize the ownership and use of railcars and improve our customers' logistics operations. We coordinate sales and marketing activities under the TrinityRail platform, thereby providing a single point of contact for railroads, shippers, and third-party leasing companies seeking rail equipment and services. Our rail platform offers a complete portfolio of railcar solutions to our customers as summarized below:
Commercial End Markets & Commodities
Refined Products & Chemicals Energy Agriculture Construction & Metals Consumer Products
Covered Hopper Cars Plastics Industrial Sand Grain Products, Dry Fertilizer, Flour, Starch Cement, Construction Materials, Lumber
Open Hopper & Gondola Cars Coal Scrap Metal, Aggregates, Finished Steel
Other Freight Cars Other Chemicals Food Products Lumber, Steel and Metals, Cement Autos, Paper, Intermodal
Non-Pressure Tank Cars Chemicals, Petroleum Products Crude Oil, Biofuels Food Products, Grain Products Aggregates
(Clay Slurry)
Pressure Tank Cars Liquified Gases, Chemicals, Petroleum Products Fertilizer
Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group . Our Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group ("Leasing Group") is a leading provider in North America of comprehensive railcar industry services. Through wholly-owned subsidiaries, including Trinity Industries Leasing Company ("TILC"), and partially-owned subsidiaries, TRIP Rail Holdings LLC (“TRIP Holdings”) and RIV 2013 Rail Holdings LLC ("RIV 2013"), we primarily offer operating leases for freight and tank railcars.
In addition, TILC originates and manages railcar leases for third-party investors and provides fleet maintenance and management services to industrial shippers. Our affiliations with third-party investor-owned funds, through strategic railcar alliances and the formation of railcar investment vehicles, combined with TILC's fleet maintenance and management services capabilities, complement our leasing business by generating stable fee income, strengthening customer relationships, and enhancing the view of TrinityRail as a leading provider of railcar products and services.
We believe we are a leader in the rail industry digital transformation by providing digital and terminal management services designed to increase the efficiency and visibility of the supply chain, while leveraging data, insights, and analytics to make decisions that improve operations and reduce costs.
The railcars in our lease fleet are leased to industrial shippers and railroads. These companies operate in various markets including refined products and chemicals, energy, agriculture, construction and metals, and consumer products. Substantially all of the railcars in our lease fleet were manufactured by our Rail Products Group. The terms of our railcar leases generally provide for fixed monthly rentals that vary from one to ten years. We compete in the North American full-service leasing market primarily against five major railcar lessors, as well as numerous smaller lessors. We serve our customers predominantly through full-service leases and compete primarily on the basis of the quality and craftsmanship of our railcars, competitive pricing, and our ability to provide an outstanding customer experience.
As of December 31, 2023, the lease fleet of our subsidiaries included 109,295 railcars that were 97.5% utilized, of which 106,800 railcars were owned by TILC or its affiliates and 2,495 railcars were under leased-in arrangements and are not reflected in the property, plant, and equipment amounts reported on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Railcars under management, including those owned by third-party investors, totaled 142,300 railcars.
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Lease Fleet Diversification
The following charts provide additional information with respect to the number of railcars in the Company's lease fleet.
(1) Data presented in this chart includes wholly-owned railcars, partially-owned railcars, and railcars under leased-in arrangements, which totaled 109,295 railcars as of December 31, 2023.
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Rail Products Group . Through wholly-owned subsidiaries with facilities in the U.S. and Mexico, our Rail Products Group is a leading manufa cturer of freight and tank railcars in North America used for transporting a wide variety of liquids, gases, and dry cargo. Additionally, our Rail Products Group offers a sustainable railcar conversion program whereby certain tank cars and freight cars are converted or upgraded to better meet changing market demands. We believe our Rail Products Group's diversified manufacturing capabilities enable us to capitalize on changing industry trends and developing opportunities in various markets.
We offer a full range of services to support the maintenance needs of our leased railcar fleet and our customers' railcars. Our flexible solutions include field inspections and comprehensive compliance testing; standard repairs and maintenance; and specialized cleaning, inspection, and testing at multiple facilities in the U.S. Additionally, we provide modification capabilities and assist in transitioning railcars to new industry standards. Our parts business provides complementary rail-related offerings, including manufacturing and distributing new, refurbished, and replacement parts. We believe that our investments in our maintenance services and parts and components businesses extend and enhance our ability to serve our lease fleet and our customers.
Our customers include railroads, leasing companies, and industrial shippers of products in various markets, such as refined products and chemicals, energy, agriculture, construction and metals, and consumer products. We compete in the North American market primarily against four major railcar manufacturers and numerous maintenance services providers.
