The Definitive History of the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay Railway Inc. 1977-2006

An article published in May 2006 (and re-published on the NARCOA website in January 2018) quotes Jim stating: “When we came here 10 years ago, we were handling 7,000 carloads a year… Now we’re up to about 10,000 more a year“. Jim’s own statement confirms the TSBY’s growth between the period of approximately 1996 to 2006. This was a 10-year span leading up to the time of the article’s original reporting.

Under Jim’s leadership, the company’s annual carloads increased significantly. He remained as the owner until the company was sold to Federated Railways in May 2006, after which it was renamed the Great Lakes Central Railroad. 

Jim was involved in other business ventures as well. Some directly related to the operations of the railroad itself, primarily in the logistics and transportation sector such as;

• Partnering with local trucking firms: One of his key business strategies was collaborating with local trucking firms to offer combined rail and truck services. This allowed the railway to haul heavy freight over long distances. Then have trucks handled final delivery to customers. This was especially true for the plastics holding facility in Clare.

• Logistics facilities: TSBY had other facilities throughout northwest Michigan for distributing various materials, including cement, coke, drilling clay, propane, and silica sand. Jim’s business plan appears to have been centered on growing the profitability and scope of the regional rail and logistics network in Michigan.