Climb aboard the Supply Chain Train. You’ve heard that advice, and 16 industry leaders took the step literally one day this past August. A special Executive Round Table was convened aboard the spectacular railcars of RailCruise America, headquartered at St. Louis Union Station, for a trip along some of the heartland’s principal transportation arteries. The setting for the meeting and round table session was just right for a thorough exploration of the complex and fascinating topic, “Supply Chain Collaboration and Visibility.”

The experience of the train trip was a pleasant way to look at underlying components of the supply chain from a new perspective.

The train is a supply chain manager’s dream come true. It has been carefully planned from the three classic locomotives to the elegant observation car at the rear, all of which exceed every passenger’s expectations. There are comfortable wood-paneled lounges, elegant dining cars, glass dome cars, meeting facilities, and an outside platform where passengers can watch the world glide by. It even has an entertainment car with a dance floor. The staff is up to the job, providing service that is courteous, friendly, and flawless.

Elegant RailCruise America train (top), provided by Kathy Louth, Marketing Director (top left), was the site of the Lothair/Norbridge Executive Round Table.

“We provide an experience you just can’t have anywhere else,” says Kathy Louth, marketing director, RailCruise America. Indeed, the train is composed of classic American railcars, originally built in the 1950s for such famous American streamliners as the Union Pacific Railroad’s City of Los Angeles. They were top drawer in their day, but what RailCruise America has done to them would leave even the original designers breathless.

From this plush perspective, our 16 Executive Round Table delegates, along with 30 invited guests, inspected the tracks of the Union Pacific while watching barges ply the majestic Mississippi River along our route. Bracketing the on-the-record session, all aboard found time to catch up on valuable industry acquaintances, as well as to make new ones.

Everyone agreed that the relaxed, professional ambiance of the RailCruise America train was the perfect setting for this unique mini-conference, capped with a memorable meal prepared as the train rolled through eastern Missouri. Best of all, the train is available year-round, from coast to coast, for future Executive Round Tables...as well as your corporate charter. You can learn more about this amazing train at www.railcruiseamerica.com or call 314-231-9500.