We hold patents of varying duration for use in our manufacture of railcars and components. We believe patents offer a marketing advantage in certain circumstances. No material revenues are received from the licensing of these patents.
Marketing.
We sell or lease substantially all of our products and services through our own sales personnel operating from offices in multiple U.S. locations, as well as Canada and Mexico. We also use independent sales representatives on a limited basis.
Raw Materials and Suppliers.
Railcar Specialty Components and Steel. Products manufactured at our railcar manufacturing facilities require a significant supply of raw materials, such as steel, as well as numerous specialty components, such as brakes, wheels, heads, side frames, bolsters, and bearings. The input costs for materials, including raw steel, specialty components, and other parts and coatings purchased from third parties, represent, on average, more than 70% of the cost of most railcars. Although the number of alternative suppliers of specialty components has declined in recent years, at least two suppliers continue to produce most components.
The principal material used in railcar manufacturing is steel. During 2023, the supply of steel was sufficient to support our manufacturing requirements. Steel prices are subject to volatility and are a major component of our cost of revenues. We typically use contract-specific purchasing practices, existing supplier commitments, contractual price escalation provisions, and other arrangements with our customers to reduce the impact of plate and coil steel price volatility on our operating profit. However, volatility in steel prices impacts the cost of certain railcar components, and higher steel prices could reduce demand for new railcars. As a result of disruptions in the global supply chain, we have continued to experience shortages of materials used to manufacture or repair certain railcar types, as well as disruptions in the transportation network, which has impacted our ability to timely deliver these railcars to our customers. While we believe these challenges will be resolved over time, they may persist over the foreseeable future, which could continue to impact our operations. We will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate steps within our control to mitigate the potential impacts on our production schedules and delivery timelines.
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Human Capital.
The following table presents the approximate headcount breakdown of employees by reportable segment as of December 31, 2023:
Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group 290
Rail Products Group 8,540
Corporate and Enterprise Support 650
9,480
As of December 31, 2023, approximately 2,650 employees were employed in the U.S. and 6,830 were employed in Mexico. Additional information on our human capital programs and initiatives is included in our Corporate Social Responsibility Report, which is available on our website. Information contained on our website is not included in, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Safety. We are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all employees. We seek to protect the well-being of our employees through comprehensive health and safety policies and procedures that include the identification and mitigation of health and safety risks, operations management, health and safety training, emergency preparedness, performance auditing, program certification, and improvement targets. Our Occupational Health and Safety system includes robust protocols and procedures that extend to employees and suppliers. All of our railcar manufacturing and maintenance facilities, as well as our corporate headquarters, are certified to the ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety) and ISO 14001 (environmental management) standards. Additionally, we are a certified partner through the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care® Management System, which guides the continual improvement of our environmental, health, and safety practices and performance.
Workforce Talent and Diversity. We are committed to attracting and retaining highly skilled and diverse employees and are proud that our workforce is made up of talented people from a variety of backgrounds. This commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as a driver of our long-term success is one that we strive to uphold throughout the Company, including through all stages of our human resources process, from recruitment and hiring to talent retention.
We encourage and support employee resource and networking groups and other employee groups, which offer educational, professional development, and community service opportunities. We also provide focused training, mentoring, and employee development for specialized positions, such as plant managers, engineers, accountants, and more.
Through strategies such as our employee experience survey, our employee recognition program, and a comprehensive commitment to our core values, we are dedicated to building a healthy, engaging workplace where employees can thrive and do their best work. We pride ourselves on maintaining an active dialogue with our employees. We benchmark overall employee engagement with an annual cross-organization survey targeting metrics such as career growth and development, manager effectiveness, team dynamics, and more, and use the results of this survey to guide our efforts to improve the employee experience.
Human Rights. We are committed to respecting human rights throughout all our operations, and seek to provide respect, dignity, and all basic needs to employees and contractors. We are committed to promoting human rights and strive to ensure that the products and services provided by the Company and our third-party business partners are ethically sourced and do not breach human rights laws in countries in which they originate nor the internationally recognized human rights framed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the relevant sections of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
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Information about our Executive Officers.
The following table sets forth the names and ages of all of our executive officers, positions and offices presently held by them, and the year each person first became an officer. All officer terms expire in May 2024.
Name Age Office Officer
Since
E. Jean Savage 60 Chief Executive Officer and President 2020
Eric R. Marchetto 54 Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 2001
Scott M. Ewing 51 Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer 2020
Steven L. McDowell 62 Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer 2013
Gregory B. Mitchell 58 Executive Vice President, Leasing and Services 2007
Kevin Poet 57 Executive Vice President, Operations and Support Services 2020
Ms. Savage has served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and President since 2020, and has served as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors since 2018. Prior to her employment with the Company, from 2002 to 2020, she served in a variety of positions with Caterpillar, Inc. (“Caterpillar”), a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. From 2017 until her retirement from Caterpillar in 2020, she served as Vice President of Caterpillar’s Surface Mining and Technology Division. From 2014 to 2017, she was Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Caterpillar’s Innovation and Technology Development Division.
Mr. Marchetto has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2020. He served as Senior Vice President and Group President of TrinityRail from 2019 until his appointment as Chief Financial Officer. He served as the Chief Commercial Officer for the Company’s rail businesses from 2018 to 2019. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the Company’s rail businesses from 2016 to 2018, following service as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the rail businesses from 2012 to 2016. He joined the Company in 1995.
Mr. Ewing has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer since 2023, having previously served as Vice President and Associate General Counsel from 2020 to 2023. He joined the Company in 2016 as Associate General Counsel. Prior to joining Trinity, Mr. Ewing was an attorney with the law firm of Haynes and Boone, LLP from 2008 to 2015.
Mr. McDowell has served as Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer since 2018. He joined the Company in 2013 as Vice President and Chief Audit Executive and was named Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer in 2017. Prior to joining Trinity, he worked for Dean Foods from 2007 to 2013, where he held a variety of management positions and most recently served as Vice President, Internal Audit and Risk Management. Prior to his tenure at Dean Foods, he served as Vice President – Internal Audit at Centex Corporation.
Mr. Mitchell has served as Executive Vice President, Leasing and Services since January 2024. He served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer from 2020 to 2023, having served as Chief Commercial Officer of TrinityRail since 2019. In 2018, he was named Chairman of Trinity Highway Products and Trinity Logistics. Prior to joining Trinity in 2007, he served as an executive or in senior leadership in supply chain for companies such as Glazers Corporation, Gap Inc., and Wal-Mart.
Mr. Poet has served as Executive Vice President, Operations and Support Services since 2022, having previously served as Executive Vice President, Support Services since 2020. He joined Trinity in 2020 from Siemens AG, where from 2016 to 2019 he served in a variety of operational roles, including most recently as Vice President of Operations for Siemens Energy, Inc. From 2006 to 2016, he served in several operational roles of increasing responsibility for Ford Motor Company.
Commitment to Sustainability.
We recognize that further integrating the key principles of sustainability, including environmental stewardship, safety and quality assurance, corporate social responsibility, governance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, are important to enhancing the Company’s long-term value. We strive to employ company resources in ways that make positive contributions to our stakeholders and the communities in which we operate. As we pursue improvements to our products and services, we keep in mind the environmental and societal impacts of our decisions and work to protect natural resources and the environment for the benefit of current and future generations. We continuously look for ways to improve our governance practices with the goal of promoting the long-term interests of stakeholders, strengthening accountability, and inspiring trust.
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Environmental Stewardship. We take our commitment to reducing our own environmental impact seriously, as we recognize climate change is a challenge facing our business, industry, and communities today. We are committed to contributing to a more resource-efficient economy and embedding climate change mitigation into our business strategy to help confront challenges such as energy management, fuel economy and efficiency, and materials sourcing. We aim to operate our business in a manner that minimizes the impact on natural resources and the environment, and have certified all of our railcar manufacturing and maintenance facilities, as well as our corporate headquarters, to the ISO 14001 (environmental management) standard. We believe railcars are a more environmentally-friendly way to fuel the North American supply chain. U.S. freight railroads produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions than certain other modes of commercial transportation, such as trucks. We strive to responsibly support products' utility throughout their lifecycle, including maintenance to extend life, and recycling up to 95% of the railcar at the end of its useful life. Additionally, our sustainable railcar conversion program repurposes and reuses railcar materials and components to bring renewed life to existing assets.
Social Responsibility. We actively engage stakeholders across our environmental, health, and safety initiatives to continually improve processes and performance as we operate our businesses with a goal of zero injuries and incidents. This level of engagement and commitment is reflected in the ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety) certification of our railcar manufacturing and maintenance facilities, as well as our corporate headquarters. Our goal is to add value to the communities in which we live and work, strengthening our relationships and leveraging our partnerships to amplify our impact. We strive to attract and retain a diverse and empowered workforce. Our priorities include fostering an inclusive and collaborative workplace, promoting opportunities for professional development, improving the well-being of our employees and other stakeholders, and contributing to the communities in which we operate.
Governance . Our goal is to promote the long-term interests of stakeholders, strengthen accountability, and inspire trust. We have focused our governance practices to promote best-in-class leadership, diversity, independence, and stockholder-aligned incentive practices at the most senior levels. Our Board of Directors includes an independent Chairman and diverse and independent Board members who help ensure that our business strategies and programs, including our compensation program, are aligned with stakeholder interests. Our Board of Directors and senior management teams are also committed to the Company’s continued respect for human rights throughout all our operations. The Corporate Governance and Directors Nominating Committee of our Board oversees (i) the process and preparation of the Company's Corporate Social Responsibility Report and (ii) the actions and steps taken towards the Company's environmental, social, and governance goals. The Finance and Risk Committee receives and oversees environmental, health and safety reporting and has the responsibility to review and assess risk exposure related to the Company's operations, including safety, environmental, financial, contingent liabilities, and other risks material to the Company. The Audit Committee oversees the Company’s policies and procedures relating to risk assessment, management, and mitigation, and the Human Resources Committee oversees diversity, equity, and inclusion priorities.
Green Financing Framework . As part of our sustainability efforts, TILC issued its Green Financing Framework in January 2021 supported by a second-party opinion from Sustainalytics, a Morningstar Company and a globally-recognized provider of environmental, social, and governance research, ratings, and data. The Green Financing Framework enhances the Company’s sustainability strategy by contributing to a more resource-efficient economy through the financing of railcar assets that contribute to reducing the overall environmental footprint of the transportation industry.
In accordance with the International Capital Market Association's Green Bond Principles, 2018 and the Loan Syndications and Trading Association's Green Loan Principles, 2020, TILC manages and reports on eligible projects and assets to existing debt holders. The Green Financing Framework enables Trinity’s leasing company to issue green financing instruments, including green non-recourse bonds and green loans, supported by green eligible railcar assets. Under the existing framework, TILC has over $4 billion of outstanding railcar-related debt that qualifies for the Green Financing designation.
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Governmental Regulation.
Railcar Industry. Our railcar and related manufacturing, maintenance services, and leasing businesses are regulated by multiple governmental regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("USEPA"); Transport Canada ("TC"); the U.S. Department of Transportation ("USDOT") and the administrative agencies it oversees, including the Federal Railroad Administration ("FRA"), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration ("PHMSA"), and the Research and Special Programs Administration; Mexico's Agencia Reguladora del Transporte Ferroviario; Mexico's Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes; and industry authorities such as the Association of American Railroads ("AAR"). All such agencies and authorities promulgate rules, regulations, specifications or operating standards affecting railcar design, configuration, and mechanics; maintenance; and rail-related safety standards for railroad equipment, tracks, and operations, including the packaging and transportation of hazardous or toxic materials. We believe that our product designs and operations are in compliance with these specifications, standards, and regulations applicable to our business.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Similar Regulations. Our operations are subject to regulation of health and safety matters by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") and the Secretaria del Trabajo y Prevision Social ("STPS") in Mexico. We believe that we employ appropriate precautions to protect our employees and others from workplace injuries and harmful exposure to materials handled and managed at our facilities. However, claims asserted against us for work-related illnesses or injury and the further adoption of occupational safety and health regulations in the U.S. or in foreign jurisdictions in which we operate could increase our operating costs. While we do not anticipate having to make material expenditures in order to remain in substantial compliance with health and safety laws and regulations, we are unable to predict the ultimate cost of compliance.
Environmental Matters.
We are subject to comprehensive federal, state, local, and foreign environmental laws and regulations relating to the release or discharge of materials into the environment; the management, use, processing, handling, storage, transport, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste and materials; and other activities relating to the protection of human health, natural resources, and the environment.
Environmental operating permits are, or may be, required for our operations under these laws and regulations. These operating permits are subject to modification, renewal, and revocation. We regularly monitor and review our operations, procedures, and policies for compliance with our operating permits and related laws and regulations. We believe that our operations and facilities, whether owned, managed, or leased, are in substantial compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations and that any non-compliance is not likely to have a material adverse effect on our operations or financial condition.
See Item 1A for further discussion of risk factors with regard to environmental, governmental, and other matters.
Additional Information.
Our Internet website address is www.trin.net . Information on the website is available free of charge. We make available on our website our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments thereto, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The contents of our website are not intended to be incorporated by reference into this report or in any other report or document we file and any reference to our website is intended to be an inactive textual reference only.
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